Mitsubishi Outlander and ASX: CVT, PHEV and the shared platform
Two models, three drivetrain types, and a plug-in hybrid that behaves differently from anything else in the range.
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Blog
Nissan Note and Micra: small Nissans, CVT questions included
Later Micras share Renault engineering and earlier ones do not. Both eras raise the same question about the automatic gearbox.
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How the catalyst monitor decides your converter has failed
P0420 is a conclusion drawn from comparing two sensor traces. Understanding the comparison is what stops people buying converters they did not need.
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The comprehensive component monitor: the one that never says "not ready"
Every readiness list has one entry that is always complete. It is not broken, and understanding why explains how the other monitors differ.
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Exporting OBD logs: turning a CSV into an actual answer
A log is only useful if you can compare it against something. Here is what to record, how to structure it, and which comparisons find faults.
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How the EVAP monitor tests for leaks, and why it needs half a tank
The fussiest test on the car. Knowing its conditions is the difference between a week of aimless driving and a readiness status that completes.
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OBD for a small fleet: what to log and what to act on
Five vans and no workshop. The value is not in reading codes after a breakdown — it is in the trends that let you schedule work instead of reacting to it.
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How the misfire monitor counts what it cannot see
There is no sensor inside a cylinder watching combustion. The ECU detects misfires by measuring how the crankshaft slows down, and that has consequences.
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Mode 05: oxygen sensor monitoring test results
The ECU already tested your oxygen sensors and stored the numbers. Mode 05 lets you read them, which beats interpreting a waveform by eye.
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Mode 07: pending codes and catching a fault before the lamp
A fault detected once, not yet confirmed, and not yet worth a warning lamp. Reading these is how you find problems while they are still cheap.
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Mode 0A permanent DTCs: the codes you cannot clear
Disconnecting the battery clears normal codes. It does not touch these, and that is exactly why they exist.
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From raw bytes to readable numbers: how PID formulas work
Your app shows 87 °C. The car sent the byte 0x7B. The conversion between them is defined by the standard, and knowing it explains some odd readings.
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