About me: I've worked on cars for about 11 years. Professionally for 7 or 8. Have held my ASE Master cert for over 5. Have used factory PC-based scan tools from Volvo, Toyota, Ford, Nissan/Infiniti, and probably a couple others I've forgotten. Plus your old Snap-On bricks, their much-newer MODIS, the Nemisys and Genisys from OTC...I've been around.
I have a rather large collection of tools, but have never purchased a scan tool, as one has always been provided by work. And I'm cheap.
Now I've grown as sick and tired of the behavior of car dealerships as most of their customers have. So I've begun to work for myself. This was a budget purchase to allow me to be able to do 'check engine' light repairs. Drivability / engine performance has always been a specialty, and it's generally more lucrative than 'grunt' work like brake and suspension stuff. Especially when you don't have a lift. And it's commonly less of a headache than trying to do electrical work without access to manufacturer resources (wiring diagrams, signal specs).
All of that said...A few years ago, you couldn't buy a pocket code reader (one of those little guys that just reads and clears generic P-codes) for the price of this thing.
Now $25 gets you a device that reads/clears codes, includes a decent collection of code definitions, shows freeze frame data, and reads/records/graphs live data. When I started seeing stand-alone scan tools that would do all of this for under $1000, I was ecstatic.
But what's this cost, again? Yep, 25 bucks (at the time of this review).
The bad:
- You need to provide your own laptop or netbook. Obviously. Then again, that still means you can have all the above-described functionality for $400 or less...and you get a 'free' Windows PC thrown in.
- Live data is slow to update. This can be from a number of factors, but I'm 99% sure the old Elm327 chip is the bottleneck. It still works, and and graphing over time can still be useful. But looking for minuscule blips in sensor data is going to be hard. Luckily, that's not often required.
And that's it for the bad. Pretty insignificant, I'd say, since most people are just going to want to read/clear codes and will not be doing advanced drivability diagnosis.
That guy you see at the dealership, probably using a fairly old Toughbook with a big awkward box hooked up to it? Yeah, he's got a much better resource. Data updates as close to instantly as possible. And he can do a few extra things: Update/reprogram the software of various electronic modules (like the ECM/PCM). Activate outputs (e.g. open evap purge valve, activate electric fan, ect). Program keys and remotes.
He also is using something the dealer probably paid $4-5,000 or more for, not including the cost of keeping their software licenses current (you pay per machine).
I'm running this on a Lenovo I bought new, over two years ago, for less than $400. "Pentium dual-core," which I believe is just a slightly neutered old Core2duo, with 2GB of memory. OBDWiz is a great little program, and there is of course a lot more stuff available. On the cars I've used this on so far, I have encountered no issues with connecting, reading/clearing codes, reading PIDs, ect.
Essentially: If you're a mechanic who wants decent scan tool functionality at a super-cheap price, or anyone who attempts to DIY on OBD2 vehicles, this is what you need. Even if you want to upgrade later to something pricier...well, if you can afford that, you're not going to miss your $25 much. And I've seen the more expensive generic PC-based cables and software...they're really not that much better.
If this doesn't do it for you, well, I hope you're freaking loaded, because the next big step up is hardware/software from the vehicle manufacturer. Or at least a MODIS or similar.
And, despite the added functionality, don't even get me started on how primitive, ugly, unstable, and unintuitive some automakers' stuff actually is. Yes, Ford, I'm looking at you. IDS is a friggin' joke. Like a six-year-old programmed it in VB.
Basically, conclusion: bad reviews are from people expecting way too much, or using non-legit (i.e. pirated) software with it (which can cause problems). The vast majority of buyers are set with OBDWiz. I don't know what's up with the complaint of it only reading 'a few' PID's...I see the same stuff a stand-alone tool would spit out. RPM, MAP, MAF, TPS, O2's, fuel trims, ect.
| Manufacturer | LAUNCH |
|---|---|
| Brand | LAUNCH |
| Model | Scan Tool and OBDwiz Diagnostic Software |
| Item Weight | 4.8 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 6.2 x 5 x 1 inches |
| Item model number | 423001 ElmScan 5 Compact OBD-II |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 423001 |
| Cover Included | No |
