Check Engine Light - warning sign

[Rahimdad]

@Wrangeld thank you, but it's not trademark to me. It is @Srikumar who started this theory and I like you am following the same.

@Shamil I agree on the fact that you should know what the error was and should be curious why it pops up in the first place. I have been a victim of too many computers on board and too much hassle, but better to be aware and ready.

[Fuad]

7 minutes ago, Rahimdad said:

@Wrangeld thank you, but it's not trademark to me. It is @Srikumar who started this theory and I like you am following the same.

@Shamil I agree on the fact that you should know what the error was and should be curious why it pops up in the first place. I have been a victim of too many computers on board and too much hassle, but better to be aware and ready.

I always had Abs fault on my pajero and even mitsubishi al habtoor told me its my RH abs sensor faulty and need to be replaced quoted around 1200 for fixing.i replaced all sensors vice versa from my friends car and everything was ok. Took it to a local electrician and he found it was a wiring issue and corrected it n few bucks.

So my 2 cents-

Don't completely trust OBD Scanner some mechanics are far better than them. But dont neglect it too it hurts a lot.

[Emmanuel]

6 hours ago, Shamil said:

The problem with my truck - Nissan Xterra, is that they are not compatible with the standard OBD scanners. 

Are you sure about this?

[Shamil]

@desertdude, @Emmanuel, the fact that standard OBD scanners dont work with the Xterra is something that i found out myself after purchasing one, and realizing that it doesnt work. I then purchased a different brand only to see the same result. I then reconfirmed this with a whatsapp group of about 200+ Xterra owners. I am not sure if the issue is only for the GCC spec or if its the case with Xterras worldwide. @Emmanuel, you might remember the first time i had the check engine light issue in area 53 back in the summer during a night drive, when @shadow79 was with us and he tried to diagnose the problem on the spot with his OBD scanner but it didnt work.

However, after reading all the replies and as very rightly pointed out by most of you, i guess i still havent zeroed in on the root cause as to why the error came in the first place. I guess, i will wait until it happens again before i can get that check done.

[desertdude]

11 hours ago, Fuad said:

I always had Abs fault on my pajero and even mitsubishi al habtoor told me its my RH abs sensor faulty and need to be replaced quoted around 1200 for fixing.i replaced all sensors vice versa from my friends car and everything was ok. Took it to a local electrician and he found it was a wiring issue and corrected it n few bucks.

So my 2 cents-

Don't completely trust OBD Scanner some mechanics are far better than them. But dont neglect it too it hurts a lot.

That is just false reasoning on your part and as always the stealers trying to rip you off. Because they only replace not repair.

The diagnostic tool pointed you in the direction and anybody with even basic diagnostic experience with tell you just because you have a fault in xyz doesn't mean it's broken. 

You did the right thing and decided to further investigate it yourself.

But I can bet you your bank balance 9 out 10 sanaiya mechanics you would have taken the car too and not informed them of the sensor issue information you had just said I have an ABS light please check and fix it and you would have gotten replies like you need to change your ABS ECU to your ABS pump to God knows what. 

[desertdude]

4 minutes ago, Shamil said:

@desertdude, @Emmanuel, the fact that standard OBD scanners dont work with the Xterra is something that i found out myself after purchasing one, and realizing that it doesnt work. I then purchased a different brand only to see the same result. I then reconfirmed this with a whatsapp group of about 200+ Xterra owners. I am not sure if the issue is only for the GCC spec or if its the case with Xterras worldwide. @Emmanuel, you might remember the first time i had the check engine light issue in area 53 back in the summer during a night drive, when @shadow79 was with us and he tried to diagnose the problem on the spot with his OBD scanner but it didnt work.

However, after reading all the replies and as very rightly pointed out by most of you, i guess i still havent zeroed in on the root cause as to why the error came in the first place. I guess, i will wait until it happens again before i can get that check done.

Then you have a defective OBD port and if what you say is true then seems like it's a common problem..

I would get that sorted out first. It's probably not getting power or wiring issue. Because no way it's not OBD II compliant on such a late model car. 

In the mid 90s it became law in the US that all cars have to be OBDII compliant by late 90s most GCC cars were so post 2000 model car not OBD compliant is hard to believe.

[Shamil]

1 minute ago, desertdude said:

Then you have a defective OBD port and if what you say is true then seems like it's a common problem..

I would get that sorted out first. It's probably not getting power or wiring issue. Because no way it's not OBD II compliant on such a late model car. 

In the mid 90s it became law in the US that all cars have to be OBDII compliant by late 90s most GCC cars were so post 2000 model car not OBD compliant is hard to believe.

If the port is defective, it wouldnt work with the bigger and more expensive OBD scanners that the garages use, but it does and thats how i know that the port is fine. I am aware off the law introduced back in 96 which mandates all cars to have OBD ports but i dont know why Nissan dropped the ball with the Xterra.

[Gaurav]

Or maybe check with other Xterra guys there could be Nissan interface bridging between OBD.

My model Pajero has MUT interface and many cheaper OBD scan tool can plug but only able to scan basic info and can't read the fault or scan thoroughly unless MUT adapter plugged in with MUT supporting interface.

Big scan tool box that comes for 8-10K (Autel, Xlaunch etc.) comes with box full of adapter for this reason only. And those tool usually scan everything in my model Pajero within few minutes. So whenever I see phone app or small peony OBD scanner I know it's not going to work.

[desertdude]

5 minutes ago, Shamil said:

If the port is defective, it wouldnt work with the bigger and more expensive OBD scanners that the garages use, but it does and thats how i know that the port is fine. I am aware off the law introduced back in 96 which mandates all cars to have OBD ports but i dont know why Nissan dropped the ball with the Xterra.

Then I'm guessing and this is just a theory since it's made in the USA it's using the new SAE something something 480 CAN protocol and the obd scanners are old ass with old software on them.

You can buy a Nissan specific diagnostic tool for around 500 dhs it's not VIN locked and covers the entire Nissan range with free software updates. I would seriously look into buying that.

[treks]

It's not about not being OBD II compliant or not. It about the fact that OBD II standards allow several communications protocols, some of which cannot be read by 50-buck scanners. And its not only NIssan Xterras that are affected- almost all manufacturers use at least some proprietary programming (including algorithms and look-up tables) that require scanners that can read all, or most communication protocols because the programming of any given system can be based on one, two, or even three different protocols. NIssan XTerras is just one example of that.