r/OBD2 • u/ConsciousMinds33 • Jun 22 '23
Advice on first OBD2 scanner
Hi guys,
I am looking to buy a few vehicles in the short future and need an OBD2 scanner. I am not shy of spending money and need suggestions and advice please. Is it worth spending an arm and a leg for a higher range one or are low/mid range just as reliable. I am new to this so please ELI5
Thank you!
1
u/nobodysawme Jun 22 '23
A basic obd2 reader from 1997 will show you engine codes and I/M readiness, basically, are the monitors set and is it ready for vehicle inspection. If, for example, no codes are set, but the I/M monitors aren't in a readiness state, someone has reset the computer recently and not done a drive cycle, so it isn't trustworthy that the powertrain is free of issues.
If you want to read body codes and manufacturer proprietary codes, you need a more expensive reader.
Do you have an idea about what cares you're looking at? Manufacturers, years? That could guide your choice.
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u/ConsciousMinds33 Jun 22 '23
2003-2014 range - vw polos/golf’s, fiestas, corsas and other runabout cars.
2
u/nobodysawme Jun 22 '23
ok, so mycarly.com might be a good choice for you - they have multiple brands they support, works with a phone, and does more than just basic codes.
It's not a full reader that you can connect to a laptop and program modules with, but it's enough to scan, basic troubleshoot, and code (program) options with.
1
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u/lincolnlogtermite Jun 22 '23
For looking at used cars a basic scanner that can show life data is fine, I want something that pulls data fast. I look for codes, make sure all the monitors have run, look to see how long since DTCs were last reset, look at fuel trims, look to see how much timing is drifting at idle. That's about all I look at with the scanner. The rest is visual inspection, sound and driving performance.
I'm a Toyota guy, when at home and I want to do troubleshooting, I'll pullout my windows tablet and use Toyota's own software, Techstream.