" Does anyone know a good EOBD2 diagnostic scanner!?"

daveyj · 15-07-2009 2:46pm #1

I recently decided that i'm sick of shelling out good cash to get warning lights on my dash switched off so i've decided to invest in a good EOBD2 scanner. Does anyone know which is good? I want one that will last for a long time & do just about every car (i've a few cars/vans between work and personal)

I've read loads of reviews and the one that's coming up tops seems to be INNOVA, 3111eu model. looks to be a good all in one

The Motor Trade Professionals Magazine (feb 2009) says

"As a result of the quick return on investment, speed and ease of use and quantity of information displayed on a single screen, the Innova 3111eu is quickly becoming the EOBD diagnostic tool of choice for many technicians in the European marketplace. The tool offers one of the most cost effective and easiest ways to trouble shoot engine management problems"
(www.belljohnstone.co.uk)

I found it for sale on IrishAutoParts.ie
http://www.irishautoparts.ie/3111eu-eobd2tm-diagnostic-tool.html

for €299 which i reckon is a fairly stellar deal considerin the other places it's for sale in the UK at are around €360 plus shipping. (http://www.tecalemit.co.uk)

Anyone got any opinions or suggestions. Also anyone deal with IrishAutoParts.ie before? Are they good?

Thanks in advance
Daveyj

Drummerboy08 · 15-07-2009 2:55pm

If you get that many warning lights up on the dash, maybe you should look at why they come rather than how to get rid of them? It could be your driving style, or it could be a more serious problem with your car.

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 2:56pm

I haven't used that tool OP, but obviously regardless of what tool you use, the skill and experience of the person using it is what is critical to ultimately resolving whatever problem you might have...

Mr Benevolent · 15-07-2009 2:59pm

As above. Not a good idea to be turning off warning lights. They're there for a reason, and there's obvious something wrong with your car. It's false economy to let the car get worse and worse.

JHMEG · 15-07-2009 3:01pm

It can be done for far less. I use a €40 bluetooth reader (meaning it's wireless) and some free software on my phone.

WHITE_P · 15-07-2009 3:03pm

Checkout the following.

http://www.ecufix.com/shop/

Although as others have already said, if the warning lights are coming on all the time, this could be the result of a bigger problem that will ultimately require professional attention, or maybe just a loose wire somewhere.

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 3:04pm

JHMEG wrote: »

It can be done for far less. I use a €60 bluetooth reader (meaning it's wireless) and some free software on my phone.

Where did you get that OP? I'd like to get one...

WHITE_P · 15-07-2009 3:05pm

JHMEG. That looks like an interesting piece of kit, any details / link to more info, or where to get one.

JHMEG · 15-07-2009 3:08pm

I've updated the post to link to Dealextreme (not the one I have, but very similar):

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16921

The software in the pic is OBD gauge:

http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-obd-gauge-v1-1.html

daveyj · 15-07-2009 3:20pm

All points noted, thanks a mill.

I was also looking for peoples opinions on diagnostic scanner units. Obviously I want one that is comprehensive, easy to use and cheap, so that i can fault find quickly and maintain my own vehicles almost exclusively on my own.
Does anyone have any experience of this one
http://www.irishautoparts.ie/3111eu-eobd2tm-diagnostic-tool.html

Or like the one JHMEG suggested (thanks JHMEG) does anyone have any other suggestions.

I've been fixing cars myself for years and just want to make it easier and more comprehensive for myself, and of course be able fault find quickly and to switch of the likes of an ABS warning light, or a engine warning light, or airbag light (obviously, only after the problem has been solved!)

Thanks again
Daveyj

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 3:31pm

daveyj wrote: »

All points noted, thanks a mill.

I was also looking for peoples opinions on diagnostic scanner units. Obviously I want one that is comprehensive, easy to use and cheap, so that i can fault find quickly and maintain my own vehicles almost exclusively on my own.
Does anyone have any experience of this one
http://www.irishautoparts.ie/3111eu-eobd2tm-diagnostic-tool.html

Or like the one JHMEG suggested (thanks JHMEG) does anyone have any other suggestions.

I've been fixing cars myself for years and just want to make it easier and more comprehensive for myself, and of course be able fault find quickly and to switch of the likes of an ABS warning light, or a engine warning light, or airbag light (obviously, only after the problem has been solved!)

Thanks again
Daveyj

You can get a Launch X431 from a website in the UK now for around 1,200 Euro I think.

podge3 · 15-07-2009 3:31pm

I have one of these which looks very like the one in the link you posted.

martinr5232 · 15-07-2009 3:42pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

You can get a Launch X431 from a website in the UK now for around 1,200 Euro I think.

Link ?

daveyj · 15-07-2009 5:39pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

You can get a Launch X431 from a website in the UK now for around 1,200 Euro I think.

Thanks darragh29

That's a little out of my price range as a DIY mechanic! but thanks anyway. See the one i was looking at is €299
http://www.irishautoparts.ie/3111eu-eobd2tm-diagnostic-tool.html

Do you have experience with diagnostic scanners? If so would you read the specs on the Innova 3111eu that i've linked to and give me your opinion on it considering it's price bracket.

Apparently is used extensively in trade so must be decent?!?

Thanks

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 5:58pm

daveyj wrote: »

Thanks darragh29

That's a little out of my price range as a DIY mechanic! but thanks anyway. See the one i was looking at is €299
http://www.irishautoparts.ie/3111eu-eobd2tm-diagnostic-tool.html

Do you have experience with diagnostic scanners? If so would you read the specs on the Innova 3111eu that i've linked to and give me your opinion on it considering it's price bracket.

Apparently is used extensively in trade so must be decent?!?

Thanks

I haven't seen it in the industry before so i can't really speak for it's performance unfortunately.

