U380 OBDII Check Engine Auto Scanner Trouble Code Reader

by UIF Technology

Product Features

• This unit actually works with 1996 - 2003 cars and trucks only. It does not work with CAN protocol which is used by most 2004 and newer cars
• Reads and clears generic and manufacturer specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) and turns off check engine light
• Supports multiple trouble code requests: generic codes, pending codes and manufacturer's specific codes
• Stand-alone unit with no need for an additional laptop computer to operate
• Highly reliable and accurate, Easy-to-read crystal-clear backlit 2-line LCD display

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 2.8 x 0.8 inches ; 12 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000LEPT5G
• Item model number: U480
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #987 in Automotive (See Top 100 in Automotive)
  • #19 in Automotive > Tools & Equipment > Diagnostic & Test Tools > Code Readers & Scan Tools

Product Description

This scanner is specifically designed to work with all OBD II compliant vehicles (all 1996 and newer cars & trucks that are OBD II compliant). There are a small number of 1994 and 1995 model year gasoline vehicles that are also compliant. To see if your car is OBD II compliant, check the Vehicle Emissions Control Information Label which is located under the hood or by the radiator of most vehicles. If the vehicle is compliant, the label will designate "OBD II Certified" and will have a 16-pin OBDII Standard Socket. This scanner is compatible all OBDII and EODBII compliant vehicles 1996 and newer. Please Note: may not be able to retrieve all codes on some VW, Audi, and Subaru cars. This scanner is not compatible with CAN protocol.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the fanciest but works well for amateurs, July 23, 2009

By 

Ronny Ong (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: U380 OBDII Check Engine Auto Scanner Trouble Code Reader

Sure, many auto parts stores will read your codes for free, but you have to drive there during their hours and wait for someone to become available. It's like making prints of digital photos. Sure, Wal-Mart will do it for pennies, but it's not that expensive to own your own photo printer. When I saw how affordable this reader was, I couldn't think of a good reason not to own one.

I only have one car and I'm not the type who is likely to do any repairs myself other than changing bulbs, fuses, filters, wiper blades, etc. Therefore, I wasn't interested in spending more to get a code reader with fancier display, more buttons, or wider compatibility. I just wanted to be able to see the error codes and look them up so I would have some idea of what was going on BEFORE I started dealing with mechanics.

At first, I was completely ignorant about where to find my OBD II socket. The instructions give you some guidelines on where to look, but the exact location can vary by make, model, and year. It took me about 15 minutes with a flashlight to find it, not for any particular reason except my ignorance. It wasn't really hidden nor difficult to see; I had just never seen one before in my life. Once located, it was a piece of cake to follow the instructions for connecting the reader and scrolling thru the codes. Although the instructions give you a brief description of common codes, it only took a few minutes with Google for me to seem like an expert about my problem. When I called the dealership to schedule a service appointment, I was able to tell them enough information that they were able to confirm coverage under my extended warranty, verify that all the relevant parts were in stock, and have me bring it in at a time when they would well-staffed for the type of repair. (In larger service departments, some mechanics are stronger in certain areas, so if you have a transmission problem, it's best not to show up on the day when the transmission specialist is off.)

If you're worried this thing might be hard for a non-mechanic to use, you can stop worrying. If I could figure it out, anyone can. This product has worked so well, I almost regret that my car has been working so well that I rarely get to use my code reader.

113 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Confusing little scanner....get the Actron CP9135 instead, May 9, 2007

By 

xu - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This scanner is mediocre. I plan on returning this scanner and spending a few more bucks on the Actron CP9135 scanner. Why? Read below...

When this scanner arrived, I actually knew the 3 codes that caused my CEL to come on. A few days before this scanner arrived, I brought my car to a car dealer I know and he used his Actron CP9135 scanner, specifically asking the dealer **NOT** to clear my CEL so I could test out this cheapy scanner when it arrived.

According to the mechanic's scanner (again, an Actron CP9135 scanner which sells on Amazon for $73) 3 codes caused my CEL....two P0441 codes and one P0446 code (emissions, charcoal canister stuff).

Did the Actron CP9135 and this cheapy scanner give the same codes? Sort of....

First I'm going to describe the experience of using Actron CP9135 and then I'll contrast it with my experience using this cheapy scanner (I was hovering over the mechanic as he used his Actron scanner so I saw how he operated it and how his scanner worked).

The Actron CP9135 was very, very clear about the codes that caused my CEL. First it displayed '3 codes' then the mechanic pressed the up button on the Actron and the display changed to 'P0441, code 1 of 3' and it also had a short discription of the code below (the Actron CP9135 has a multi-line LCD display). The mechanic pressed the up button on the Actron again and the display changed to 'P0441, code 2 of 3' and it also had a short discription below (Again, I had two P0441 codes). And another press of the up botton displayed 'P0446, code 3 of 3' and also a short description of the code below it.

The experience I had with this cheapy scanner wasn't nearly as good. The scanner's display is only able to accomodate maybe 6-7 characters, 1 line only. When I plugged the scanner into the OBD port in and pressed the 'read' button, it displayed '1' then '2' then '3'. This was the scanner's way of telling me I had 3 codes but the manual didn't mention anything about that. In fact, if I hadn't known my codes beforehand I would have been totally confused.

And that's the moral of the story. This scanner may be cheap but its confusing. Here's more evidence this cheapy scanner is confusing:

1) the scanner doesn't tell you its a 'P' code (important because not all OBD codes begin with P). The Actron told me I had a P0441 code while this scanner told me I had a 0441 code (no P). That's a big deal when you're stressing over what's causing your CEL (a person wants as much clarity as possible in such a distressing situation).

2) This cheapy scanner only gave me as codes '0441' then '0446'. That's it. Had I not gone to the mechanic beforehand I would have never known I had **two** P0441 codes.

Also, this cheapy scanner obviously doesn't give any discription for the codes (the manual does have some pages on it though).

Don't go cheap on an OBD scanner. I plan on returning this scanner and buying an Actron CP9135 instead.

Edit: BTW, this cheapy scanner did clear my CEL so it did its job in that respect.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great basic code reader/eraser., August 14, 2009

By 

rockin24 "rockin24" (The O.C. in CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: U380 OBDII Check Engine Auto Scanner Trouble Code Reader

I have used this for over a year and a half now and have not had a problem with it. It reads the codes including P which some other reviewer could not seem to get it to do. The problem I had with my car was a stuck open thermostat so the light would come on every 2 or 3 days. I was easily able to retrieve the code, verify it was still the same problem, and erase it to turn off the light for over a year till I finally got the thermostat replaced. The light has lit up for other codes too, so I could check the problem before taking it to the mechanic to make sure he was telling me the truth.