OBDII scanners, best bang for the buck?

[Nortonguy]

So my wife's Camry has a check engine light on and I am going to buy an OBDII scanner to pull trouble codes from the car. Prices vary widely from economy models at Harbor Freight to fancier ones costing multiple hundreds of dollars.

I can see where it would save time to have a better one that had something to say about the code it pulls up so you don't always have to look it up in a manual or the internet.

Anyone have a favorite scanner? And are there ones out there to definitely stay away from?

Thanks for your input as always....

[Chris Crash]

If you've got a laptop or a smart phone you can get either a wired or a wireless OBDII data link connector to work with either device (wired for the laptop, bluetooth for the smart phone)

[fenixus]

check ebay, look at sellers from Hong Kong. they sell cheap generic OBD2 adapters (USB wired or BlueTooth wireless).

if you want something faster, check amazon, they sell the same clones under brand Xitech with domestic shipping.

[garytho]

Actually, Fen suggested the Xitech to me as well and for $23.99 (shipping included) its just as good as any out there.
Make a smart decision though,......scanners come with alot of bells and whistles that you may NEVER use or understand unless your a high level mechanic. And no scanner tells you exactly what is wrong or broken on your car,...just a code to narrow it down to a couple things usually. The internet has excellent websites to help & guide you thru it,....plus these forums. Don't waste your money on any texts or foolish sites requiring you to pay for code help.
The coolest thing on the market right now (that you will get alot of use out of) is the Ultragauge. Compared to the ScangaugeII it is 1/3 the cost (about $60 and rebate),..easier to read and installs in your car to monitor your computers gauges(tons of them-up to 75),...warn you of pending & existing codes and clears them if you want as well. It has alarms to warn you of trouble.
I just recieved mine and I'm thrilled with it. Not trying to push anything here,...so just look it up on your own on the net,.....it gets fantastic reviews!!!

[toovira]

$25 ELM327 from DealExtreme and Scanmaster. You would want to use on your notebook/netbook. I favor it due to dataogging.

[LostSouthernStar]

I would buy an UltraGauge. It not only is an OBDII tool, but it reads up to 75 gauges from your vehicle's ECU/ECM (computer)...

You can track fuel economy, fuel usage, engine load, oxygen sensors, engine temperture, throttle, true MPH, true RPM, true distance, horsepower, torque, etc...

Also, you can set alarms to let you know if its time to change your oil(if your trip meter is broken), if the engine becomes too hot, if you exceed a certain speed or RPM rate, and much much more.




It's a great buy and MUCH cheaper then a ScanGauge II.



Check it out here...http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/index.htm



Hope this helps! :-)


-LSS

[animated_zombie]

Originally Posted by LostSouthernStar

I would buy an UltraGauge. It not only is an OBDII tool, but it reads up to 75 gauges from your vehicle's ECU/ECM (computer)...

You can track fuel economy, fuel usage, engine load, oxygen sensors, engine temperture, throttle, true MPH, true RPM, true distance, horsepower, torque, etc...

Also, you can set alarms to let you know if its time to change your oil(if your trip meter is broken), if the engine becomes too hot, if you exceed a certain speed or RPM rate, and much much more.

It's a great buy and MUCH cheaper then a ScanGauge II.

Check it out here...http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/index.htm
-LSS

I Have a scan gauge, but I found one for a little cheaper on Amazon. Defiantly a cool tool to have!