OBD scanner

MarkJ

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Anyone use one or got one?

Theoretically I could have saved myself £54 today if I’d had one: the garage found an oil sensor was faulty by plugging in and finding a fault code and that’s what they charged for a diagnostic session. I know it’s not always going to be that simple, but I wonder... a quick google shows scanners from £10 to £100 to £x00. Cheap ones sound as though they might be rip offs using out of date and possibly cloned software, but I don’t need an all singing, all dancing jobbie.

Just wondered if anyone had any suggestions?

Thanks
 
Maybe have a read of reviews of various models on Amazon? I often get some useful info there :)
 
What base vehicle have you got?
The generic ODB Scanners only see and reset the "common" parts. To get more in-depth settings and readings you often need a brand-specific system.
Autel is a common well-respected brand. But as a well-recognised brand, there are loads of rip-offs around (I suspect my Autel is a rip-off), including many on Amazon. If buying off Amazon, I would be inclined to chose one sold by Amazon directly as it will be easier to sort out if not right.
 
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wildebus said:
What base vehicle have you got?
The generic ODB Scanners only see and reset the "common" parts. To get more in-depth settings and readings you often need a brand-specific system.
Autel is a common well-respected brand. But as a well-recognised brand, there are loads of rip-offs around (I suspect my Autel is a rip-off), including many on Amazon. If buying off Amazon, I would be inclined to chose one sold by Amazon directly as it will be easier to sort out if not right.
Click to expand...

We’re a Ducato...the code I got today was a generic one, but you’re right of course, that only goes so far. Our other vehicles are an Audi and a Peugeot so I think I need to prioritise - it’s the van I’m bothered about.

I’ll have a look at Autel, thanks!
 
Leave it to the professionals, a little knowledge is dangerous. It might not be the sensor it could be a loose connection or corroded terminal. These tools don’t check components they only tell you where to start checking.
 
If later you wanted to do the AUDI, the system to get is VCDS which runs on Windows. RossTech are a main supplier of that but are quite pricey. I got a lookalike cable (via Amazon I think?) which runs on an old version of VCDS but it did everything required on my 2008 VW T5 (also worked on my 2003 LT but very limited as most of the Electrics are Mercedes).
 
caledonia said:
Leave it to the professionals, a little knowledge is dangerous. It might not be the sensor it could be a loose connection or corroded terminal. These tools don’t check components they only tell you where to start checking.
Click to expand...
I would disagree very much with this comment.

Many Garages charge more than a Scanner costs just to tell you what you could have found out yourself. Fixing it is a totally separate thing and having the codes allows you to go in to a garage with much more confidence and knowledge of a possible issue.
 
Cheap ones are fine, for an OBD scanner. You need to know what you are buying and what you want to achieve though.

An OBD scanner does what it says on the tin - connects to the engine ECU and can read the mandatory engine emissions related trouble codes which are defined by the OBD protocol and common to all manufacturers.

If you want to check for fault codes relating to other systems on the vehicle, it gets more complicated and progressively more expensive.

There are 4-system scanners, which can retrieve codes from the engine, ABS, SRS (airbag) and Transmission. Some are one make only, some cover several or (nearly) all makes. Some have additional functions such as the ability to reset service lights, oil change lights etc.

Then there are multi-system or all system scanners which can check every ECU on the vehicle - some vehicles may have 20 or more ECUs controlling different functions.

Some of these are single make tools, and can go pretty deep into the vehicle systems. MultiECUscan for Fiat for example, is in some ways more powerful that the dedicated tool that the main dealers use.

Some are multi-make and cover (nearly) all vehicles (again), but often with slightly less functionality. They tend not to have as much coverage for vehicles up to 2-3 years old as the software providers work on the assumption that such vehicles will be maintained in the dealer network for that period.

I have a cheap OBD only scanner that is perfectly functional and cost £9-99 from Amazon. I have MutiEcuScan for my MH, which cost 230 euros including a dedicated multiplex dongle to prevent having to keep swapping connection cables for different ECUs on the vehicle. I also have a Launch multi make scanner that costs a bit over £1K and does additional functions such as bleeding ABS ECUs, steering angle resets, injector coding and learning, etc. You can go up to £7K - £10K or more depending what you need...
 
As said above, there are various levels of diagnostic available.
I've made do with the free app on android,, Torque, and a BT ELM 327 for a tenner off EBay, which no doubt has certainly proved very useful. I has diagnosed faults on the Fiat Moho,Mazda and my Porsche correctly but a lot of further investment would be needed for dedicated vehicle specific software which i haven't bothered with yet. Would you fix the fault yourself if you could diagnose it?

You pays your money ..............
 
If you buy MultiEcuScan direct from the author's website (prices are in Euros) using a foreign currency fee free credit card, it's a fair bit cheaper than going to Gendan. At least until ****** after which customs duty could affect the overall costs!

Also bear in mind that if you're just intending to save the cost of a dealer diagnostic fee, unless you have a friendly local mechanic who is happy to accept what you tell them, many garages will still insist on doing their own checks before anything else, partly because the equipment they use often leads the mechanic through additional procedures designed to further diagnose the fault based on the result of their scan.
 
