OBDII Scanners

rjstaaf · 11-24-03, 08:57

Hey all,

Now that my 'Stang is out of warranty I am in the market for an OBDII scanner to read codes. There are so many on the market that I am looking for some opinions on the various models. Ultimately I want to get a Diablosport Predator but, they are not available for the GT yet. Right now I am just looking for a good low cost OBDII scanner that I can use on the Mustang as well as other family member's cars.

Thanks

blackf150 · 11-24-03, 10:27

You might want to check out Auto Xray. http://www.autoxray.com/default.htm
I have had the Ezlink for several years and it works great. Easy to use and you can get updated software over the web. There are several different models availible. Lots of good deals on Ebay.
Mark.

BradE · 11-24-03, 11:55

I had an Auto Xray and dumped it. They don't work on lots of Fords, they won't read fuel trims or O2 sensor values correctly. It would read next to nothing on my Explorer, it was basically a code reader because the program was full of bugs. To get the fuel trims to work you need to upgrade for "Ford enhanced" which is another $50.

If your family is all Ford, the DiagTek is the ultimate Ford scanner. The only downside is it works on Ford only. You will need a palm pilot, but it does so much more than most scanners. Most scanners read PCM information only, so if your ABS or SRS light comes on, it still means a trip to the dealership. The DiagTek can read ABS modules, Airbag, perform active commands, give full PID information for just about every sensor on the car, etc. It makes generic scan tools look like play toys. It's without a doubt the best Ford scan tool (other than Ford NGS factory tool) that I have ever seen.

If you need a list of which modules it will read, PM me with your vehicle info and I'll check for ya.

If your pleasure is laptop interface, www.obd-2.com is very good. It reads PCM only, but it has other nice features. You can get this to read more than Fords if you buy the triple combo model. I have one, it's a nice unit, but I use my DiagTek more.

prowler · 11-24-03, 02:44

I did quite a bit of research on this and was most impressed with www.autotap.com and their product for the laptop. (Un)fortunately, I was able to solve my "check engine light" problem using their web site and a free code reading from the local auto parts store. One feature that I like is the "monitor" mode, where you can drive for however long it takes for a problem to recur, and then you can playback everything that led up to that point. It's certainly worthwhile to get on their mailing list. Note that you need add-on packages for the extended codes, it would have run me about $270 to cover all of my cars (at least one each Ford, GM,Chrysler).

Young_Stallion · 11-24-03, 10:07

rjstaff...if you have some coin laying around screw the predator and go for Anderson Ford's version of the pred. (forget the exact name of it) but it is absolutly amazing. You can do 1000x more for it with our cars. Definatly the way to go if you have like a G to spend

As for the predator, it is more for tuning and such

A OBDII is to pull codes

rjstaaf · 11-24-03, 10:28

Nope, not interested in spending a G on any tuning package. The Predator will do more than I need it to at less than half that price. The Predator is a flash tuner yes but, it also will pull OBDII codes just like any other OBDII scanner. The only problem is I need to pull codes from a Plymouth and a Jeep as well so I am going to invest in a low cost OBDII scan tool for that purpose. The Predator will be used to reflash my computer to compensate for gears and to play around a little with shift points for my automatic tranny.

So far it looks like I am leaning towards either AutoXray or AutoTap. Depends on which one comes up on Ebay with the best deal first

laynlow · 11-25-03, 07:45

Check out www.obd-2.com . I looked at Autotap, but ended up going with this guys cable. It is homemade, but it works and I can use it on any make or model with OBDII. It was also affordable, and software updates are free.

BradE · 11-25-03, 07:55

Quote:

Originally posted by laynlow
Check out www.obd-2.com . I looked at Autotap, but ended up going with this guys cable. It is homemade, but it works and I can use it on any make or model with OBDII. It was also affordable, and software updates are free.

Agreed. Alex's unit can do everything the Autotap can and it's much cheaper.

It does require a serial port on your laptop though, if you don't have one you can use a USB adapter, or just get a cheapo laptop to run the scanner. It is designed to run on ancient systems as well as new systems, so it should not be a problem.

Vincent Vega · 11-30-03, 07:24

If you have a laptop or computer in your shop try this out. I bought one for my '97 olds and have used it for several cars as well. You can download the software to demo it. (it has a simulation mode if it is not connected to a car.) I also recommend this site - BAT Auto . Tons of great information.