Rocketguy

I searched around the site and could not find a thread on this so please let me hear from you.

Who makes the best scan tool for the money that will scan OBD I and OBD II?

The prices I see on the net range from $50 to over $3000. I'd like to buy one that has better than the basic functions but do not need all the bells and whistles.

joe_padavano

It depends on what you want to do with it. If all you want is a code reader, there are apps and cables that let you use your cell phone. If you want a true scan tool that has bi-directional capability so you can actually run tests and calibrate sensors like the crank position sensor, you need to spend some money.

I have a Genisys from OTC that I bought used years ago. You can find these on ebay for a couple hundred bucks. Get one with at least operating system 3.0 and with installed software that covers the years and manufacturers you want. OTC has separate software for domestic, asian, and european cars, and each release only goes up to a certain year. In my case, the newest car I needed to use it on was 2002 model year, so I didn't need an expensive version with the latest software.

The Genisys has the ability to monitor the datastream and you can select what items you want to see. It also has a recording capability so you can drive with it connected and if an intermittent problem happens, you can record 10 seconds of data to help debug. Depending on the make and model, the software has the ability to perform interactive tests and sensor calibrations. Note that the ability to do this varies with make. GM and Ford vehicles have the greatest support. Obscure makes like Volvo, not so much.

Rocketguy

I appreciate it Joe, thank you. It was generous of you to write that up and the site is lucky to have you.

The Genisys OTC sounded like exactly what I was looking for and was in my budget, but yikes, when I check eBay the prices are like triple and there is a plethora of them and each is a bit different. They go up to over $4K.

This may take some time.

joe_padavano

You might want to tweak your search terms. Here are a bunch in the $250-$500 range. Note that some of these do not come with cables, and while those sometimes show up on ebay, you might be searching for a while. Others only come with the OBDII Smart Cable, which is great for OBD II cars, but not so great for older cars.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OTC-Genisys-...299273&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OTC-Genisys-...112507&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OTC-Genisys-...3D361878763060

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OTC-Genisys-...763060&vxp=mtr

joe_padavano

I'll also point out that Matco and Cornwell both sold versions of the Genisys, just with a different color case. They are functionally the same and take the same software and cables if you can find one of those for less money.

76olds

Most of them that are for sale in Canada at our part stores can only be registered to one car depending on the price.
Just thought I throw that out here, Maybe Joe can elaborate on this since he owns one and knows quite a bit about them.

joe_padavano

I don't know what type of tool you are describing, but the Genisys is designed for use by repair shops and is only restricted by the software that is loaded on the machine.

Rocketguy

I was very close to buying this one . It looks great, but then I realized it was only 2.0.

Olds64

I bought this scan tool:

https://www.amazon.com/Innova-3160e-...can+tool&psc=1

It's OBD 2 only, but Innova does make an OBD 1 scan tool. The Innova is adequate for my needs. It helped me trouble shoot an EGR induced miss on the 5.4L modular engine in my 2003 Ford F150. You can view the data live, record it and it has limited ability to command tests on the vehicle. I was able to conduct the KOEO and KOER tests on my truck.

FWIW, if you can find a good buy on an OTC Genysis that might be the way to go. I used them years ago when I was in school and they are professional tools and very easy to use.

quaddriver

actron cp9110 (or real close to that) with all the OBD1 cartridges and the generic OBD2 will get 90% of what you need done. You can get it all now for prolly under 20 on ebay.

OBD1 and 2 are utterly different technologies to access and the companies that still make a universal, ask way to much for what you can do with $10 of parts and a half *** knowledge of BASIC programming.

For OBD2, auterraweb.com. check em out. bang for buck it will do the most for the least $$. It originally ran on Palm OS, but has now win 'x' and android support and if you are savvy, its easy to get running under linux.

76olds

I was referring to the Innova's sold here in Canada. $99.00- $299.00, They will pull codes, online part replacement help along with clearing codes.
Can only be registered to one vehicle, can be used to pull/clear codes on multiple vehicles, but single vehicle online help.

joe_padavano

Well, compared to a used Genisys, that's a lot of money for less capability. The Genisys has troublehooting info, code reading, real-time data display, and recording capability. It is NOT registered to a single vehicle, however there are distinct software packages that are required for classes of cars (US Domestic, Europe, and Asia are all separate packages).

The big difference between the Genisys (and other real scan tools) vs a code reader like the one you describe is that the Genisys has bi-directional test capability. It has the capability to perform all the same functional tests and calibrations that the GM factory Tech 2 can do. For example, on my 1999 truck, the Genisys will perform the crank position sensor learn function. On some vehicles it can temporarily disable individual injectors so you can tell which cylinder is misfiring. It can command specific gear engagement on my 4L80E. This is the fundamental difference from those cheap code readers.

76olds

[QUOTE=joe_padavano;984658]Well, compared to a used Genisys, that's a lot of money for less capability. The Genisys has troublehooting info, code reading, real-time data display, and recording capability. It is NOT registered to a single vehicle.

That's good to know, I was going to purchase one for our G8's, just to have in case I feel mechanically inclined ya'no LOL.
I haven't felt mechanically inclined yet. I will keep my $99.00-$299.00 in my wife's purse for a little longer now haha.
It sounds like the Genisys is the way to go if you would like to use it on multiple cars.
Thanks for the info,
Eric