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I have a couiple of scanner one a generic Gendan one for use with a laptop and a Carsure one dedicated to Mercedes/ Sprinter and Smarts. Very useful but will drive you mad finding a fault without throwing a code up.. All variable sensors will not trigger a code unless the perameters are exceeded.. My Diesel smart was on limp and in the end it was finding it was OK for a second or two after truning LEFT from a stop.. It was the yaw sensor of the ESP system which did not show as it was a variable one. My Fiesta has gone on limp mode but NO codes, after a lot of checking it is the Common rail high pressure not going high enough to run properly, 8000psi when it needs 28000psi (big figures) to inject enough fuel.. I need to change the high pressure regulator easy to do IF YOU CAN GET TO IT. on the back of the main pump.. I am learnig a lot about modern diesels now but you need a network of contacts to get the hints. Youtube hits a lot of buttons here, as somebody might know even if he only speaks Russian .
 
yeoblade said:
As said above, there are various levels of diagnostic available.
I've made do with the free app on android,, Torque, and a BT ELM 327 for a tenner off EBay, which no doubt has certainly proved very useful. I has diagnosed faults on the Fiat Moho,Mazda and my Porsche correctly but a lot of further investment would be needed for dedicated vehicle specific software which i haven't bothered with yet. Would you fix the fault yourself if you could diagnose it?

You pays your money ..............
Click to expand...

I'll give you some examples of why you might want vehicle specific software to "fix" things that you would be annoyed having to pay a garage to do...

MY VW LT had a flashing light on the dashboard which was an immobiliser 'warning'. All it meant was the battery was disconnected at some time and something not reset. The actual fault was gone but the warning remained.
Used the VCDS-Lite s/w together with the VW Cable and Mercedes adapter to reset the Light.

I installed VW OEM Cruise Control on my VW T5. To have this working you need to enable it in the ECU. VW would charge an hours labour to do this, which take 5 minutes.
The Cruise Control didn't actually work correctly after I installed it. Using the VCDS-Lite s/w, it allowed me to see the clutch switch was working intermittantly causing the issue and I knew to just order a new switch and fit it. This was a £13 part that took around 10 minutes to fit. I bet this repair would have cost three figures at VW.

Non of the above are beyond the capabilities or understanding of anyone who does basic vehicle maintenance I think.

So this piece of s/w (£Zero cost download) with the required h/w (cable costing under £30) will have saved me a minimum of over £200

I have also used the software to cross-check the ODOMETER on the dash with the ODO info stored in the ECU (which cannot be changed) to confirm the vehicle hadn't been clocked (A useful thing to be able to do when looking at buying a vehicle )
 
I think like any tool they have their uses but are not a silver bullet.

I've got an Autel, and have found it to be very good. I've had a few issues with the van and car since getting it and it diagnosed them correctly, allowing me to fix the issues without going to a garage. That said, I suspect that if or when something particularly odd/complex comes up it may struggle. The live read function is good. Get our lass to drive while I see what various elements are doing
 
GWAYGWAY said:
I have a couiple of scanner one a generic Gendan one for use with a laptop and a Carsure one dedicated to Mercedes/ Sprinter and Smarts. Very useful but will drive you mad finding a fault without throwing a code up.. All variable sensors will not trigger a code unless the perameters are exceeded.. My Diesel smart was on limp and in the end it was finding it was OK for a second or two after truning LEFT from a stop.. It was the yaw sensor of the ESP system which did not show as it was a variable one. My Fiesta has gone on limp mode but NO codes, after a lot of checking it is the Common rail high pressure not going high enough to run properly, 8000psi when it needs 28000psi (big figures) to inject enough fuel.. I need to change the high pressure regulator easy to do IF YOU CAN GET TO IT. on the back of the main pump.. I am learnig a lot about modern diesels now but you need a network of contacts to get the hints. Youtube hits a lot of buttons here, as somebody might know even if he only speaks Russian .
Click to expand...

hi
ive got a foxwell it also does the manufacture codes and airbag abs transmission
and engine. i was doing a fiat doblo with a code for rail pressure sensor. i changed
the pressure sensor but it still would not start. after more checking it turned out to
be a bad earth on the fuel pump in the tank. i also have a snap on vantage ultra.
it does not read codes but has a 2 channel scope and tells you all the information for
each component
. where to connect the leads to and what the volts should be and what the wave pattern
should look like.
 
A few years ago fiat's diagnostic commercial computer was only to be found in Italy
The local dealer used a reader the same as you can buy, then the skilled mechanic did the rest. If he failed they rang Italy and within a few days the factory got back to them with suggestions to try...
 
chrisjones18 said:
A few years ago fiat's diagnostic commercial computer was only to be found in Italy
The local dealer used a reader the same as you can buy, then the skilled mechanic did the rest. If he failed they rang Italy and within a few days the factory got back to them with suggestions to try...
Click to expand...

Define a few years ago? Fiat's Examiner diagnostic tool (now obsolete) was in use in 1996.
 
Deneb said:
Define a few years ago? Fiat's Examiner diagnostic tool (now obsolete) was in use in 1996.
Click to expand...
3 years to be precise and it was at a fiat main commercial dealership.

They had a computer diagnostic machine (in the corner covered in dust) and explained how it worked . I can't repeat his logic as he would get into trouble slagging off their equipment and charges.
No better than a reader you can buy cheaply is the safest thing I can quote.
 
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