Hi Scotty. Just asked if you recommend the AUTOMEND PRO OBDII car code reader. If not which do you recommend for someone just starting to make his own car repairs. Thank U
I have never used that product or know much about it it. What do you want your scan tool to do? What is your max budget? In general, the higher the cost of a tool the more it can do (including bi-directional control which the cheaper ones cannot do) including scanning all the computer modules onboard and giving you live data for them. Also, you get more vehicle coverage. You also have to know how to interpret all the data - that’s the most important thing, otherwise it does you no good.
That being said, if you find yourself needing a more advanced scan tool (that can scan every computer module on the vehicle and want bidirectional control) I’d go with Autel.
For scanning every computer module, I strongly recommend the Autel Maxicheck MX808 which is about $400, and the cheapest tablet-style scan tool (easier on the eyes). However, it does not have bi-directional control which for most of us is fine.
If you do buy an expensive scan tool (several hundred or more), I strongly recommend you buy from one of the company’s authorized dealers if you care about support, service, software updates, and warranty, and to make sure you don’t get scammed. Some of those expensive ones from Amazon are not North American models and if you need to have it serviced you have to send to China! And Amazon is NOT an authorized dealer for Autel.
link to tool: https://www.autel.com/mk2/3223.jhtml
One place I recommend buying from: they are an authorized Autel dealer
https://www.aeswave.com/MaxiCheck-mx808-Scan-Tool-p9590.html
Make sure whichever tool you get that it covers your vehicle(s) before you buy!
Ok thank you for your input, saved me some misery. I do want to get my moneys worth. So I really appreciate your time. I will be retiring soon & will have time to work on my own car instead of going to a mechanic, so I want to get a scanner to do that & also to have some fun with. So can you with your experience & knowledge recommend some other Autels at least with bi-directional, & maybe a couple of more interesting features that won't break my bank, and maybe with an inexpensive annual software updates too?.
@a_sada220 do you absolutely need bidirectional control? If so, I recommend the Autel Maxisys MS906BT from authorized Autel dealer http://www.aeswave.com but that is $1,250 before taxes. Warranty and software updates are included for 1 year only. After that if you need to update the software again or renew your warranty in the event of a hardware issue it is about $450. See link below on what the tool can do. It’s what Scotty Kilmer and The Car Wizard have used along with other mechanics, and best bang for the buck:
https://www.autel.com/c/www/mk3/3219.jhtml
You also don’t need to update the tool as a DIYer esp. if it’s been working for you well.
I have had the Autel MX808 ($400 through aeswave.com) the last 3 years and it has served me well. I did not renew the warranty (and therefore do not get any software updates), but if I did it would cost $125. It does NOT have bidirectional control but it also saved me $800+ over the MS906BT because of that. The times I need bidirectional control I just go to my trusted mechanic to take care of the troubleshooting/repair/service, which is rare.
Link to that tool:
https://www.autel.com/mk2/3223.jhtml
And then the BlueDriver is my 3rd choice for scan tool. But again, it all depends on what you want out of it. Don’t spend the extra bucks if you don’t need it.
You can also look at the Innova 5610 that Scotty has been using in his videos and recommends. It can scan the different modules on the car. Same warning as above applies.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/innova-5610-obd-scanner/#post-34473
It depends on how much information and how deep you want to go.
Autel scanners work very well and you can get a very capable one in the $500 range.
I got a Zurich ZR8 from Harbor Freight, works like a charm. Gives way more info than I could ever use and it's reasonably priced.
