Customer Reviews

INNOVA 3100 CAN/OBDII Code Reader

5 star:		(135)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I am a professional Technician. This little handy dandy tool is fast, easy, and gets to the point of the problem with little to no issues.

Self powered, and can tell you current codes, pending codes, as well as what monitors have been run. Comes with a nice booklet that explains how OBDII works, and has a code chart for most cars.

Well made, Ive had mine for a few years now, its far easier to use then most "top dollar" scan tools.

Cannot show sensor values in real time.
Clears codes - Yes
Shows Codes - Yes
Shows Pending Codes - Yes
Shows if monitors have run - Yes

I bought INNOVA 3100 about 2 weeks ago because my MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) was on. Plugged it in after reading the manual. It said Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 Heater was bad. Called Mitsubishi dealer: Cost of part $317.43 plus 30 minutes of shop time. Looked up a replacement on internet at a cost of $37 plus $10 for a special socket to remove and replace. Another $7 for a Sears crimping tool and I replaced the part and saved over $228 plus I have the INNOVA to use over and over again.

Some reviewers have said that they can't save reports in their computer. There is now a button on the INNOVA supplied program to "Save to File." This makes a test file of about 17 different test results. It is in .txt format and you can copy and paste it into a Word document if you want to dress up the format.

Both the PC CD and the tool worked fine right out of the box. The unit comes with two cables: One to plug into the OBD2 socket under the dashboard of your car, and the other to plug into a USB socket on your PC. The INNOVA has built in memory to save readings obtained during a drive and then subsequently provide the data to your PC.

I am VERY PLEASED to give this unit FIVE STARS.

Bought this, spent 15 minutes studying the manual, plugged it in, and it worked first time -- read out the "check engine" code, and, when later plugged into a PC, allowed the details to be printed in a nice report.

The only negative I've noticed is that when you reset the "check engine" code in the car's computer, it erases the reader's memory of it, so you have to do the PC printout before resetting the code.

Some folks believe that if you use a device like this on one car it's "locked in" to that car and can't be used on a different car. This is not true -- I've used it on several different cars with no problems.

The last trip to the local dealer cost me 165.00 to get a repair estimate of 2550.00. I ended up having the repair done at an outside shop for 640.00. When my check engine light came on I knew it was time to invest in this tool. This tool is very easy to use and basically boils down to plugging it into the diagnostic terminal in your vehicle and turning the ignition key on. Follow the prompts to select the vehicle type then let the reader do it's thing. The reader will display any hard codes (existing problems) and pending codes (potential problems). Once you retrieve the codes you can do a little research and determine if it's something you might want to tackle yourself or leave to the professionals.

The check engine light went out while I was waiting for the tool to arrive. I was still able to retrieve a trouble code and could make a determination whether or not it was something that needed immediate attention.
Turned out that the O2 sensor was going bad. I purchased a sensor from Amazon for approx. 40.00 and installed it in a couple of minutes. I erased the trouble code using the tool and verified the problem was fixed. The dealer wanted 120.00 for the sensor and charge over a hundred dollars just to touch your vehicle. The tool paid for itself the first time I used it. The tool is worth the cost even if I never use it again!

The program used to upload the info from the reader to your computer is called Teklink and comes on the supplied CD. About the upgrade, it consists of replacing the Teklink program with a program called Repair Solutions. Just click on the Tools button in Teklink then the Upgrade button. You'll be connected to the website. According to the website, this program provides more comprehensive information such as pinpointing why the check engine light came on, get a better understanding of why the failure occurred and what parts and tools are required to make the correct repairs. There are a couple of caveats though. The change is permanent. You cannot go back to the Teklink program except for information on vehicles previously diagnosed using Teklink. There are limits as to how many vehicles you can diagnose using Repair Solutions. According to the website, you can register 3 vehicles to your account and create 3 reports per vehicle per month. You may replace vehicles on your account (delete an old one and add a new one) two times per calendar year. There does not appear to be any such limitations using the Teklink program. I don't plan on using this tool more than that but I would like to have that option. For this reason, I chose not to upgrade to the new program at this time so I can't comment on it. Also, from reading other reviews, there appears to be a charge for this. I think that there's enough free information available (websites, forums...etc.) so you really shouldn't have to pay for this additional information.

All in all this is a great tool and a must have for DIYers. Even if you don't intend on doing your own repairs this would be a great tool to have. This way you'll have a good idea of what the problem is and help prevent getting ripped off by unscrupulous dealers and repair shops.

This code reader is easy to use and provides comprehensive drive train diagnostic capability. Keep the instruction book handy, there is a lot of information on the display. This model will not read ABS/air bag faults (Equus does not make a reader for the ABS system).

I paid about $70 for this ODB II reader on a promotion that Amazon ran. The product does the job it is supposed to with out a lot of bells and whistles. I was able to quickly connect the unit and read the fault code from the car in about 30 seconds.

The documentation is a bit shakey -- it doesn't state much about using the product while the car is running. Also, it doesn't let you clear out the car's fault without clearing out its own memory. The only way to save code information is to make a printout from the PC application (and there is no 'save' option in the PC application to store the data on your hard drive).

This is a very basic OBD code "reader", not a ScanTool. It can read an OBD code number IF an error has been stored by your vehicle and it allows you to view it and reset it. That's about it. It can't read any of the very useful features and data that are available through the OBD protocol such as engine temp, rpm, percent engine load, throttle position, oxygen sensor voltage, lean, rich trim data, MAF sensor and EGR valve position, total mis-fire counts per cylinder, etc. Most vehicles have over 80 sensors and variables that can be displayed and slightly higher end OBD ScanTools (some starting at $120) can read many of those variables which can be very useful in fixing your car.

