I have been looking for a good buyer guide to scan tools, but haven't found anything. Is there a guide out that there to help direct me to what I want? I'm not really sure which features I should be looking for. I want to be able to read live data, versus just pull trouble codes. Are handheld scan tools old fashion now and I should be looking for some sort of adapter to hook up to a PC, ipod etc?
There is an OTC 3109 for sale used locally for a reasonable price ($65) for the unit, but I don't know if I would regret buying this because it doesn't do something I would want in the future.
My immediate need is trouble shooting a problem on my '97 Miata. Historically my cars have all been too old to make use of a scan tool, but time has marched on.
Disclaimer: I'm a Cornwell dealer. This guide is only for the product lines we sell, but they are available elsewhere (but I'd love if you bought from me!). Also keep in mind these are professional-quality tools. The similar looking versions at the FLAPS will usually have a less durable case and less features in the software. That said, if you can't find it in The Scanner Planner, it probably doesn't exist.
In reply to Junkyard_Dog:
So if I buy a Genisys from NAPA, it's different then your Genisys?
I bought one of the $20 OBDII bluetooth dongles on Amazon, and Torque for my Android phone...
It does just fine doing real-time reading of standard outputs, and I have used it to scan for codes, and clear trouble codes just fine.
It does NOT do everything, especially for newer cars... a buddy at work has a new Subaru, and this would not read, or talk to, the transmission computer in that.
pappatho wrote:
I have been looking for a good buyer guide to scan tools, but haven't found anything. Is there a guide out that there to help direct me to what I want? I'm not really sure which features I should be looking for. I want to be able to read live data, versus just pull trouble codes. Are handheld scan tools old fashion now and I should be looking for some sort of adapter to hook up to a PC, ipod etc?
There is an OTC 3109 for sale used locally for a reasonable price ($65) for the unit, but I don't know if I would regret buying this because it doesn't do something I would want in the future.
My immediate need is trouble shooting a problem on my '97 Miata. Historically my cars have all been too old to make use of a scan tool, but time has marched on.
What are you trying to trouble shoot?? Scan tool data and bi directional controls are pretty limited for most scanners..
Ranger50 wrote:
In reply to Junkyard_Dog:
So if I buy a Genisys from NAPA, it's different then your Genisys?
Actually yes. A few different integrated features and minor software tweaks. Options vary a bit too depending on the part number. Plus our warranty is better, but that's just a piece of paper in the box.
crazycanadian wrote:
What are you trying to trouble shoot?? Scan tool data and bi directional controls are pretty limited for most scanners..
The short answer is there is a periodic hesitation that comes and goes. When it is happening it feels like the brakes are being tapped every approximate 1.5s.
Thinking about my original question more. It would be a big bonus if the scan tool could capture a minute or two of data that could be graphed afterwards to look for changing values. I would expect to see something changing on the approximately 1.5s intervals.
I would like to get something that has a reasonable chance of meeting my future needs, whatever that might be.
Try unplugging the O2 sensor when its doing it. My Sentra seemed to cycle the mixture too low sometimes.
As to scanners, you will always be dissapointed in what you can and can't do. I just paid $8500 for a Volvo system, and there are things it can't do...but thats because the car won't give that info. Time to dig out the graphing multimeter and dig for connectors.
Junkyard_Dog wrote:
That said, if you can't find it in The Scanner Planner, it probably doesn't exist.
Thanks for the link, it was very helpful. I am assuming live data would be mode 6. Does pretty much any tool that states live data also include record for playback later?
I ended up going with an ELM327 connector and DashCommand for iOS for about $30 total. This seems to do what I need it to.
Now I just need to figure out why I am getting very negative short term fuel trims (up to -25%) at the same time the O2S11 is hovering around 0V. It seems the car is reporting to the ECU that it is lean and then the ECU is cutting fuel causing a lean misfire.
Its odd that you would have negative fuel trims when the O2 is reading lean. Try clearing the memory, and unplug the o2. If the trim counter still goes negative, you have something very odd going on.
Second question- is that a regular old O2 sensor, or is it a wideband? If wideband, you may be misinterpreting the numbers.
Streetwiseguy wrote:
Second question- is that a regular old O2 sensor, or is it a wideband? If wideband, you may be misinterpreting the numbers.
I'm not sure. It is a '97 Miata. I'm assuming it is not wideband, but could be wrong. It is PID SAE.O2S11.O2SV for the Miata. When I hook the scan equipment up on my '04 V70R this PID has no data. On the V70R it will read from SAE.W02S11_B.O2SC and SAE.WO2S11_B.Lambda. I am assuming this indicates the Volvo has a wideband upstream O2 Sensor and the Miata does not. Both cars display SAE.O2S12.O2SV for the downstream.
This is all new to me and I am learning as I go so I could be misinterpreting something. I have log files from DashCommand if anyone wants to see them. The car is currently waiting for a new clutch slave cylinder to continue trouble shooting. I may try disconnecting the downstream O2 sensor since it seems to be doing odd things, but not throwing codes. It usually starts flat lined at 1.245V, sometime after the coolant is up to temp (80 dC) it will start to drift down and maybe 15 minutes after the car has been running operate normally. The internet says the Miata does not base fueling off of the downstream O2 sensor, but I am not positive that is correct.
I have a Cen-Tech reader from HF. It works. Nothing fancy. It does give real-time data, but it won't graph it, and the resolution frequency is only about 1s... meaning, it only updates data every second. Its a bit frustrating for the more hard-core data logging, but it does work.
We had a Genisys at work. It was a wonderful tool. Huge investment for our shop, but it was a transmission shop where we bit off more than we could chew, so it saved our butts a thousand times. I can't imagine that investment for a DIY home shop.
