Field Troubleshooting Guide for Intermittent OBD-II Communication

Professional mechanic diagnosing intermittent OBD-II communication loss. Scan tool shows "LOST COMMUNICATION" error under dashboard, with visual metaphor for data corruption.

Your diagnostic session is dead in the water. The scan tool connects, reads a few PIDs, and then the screen freezes or flashes “LOST COMMUNICATION.” You jiggle the cable, and it comes back—for a minute. This isn’t just a bad cable; it’s a ghost in the machine, wasting hours of productive time and shaking confidence […]