I am thinking of getting a code reader or to solve my mysterious stall issues.

(link)

My CEL bulb works, but is not on.

Therefore; Does the On-Board Diagnostic System store codes/other information without lighting up the Check Engine Light?

(or would it be a waste of time/money?)

 

Short Answer is Yes.

Commonly referred to as pending codes. Some codes have to fail several times before setting the MIL to ON.

Recommend a scanner setup that can do more than read codes. OBDII systems can provide operating parameters and you can capture this data to troubleshoot.

 

Thank you!
I think the aforementioned bluetooth adapter has the ability to track realtime input like that. Unless a handheld scanner is more effective. I hate mucking about with smart-phones anyway.

 

I've seen Torque on Android in action with a quality bluetooth OBD2 scanner. It works really well and utilizes the GPS of the phone to boot to provide you even more detailed information.

 

Cool, thanks.

I was wondering if it was kind of flimsy and cheap.