OBD II scanner

[flatbutt]

What's the story on this scanner: Product #: PEL-019599SCH01A

It doesn't say it's vehicle specific so can it be used on any vehicle? My 2020 Taco? My 2012 Ducati?

[WPOZZZ]

It is a generic scanner made by Foxwell. You should be able to get make specific add-on software. I have a Foxwell NT510 that has BMW software in it.

[JackDidley]

You can download Torque to your phone. Free version will read and clear codes and do some basic scanning. $5 will get you the full version. You will need a bluetooth dongle to pair the OBDII port to the phone. I think I paid $20 for the dongle.

[matthewb0051]

I bought Foxwell for my Land Rovers. It was not able to do the vehicle specific things I needed. I'd recommend doing some serious research first. No offense to our gracious host.

I didn't get mine here and the product description said it was LR specific. It does great a OBD II though. Ended up getting what I needed but it over $500

[hcoles]

It's fine with me if this thread expands into a discussion of pros/cons of various brands/etc. of "scanners". For example which ones can be used to get graphs of a particular sensor? Hardwired vs. Wifi?

[McLovin]

I’m curious about that too.
I’ve had them over the years, but I bought one last week on Amazon last week for one of my kids (the check engine light came on in his car and it had a no start), scanner was $25 delivered.
It plugs in and reads the codes just fine. Not sure what more I would need it to do.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by McLovin

Not sure what more I would need it to do.

That's what hcoles is talking about. You do want a wee bit more.

When he talks of sensor graphs I think he is talking of parameter ID's (PID). You can get this data in text or graph with just a slightly more robust scanner. I think the subject Foxwell scanner has this capability.

Here is my Actron with a page of the PID's and the graph of the vehicle engine speed PID. Forgive the IPhone pic. It will be upside down or sideways.




If you could just access the O2 sensor readings and Fuel Trims from the PID's that would be about 80% of what a back yard mechanic would need. I do need to watch a fuel trim interpretation video every once in a while to get my head wrapped around it again but that is always really helpful.

Beyond PID's is bi-directional stuff. Talking to individual components. e.g., cycle the ABS solenoid for the left rear wheel. Or, more practically, ask what position the emergency brake on/off switch is in. If it's where it should be, it can save you tearing apart the center console.

Beyond that is flashing modules with fresh software. That gets really expensive and you still have to pay the car manufacturers a fee for the updates. Best bet is to pay a higher end shop the $100 to do it for you.

This is a casual data dump. Let me find a thread I started where Fastfred, Jeff Alton and asphaltgambler responded with respect to higher end scanners and post that.

Here it be:

fastfredracing - Autel scanner thoughts

[hcoles]

Great, thanks for finding that link.