I am a newbie when it comes to scanners so am looking for some help. Potentially, I would like to buy a scanner that would be suitable for Jap cars NZ new ad imports from approx 2000 onwards or just Toyota, Nissan, Mazda. What is available? I know the sky will be the limit but as I understand it you don't necessarily need the hardware. Apparently you can buy the software for use with android for example. Surely, that would have to be a lot cheaper. Need something that would be useful and not a toy and would have let me see. freeze frame. is that right? I think that allows you to drive the car and the scanner will record codes resulting from misfire in realtime. am I right. Brand, part no., price, what cars it will do and features etc., supplier / website/s. any and all info would be much! appreciated.
tony9,
Mar 26, 3:09pm
You will need some hardware to go into the OBD port on the vehicle. This may have a usb or bluetooth port to connect to Android or whatever.
Free Android apps will tell you little. You pay for what you get and to get vehicle/brand specific information and clear brand specific faults expect to start paying at least $500.
slarty45,
Mar 26, 3:10pm
or ultra-gauge.com lots of configurable gauges & reads/clears faults
bwg11,
Mar 26, 3:12pm
For a general overview, I use this bluetooth unit and "Torque" software for my android phone.
But as you say, make specific tools are more expensive and much better.
tony9,
Mar 26, 3:21pm
Yes, but this is where you need to be careful. All those lots of guages etc. are based on generic codes.
I have a Landrover. Those generic ones will not program or reset the Air Suspension, alarm system, air conditioner and a lot of other bits. If I pay $700 I can do all that.
slarty45,
Mar 26, 3:26pm
I bought it mainly cos car has no temp gauge, just a warning light. Very popular in Smart cars that are also have sod all dash. Do you have one?
realtrader1,
Mar 26, 3:38pm
Okay, sorry for the ignorance but what will be the difference between getting a brand eg Toyota specific one and one that says it will do 20 different brands? When you say for a general overview what do you mean? Will it tell you if one of the coils is breaking down for example. or a crank sensor (sorry, codes that would point to specific items that are pinpointed)?
realtrader1,
Mar 26, 3:41pm
Can't you get cheapies like the one listed above that is about $9 from alibaba and allows you to use your computer? Isn't it mainly the code you need to identify and the websites that tell you what the code means for a specific car?
The actual protocol (language) running on the physical interface varies.
Apart from a relatively few "standard" codes for temperature, speed etc., all the other codes are manufacturer specific. What resets the air conditioner on one car may fire off the air bags on another.
realtrader1,
Mar 26, 6:08pm
I see. That is helpful to know! So, if you purchased say a mazda specific hardware (obd2 plug and the appropriate software I wonder what the cheapest you could do for that and still get specific data for oxygen sensor, plugs, fuel etc for your Mazda. Hopefully, eg, a Mazda would do all Mazdas?
I'd got the software route myself. More and more work and makes and models are being worked on by the open software ecu tuners and diagnostic guys. And now they are all using just one or two common hardware interfaces that can be bought off the internet for a few bucks, "Elm" being one. Most of the software can be modified to add new models, or features as they become discovered., and if you want to tune an ecu or change a setting it can be done with the same laptop using the same programs quite often.
Hardare OBD scanners are limited in the range of vehicles and features they can handle, and they soon become obsolete.
elect70,
Mar 27, 2:14pm
The auto sparky i go to said hardware is the cheapest part . Buying the software for all euro / asian /aussie vehicles costs a fortune obviously to discourage non dealers from diagnosing & fixing the cars .
peja,
Mar 27, 2:43pm
I am looking to get one of these, will be for one specific vehicle (Commodore) to analyse codes for check engine light. Obviously I dont want to spend $500 up for this. suggestions?
realtrader1,
Mar 27, 8:24pm
mechnificent, this sounds good. I looked up Elm ad there are a lot of options and free downloads of software from Elm but why would they make them available for free? Sounds too good to be true?
mechnificent,
Mar 28, 6:02am
Most of them, or the development work going into them, has been open source, like the office suites are open source. That means the work is done collaboratively by groups of volunteers and nobody owns it. Linux is open source as well. The guy that invented linux coined the phrase and the concept as far as I know when he decided to throw linux out there to be free and developed as anyone wished. Google "open source" and you will see. There are forums of open source car ecu works going on, some make specific and some general.
