ODB Scanners

[RyanGphoto]

Anyone recommend one? I don't think paying $200+ makes sense for me as I only really have 2 cars and nothing is wrong with the Audi.. Just trying to figure out if it's even worth it to get one. I do get the check engine light on occasionally. Then it goes away and comes back a day later or even later that day.

Thoughts?

Ryan G

 

[crestima]

Anyone recommend one? I don't think paying $200+ makes sense for me as I only really have 2 cars and nothing is wrong with the Audi.. Just trying to figure out if it's even worth it to get one. I do get the check engine light on occasionally. Then it goes away and comes back a day later or even later that day.

Thoughts?

Ryan G

This one has done the job for me and it's around $100 on Amazon. Besides reading tripped codes, it's intuitive for code deletion (when applicable).

 

[RoryBellows]

EDIT: Hmm. Link doesnt seem to be working but its an OBDLinkMX+

I like this paired with torque on my phone. Admittedly I don't have my Emira to test it on yet but it works with all the other cars I have.

 

[scc.131.fe]

I also use OBDLinkMX+ with Torque App. No issues.

 

[RyanGphoto]

Appreciate it.. $140 isn't too bad, but for what I might use it for not sure spending that much makes sense.. The occasional issue but might be something that makes sense long term.

Just wondering what this does that other cheaper (under $75) ones do that I might need..

Thanks for all the comments.

Ryan G

 

[netsinah]

Check out this Forum thread which references another related thread and points to a cheaper scanner (around $20):

OBD II reader/scanner recommendations

Hello, Does any have a preferred OBD II reader/scanner that they would recommend? I would be willing to pay for more advanced diagnostic features, however, it is my understanding that such a scanner may not be available right now. The genesis of my question is that my car has a CEL right now...

www.emiraforum.com

 

[RyanGphoto]

I also use OBDLinkMX+ with Torque App. No issues.

What does the Torque app get you that the scanner native app doesn't give you?

Thanks
Ryan G

 

[Jinba ittai]

I started with a $30 one which didn’t work. Then went to the Blue Driver and it works great.

 

[Davidcv]

En otro hilo mencioné que mi control de idioma no funciona. Me recomendaron leer los códigos con un OBD para eliminar cualquier código erróneo que no permita activar el control de idioma.
Tengo un i4 y no sé si el mismo OBD funciona para un V6 y un i4.
¿Podrías recomendarme alguno?
Gracias !!

 

[Blackthought_]

This one has done the job for me and it's around $100 on Amazon. Besides reading tripped codes, it's intuitive for code deletion (when applicable).

I use the blue driver too. For the Emira, it’s perfect. Clears the codes as needed

 

[scc.131.fe]

What does the Torque app get you that the scanner native app doesn't give you?

Thanks
Ryan G

originally installed Torque app because a member here said it is supported by Android Auto, meaning you can create custom gauges that will apear on the Emira's center screen as you drive. Turns out that I need to set it up on an older phone for that to work, haven't gotten around to that yetm. but in the meantime it's a very user-friendly program for live monitoring and code reading.

 

[crestima]

En otro hilo mencioné que mi control de idioma no funciona. Me recomendaron leer los códigos con un OBD para eliminar cualquier código erróneo que no permita activar el control de idioma.
Tengo un i4 y no sé si el mismo OBD funciona para un V6 y un i4.
¿Podrías recomendarme alguno?
Gracias !!

Hola David,
Mi español, particularmente por escrito, no es muy bueno (soy descendiente de Portugal)...
El OBD que te recomiendo es el "BlueDriver" que funciona muy bien con cualquier tipo de motor y modelo. Yo lo uso para los 4 carros que tengo acá en Miami y en Portugal (Lexus, MX-5, Porsche 911 y Emira) y funciona perfectamente con todos, no solamente para detectar los códigos, así como para borrarlos cuando se tarta de fallas temporarias y no de gran consecuencia. Creo que logras comprarlo por medio del Amazon Espana. No se si te entendí bien, pero, para serte sincero, no se que efecto tendrá el OBD con el control de idioma.

 

[Davidcv]

Hola David,
Mi español, particularmente por escrito, no es muy bueno (soy descendiente de Portugal)...
El OBD que te recomiendo es el "BlueDriver" que funciona muy bien con cualquier tipo de motor y modelo. Yo lo uso para los 4 carros que tengo acá en Miami y en Portugal (Lexus, MX-5, Porsche 911 y Emira) y funciona perfectamente con todos, no solamente para detectar los códigos, así como para borrarlos cuando se tarta de fallas temporarias y no de gran consecuencia. Creo que logras comprarlo por medio del Amazon Espana. No se si te entendí bien, pero, para serte sincero, no se que efecto tendrá el OBD con el control de idioma.

Thank you !!