Try Mr. Diagnostic on the forum, he might have come across this product before but it looks on the face of it to me to be something that does what it says on the tin, which is pulls P codes for standard 16 pin EOBD connection enabled vehicles.

As for reading real time data, etc, I'd say you may forget it with this product, I think it will just pull a code for you (where one exists). You could for example have a faulty temperature sensor, reading -10 degree's or something like that and causing a rich fuel mixture to be created. This won't always generate a fault code but can cause emissions problems.

Try asking the website owners have they got a demo unit up there that they can show you and maybe try it out on your car. Disconnect a sensor on your car (something handy like an air flow or MAP sensor), and see if the error gets logged. I think this website is Tallaght Autoparts, they should have a demo unit up there that they can at least show you.

DublinDilbert · 15-07-2009 6:35pm

JHMEG wrote: »

I've updated the post to link to Dealextreme (not the one I have, but very similar):

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16921

The software in the pic is OBD gauge:

http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/ppc-download-obd-gauge-v1-1.html

It looks very cute... Have you tried it with many different vehicles?

Muckie · 15-07-2009 7:56pm

Pretty cool item, worth trying. Gonna buy one now. Thanks.

Mr.Diagnostic · 15-07-2009 8:02pm

OP, you need to remember this is just an eobd scanner so it's capabilities will be limited to whatever is available under eobd protocols. A quick google for "eobd" should tell you a lot more.

I would not put much store in the advertising speil on the site. If garages only had access to eobd they would not fix many cars.

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 9:37pm

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

OP, you need to remember this is just an eobd scanner so it's capabilities will be limited to whatever is available under eobd protocols. A quick google for "eobd" should tell you a lot more.

I would not put much store in the advertising speil on the site. If garages only had access to eobd they would not fix many cars.

Yeah I agree with this. As I said above, it will do what it says on the tin, nothing more...

martinr5232 · 15-07-2009 9:41pm

Darragh you still never answerd my question.

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 10:03pm

martinr5232 wrote: »

Link ?

Apologies...

http://www.autocarshop.co.uk/car-diagnostic-kits-1/launch/launch-x-431-scanner-1.html/?source=Google&gclid=CNn33NTM2JsCFd0B4wod9iqCAw

Its up there at £1,495, works out at 1,856 Euro. This was available for £1,200 a few months back as a special offer.

There are rumours that some of these x431 products on the market are counterfeit, so I can't vouch for any particular source...

But it would seem that you can buy a x431 launch for considerably less in the UK than you can get them for over here...

martinr5232 · 15-07-2009 10:07pm

Cheers for that have been thinking about one of these since my Snap on Scanner was robbed.

But they are four grand over here.

Might just take a day trip across the puddle and check them out.

JHMEG · 15-07-2009 10:10pm

DublinDilbert wrote: »

It looks very cute... Have you tried it with many different vehicles?

Maybe three. It works on any EOBD-capable car with the standard connector etc. I bought it when I was had a bad injector on my own car.

Mr.Diagnostic · 15-07-2009 10:11pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

Apologies...

http://www.autocarshop.co.uk/car-diagnostic-kits-1/launch/launch-x-431-scanner-1.html/?source=Google&gclid=CNn33NTM2JsCFd0B4wod9iqCAw

Its up there at £1,495, works out at 1,856 Euro. This was available for £1,200 a few months back as a special offer.

There are rumours that some of these x431 products on the market are counterfeit, so I can't vouch for any particular source...

But it would seem that you can buy a x431 launch for considerably less in the UK than you can get them for over here...

Its not just rumours Darragh. Chinese clone of a Chinese product, which was reverse engineered anyway. At this stage there could be more clones than genuine ones.

martinr5232 · 15-07-2009 10:14pm

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Its not just rumours Darragh. Chinese clone of a Chinese product, which was reverse engineered anyway. At this stage there could be more clones than genuine ones.

What would you recomend Mr Diagnostic for a small independant repairer ?

Mr.Diagnostic · 15-07-2009 10:23pm

martinr5232 wrote: »

What would you recomend Mr Diagnostic for a small independant repairer ?

Not being evasive, but that is very difficult to answer. There are a huge range of aftermarket tools each of which have plus points and minuses. It would depend on what you want from a tool and what cars you see most of.
One thing I will tell you for a fact, there is no such thing as the ultimate aftermarket scan tool. There was a time that I had 11 so called top of the range aftermarket scan tools.

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 10:23pm

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Its not just rumours Darragh. Chinese clone of a Chinese product, which was reverse engineered anyway. At this stage there could be more clones than genuine ones.

Ah I agree, I heard of some people being stung... It's hard to know what to make of the product. You're better off sticking with a Bosch solution, I know a lad who spent serious money on a BrainBee solution and said it isn't worth a w*nk. Everyone seems to have their own favourite, I've used the Snap On module and couldn't really fault it.

Mr.Diagnostic · 15-07-2009 10:33pm

Darragh29 wrote: »

Ah I agree, I heard of some people being stung... It's hard to know what to make of the product. You're better off sticking with a Bosch solution, I know a lad who spent serious money on a BrainBee solution and said it isn't worth a w*nk. Everyone seems to have their own favourite, I've used the Snap On module and couldn't really fault it.

Bosch is very poor, Brainbee is even worse. Snap on is just a shade better than the Brainbee. For any decent level a factory tool is required.

Darragh29 · 15-07-2009 10:53pm

Mr.Diagnostic wrote: »

Bosch is very poor, Brainbee is even worse. Snap on is just a shade better than the Brainbee. For any decent level a factory tool is required.

Plenty of indy garages can get by with non factory diag solutions. I hear what you are saying on the higher functionality with the factory application though...

" Does anyone know a good EOBD2 diagnostic scanner!?"

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