[Edited on 3/12/09 by tegwin]
Has anyone used one before.
How easy are they to use etc. Thinking about buying one of ebay to try and find a fault with the wifes car, as an engine light comes up, and do not
fancy taking it into the garage etc (getting ripped off).
Was wondering what people brought, and if it came with any software, if not where they downloaded theirs from.
many thanks
I bought one of those cheap hand held units (talktomycar.co.uk) and it seems to work wonders. Just make sure you check compatability before you buy....
what car is it ? and what light ?
I have one of these which seems to work ok with the lappy. It comes with software I think. You can also get hand held ones which don't need the laptop.
Skodia Fabia, and engine light - been coming on for a while, and then keeps going - the wife has told me about it several times, but kept forgetting
to sort it, now i'm deaf with the last conversation i had with her.
Good job i can see the responses!!!!
[Edited on 3/12/09 by tegwin]
For VW group cars you can get near dealer level access with VAG-COM however you will only get the shareware version with a cheap inteface for the
full version you have to buy from one of Ross-Tech's distributors in the UK such as Gendan or iLexa
You might want to consider at a Memoscan U585 scanner it will do most of the VW group stuff. Buy avoid sellers based in China delivery can take
months.
For the U585 see
see ebay item 220519521343 (Alpha-bid a reputable ebay seller I have dealt with on three occaisions )
or ebay item 290376319183
or ebay item 190349418290
Don't buy any OBD scanner or software that doesn't read freeze frame and live data as these are the most useful diagnostic tools much more
useful than fault codes.
Check the protocols the tool connects to, some older types only cover one protocol also makes sure it cover CAN Bus as this is the standard protocol
from this year for all new cars.
[Edited on 3/12/09 by britishtrident]
[Edited on 3/12/09 by britishtrident]
I have a very cheap obd2 reader bought off fleabay years ago, it tells you the code and after 3 cycles clears the fault
This unit has saved me ££££££ as i used to go to the dealer and pay £40 a go
if any one in the sussex area wants to borrow it, they can
i dont charge
i use a elm327 (copy) with a laptop/pc it works on all obdII interface types including CAN.
its cheep and all sorts of software can be used with it i fine it exelent and can even dyno a car if i know how heavy it is
i know the vag-com stuff will do more than just engine codes
Bought mine off the bay of flea it cam with Vagcom and has sorted my MK4 2001 Golf out £12.00 including software (Vagcom)
I just use my solus pro or for really quicker reads launch code reader
Also have pps peugeot planet just need to get the cable
I have a BMW 120I Dynamic,
I have been looking for a diagnosis tool for it with no luck.
I have found some, but they don´t state compliance or compatibility with it.
Sorry for the hijack and thanks in advance..
AA
PS: In a few years, this car may be a good donor. I4, Rear drive, IRS.
quote:
Originally posted by Angel Acevedo
I have a BMW 120I Dynamic,
I have been looking for a diagnosis tool for it with no luck.
I have found some, but they don´t state compliance or compatibility with it.
Sorry for the hijack and thanks in advance..
AA
PS: In a few years, this car may be a good donor. I4, Rear drive, IRS.
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
quote:
Originally posted by Angel Acevedo
I have a BMW 120I Dynamic,
I have been looking for a diagnosis tool for it with no luck.
I have found some, but they don´t state compliance or compatibility with it.
Sorry for the hijack and thanks in advance..
AA
PS: In a few years, this car may be a good donor. I4, Rear drive, IRS.
Any car with petrol engine sold in europe after 2001 must be fully EOBD compliant and any diesel car after 2004, BMW were OBD compliant before these dates, BMW use ISO and CAN protocols so any decent modern OBD scanner such as the Memoscan U581 should give normal EOBD codes live data and freeze frame.
A more expensive specialist scanner such as the Autel Maxidiag EU702 will in addition give access to ABS, Transmision and SRS.
If you want near dealer level access on BMW's the tool of choice is Carsoft software it gets into nearly all BMW systems on all models, the systems on your car are the same as the E90, E46 and MINI so o problem Carsoft is however expensive although ripp off copies sometimes are advertised the ripp off merchants are getting targeted and put out of business.
[Edited on 4/12/09 by britishtrident]
Hi
Can someone recommend an EOBD compliant reader that I can use with my car. I have seen some of the cables from Ebay, but can someone recommend one
they have used. Also, where can I obtain the software for these cables that plugs straight to a laptop.
Your help would be much appreciated.
Regards
I have a CANusb lead, aswell as various software tools on my laptop.
It gets used when I change BIN files on my Saab Turbo...
This can be done with the ecu off the car, or still fitted in the car using then CD player boot plug to break into the cars wiring.
If you go this route, then not only can you resolve & read obd issues with the right software (someone will have blagged it) but you should be
able to re-write to your ecu.
The BIN currently in mine (Stage3) also gives access to all of the engine readings, ie everything the ecu is playing with.
Like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkVFWEezoKQ
That looks really brilliant! With this, can you see the readings on your PC in graph form. Also, where did you purchase the lead from (can you
recommend a company) and what software did you use (i.e. is it downloaded off the internet?)
Greg
I bought a bluetooth elm327 copy from ebay it winged it's way from the far east in a reasonable amount of time, though I bought to have a play with rather than to fix a current problem. Works grand with a Freelander.
quote:
Originally posted by Sprytny
That looks really brilliant! With this, can you see the readings on your PC in graph form. Also, where did you purchase the lead from (can you recommend a company) and what software did you use (i.e. is it downloaded off the internet?)
Greg