learn me laptop OBD2 scanners

so my handheld obd2 scanner went missing. cant find it anywhere. probably left it in a customer car, and its still there....

anyway, i was looking for a replacement that would do even more. looking at the overwhelming array of laptop programs and cables.

what have you all used, wand whay should i buy? i use a scanner for diagnostics, code reading and clearing, and drivability info mostly. theres probably more i could do with one, but thats all my last one did.

price is a concern. id like to keep it under 200 if possible for a good one. windows 7 operating system on the laptop. its the same one i use to tune OBD1 GM products.

so please, impart thy wisdom.

michael

I have the Auto Tap and I love it. It has a record feature so you can go test drive and get the fault to come up and then review the parameters later on the workbench. $200 on the nose, and some of the best money I've ever spent on tools.

Torque for Android is fantastic. Use it all the time.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/obd2-scanners-not-code-readers/31738/page2/

I bought the scantool - it's pretty good, but not perfect.

N Sperlo wrote: Torque for Android is fantastic. Use it all the time.

This! And this bluetooth adapter.

Granted, I've nothing to compare it to, but it's been easy to use, gives me all the info I want, shows thrown codes and pending codes, records with GPS (haven't tried that one myself yet).

I can understand wanting the laptop form factor, though I believe you can export from Torque to look at it there? Maybe? Apologies for an answer that doesn't quite fit your question, but I'm awfully fond of Torque, and at $30ish total for the deluxe version and the bluetooth adapter, it's quite the bargain.

ransom wrote:

N Sperlo wrote: Torque for Android is fantastic. Use it all the time.

This! And this bluetooth adapter. Granted, I've nothing to compare it to, but it's been easy to use, gives me all the info I want, shows thrown codes and pending codes, records with GPS (haven't tried that one myself yet). I can understand wanting the laptop form factor, though I believe you can export from Torque to look at it there? Maybe? Apologies for an answer that doesn't quite fit your question, but I'm awfully fond of Torque, and at $30ish total for the deluxe version *and* the bluetooth adapter, it's quite the bargain.

Can't speak for the OP, but the appeal for me is that I own a laptop, and not a smartphone

same here. and same with my dad, whom i share the shop/buisness with.

i like the looks of the autotap. any more info? i cant do much from the dayjobs work computer....

michael

I know the Powerstroke guys like AutoEngunity (sp?) as it's one of the few that work on this big ole piles of iron.

There are quite a few freeware OBD-II softwares for a laptop PC. Really, you don't need to spend a dime.

Get the USB connector of your choice and go play.

foxtrapper wrote: There are quite a few freeware OBD-II softwares for a laptop PC. Really, you don't need to spend a dime. Get the USB connector of your choice and go play.

care to educate me on some of them that youve used? i prefer getting others experiences on tools before getting them. and this qualifies as a tool.

foxtrapper wrote: There are quite a few freeware OBD-II softwares for a laptop PC. Really, you don't need to spend a dime. Get the USB connector of your choice and go play.

There's a big difference between a free code reader and an actual diagnostic tool that can access all of the engines sensors, record & playback, trigger servoes, etc. The Auto Tap is the latter.

Im very interested in this thread.. so keep it coming.

and what i need is the latter. not just a code reader.

so yes, please keep it coming.

id love to hear more GRM reviews of the autotap.

Dusterbd13 wrote: care to educate me on some of them that youve used? i prefer getting others experiences on tools before getting them. and this qualifies as a tool.

I haven't downloaded anything in several months, so anything I say is already well out of date. Plus, a lot is just personal preference, like the whole Chevy vs Ford thing.

Anyhow. I've used something I can't find this morning, by a guy named Richard x? Very cryptic, dos based. Uses his own propetary cables, but will work sometimes with ELM cables.

I've got an old version of digimoto that worked nicely. But that was/is on a desktop, and I'd run a stupid long cable out the window to the car.

Autotap lite, that's nice and pretty clear.

Handful of others on the CD that came with my ELM reader that I haven't bothered to install.