Citroën diagnostics
There are many modules and control units in your Citroen that can be diagnosed with Citroen diagnostic equipment. Systems such as the engine, ABS, airbags and transmission can also contain error codes. An error code present in one of these modules often results in the malfunction indicator light lighting up. To find out why the warning light has come on, your Citroen must be checked. By reading codes from the OBDII, a malfunction can be found in the engine of your Citroen. The found error code is displayed with a description of the possible cause. In this way you can start looking for the source of the problem. When the cause of the problem has been resolved, the error code can be cleared from the system.
The difference between OBD1 and OBD2 in your Citroen
You may be wondering if your car is OBD1 or OBD2. This is quite easy to answer. If your Citroen is a petrol model, it will always be OBD2 compatible from year 2001 onwards. If you have a diesel, it is always OBD2 compatible from year 2004 onwards. OBD2 also has the characteristic that the connection is a standard 16 pin connection plug. If you own a car with an OBD2 port, you can always use a universal OBD2 reader to read codes from the engine. If you want to be able to read and erase fault codes in more systems, a brand-specific Citroen OBD device must be purchased. We offer a wide choice in Citroen diagnostic equipment. Your Citroen is always OBD1 if it was produced for the above-mentioned construction years. The somewhat older models will use an adapter cable, often 30 pins. The Citroen OBD1 models can only be read with OBD1 equipment specially developed for Citroen. You can think of the iCarsoft CP V1.0 Citroen.
The engine (OBD2) and other control units
Most universal OBD2 devicse can only read and erase fault codes in the Citroen's engine, also known as OBD2. Today's Citroens naturally have many more technologies on board, such as ABS, airbags, air conditioning, etc. These control units can also contain fault codes. These are often not approachable with universal diagnostic equipment. To read codes in other control units you will need a Citroen brand specific fault code reader, or a professional diagnostic computer, which has been developed to also get into other control units, in order to make a more complete diagnosis.
A handy wireless OBD tool for your Citroen
Reading error codes in your Citroen wirelessly is now also possible with the help of a Bluetooth obd scanner. Such a wireless dongle can be connected to the OBD2 port of the car in no time and connected to the phone or tablet. In this way you can easily and cheaply extract data from your car, such as OBD2 error codes and some live data. Buying Citroen OBD equipment does not have to be expensive!