 

[allenyao09]

I had a OBDLink MX+ for my previous car and it worked pretty well on the Emira

 

[JimBo1953]

EDIT: Hmm. Link doesnt seem to be working but its an OBDLinkMX+

I like this paired with torque on my phone. Admittedly I don't have my Emira to test it on yet but it works with all the other cars I have.

Tried it. Sent it back. It won’t work with Lotus. Not in any meaningful way. My car was showing lots of faults (all stemming from a faulty airbag ecu). Didn’t see any of em!

 

[RyanGphoto]

Tried it. Sent it back. It won’t work with Lotus. Not in any meaningful way. My car was showing lots of faults (all stemming from a faulty airbag ecu). Didn’t see any of em!

Thanks for the reply. This is what I'm looking for... Which ones might work and might not.

Ryan G

 

[RyanGphoto]

Tried it. Sent it back. It won’t work with Lotus. Not in any meaningful way. My car was showing lots of faults (all stemming from a faulty airbag ecu). Didn’t see any of em!

Weird... because Allenyao said it worked fine for him.. Can you tell me why it didn't work? Did it not even connect to the car? Find the car? See faulty codes?

Would love to hear your thoughts

 

[JimBo1953]

Weird... because Allenyao said it worked fine for him.. Can you tell me why it didn't work? Did it not even connect to the car? Find the car? See faulty codes?

Would love to hear your thoughts

It connected to the extent that I was able to see mpg, engine temp and other performance data. It did not see health data whatsoever. Even though at the time, I had several features inactive due to a failed airbag ecu.

 

[RoryBellows]

Typical OBD tools are really only going to give you access to the real time data and anything that triggers the check engine light. For the stuff like airbags and traction control faults need more specialized readers.

I haven't really dove into yet but if you are looking to do the most you can do without being a Lotus employee, you will want to get the Lotus 20/20 software package. That seems to be marketed as the do all for independent mechanics. Its for your computer so you need to get a connector and its also subscription based. It phones home to Lotus. I'm also not sure if they have any restrictions on showing proof you have a shop or if its just make an account. I also dont know if the Emira is supported yet but I imagine so.

EDIT: Nevermind, it looks like the 20/20 software doesnt support Emiras. Maybe they will be added or a similar software released.

 

[netsinah]

Typical OBD tools are really only going to give you access to the real time data and anything that triggers the check engine light. For the stuff like airbags and traction control faults need more specialized readers.

I haven't really dove into yet but if you are looking to do the most you can do without being a Lotus employee, you will want to get the Lotus 20/20 software package. That seems to be marketed as the do all for independent mechanics. Its for your computer so you need to get a connector and its also subscription based. It phones home to Lotus. I'm also not sure if they have any restrictions on showing proof you have a shop or if its just make an account. I also dont know if the Emira is supported yet but I imagine so.

I'm a recent convert to OBD2 scanners, having finally purchased one to use with several vehicles, including the Emira. Others on this Forum have said that you can't get a scanner that is dedicated to or has a dedicated section for Lotus (their technology is apparently proprietary, or kept "in-house"). Until the comments above by RoryBellows, I was unaware there was a "Lotus 20/20 software package" available to purchase. I then found this on https://vsic.lotuscars.com:

Engine Management Diagnostic Equipment | VSI

vsic.lotuscars.com

For those not wanting to open the above link, it says:

Engine Management Diagnostic Equipment​

A limited version of the Lotus 20/20 engine management diagnostic software system currently used by the authorised Lotus dealer network is available to download directly from our dedicated diagnostic system supplier. This version provides information on all Lotus vehicles built from 2007 to 2022 onwards except for the Lotus 2-Eleven and Lotus Emira*.
Using a suitable laptop and pass-through device complying to SAE J2534 standard the restricted version of the Lotus 20/20 engine management diagnostic software system will:

• Display ECU Information for all vehicle systems (part numbers, emissions related data and VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) etc.
• Read and clear DTC’s (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) for all vehicle systems.
• Install an updated program file into already programmed engine management, transmission control unit and ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) control modules.

*Note: Only ABS and Airbag module information is available for the Lotus Europa, no information is available for the Lotus Emira.
Click on the link at the bottom of this page to find out more information and terms as well as subscription fees.
Important:
Before purchasing this product please be aware:

• The limited version of the Lotus 20/20 engine management diagnostic software system is purchased from our dedicated supplier and as such the contract is between the purchaser and our supplier, not Lotus Cars.
• In the event difficulty is experienced downloading the software, contact the supplier directly as Lotus Cars cannot assist with technical problems concerning the software.
• The version available to purchase has reduced functionality in comparison to the version used by the authorised Lotus dealer network. Therefore, only an authorised Lotus dealership can perform certain procedures such as programming new/unprogrammed ECU’s, instrument packs and ABS modules.
• Information concerning diagnostic trouble codes is available to purchase separately as PDF documents from the vehicle service information website, Lotus Cars cannot assist directly with technical enquiries that originate outside of the authorised Lotus dealer network.

