Which OBD scan tool

[AVI_8]

Hi folks, I‘ve been looking at OBD scan tools the past few evenings, trying to figure out what’s going to be the least frustrating one to buy for my expectations, which is apart from the obvious of reading codes accurately, doing service items.
I’ve been using ISTA which is BMW’s software, when it works it’s fantastic as you would expect, but mostly when I use it I have trouble trying to get it to connect to the car, I spent the best part of 4 hours the other day trying to get it to work on an F25 X3 in order to replace rear brake pads, it didn’t happen and I couldn’t get the handbrake motor off the old fashioned way as the T30’s were rusted like you wouldn’t believe and stripped out, so time for an upgrade.
Been looking at Launch and Autel
This

2023 LAUNCH CRP919X PRO+ OBD2 Scanner Bi-directional Full System Diagnostic Tool | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2023 LAUNCH CRP919X PRO+ OBD2 Scanner Bi-directional Full System Diagnostic Tool at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

And this

2023 Autel MaxiCOM MK808BT PRO Car Diagnostic Auto OBD2 Scanner &BT MK808S PRO 615517425941 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2023 Autel MaxiCOM MK808BT PRO Car Diagnostic Auto OBD2 Scanner &BT MK808S PRO at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

I’m taking you tube reviews with a pinch of salt as these get handed out for free to get reviewed and as such the review is mostly done through rose coloured spectacles.

I want something which will, put a park brake into service mode, bleed ABS pumps, do a DPF regen and hopefully more, from my internet research, and I don’t know how accurate this is, the Launch maybe won’t put a BMW handbrake into service mode and the Autel might not allow me to bleed an ABS pump depending on the VIN.
I’m presuming that there will be someone here who has experience of working with one of these machines and who can recommend which is the least risky one to buy,
I can get the Launch for £325, And the Autel for £399

 

[Bobupndown]

If that’s all you need it to do I'd recommend the Autel AP200. It's Bluetooth, using your phone as the screen. Works well and can do what you need. Around £50.

 

[AVI_8]

Yes thanks, but I want something which is a bit future proof as I don’t know what I might need it to do in the long run, the overall cost isn’t the main factor, it’s more down to reliability and functionality.

 

[jenki]

Watching this with interest.

 

[Kram]

Seems the Autel AP200 may do what I want. I have a "passenger airbag off" light that stays lit when a passenger is in car, I suspect may fail the next mot or be expensive, as well as the electronic throttle appears a bit sticky.

I saw theres an amazon review for it, so it may be there is a newer version?

Contacted the manufacturer’s support and they advised that this product does not support cars made after 2018.
Also that there will be no further development on this product. Given that, not suitable for my 2022 model year car.

I'll probably get it on prime so I can return if it doesnt do my car.

 

[Beanwood]

You could have a look at Foxwell - My NT680 is still getting regular updates for new vehicles

 

[m_c]

The big problem is manufacturer's are moving to SGW (Secure GateWay) access for anything more than basic EOBD functionality.
The key requirement for SGW access, is you have to register for it, and for traceability to the registered user.

For bona fide diagnostic suppliers, supplying equipment to registered garages, this isn't an issue, and for most users they are probably unaware of the registration requirements, as the supplier deals with it all behind the scenes.
But for those suppliers who're selling anything they make to anybody who'll buy it, it presents a big problem, as they have no traceability or accountability, so vehicle manufacturer's won't give them access, so it limits functionality on anything new enough to be using a SGW.

 

[roofman]

I bought this a couple of weeks ago, very impressed and free updates for life. Fantastic reviews for it to, just make sure you get the latest 32Gig model.

 

[AVI_8]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, and apologies for the late reply I’ve been up at Loch Lomond for the past few days and had no mobile service.
Ive looked at other models such as Topdon and Foxwell though narrowed it down to Autel and Launch purely because they’ve been around for a while and I presumed that their technical support (if needed) would be better.

The big problem is manufacturer's are moving to SGW (Secure GateWay) access for anything more than basic EOBD functionality.
The key requirement for SGW access, is you have to register for it, and for traceability to the registered user.

For bona fide diagnostic suppliers, supplying equipment to registered garages, this isn't an issue, and for most users they are probably unaware of the registration requirements, as the supplier deals with it all behind the scenes.
But for those suppliers who're selling anything they make to anybody who'll buy it, it presents a big problem, as they have no traceability or accountability, so vehicle manufacturer's won't give them access, so it limits functionality on anything new enough to be using a SGW.

