I must not have come across with the correct meaning. I'm looking for recommendations on which is a really good brand or model OBDII reader. There are dozens upon dozens of these things and if I'm to spend big bucks I want to hear about which ones to stay away from and which to buy. I cannot find a comparison chart or some sort of "consumer report" on these readers/what-ever anywhere on the Internet.
That's not the only thing that a scanner will do. As a matter of fact, that is a very tiny part of what a scanner will do. I think that what he is looking for is a scanner as a tool for doing diagnostic work on his car. For that, he will definitely need a scanner.
OP, for this there is only one scanner you want to buy. A GM Tech II. You want to be extra careful that you don't buy some crap out of Hong Kong or China. KNOW who you are buying from. The GM Tech II is the ONLY scanner that will do all of the trouble-shooting steps in a flow chart from a GM service manual. Other scanners may come close, but none of them will be as capable on a GM vehicle as the Tech II. Here's a short video showing just a fraction of the type of stuff that you can do with a Tech II.
This is definitely the only scanner you want for you GM vehicle.
That scanner is specifically made for GM cars. I'm not sure but I think that you can add modules to it so that it can be made to work on other make cars. That is, however, expensive to do. The module itself is expensive enough so you want to make sure that you are going dedicate yourself to learning how to use it. It is a very powerful tool.
As for cost, it depends on where you buy it. When you Google the tool, you'll find it cheap on a few websites. These are usually Hong Kong or Chinese based company. You DO NOT want to buy it from them. I think the price is going to range from $4000-$5000 smackers. Not a cheap tool by any stretch.
I am seeing a lot of OBDII readers in the Pawn shops lately. I have found them to be a great place to shop since I retired. Just like a department store.
And don't pay the marked price make an offer and if they take it you paid to much...
I think whatever you buy will depend on the your level of automotive systems and/or what you want to get yourself into.
I've been working on cars and building engines for over 30 years and was lucky enough to have a mentor/friend that owns an automotive machine and repair shop.
For me, a regular old OBDII scanner from HF does what I need.
My plans include either getting HPtuners or EFI live if I run across something I can't figure out and need some sort of data logging or if I plan to do some tuning.
I've found most of the problems cars have are pretty well documented on the internet along with the solutions. Disemenating the real solutions from the hack fixes is the hard part.
The GM TechII Junkman mentioned is great, but at $4-5K:surprised is more than I would care to spend. If those numbers don't phase you, it's probably your best bet.
... I've found most of the problems cars have are pretty well documented on the internet along with the solutions. Disseminating the real solutions from the hack fixes is the hard part.
This is very true. The same failures seem to always happen to the same year, make and model of vehicle. It's when you buy something that was poorly maintained or modified that you get those 'lost in space' type issues.
I've got an Actron that does both 1 and 2. Great tool that has done a world of good for me. Covers all makes and models in the kit form. Won't cost you an arm and a leg. JMHO.
As an example, I have several different GM models with different motors A few other makes too). Now and then I experience problems in the way these cars and trucks are running and I need to eliminate the guess work. I'm hoping that a reader/analyzer will at least get me on the right path so I can test one or two things rather than a list of things. Right now I have a van with a 5.3 ltr. that shutters when accelerating through 40 to 55 mph (sometimes 35 to 50) and backing off doesn't help. I'm guessing it's a dirty fuel injection problem another said it's a crank sensor - If there is a code, I'd like to see what it is and be pointed in the right direction for the fix. I'm not a repair shop or working as a mechanic so spending $4k is just out of the question, I don't want to spend over $800 unless it's a crystal ball.
You can get an older snapon 2500 with a global cartridge for about $500 should work on all vehicles. I can help you with this I have 4 different scanners that I use.
Tech 2 in awsome cruise eBay you can get one for a fair price. I suggest the OTC Genisys it's works an all vehicles and is full color. You can get one new under $2500 if you a diagnoser it's a good scanner.
You can get a OTC for under $1500 new online. But here's the thing about the Tech II and eBay. A LOT OF THEM ARE CHINA AND HONG KONG MADE. You do NOT want to buy those.
I bought the Tech 2 for Windows. That 's great as long as you have a GM product.
I bought the CP 9580 Acutron as well for other makes. Many common cars, trucks etc are not in the system. It's advertised that this scanner will delete ABS trouble lights "NO" Some Jeeps, Fords and limited years for GM. (maybe) The years 96 to 2003 are missing most cars. It comes with a serial port (who uses them?) but for $50 more you can get a USB interface. I need the ability to erase ABC trouble lights! In PA I cannot pass inspection when this light or any trouble light is on.
I fixed the ABS problem, it was a right side wheel sensor. What ever happed to the fix of just disconnecting the battery? I'm about ready to pull out the light bulb:WTF
That shade tree fix was never anything that worked on a C5.
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