Engine Scan Tools - Recommendations and Reviews

[Troutman]

Evening All,

I have seen some posts on this forum recently where people were talking about using DIY engine scan tools on their vehicles. These tools allow you to read engine diagnostic reports, discover faults by code, clear check engine lights etc. I've been doing a bit of research on these tools recently (yes my check engine light is on at the moment) and have found that they vary in price from under $20.00 up to many thousands of dollars. Am interested in anyone's experiences with the lower cost versions which can be carried in the toolbox and used out in the field etc.

One model that has caught my eye is the Autel AL519 which sells for about $90.00 on eBay. Found an apparent independent review on this one which rates it highly, better than some much more expensive models. Autel the company (yes I have noted the "Au" in the name) seems to be a Chinese company making a large range of scan tools from low cost to quite expensive ones and I had never heard of them until this present interest.

Any info from forum members is welcome.

Cheers,
Troutman :trophy: :trophy:

 

[7.62marksman]

look on amazon australia https://www.amazon.com.au/s/ref=nb_...e&sprefix=tools+aut,aps,-1&crid=1EOF9RXOJA0CP
i was just looking at them the first one that comes up my mech mate has and it suits him so i will be getting the same
JMO

 

[Troutman]

look on amazon australia https://www.amazon.com.au/s/ref=nb_...e&sprefix=tools+aut,aps,-1&crid=1EOF9RXOJA0CP
i was just looking at them the first one that comes up my mech mate has and it suits him so i will be getting the same
JMO

Thanks JMO, I had come across the Ancel brand in my searching, you've confirmed that someone, a tradie no less, has one that works. :Y:

 

[savage bitter]

I use the bosch live data plus but you have to pick the overseas models and get as close as you can to Australian cars all brands which are sold in this country you can see most fault codes and clear codes its about 90 dollars but some cars it wont talk to then out comes the 2500 dollar one the cheap ones are limited

 

[7.62marksman]

yes i have used his and seemed to work fine but there are heaps on there so have a look

 

[Troutman]

I use the bosch live data plus but you have to pick the overseas models and get as close as you can to Australian cars all brands which are sold in this country you can see most fault codes and clear codes its about 90 dollars but some cars it wont talk to then out comes the 2500 dollar one the cheap ones are limited

Cheers Mate, I have looked at some Bosch models (it is the only one Supercheap Auto seem to stock) and found some similar reviews with people in Australia saying they tried to use one on their car and it came up reading "this vehicle not supported".

 

[Smoky bandit]

In Qld you can go to supercheap auto and they will scan it for free :Y:

 

[savage bitter]

In Qld you can go to supercheap auto and they will scan it for free :Y:

true they do but most places will put the scan tool on and tell you if there is a problem it only takes a few seconds :Y:

 

[xcvator]

Look for scangauge

 

[mudgee hunter]

Firstly, try disconnecting the battery fully. And hit the higheam, and try to start. Then reconect the battery.
If the check engine light is still on, you have an issue.
If it goes out, take it for a drive and see if it pops up again. If it dose.. you have an issue.
disabling a code is just stupid generally.
But great if you can read the issue
On some units/vehicles you may get a code error for the crank angle sensor, injector #4 etc.
This can be just a loose connection. But related to it.
Cearing a code if the problem is still there will just make it eliminate again!
Waste of time, unless you understand the reason.
Even the Snap On OB 2 cant read every vehicle. And they dont come cheap.
Do not even bother buying a unit that only clears "check engine" light!!!!

 

[mudgee hunter]

Google your cars check engine/idiot light.
On my vehicle if you hit the key accessories twice, then a 3rd time the codes at fault appear on the dash. Eg. 46, 22 etc

 

[RM Outback]

I use the bosch live data plus but you have to pick the overseas models and get as close as you can to Australian cars all brands which are sold in this country you can see most fault codes and clear codes its about 90 dollars but some cars it wont talk to then out comes the 2500 dollar one the cheap ones are limited

Good point about vehicle place of manufacture after all that's where there released originally. My experience comes from transponder technology where in the EU they had the technology as early as 20 years prior to Australia. Once released in Oz the learning curve was a nightmare even for the pro's.. The company I worked for at the time sponsored a bloke from the UK who is to this day considered one of the top Auto transponder tech's in Australia. I haven't looked into the scan tools but will be in the near future, previous experience tells me to research it well.

 

[Rockhunter62]

Hi Graham,

Have a look at this link if you haven't already.

https://www.ozisuzu.com.au/index.php?action=forum

Cheers

Doug

 

[Goldpick]

Two different setups that I have tried include:

Expensive option: (Scangauge 2) The Scangauge 2 which differs from the usual OBD2 readers as it can be used as a gauge cluster showing real time readings from various vehicle sensors. Has a little Ralliart Colt at one stage, and mounted the scangauge on the steering column housing rather than have several separate gauges. You can check and clear fault codes, views various gauges on the screen at the same time, plus the backlighting can set with a multitude of colours - downside is that it is expensive, though not so bad if you factor in the cost of separate gauges.

