gone postal

Does anyone have any recommendations on OBD II scan tools?

Looking for a good one, not the $50 cheapos, any advice would be appreciated.

RLXXI

What do you plan to do with it? If all you want is to read and erase codes the cheap ones are ideal. I bought one from amazon for 12 bux and another 6 bux for the Torque Pro app for my android cell phone and it works great, I can even watch sensor data in real time. I also have a Ford scan tool that was much more expensive and the only thing it can do over the cheap one is program keys and perform service functions like bleeding the abs hcu and turning solenoids on and off etc.

Snap-On has one that in my opinion isn't much better than the cheapo amazon scanner and it carries a hefty price tag as well.

They sell scanners at the auto parts stores that are no better either.

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gone postal

Just read codes, preferable ABS and SRS codes in addition to the OBD codes, and some limited real time data scanning.

I just remember the nightmares with OBD 1 scanners that you had to buy the manufacturer specific scanner (Ford was different from GM, ad nauseum)

No smartphone, so that avenue is out.

69Shark

Hello,
I am not a professional mechanic or anything close to it so my opinion is limited in value.

I use this
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...rd=obd2+reader

Works great for my needs. Quickly diagnoses a lot of stuff accurately. My neighbors and friends all borrow it and use it also. They all love it and now just use mine.

Scott

RLXXI

Almost forgot about another scan tool I have it's called auto-tap and you use it with a laptop, reads all codes and real time data.



I don't use it any more since I use the android based scanner I could let you have for $100 shipped.

I'll likely put it on ebay .

You can download the software and read all about what you can do with it here http://www.autotap.com/ if your interested.

EDIT: The auto tap only reads powertrain codes so never mind.

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RLXXI

This is the Ford tester similar to mine http://www.ebay.com/itm/NGS-New-Generation-Star-Tester-Hickok-Ford-Rotunda-Diagnostic-Scanner-Tool-/190995092290?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&hash=item2c7831d342&vxp=mtr
Not sure how updated that one is but it is what the dealer use or use to anyway. I updated mine to include controller area network (CAN) diagnostics but I can only go as high as 2010, that one you can program keys and basically everything the dealer can do from 1996-^ Ford/Lincoln/Mercury (ONLY)

Damn good price too, I paid 1800 for mine.

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slcoffroad

I have just a cheap little scanner and then got the Torque app for free from a friend. Works great for what I use it for

RLXXI

Yep same here, this is the one I use,...
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CollinM

Lol that star is really old. Infact there has been stars 2 and about 3 other diag tools since then. Now it's Ids through vcm

RLXXI

Yep I've had my NGS for near 10 years and it was used when I bought it. But it still works just fine. I would drop a few coin on an IDS but they have it tied to a subscription plan and no way I could recoup my $$ only using it on my own vehicles.

When I left the dealer they had migrated to the WDS but the NGS was still popular because the WDS was a huge pile of crap.

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