OBDII scan tool

[engineer2]

Point me to the scan tool thread. I did a search and there were too many results. i don't need anything fancy, bluetooth to phone is fine. I accidentally left my Elm $27 bluetooth adapter in one of my vehicles for a month and that killed it. Need something reliable. No Autel please.

 

[ItsNemo]

What's your budget?

 

[MrGiggles]

I bought a Vgate ELM327 from Amazon a couple years ago. I leave it plugged in for months at a time and never have a problem with it.

Unless you spend a lot more, you won't get more functionality than Torque Pro.

 

[engineer2]

Maybe up to $100? I just need to read codes, clear them, read some sensors, nothing fancy. I have Hondas, so my needs are pretty basic since I don't have many issues.

 

[engineer2]

I must have gotten a dud, I will took it apart and will look at the power supply. It's all SMT micro circuits, so no easy fixes. The Bluetooth board is postage stamp design with really small components which is typical.

 

[ItsNemo]

Maybe up to $100? I just need to read codes, clear them, read some sensors, nothing fancy. I have Hondas, so my needs are pretty basic since I don't have many issues.

Need ABS, trans, airbag too? Mode 6?

Why no Autel? Bang for buck they're a good deal.

 

[engineer2]

Had an Autel and it had the white screen of death. Amazon was very quick with a refund even though it was 2 years old. Something about Autel counterfeits.
I guess ABS and trans would be good.

 

[anndel]

BlueDriver - I have it in my wife's car and you can leave it plugged in the vehicle. For larger jobs I use the Maxisys 906TS or an Autel MaxiDas 708 (my backup).

 

[kctyphoon]

I have this HF model.. it works, does live data and all that.. it's nice that it gives you common causes and description of the codes so you don't have to look them up.. might not be the best, but it suits my needs.. I believe it's the higher model before you get into the tablets. Works on ABS too.

http://t.harborfreight.com/can-obd-ii-scan-tool-with-abs-60794.html

I thought about one of those Bluetooth readers, but this was just easier.
Btw, the abs on the HF scan tool works with my 2012 Honda. Everything else works just as you'd expect too.. the live data is pretty cool.

 

[Socket Pounder]

I have a BAFX bluetooth, you might be looking for something fancier though.

 

[Showkey]

Had an Autel and it had the white screen of death. Amazon was very quick with a refund even though it was 2 years old. Something about Autel counterfeits.
I guess ABS and trans would be good.

Non of these China cloned scan tools are super high quality .....but........after trying several brands the AUTEL is the best bang for the buck. There are clones of the clones from the far off lands so......yes..... that is an issue. But again thats true with most of the aftermarket brands and the factory scan tools.

 

[BajaScout]

I have the Kiwi3 and use OBD Auto Doctor Software.

https://www.obdautodoctor.com/obd-adapters

 

[bwringer]

I have this HF model.. it works, does live data and all that.. it's nice that it gives you common causes and description of the codes so you don't have to look them up.. might not be the best, but it suits my needs.. I believe it's the higher model before you get into the tablets. Works on ABS too.

http://t.harborfreight.com/can-obd-ii-scan-tool-with-abs-60794.html

I thought about one of those Bluetooth readers, but this was just easier.
Btw, the abs on the HF scan tool works with my 2012 Honda. Everything else works just as you'd expect too.. the live data is pretty cool.

Agreed. That HF unit is the best bang for the buck by far if you need the ABS and CANBUS functions.

Otherwise, get another Bluetooth widget and Torque Pro.

I also have a simple two button orange plug-in unit that will read and clear the basic codes. I got it cheap and it's sort of a backup to the Bluetooth widget.

 

[American Locomotive]

I've had the same $7 ELM327 "1.5" bluetooth OBD2 adapter for 2 years. Left it plugged in my Jeep for over a month straight without issue.

Its this style of adapter (although this is not the seller I bought it from): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008BPN7XI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[engineer2]

That HF model looks like it is pretty good. I'll just wait for the next 25% coupon.
Thanks Everyone!

 

[engineer2]

Found the issue with my Bluetooth scanner. Apple phones won't recognize it, and it won't show up on the iPhones Bluetooth device list. Pulled out an old android phone and it works fine. It turns out these devices use what's called Serial Port Protocol (SPP) and Apple Bluetooth doesn't support that.

 

[Socket Pounder]

Just don't waste money on those cheap blue ones you see on Amazon and ebay, they aren't compatible with all vehicles. I had one and it only worked on about half the vehicles I tried. Maybe it was bad luck but the BAFX has worked on everything.

And yeah, gotta pay attention to that apple vs android compatibility. Electronics can't be easy.