Cheap option: Next up I tried a cheap bluetooth OBD2 reader and paired it up with the Torque Pro phone app on my Samsung phone. That was an excellent setup with a ton of features to keep you busy - see the link for the list of features and the best OBD2 bluetooth adapters to use. As they mention, the Chinese ELM327 bluetooth adapters from ebay are hit and miss on whether they work or not, though at least they are real cheap. And yes you can check and clear fault codes with it.

Overall I was really happy with Torque Pro, probably would have initially gone down that route if I had known about it sooner.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque&hl=en_AU

 

[Wishfull]

It seems that a lot of the early Commodore and Falcon models are not supported with many of the readers. Anyone know of a good scanner for these ?

 

[Tathradj]

They used a weird communications protocol.
About the only way to do them was use
the blink codes.
They blink out a series of faults.
Start with the first one,
Then look at the last one.
The ECU would chain a set of codes in series.
It knew the air was coming in and where it was
supposed to be within a set parameter, They would stop
at that point.
Ambient air temp sensors that were faulty on a Commodore
would show up as faulty 02 sensors as an example.

 

[travelergold]

We purchased a scangauge 2. For ford ranger px2. Needed to see trans temp as last ranger trzns sh!t itself and 8grand to fix was excessive..
We found this was only scan tool to monitor the auto trans temp for the ranger unless you spent big bucks. Very happy with it and after sales service is brilliant. :Y:

 

[Balmain Bob]

Here is a link to the diagnostic tool that I used on my VY commodore.

https://www.envyouscustoms.com/diagnostics/diagnostic-kits/

It worked well for me.

 

[Troutman]

Hi Graham,

Have a look at this link if you haven't already.

https://www.ozisuzu.com.au/index.php?action=forum

Cheers

Doug

Thanks Doug,

Haven't looked on the Isuzu Forum before. Have been able to find Isuzu fault code meanings on other websites in the past and this site could be useful for that once the code is identified.

Cheers,
Graham

Responses to other comments so far (thanks for the info being provided)

The scan tool I'm looking for now is so I can diagnose fault codes and hopefully determine if I can fix the issue myself. We had a series of check engine lights back in July and August this year after extended detecting trips which turned out to be low air flow at the intake manifold. Neighbour Jim read those for me with his professional scan tool and on his advice I fitted a catch can. The check engine light had stayed off for a couple of months, now that we are doing more normal highway trips. It came on again as Robyn drove home from town on the hwy earlier this week.

The low air flow issue seems to be very common with newer vehicles with all of the anti-pollution attachments when you are driving around slowly for extended periods of time, such as what we do when at Western Creek. 10 days of driving shortish distances in dusty conditions and never getting out of 3rd gear doesn't get the engine hot enough to burn off crap etc.

We are currently thinking of switching the D-Max for a Pajero (NM or NP model which are the last of the pre-common rail models). So any scan tool I get will need to suit Isuzu and Mitsubishi, I like the idea of being able to at least scan and diagnose faults while out in the bush so I have some idea of the seriousness of the issue.

Am aware that Supercheap Auto will do scans at their shops, the closest one to us 30 kilometres away, but often we are hundreds of kilometres from one of them and we are intending that in the future we will be doing more remote travelling. Have had mechanics charge us their minimum $40 or $50 fee to do a scan and clear in the past, so a DIY scan tool looks like a bit of cheap insurance if it diagnoses accurately.

The Isuzu D-Max will self clear some check engine light situations when the car has been started and stopped 5 times. This feature works for some minor faults and when a fault has been rectified, but other fault codes require a scan tool read and then clearance via a tool.

 

[Anolphart]

I've been using the EDS (engine data scan) for a couple of years now. I leave it hooked up permanently as it not only will record any faults whilst I'm driving, it displays quite a bit of other useful information as well. I have mine set to display the engine coolant temperature, the charge voltage, fuel consumption and road speed all at once on the LCD screen. It's quite frightening how high the temperature climbs to when I'm towing my van uphill (often over 100C) and yet the dash gauge shows 'normal'.

Of course, ever since having installed the device the intermittent fault has not re-appeared. I think that the main advantage apart from displaying the fault code, is that you can clear the code to get you to the nearest service centre. Whilst I agree that it's not a good idea to drive when a serious code shows up, it does at least give you the option of getting to an area where you can call for help. I often go places where there is no phone reception and nearest resident may be 50+ k's away.

I think I paid about $80 ~ $90 for it but I noticed that The 4WD Supercentre have them for about $62.

The link: https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/en...MI-YOTw7WM3wIVCQ4rCh2yAwaVEAQYASABEgJVdfD_BwE