BUYING GUIDES..since 1995
|
GALT HOME:
Internet Guides - Finance - Audio/Video - Travel - Household/DIY - Health - Cars - Fashion - Sports - Entertainment - Cell Phones |
| MENU: Technology and Internet Guides | Travel | Health | Household | Sports ...independent online guides since 1995 |
Diagnostic Code Reader and Scan Tools for OBDII Vehicles:The first thing to clear up is - What is OBDII? It stand for on board diagnostics and the II is for vehicles that are 1996 or newer. If you own a car that was made from 1996 until now, then you are in luck if you want to do some home diagnostic tests on the vehicle. There are devices called "diagnostic code readers" that work on almost all cars and light trucks made after 1996. The two leading brands that literally dominate this category are Actron and Equus. AutoXray is another top selling manufacturer of these diagnostic tools, but their products don't rate as highly as the other two. Actron sells many more products that are less than $100 and get excellent reviews while Equus offers more expensive tools that are still top rated by experts and vehicle owners. Which one is right for you? It really depends on what type of information you are looking to get from your cars computer system. Many owners admit they purchased one of these diagnostic code readers right before they had to take their vehicle down for an emissions test. In many states you can't get a smog test (or similar) done if your check engine light is on.
.
The video below shows you how the Innova/Equus models work:
Get detailed information on specific brands - Equus Code Reader Review - Actron OBDII Code Scanners
Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.
Send email to: galtemail (@) yahoo.com
|
which is priced at about $55. This small pocket sized tool will allow you to get detailed information from your vehicle's computer and let you diagnose any problems you may be having. The CP9125 reads trouble codes and the scanner displays them on the small screen. Many people complain about their "check engine light" being on and this tool will help you to turn it back off. One reason the tool is the most popular on Amazon is because it's easy to use for novices (like me) and for more capable DIY mechanics. The key is being able to decipher the OBD II diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) on cars and light trucks that are 1996 models and newer. Once you have solved the issue with your car the PocketScan lets the user "clear" any trouble codes and gets your vehicle to turn off the warning lights. Owners say the software CD that comes with the Actron diagnostic tool is invaluable as their are over 3000 code definitions you can look up and get educated on. Another feature that experts and novices like about this diagnostic code reader is that it's updateable so any vehicle you buy in the future should be able to work with it just fine. You get a 1 year limited warranty with this model. Some of the high end Actron readers offer much more than this budget model. We SUGGEST you 
Diagnostic Code Scanner with Live, Record and Playback Data Capability for OBDII (Post-1996) Vehicles is a very valuable tool to have if your car is giving you "check engine lights". Many owners freely admit they have taken their vehicles down to the local mechanic to get a "service engine" light looked at only to get a bill for $100 and problem fixed within minutes. That's where owning a diagnostic tool like the Equus 3130 can really save you money in the long run. The 3130 is superior to the Actron listed above as it views, records, and plays back live data as well as has a freeze frame data function. Owners say the built in memory allows you to store codes making it easier to check your vehicles the 2nd and 3rd times if necessary. The all in one screen display and LED display makes for easy reading of all codes and data. Connect it your PC so you can print or save the diagnostic reports that you generate. "Troubleshooting has never been easier" says an ASE master technician and another owner says it "works great to communicate with both OBD2 and Can Bus vehicles". The Equus is the best all around code reader we could find and I would agree with one customer who calls it a "money saver". The 
is another great option if you want a more professional setup.