When clearing codes, the technician should

When clearing codes, the technician should

• A. Use a multimeter
• B. Reboot the vehicle
• C. Use a scan tool
• D. Disconnect the battery

Answer: (C)

Clearing fault codes relies on communicating with the vehicle’s onboard computer. A scan tool is designed to read and clear diagnostic trouble codes stored in the ECU and to reset the readiness monitors that run during driving. This direct communication ensures the system recognizes that the repair has been made and can run its self-tests again. A multimeter only measures electrical values and doesn’t access or modify the fault memory. Rebooting the vehicle isn’t a controlled way to clear codes and may leave the codes unchanged. Disconnecting the battery can erase some data and reset learned adaptations, but it can also disrupt other modules and systems and may not reliably clear all codes. Using a scan tool is the proper method to clear codes after repairs.

Clearing fault codes relies on communicating with the vehicle’s onboard computer. A scan tool is designed to read and clear diagnostic trouble codes stored in the ECU and to reset the readiness monitors that run during driving. This direct communication ensures the system recognizes that the repair has been made and can run its self-tests again. A multimeter only measures electrical values and doesn’t access or modify the fault memory. Rebooting the vehicle isn’t a controlled way to clear codes and may leave the codes unchanged. Disconnecting the battery can erase some data and reset learned adaptations, but it can also disrupt other modules and systems and may not reliably clear all codes. Using a scan tool is the proper method to clear codes after repairs.