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OBDI/OBDII scanner questions

sandawgk5

sandawgk5

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I am looking at buying this scanner. Mainly because it will work with all of my vehicles and in CA I have a hard time finding someone to read trouble codes on my 2 newer vehicles.

Does anyone have any experiece with innova? They sell them at Kragen / Autozone and just about any other parts house. This one seems it will do more than what I need but has the cables for a number or OBDI vehicles and all OBDII vehicles as well as CAN protocol.

Thanks for any advice. Oh if this should be in the tools section I appologize and please move.

Dik
 
I don't have any info but I'm curious as well? I found 1 on summit that did both and it was $200
 
If my eventual plans work out I won't need the OBDI stuff but it is always nice to have.

I will probably just get it and post a review on here.

Dik
 
I bought one similar to that one, i like it, very easy to use and read on the display screen, mine only reads OBD2 though, eventually i'll get another better one.

If the price is ok in your book, then i'd say grab it, i haven't had any issues with mine yet.
 
We used to use a snap-on mt2500, also known as "the brick." Good scanner for it's time, it got replaced with the solus which we now use. They can be up dated to 9.1 I believe was the last update available for them, which would be 2009 1st quarter.

Anymore they can be found pretty cheap, and they will go a lot farther than that scanner you're looking at.

On some newer vehicles depending on what it is, you will need a can-1b adapter for high speed LAN vehicles.
 
X2 on the snap-on mt2500. I see them on CL regularly 200-500 bucks almost always with all the different connectors. In my experience the cheap scanners have limited data to look at.I was told that there were no more updates and the newest and last one is 500$. But if not fully updated you still can scan in generic/global mode. And with all the connectors you can be the hero to your buddies even if they are not gm owners
 
The snap-on one looks nice but is out of my price range. Beyond that it is way more than I could ever need. Thanks for the recommendation though and keep the advice coming.

Dik
 
I bought the Innova 3130 about 2 months ago, I like it. I also have a SnapOn MT 2500 from when I had my shop year's ago it stops at 95 just did not keep up with the up dates.

The Innova 3130 gives a live data stream as well as fixed. Has a backlite screen good for my old eye's and can be up dated to do ABS. I got mine at Amazon of all places they had the cheapest price.

Hope this helped some.
 
CheapCat said:
I bought the Innova 3130 about 2 months ago, I like it. I also have a SnapOn MT 2500 from when I had my shop year's ago it stops at 95 just did not keep up with the up dates.

The Innova 3130 gives a live data stream as well as fixed. Has a backlite screen good for my old eye's and can be up dated to do ABS. I got mine at Amazon of all places they had the cheapest price.

Hope this helped some.
Click to expand...

Not sure if it is apples to apples but how does the innova compare to the 2500? I think the innova would be fine for what I want. If I was running a shop or something like that then I would def get a more "professional" scanner.

Dik
 
Well this model gave me the same information that I can get from the 2500 but does not have the trouble shooter. The trouble shooter gives help with testing for the bad components and codes that are set not really needed though. The Innova does give the manufactures codes along with the generic codes and what they are. It also allows you to down load the information to a computer for print out and can go on line for help if needed. You can go to the Innova web site and see all the info on this which help me make my choice plus they show videos of them. By the way I did look and read about a lot of scanners before I went with Innova. They do what the others do but cost less for a brand name do some searching and you can get a good price. If I remember correctly I paid like $143.00 range with the shipping.

The reason I bought it because I have an old customer that does not want to go to anyone else and has a 2002 Cadillac with some codes and my kids all have new stuff.
Sorry for the rambling I'm not very good at getting my thoughts across in type another old age problem but hope this helped some.
 
I have an autoxray scanner OBD1 and 2. It does pretty much the same thing as the scanner you listed. it has a USB cable so i keep it updated over the internet and can download and view all the scan data to my laptop. It works good.
For basic scanning needs the one you linked to will fill your needs just fine. The important thing is it gives real time data. That helps a lot more to diagnose problems than a scanner that just gives codes.

The snap-on 'brick' as some have talked about here is a great scanner but unless you can get one cheap, it is a lot more than the average person needs. Plus you have to buy cartridges and keys. If it does not come loaded with the years and make vehicles you need to scan.
 
Well I pulled the trigger on this one. With one day shipping it was $217. The shipping was about what tax would have been so I considered it a wash :). I have a code on my Mazda right now so when it gets here on Monday I will use it and give a summary of my thoughts.

Dik
 
I've got an Innova 3100 I got at Wallyworld several years ago. Good stuff. Not super fancy but works. I like how you can update software via the included USB.

When I first got it in '06 it was giving me troubles with my Suzukis but they have fixed that and upgraded the code. Plugs into my buddy's '98 Kia just fine and reads the codes same as if it were a GM or Ford.
 
My scanner arrived today but... I forgot my daughter had dance class so I didn't get it opened up and played with until late tonight and I have to be at work at 445 in the am. Hopefully Wednesday afternoon I can get it plugged in and actually use it.

So far first impressions. It was well packed, it comes in two canvas cases that zip together. One has the handheld, manual, and software. The other case contains all of the cables and adapters. A 15 pin serial to periferal cable is provided for updating the handheld via internet. My old laptop in the garage has a serial connection so that should not be an issue but I will probably go to fry's and get a serial to USB adapter so I can plug it into any of my laptops.

The software allows me to also graph the real time data the hand held pulls from the ECU. Like I said I haven't played around with it yet but an update will be coming.

Dik
 
Make sure to update it on their website before you use it. I used mine for the first time in a few years a week ago and it had a bunch of updates.
 
Finally got around to using my scanner. I actually had 2 seperate codes on my mazda but since I didn't read the operators manual I didn't recognize it had two codes until the CEL did not clear after the first code was fixed. I now know that it will allow me to scroll through all codes currently stored in the computer.

The scanner is almost idiot proof. Plug it into the OBD2 connector under the dash, it tells you to turn the key to the on position and press the power button. It will communicate with the car and list the first code and what looks like a fraction in the corner of the screen. This is where I missed the info. The denominator of the "fraction" is the total number of codes stored and the numerator is the current code you are looking at.

The live data logging is pretty cool. You can start that feature and go for a drive or do a 1/4 mile pass, what ever you feel like. You can then download that data to your PC and the software that came with it allows you to graph all of the data it was looking at. Messing around with it I learned my tach is about 300 RPM off.

Thats all I got for now, not much of a report by so far I am very pleased with my purchase.

Dik
 
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