Modern 4x4s are a great thing, but what happens if you see a check engine light pop up when you are travelling remote?
Something super simple could have gone wrong, but without the ability to scan fault codes as well as clear them, how would you know what is wrong and how to fix it without calling an expensive tow truck?
At the most recent 4WD Of The Year awards, a vehicle I was testing went in to limp mode after some spirited acceleration/braking sequences. I tried turning it off, locking the doors, spinning around six times and clapping my hands, but none of that fixed the problem, nor did I know what the problem was.
After limping the vehicle back to our gathering area, my mate and fellow judge for the event, Jason Lock, handed me his Autophix OBD Scanner, and assumed I knew how to use it. I did not. But that didn’t stop me fixing the issue, because the Autophix unit was so easy to use.
Plug it in to the OBD II port, turn on the ignition, and follow the prompts. Turns out the gearbox had freaked out (that’s the technical term), causing the vehicle to go in to limp mode. I cleared the fault code, and we were back in action literally a few minutes later.
That’s a terrific result, as I knew what the problem was and that it wasn’t a terminal issue. This event opened my eyes up to both the importance of having the ability to scan and clear codes, as well as how easy the Autophix gear is to use. I had to have one, just for peace of mind as it had proved to me it’s worth.
The Autophix team has just released this Toyota-specific unit, called the Outback 9360, which I was assured would work perfectly with the petrol FJ Cruiser, as well as my diesel N70 Hilux, so that’s what I went with.
It arrived quickly after ordering via the Autophix website, complete with a USB cable so you can track data along the way via your computer, in a nicely padded storage case which fits easily in the FJ’s tiny glovebox.
It also feels to be a quality bit of gear, the cabling is nice and thick, the supplied carry case is well-made with good zippers, and the instructions supplied are clear and easy to understand.
Naturally, that’s all well and good, but does it work? Yep, easy as pie. As soon as it arrived, I ran downstairs and plugged it in to my FJ Cruiser to see if everything was playing along nicely and have continued to experiment with it regularly.
“You hope to never need it, but the one time you do need it, it’s paid for itself”
Much to my surprise, I’ve had two fault codes which needed investigating. C1256 – Brake Accumulator Low Pressure, now that sounds serious. Then I thought about it, we had just upgraded the brakes on the FJ, and bled the system, which would have been the cause of the fault. I’ve been checking every week or so (because I can), and it hasn’t come back, thankfully.
The second code, popped up while taking images for this article, and was related to the airbag system. I’ll be monitoring that, as there were no lights on the dash to alert me to this potential issue – I wouldn’t have known about it if I didn’t have a diagnostic tool.
I’ve cleared it for now, and will check again in a week or so. It’s impressive to know I have the ability to keep an eye on what the FJ is doing anywhere I may roam, and a strong chance of being able to fix the problem, or even call ahead for parts once I’ve diagnosed the issue.
It’s also worth mentioning, that yes this particular item is a Toyota-specific diagnostics tool, but there are plenty of other Autophix options available to suit most makes and models on the Australian market. It’s a cheap insurance policy, much like a winch. You hope to never need it, but the one time you do need it, it’s paid for itself. The Autophix Outback 9360 will live in the glovebox
of my FJ Cruiser for as long as I own the vehicle, simple to use, takes up no space and at just under $340 it’s money well spent.
Available from: www.autophixaustralia.com.au
RRP: $339.95
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Keyword: Tested: Autophix Outback 9360 diagnostic scanner