I was surprised the model 3100 retails for almost $90 after looking at the feature set and trying it out. It can't check battery voltage, mpg, speed, vacuum, RPM, or anything else even though the data is there if they design the unit to use it. Since this one is a Reader only there is no real-time display of the engine parameters other than if the O2 sensor control is in open or closed loop mode.

A basic code reader is useful in translating a check engine light into data that means something such as "O2 sensor bank 2 is low". Meanwhile an OBD Scanner can read the code as well as the O2 sensor voltage as the sensor warms up, (for example) and it show you if it's working or not. You can see the value change if you unplug the sensor so you know you're replacing the right one.

OBD Scanners display trouble codes and real-time data if needed while a "code reader" just displays the code, IF the car set a code. Sometimes things are not running right but no code is set, in that case you need the scanner to see what is going on.

Most of the functionality of a Code Reader is provided by the vehicle itself. The vehicle monitors the sensors, checks the data vs known acceptable ranges, triggers the check Engine light if needed, and stores a small snapshot of data at the time the code is set.

Since a "code reader' is not a Scan Tool with input capability it can't actually read any engine parameters on it's own even if there are 50 or more sensors available. There is nothing the Reader can do unless a code has been set so if your check engine light is not on then the code reader simply says "There are no codes stored".


Overall there are better products available for less money such as an entry level OBD Scanner. Some at a similar price point can be left plugged in like a set of extra gauges that can display MPG, ignition timing, percent load and other parameters that you select.

The older reviews giving this unit high marks probably aren't familiar with some of the better designed ScanTools on the market and don't have a background troubleshooting vehicle electronics and control systems.

If you already own this tool hopefully it served it's purpose and has been useful to you by pointing you in the right direction based on the trouble code.

The main point is for folks shopping for an OBD Scan Tool to do a little research first and look for one that can View live engine data parameters. That is so much more useful in the long run. Even entry level Scanners such as Actron CP9180 AutoScanner for about $125 can read quite a few parameters.

Some ScanTools can display and store engine parameters for review later or printing out using your computer so you can talk it over with your mechanic. Other units will interface to all the vehicle computers including the transmission, braking, body control module, ABS and many others.

Some units have a computer USB interface and can display high resolution data charts of whatever variables you want to plot such as engine load vs MPG or engine timing. Saving a chart of the basic engine data while it's running fine is useful later as a baseline to compare to later if there is a problem.

Great tool, can upgrade through internet and easy to use. Codes are easy to read and indentify. Plugged into my volvo and gave me a reading in 10 seconds, emissons leak. Now I can decide if i want to fix it or bring to dealer. This company equus website will tell you all you need. They sold over 200,000 of these. You won't be sorry with this tool.

I am not a huge do-it-yourselfer but it always drives me nuts when I have something come up that I know is small and I can't handle it myself.

I recently bought a car that has tire inflation monitoring. I noticed each time it rained, my indicator lights were coming on. I didn't know at the time why or what the problem was. So I went to a mechanic, paid $52.00 and had them look at it. It turned out one tire was 7lbs lower than the others. Once I started driving , the air would expand and it would stabilize but it just so happened that the mornings when it rained, it was colder. So the colder it got the more the problem was exacerbatedl. It was humiliating to have the mechanic tell me it was the tire monitoring system b/c I didn't know that the feature even existed.

When I saw the reader they used, I decided to buy one. They are pretty cheap after all and I figured as high tech as the family's cars are, sensor lights were certain to come on at some point in the future (and the trend isn't going to change).

I got the 3100 and decided to see what I could learn. It was very easy to use and since they have a pretty good schematic about the port you plug into- i found it in about 20 seconds. (I did have to physically look under my dash b/c of where it's located on my car, I couldn't just feel around, but that's the car's issue not the reader). Anyway, like I said b/c of the diagrams, I knew exactly what to look for and it took just a few seconds.

After that, I ran it even though I had no warnings and all was just as I expected. On a scale of 1-10, the whole thing was a 1. So I offered to run it for two co-workers that had lights on. In each case, I was able to immediately find the prong and hook it up and get readings in under 30 seconds.

I each case, I was able to use the manual and figure out what the problem was. ANother reviewer mentioned that you need to be careful not to misplace the manual - I totally agree. As easy as it is to use, there are tons of features and without the manual, you're going to forget most of them unless you use the thing regularly. Since I'm a layman, I won't be using it daily and although I've memorized the basics, anything more sophisticated probably reqquires the manual or having previously done it.

Additionally, there's a software dc included and a USB cable to use in conjunction with a home computer. It's probably best to install this on a laptop so you can take it with you on the go if you need to..

All in all I think it's a great product, and for the money the features you get are excellent. I doubt you'll be disappointed.

I watched the video that clearly shows the device hooking to the computer and launching an advanced diagnostic report but said NOTHING about it costing $15.

The video says "Simply plug your Innova Tool into the PC with the provided USB cable and the repair solutions software automatically launches to give you a full diagnostic report, probable causes, repair procedures, most likely fix and more which makes Innova the most comprehensive diagnostic solutions company out there today."

Feeling wronged because the video shows the report providing solutions and saying nothing about an additional cost, I called the company. I spoke to customer service and finally spoke to John who is in charge of marketing. John told me that the video is not misleading and was unwilling to see my point or offer any solution.

I guess I will have to share my negative experience with everyone I meet.