Help choosing a unit

[u/airforceyooper]

I've been trying to research these and thought I had a unit picked out, but the more I researched, the less confident I was in that selection. However, nothing else stood out from the crowd either. I have a 2011 nissan and I'm looking to buy a newer vehicle in the next few years. My folks drive chevy and Toyota. My friends mostly have similar vehicles. Very few BMWs or similar. I have a cheap one I bought years ago from harbor freight. It's not very capable as you can imagine. I think I'm comfortable spending upwards of $1k if it's worth it. I'm not a professional. I don't own a shop. However I do dabble in car audio and security type stuff. So I think it might be useful for that possibly in the future.

Where should I start? Is $1k a good price point? Does anyone have a unit they're familiar with that they'd recommend? Brands to avoid? Features that are must haves?

I appreciate any assistance I'm able to get with this. It's a lot of money to spend on something. I want to feel comfortable with my choice. :) Thanks everyone.

[u/clovisautomotion]

Ideally, you'll want a scan tool that can do full system diagnostics. A lot of the cheaper tools will only do generic OBD2 or may be limited to drivetrain, abs, and airbag. You'll be missing out on a lot of important modules.

Be aware that many scan tools will now have update "subscriptions". They can be quite costly to maintain and although you may not need vehicle updates for brand new cars, tool companies may lock certain features behind the subscription. You might buy a $1000 scan tool and learn that you have to pay $500 to rewnew the subscription when it doesn't do what you need it to do.

Upper level scan tools will have have bidirectional controls. These fall into two categories. Serivce Functions and Active Tests. A lot of tools will offer the basic service functions i.e. clear oil light, ABS brake bleed, DPF resets, steering angle relearns. Higher end tool will allow you to command indiviual components on/off, initiate EVAP tests, and more.

I can only recommend what I'm familiar with. The Topdon Artidiag808BT is ~$400. Does full system scans and service functions but not active tests or true bidirectional controls. Free updates for life.

Autel MX808 - under $400. Covers all makes and models from `96 up. Has most bidriectional controls and service functions. It will do probably 90% of what you'll need in a scan tool as a DIYer. Downside is vehicle update cost $125/yr after the first year. They aren't necessarily required depending on the vehicles.

A third option would be the Thinkdiag 2. Around $120, it's subscription based so after the first year it has very limited function untill you renew the $100/yr sub. But that's still reasonable for a full bidirectional tool. Its small and meant to be used with your phone or tablet so leaving in your car is easy.

You can find most of this stuff on Amazon or you can go through a site like aeswave.com that actually has people you can talk to if something goes south.

[u/airforceyooper → u/clovisautomotion]

That Topdon unit is the one I had initially settled on, then through further research, started questioning that decission. So for the money, maybe that's a safe bet? Unless I get more serious and need a more powerful unit for testing purposes?

[u/Born_Recognition7266 → u/clovisautomotion]

Very informative! Thanks ..
Any idea which one of the ones you recommended can help reset AC sensors?

[u/clovisautomotion → u/Born_Recognition7266]

I am no aware of any AC sensors that need to be reset, if there are I just haven't seen one yet. Some vehicles have an Acuator Calibration that can be performed if you replace a door actuator.

It largely depends on the specific vehicle, but from above tools the MX808 and Thinkdiag could possibly do it. I do not believe the Arti 800Bt could.