Yes I‘ve been looking at the AutoAuth website this evening, all of my vehicles are older than 2017 so it won’t apply to me at the moment but it’s something I’d need to look into for the future, from what I read from their site it’s a case of setting up an account with a username and a “shop” name and paying $50 per year for a subscription, there’s no mention about having to supply proof of business??
With regards to which device I’m going to get I‘ve more or less decided on a Launch, it seems to be a bit more future proof, supports CAN FD and DOIP
There‘s a Pro Elite version of the Launch which is a bit more expensive but has the capability of module coding for BMW, VAG and a lot of other European cars, I’m waiting to see if they send me a discount code for it as well.

 

[s410man]

Id reccomend a icarsoft

Was in exact same position as you a few months ago and after a lot of reading from what i can see it was the best for vehicle coverage and features available-injector coding being one which i dont think many others cover in this price bracket aswell as key coding etc

 

[roofman]

Id reccomend a icarsoft

Was in exact same position as you a few months ago and after a lot of reading from what i can see it was the best for vehicle coverage and features available-injector coding being one which i dont think many others cover in this price bracket aswell as key coding etc

Topdon does injector and key coding too, plus free updates for life.

 

[AVI_8]

To be honest it’s a bit of a minefield I’ve discovered, I’d narrowed down my choice to a specific Launch model, but something was bothering me in that Launch UK disn’t have that model available, and their closest model was around twice the price.
I tried several times yesterday to call Launch UK, no one was answering their phones to their sales of technical lines however, there was a recorded message which said that if anyone has a technical fault or problem they wouldn’t be able help as these were illegal cloned devices, further internet digging found this and I’ll quote:

These are just some of the problems other customers have had with counterfeit / illegally imported Launch units.

1. The main chip which stores the serial number information, have been tampered with and illegally replaced.

2. The serial number of the diagnostic box has been illegally refreshed, so hardware & software do not match.

3. The PCA of the power board has been replaced with fake ones of inferior quality, which will cause damage to vehicles electronics.

4. The original system language has been illegally changed, to mask which country it was made for.

5. The diagnostic software is purchased through illegal channels, so does not always work as it should. This will cause severe failures on the vehicles it is being used on.

6. The Super 16 connectors were not manufactured by Launch so do not have correct configuration.

7. Any such products which have been tampered with or are counterfeit, Launch will not offer any warranty, maintenance, or support. These units cannot update from the X431 website either.

8. Any counterfeit products returned to Launch for repairs will be confiscated and destroyed.

These devices are commonly purchased through unauthorised channels such as Amazon, Alibaba etc. Launch reminds all customers to purchase the devices through the legal channels and authorised dealers.

So I’ve discovered that the same applies with Autel and Topdon, Obviously all of these diagnostic tool manufacturers (Autel, Launch, Topdon etc) have copied vehicle manufacturers codes for diagnosing, coding and programming, you could call it cloning, they then sell it through UK and US etc, licensed distributors, however the Chinese being very inventive in ways to cash in have made Clones of the Clones and sell them through eBay, Amazon and even .co.uk websites, the machines look like genuine units and perhaps they are, but the software and its updates from what I’ve learned is copied, the main thing I’ve found out that if there’s a warranty problem or technical issue, you’ll be on your own dealing with the seller, and here‘s another thing, these sellers go by the name of uk Launch uk, topdoncartoolsworlduk etc etc, so you think you’re dealing with a UK company but if you scroll down the listing to the bit that says “About this seller” then click on the black underlined area with says “Registered as business seller” you’ll then see where the company is based, and they’re all Chinese, don’t get me wrong I’m not for one minute saying that these devices don’t work and I’m not trying to **** off anyone who has bought one, my only reason for writing all of this is just to make people aware of what it is you‘re buying, why it’s so cheap in comparison to buying from a UK registered dealer, and what you can expect if you do need either technical or warranty assistance.
Having said all that I wasn’t very impressed at not being able to speak to anyone from Launch UK, so I sent an enquiry to Topdon and within 5 minutes got a phone call from the Director himself, I missed his call as I was washing the Mutt, however he followed up with an email and offered me a discount, so I’m going to be ordering a Phoenix Lite 2 which is much more than I was planning on spending but it’s features and what it can do was just too tempting.