It then allows you to access what looks to be a portal, once you have the necessary log in info, which presumably you'd get with the software purchase. Like RoryBellows, I don't know if the "average Joe" can purchase this software and even so, it's not as detailed as what the Lotus dealers get, which isn't surprising. The link info above may be outdated, since Lotus dealers obviously have software for the Emira and they're getting updated Emira software, so perhaps the 20/20 software now includes the Emira? (or not?) I saw a complaint on another Forum, about how high the hourly rate was, when using this Lotus 20/20 software. I'm not sure about referencing threads from the "Lotus Talk" Forum here, so I won't, but there's an interesting one started in early 2022, which provides more info about this Lotus 20/20 software, but doesn't specifically deal with the Emira.

Getting back to scanners, I assume like others have said, a basic "Blue Driver" scanner, will suffice for the basic/common engine codes applicable to all vehicles. It's for sale now on amazon.ca for just under Can$100. I wanted something a bit more complex, so purchased an "A-Premium" PD200 scanner" for about Can$250 (amazon.ca), however when received, I wasn't happy with its almost non-existent directions, plus how it operated. Admittedly, it was my first scanner and others more familiar with them, may have been happier. I liked the fact it didn't require updates, which is something that attracted me to it.

I went to a repair shop where the owner is a friend. He used an Autel scanner that cost Can$3,000+ on my Mercedes and I was impressed by its much more detailed code read-out, plus the fact it had a separate "dongle" you could plug into the vehicle ECU, with a built-in light on the dongle, to illuminate and more easily find the ECU plug-in. The dongle eliminated the need to hardwire the scanner to the vehicle and made it far easier to use. But as usual, you get what you pay for and this was a shop model, used by their mechanic, so it had all sorts of bells and whistles. Looking at the Autel line, they come with LOTS of models with different prices/features, but a common thread is that they have a limited free update time of a year or two, then after that you're paying for updates. OK for a business that writes off this expense, but something I wanted to avoid.

That then brought me to my (second and) current scanner, which for me is a "keeper" (so far; lol). I paid just under Can$500 (all in) for a Thinkcar Thinktool Mini 2 car scanner (amazon.ca) and was lured in by its separate ECU plug-in dongle (w/o a light on it, but you can't have everything, for that price) and it's "unlimited free updates". HOWEVER, once I received the scanner, I found that it requires a $50/year payment per manufacturer (Lotus not being one listed) if you want to get access to detailed information for the specific vehicle manufacturer. So for example, with my Mercedes, I'd have to pay $50 for a year's worth of access to detailed Mercedes information. Once you have that access, you're able to use the bi-directional feature of the scanner: enabling you to reprogram certain functions for the vehicle, which the regular vehicle software may not allow (using a made-up example: changing how the doors lock/unlock, at certain times). The Thinkcar came with a thick instruction booklet, but it was misleading since the actual directions were short (still much better than the "A-Premium" directions), with the thickness of the booklet caused by the numerous languages it had.

I'm a bit disappointed this $50/year/vehicle manufacturer cost wasn't clearly advertised on amazon.ca with the Thinkcar. I still get unlimited free updates for the basic scanner software, but if (for example) I want to do a lot more with my Mercedes, I'll have to pay the $50/year subscription fee. I suppose if I wanted to personally tackle a serious problem, it might be worthwhile for me to pay that $50 fee, to get better Mercedes info.

Although it doesn't have Lotus on its list of manufacturers you can access for the $50/year, it has Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mini, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and a bunch of other high-end or not so common manufacturers.

That said, comparing it to the first OBC2 scanner I purchased for half the cost, the Thinkcar scanner investigates more basic functions and came up with more fault codes, so it was definitely better. Note: I'm NOT affiliated with or being paid by Thinkcar or any other scanner manufacturer; these are all unbiased comments and strictly my opinion.

So where does this leave us? First of all, I've looked at lots of YouTube OBD2 reviews and it strikes me that many are simply "paid promotions" with reviewers likely receiving a free scanner in return, so they should be viewed with caution. I now realize that these scanners range from few to a whole bunch of basic functions that they'll look into, and it appears the more expensive ones that delve into far more information with even more options, will eventually require some form of subscription fee, regardless (?) of what's advertised, as I found out with the Thinkcar. For the basic functions, a cheaper scanner should work with the Lotus. It's important to ensure any scanner you have, can clear codes once they've been dealt with. Most appear to do this. Whether you want to pay more money to scan for more numerous basic features, or get convenient options such as the separate dongle (or many others), is up to you. For others starting out to learn about these OBD2 scanners, like me, I hope the above helps.