OBD 2 can bus code scanner

[Kcs]

Hi all, i would like a Obd 2 scanner, and have found heaps of
them for sale on e-bay, i only really want to read the code
and not mess about changing stuff, but i read some where
that not all the scanners read all the codes !
what is the best reader to buy, and what should i be paying
for it ? i would like to get one before i take my car in to the
stealers next week, i would like to be a few steps ahead if poss !
Thanks now for any reply's
cheers
Kcs

[Gsi3.2]

if you want one for engine codes, you can pick one up for £50 off ebay..

if you want one to read ALL the codes on the car then you're going to be looking at around £500....

owning a code reader is okay... but there's a whole lot more to understanding the faults than just reading the code..

[Kcs]

Thanks Gsi, your right, there is a lot more than just reading the codes,
my old man has got one for his Toyota Rav, and he had three fault codes
that would keep coming up, two sensers and a cat fault, it was the coil pack that had failed after he had looked at just about everything ! you mentioned
body codes to me on a previous post, so does that mean the big 500 then !

[deanos]

Mine was £23 + post on Ebay

Heres the guy i got mine from, make him an offer of about £20 to start with and he should come back with a offer of £23

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-U480...QQcmdZViewItem

Works fine on my Vectra, you can reset the fault lights and delete the codes from the ECU once you have fixed the fault

If you use it once then thats still half the price of a stealer

[Gsi3.2]

That one will more than likely only read P codes.( engine codes)...I've only ever come across 4 or 5 tools that will read all the cars systems..

Kcs..yep..if you want TOTAl access then it looks like the big £500

[deanos]

I understand it reads the same codes as the £50 readers, the only difference is they have a refrence for the codes built in and display them on the screen and also can read live data, but if all you want to to is pick up codes and reset the cheap one will do the job.

[Gsi3.2]

so can your one read rear electrical centre and body control module faults then Deanos???

[lofty]

Mark, the £500 one you mention is it an actual reader or is it the vauxcom software?

[deanos]

so can your one read rear electrical centre and body control module faults then Deanos???

Dunno, doubt it

Im just saying the cheap one i got reads the same codes as the £50 ones

[Gsi3.2]

it's Vauxcom...( a very powerful tool ) .. there are other systems that will access all the ecu's but they're touching upwards of £4k-£5K...even 'sykes pickivants' ACR4 is over £2k by the time you add the modules to do what vauxcom can do....