[yetibone]

I just got a new laptop strictly for reflash, and diagnostics. The man that takes care of this stuff for me partitioned the hard drive four ways, and he told me that nowadays, VAGCOM, Ford IDS, GM SPS, and Chrysler StarMobile/WiTech don't really like each other. The four programs on the same computer have caused problems in the past with dropped programming sessions, which can ruin a brand new, blank ECM. That'll really screw up your profit margin!

Getting the hand held scan tools, and J2534 pass-thru boxes for laptop diagnostics and reflashes are expensive, but one time-only purchases. For hand held scanners, I guess the upside on one of the tools is that it will be useful for a 20 year span. GM Tech2 will cover stuff back to OBD I years, and works on just about every GM vehicle ever made since '95. That one will pay for itself pretty quick, and pay dividends afterwards. On the other hand, Chrysler DRBIII is an expensive brick with only about a 11 year span of coverage from '96, to '07 model years that was superseded by StarMoble in '06. I bet I use mine only once every 4 months.

The subscriptions they make you buy to use the newer laptop-based stuff are really big costs for using dealer level equipment. If I didn't offset the cost with the diesel work on my commercial customers' F350's, F450's, 3500HD's, and RAM's with their exhaust fluid problems, It wouldn't be worth it to play that game anymore. They do have some options for subscriptions. You can buy a 2 day pass for programming, all the way up to annual subscriptions, with updates for your hand held scanner.