Navigating the world of car diagnostics can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to figure out if your older Hyundai is OBD2 compliant and which scanners will actually work. Like many Hyundai owners, I recently went through the frustrating process of trying to diagnose some engine issues on my ’99 GLS model. The goal? To find an OBD2 scanner that could effectively communicate with my car’s computer and give me the insights I needed.
My journey started with a visit to a friend who had a collection of OBD2 scanners, all primarily used for his Toyotas. We were hopeful that at least one of them would be universally compatible enough to recognize my Hyundai’s ECU, assuming it was indeed OBD2. Unfortunately, initial attempts with his scanners were unsuccessful. It seemed like my assumption of generic OBD2 compatibility might be wrong, and we began to think my ’99 Sonata might predate the OBD2 standard, or perhaps had a less common implementation.
Just as we were about to give up, my friend discovered a free car scanner app on his Android phone’s Play Store. With nothing to lose, we downloaded it and started exploring the vehicle configuration options. To our surprise, the app listed a ’99 Sonata 2.5l GLS option – the oldest one available. We selected it, connected via Bluetooth to one of his scanners, the OBDLinkMX+, and to our amazement, it worked!
The app immediately read the engine codes, identifying issues with the bank1 O2 sensor and the temperature sensor. This perfectly aligned with the erratic engine behavior I had been experiencing. Even more impressively, the app provided links that visually pinpointed the location of these sensors in the engine bay. It was a breakthrough! The successful connection was established using the OBDLinkMX+ scanner, which my friend recalled purchasing for around $45 (though he wasn’t certain about the currency). At that price point, the immediate success was well worth it for the diagnostic capability it offered.
Excited by this initial victory, my friend generously loaned me his OBDLinkMX+ scanner so I could download the app on my own phone and delve deeper into the diagnostic possibilities. My plan was to experiment further before investing in my own scanner. However, my subsequent attempts to replicate that initial success proved to be more challenging. The same app, just a few days later, no longer listed the ’99 Sonata as a configuration option. And my search for the OBDLinkMX+ at the same low price point has been unsuccessful so far.
The search for the perfect, easily compatible OBD2 scanner for my Hyundai continues. I’m still exploring other apps and scanner options, hoping to find a reliable and affordable solution. The initial success with the OBDLinkMX+ and the free app gives hope, but it also highlights the sometimes unpredictable nature of OBD2 compatibility, especially with older vehicles. The journey to “beat” the Hyundai OBD2 scanner challenge is ongoing, and further experimentation is definitely needed to find the most effective tool for the job.