I tend to trust Amazon reviews because they can only be posted by people who have bought the product.
And it looks like Amazon don't sell the product now.
tony9,
Mar 28, 9:44am
Yes, I use some Open Source code for my OBD sources. However support is a bit spotty, only some vehicles are supported.
BTW, Open Source started about 20 years before Linux was first developed. Without Open Source there would have been no Linux.
mechnificent,
Mar 28, 11:01am
Ok.
intrade,
Mar 28, 4:06pm
dont buy anything i have to read what i said on here i just finished another diagnostic training course for immobilizers the last 2 days . i know quite a bit about scanners and how it all works and what is bulls.
intrade,
Mar 28, 4:27pm
here is the problem you dont understand the cars you want it to work on are vastly different . Alos global obd 2 is what the elm is golbal obd is only emission codes nothing else is covered and its sortof hit and miss even there, the tutor said today again with that global obd function you can do squat. its not quite true but close to it. you need to know a tool is only as good as its software it has inside it. what you need is oem level diagnostic and obd2 level you need both really. so the best is oem level like i have for volkswagen rosstech master version for about 700$ doing any v-a-g vehicles . Now i also have the launch idiag , the thing is there is loads of pirate stuff out there and lauch will lock you out if they discover you run a pirate version. another problem is it has obd2 free but it dont works on any of the cars i connected my idiag it tells no comunication or it tells bullox like 100% fueltrim and if you done a scantool course you know 25% is the maximum a fueltrim can be befor the engine ecu sets a obd2 fault code . so its complete usless for obd2 it however got a ton of oem level function tests including key programming injector coding functions on the idiag, i have tested fuelpumps evap system oem level fueltrim data if it displays is correct for toyota and opel-astra-holdens i also calibrated the torque sensor of the berina holden on steering with the idiag and my nexus 5 mobile phone i got the unit from stahlcar and seems to be geniuen launch idiag not a pirate. support from launch is also extreem poor like no answer will come back when you write to them, and it used to crash often the app but there is a fix and they changed the whole app a few month ago and it now works ok but still not working for any global obd2 codes or generic data.
intrade,
Mar 28, 4:39pm
back to elm elm is made by a german company called wgsoft i have ther obd2 tool for the global obd stuff its why i disided to get more software for my idiag since i got good covarage for oem level special functions . the pirated elm stuff has not always got all chip inside them and my elm from dx.com woked with the pirated version of torque and then i did hear a rattle and opened it up a component had fallen off and the diagnostic pins started to retract in to the tool from plugin it in a few times. wg soft tool costs about 200$ and has free automatic updates when the tool is plugged in and the machine is online . the 15us$ ones fall apart and are infirior in any way they look ok and work but ummmm yea i think i said enough.
this will not fall apart and its the original maker of the elm products , be awear its only global obd 2 codes. nothing more No oem level diagnostic of any form for actuating and testing and coding modules and there like. global obd2 is emissions only Room not the oem Room but it will give info about global obd2 for any car more or less some manufacturer give the absolute minimum only on obd2 codes not related to emission will highly likly be wrong codes from amy obd2 tool like a transmission range switch code with a global obd 2 you can be almost 99% sure that is bullox and a wrong code as that is nothing to do with emissions.
mechnificent,
Mar 28, 5:40pm
The Elm will fetch whatever data or send whatever commands your software will do as long as the software is designed to operate with an Elm chip.
realtrader1,
Mar 28, 7:03pm
Thanks so much everyone! Re the link above, well that's not going to be any good for me. let's see, I think I need to start using something that will get me started but something that will actually be useful, ELM may be good which model software would do Toyota , Mazda and Nissan? Hopefully not too expensive, to read codes that are stored on the ECU from the ECL being on. A part no. and website and brand would be great. Cheers.
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