 

[Kram]

I havent bought one yet. I have never used one of these... Should I get the Autel AP200? Amazon have it a bit cheaper at £58 (not the cheapest, but easy returns!)

 

[Bobupndown]

I find the autel ap200 pretty good and intuitive to use. Bought mine for £50 on ebay.

 

[DaxSam2005]

To be honest it’s a bit of a minefield I’ve discovered, I’d narrowed down my choice to a specific Launch model, but something was bothering me in that Launch UK disn’t have that model available, and their closest model was around twice the price.
I tried several times yesterday to call Launch UK, no one was answering their phones to their sales of technical lines however, there was a recorded message which said that if anyone has a technical fault or problem they wouldn’t be able help as these were illegal cloned devices, further internet digging found this and I’ll quote:

These are just some of the problems other customers have had with counterfeit / illegally imported Launch units.

1. The main chip which stores the serial number information, have been tampered with and illegally replaced.

2. The serial number of the diagnostic box has been illegally refreshed, so hardware & software do not match.

3. The PCA of the power board has been replaced with fake ones of inferior quality, which will cause damage to vehicles electronics.

4. The original system language has been illegally changed, to mask which country it was made for.

5. The diagnostic software is purchased through illegal channels, so does not always work as it should. This will cause severe failures on the vehicles it is being used on.

6. The Super 16 connectors were not manufactured by Launch so do not have correct configuration.

7. Any such products which have been tampered with or are counterfeit, Launch will not offer any warranty, maintenance, or support. These units cannot update from the X431 website either.

8. Any counterfeit products returned to Launch for repairs will be confiscated and destroyed.

These devices are commonly purchased through unauthorised channels such as Amazon, Alibaba etc. Launch reminds all customers to purchase the devices through the legal channels and authorised dealers.

So I’ve discovered that the same applies with Autel and Topdon, Obviously all of these diagnostic tool manufacturers (Autel, Launch, Topdon etc) have copied vehicle manufacturers codes for diagnosing, coding and programming, you could call it cloning, they then sell it through UK and US etc, licensed distributors, however the Chinese being very inventive in ways to cash in have made Clones of the Clones and sell them through eBay, Amazon and even .co.uk websites, the machines look like genuine units and perhaps they are, but the software and its updates from what I’ve learned is copied, the main thing I’ve found out that if there’s a warranty problem or technical issue, you’ll be on your own dealing with the seller, and here‘s another thing, these sellers go by the name of uk Launch uk, topdoncartoolsworlduk etc etc, so you think you’re dealing with a UK company but if you scroll down the listing to the bit that says “About this seller” then click on the black underlined area with says “Registered as business seller” you’ll then see where the company is based, and they’re all Chinese, don’t get me wrong I’m not for one minute saying that these devices don’t work and I’m not trying to **** off anyone who has bought one, my only reason for writing all of this is just to make people aware of what it is you‘re buying, why it’s so cheap in comparison to buying from a UK registered dealer, and what you can expect if you do need either technical or warranty assistance.
Having said all that I wasn’t very impressed at not being able to speak to anyone from Launch UK, so I sent an enquiry to Topdon and within 5 minutes got a phone call from the Director himself, I missed his call as I was washing the Mutt, however he followed up with an email and offered me a discount, so I’m going to be ordering a Phoenix Lite 2 which is much more than I was planning on spending but it’s features and what it can do was just too tempting.

How are you getting on with the topdon scanner Avi_8?
I'm looking to upgrade mine but unsure what to get and like you nervous of buying a fake.
I want to be able to do Epb resets, dpf regens and also ideally Bmw fuel bleeds. Got a budget of about £700 Many Thanks

 

[AVI_8]

How are you getting on with the topdon scanner Avi_8?
I'm looking to upgrade mine but unsure what to get and like you nervous of buying a fake.
I want to be able to do Epb resets, dpf regens and also ideally Bmw fuel bleeds. Got a budget of about £700 Many Thanks

It’s been great to be honest, I’ve used it for a DPF regen, brake ABS pump bleeds on a couple of cars, electric handbrake wind back, the live data is good as it helps to take a lot of the guesswork out of diagnostics, so far I can’t fault it

 

[Matrixx]

I went for the Icarsoft MAX, it covers virtually all makes, and you can perform tests and calibrate etc, just resting a few oil changes and its paid for its self. free upgrades for life.

 

[roofman]

I bought this last year and its been great ..the Topdon Artidiag 800BT