Long time automotive writer Larry Carley makes an effort to explain M $06 data in a clear manner:
http://www.underhoodservice.com/Article/39044/obd_ii_diagnostics_checking_into_mode_06.aspxsample quote
Unfortunately,
GM, Daimler-Chrylser and other vehicle manufacturers have not yet posted any of their Mode 06 information on the iATN website. ( at least as of April 2005)
Mode 06 information on other vehicle manufacturers usually can be found by searching their service websites. These sites, which include all their OBD II-related service information, can be accessed via the Internet for fees ranging from free to about $25 per day.
For a complete list of OEM websites,
go to
www.nastf.org or
www.underhoodservice.com and click on the red oval reading
"OEM Service Repair Links."
Note: We've heard that some of the OEM Mode $06 lists are not completely accurate. Some of the TID/CID hex codes listed on certain OEM websites are incorrectly identified. iATN has attempted to post corrections where errors have been discovered, so it's a good idea to see if there have been any recent postings if you're an iATN member.
It would be nice if there were a single master list of Mode $06 data and what it means,
but each vehicle manufacturer assigns their own unique hex code to their system monitors and components.
As a rule, the hex codes are similar from one model year to the next within a vehicle manufacturer's product line, but some codes may change from one year or model to the next depending on the vehicle application.
If your scan tool only displays Mode $06 information in hex code and you have been unable to find a reference chart to translate and convert the hex code,
your only alternative is to create a reference list of your own using a known-good vehicle.
One automotive trainer we know did that by hooking up his scan tool to a variety of vehicles and painstakingly compiling his own reference manual of hex code translations.
To identify each TID/CID,
he would disconnect a component or create a false failure and then note which TID/CID on the Mode $06 screen changed. He would then write down the item, the corresponding Mode $06 hex code, and convert the test value into regular decimal units that made sense.
One thing to keep in mind here is that if all the Mode $06 entries read PASS,
it means all the monitored components are working within specifications.
There are no problems lurking in the system waiting to trigger the MIL light and set a DTC.
Consequently, you don't really have to know what each TID/CID means as long as all the lines read PASS.
On the other hand, if one or more lines read FAIL, then you know there's a problem and further diagnosis is needed to isolate the fault. For that, you do need to know what component is identified by the failed TID/CID hex code.
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