Choosing an Automotive Scan Tool
I’ve been asked about what scanner to buy for some time. Since ScannerDanner aka Paul Danner, stopped by the shop, I thought I would take the opportunity to have him help me out with this question. It is his namesake after all. The first step in choosing a scanner is to figure out what it is you really NEED in a scanner. Once you’ve done that, it’s a matter of looking at the spec sheet for the tool you’re considering and see if it meets those needs. Look for things like ABS capability, even SRS capabilities, manufacturer specific code capabilities, perhaps a ‘help’ database, and if the tool is ‘bidirectional’. Also, for high end scanners, check out their help and training features that may come with your purchase. I know we used a lot of Snap-on scanners in this video, and we talked extensively on their features, however, there are other scan tool manufactures out there that make equally good tools. Paul and I only like to talk about what we know so sorry if this one seemed Snap-on bias. Also, the retail for the Verus is closer to $6K, not $10K as Paul said in the video. So don’t beat us up too bad over that little flub. I’ll post some links to some alternative tools that you might also want to check out that have similar capabilities.
Here’s some useful links for you:
ScannerDanner channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ScannerDanner
Engine Performance Diagnostics by Paul Danner: http://www.autocomputerstroubleshooting.com
Snap-on scanners: http://www1.snapon.com/diagnostics/us/productindex.htm
Snap on ‘brick’: http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_kw=Snap-on+MT2500+Red+Brick+Scan+Tool+Body+Only+Main+Control+Display+Unit
OTC scan tools: http://www.otctools.com
U-Scan review:
Scan tools: http://www.jbtoolsales.com/search.php?q=scan+tools&x=-345&y=-329#oid=1002_1
For other tools and deals check out the Tools page at EricTheCarGuy.com: http://www.ericthecarguy.com/tools
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