Best for less home diagnostic scanner and reset tool

[Bmwfan001]

Anyone got any recommendations on an obd2 diagnostic scanner that will do a range of cars.
Preferably one that will do most things!
Primarily I need to reset a service spanner on an audi a3 2009 as I can not do it on the dash so it needs to do that.

But every time I buy a car I end up buying another cable 😀 so thought I'd spend 1 or 2 hundred on something that might Do a bit more.

Any advice or if anyone has seen something decent out there please let me know.

There are hundreds and I just don't know what to get

[Belle427]

I bought an icarsoft cr Pro for around £200 a few years ago.
The updates for life swung it for me but it's a great tool and I've used it on all sorts of cars without issue.

[VanDiesel99]

I downloaded a free Android App which is simply called "Car Scanner", works fine for me with £5's worth of ELM327 Adaptor.

This had followed me spending £50 on a hand held something I'd seen recommended in a motoring mag, which proved completely useless, and was quickly returned to the vendor

[RoadToad84]

VanDiesel99 said:

I downloaded a free Android App which is simply called "Car Scanner", works fine for me with £5's worth of ELM327 Adaptor.

This had followed me spending £50 on a hand held something I'd seen recommended in a motoring mag, which proved completely useless, and was quickly returned to the vendor

You do get what you pay for with the free scanners. They're only any good for engine ECU codes, and only sporadically. Any other systems won't be read.

[14]

RoadToad84 said:

You do get what you pay for with the free scanners. They're only any good for engine ECU codes, and only sporadically. Any other systems won't be read.

Car Scanner is a good app. It can read most codes on my MK2.5 Focus using a Bluetooth OBD2 that has forscan.

[SystemOfAFrown]

14 said:

Car Scanner is a good app. It can read most codes on my MK2.5 Focus using a Bluetooth OBD2 that has forscan.

Car Scanner is a nice app and much nicer to use than many of the cheap stand alone code readers, but it reads only OBD2 PIDs i.e. engine only and no manufacturer specific stuff. This is good enough for most basic problems, O2 sensors, fuel trims etc. If you are a VW owner it offers more functionality with some coding options. For the price it's hard to beat, but probably not what the OP is after.

Bmwfan001 said:

Anyone got any recommendations on an obd2 diagnostic scanner that will do a range of cars.
Preferably one that will do most things!

But every time I buy a car I end up buying another cable ?? so thought I'd spend 1 or 2 hundred on something that might Do a bit more.

You may need to realign your expectations. Even if you spend £500, there will be many things it still can't do. This is why professional stuff tends to have a 4 digit or more price tag. For a single marque, the iCarsoft units do quite a bit of stuff including service resets and some adaptations. If you change your car to a different manufacturer it won't be very useful though, just generic OBD2. If this is for a BMW, take a look at iCarsoft BMM V3.0 which fits your budget.

[Bmwfan001]

This is for an Audi a3 2009. Really I just want to clear the spanner off the dash. Very annoying.

[Belle427]

Buy a clone vcds for around £50 and it will cover your Vag stuff.

[keeling54]

I have this one, it's cheap but works really well on my Lexus.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B013DSTPWY/ref...

I had the icarsoft one for a Merc I owned, they are great bits of kit, well worth the money. .

[bridggar1]

Anyone use the Carly app/tool? Seems like it's subscription based and you buy only for one car (I have BMW, Mini & Vauxhall I'd like to use it on) so seems a bit expensive even with the black friday deals.....

[e21Keith]

I have the cloned VCDS which is sub £50, does everything you ever wanted. I don't like the idea of paying a subscription for Carly, probably an expensive deal unless you use it all the time, wont do what VCDS does etc.

[tapkaJohnD]

Fords appear to need an extra - "Forscan" software.
Recommendations please, for a budget version?

JOhn

[Grenadier_45]

tapkaJohnD said:

Fords appear to need an extra - "Forscan" software.
Recommendations please, for a budget version?

JOhn

Forscan's free: https://forscan.org/download.html, unless you need one or two of the extended functions which are usually dangerous unless you know exactly what you're doing.

[andy_ran]

I bought a Snap-On Solus Pro earlier in the year as I was getting fed up of cheap units

I paid £175 for it with the 15.4 software installed which I feel was a great deal - Its done everything I ever needed of it since

[sprinter11]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374188386612?hash=item5...ugAAOSw-7lihe3I&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4Ha0%2FT5yM3OM2hXhocA7hqxYEp9srIhniR1RlrBvR5NKQF6TaecUn%2BeDGDGia1mN4JxYrQydoW8Hcn7eJu4liXnJiudKM4fyQ9UCswnH6%2BI%2BG4OMh4JoMlwCStquI3xQacyIfyuo4KX5r%2BtFfqfhbRa9Gr6WamQktnhlDn3EfdSYj%2FV6InCDN%2FovoxlTrHx4VAIXa9n6CeOWzlTDi3aYcVngpFmUsBZHI87cg4LZ1trTqRINnvpaNfNwquN5T8qGf3XjMie5agMQU%2FJ3qjEPnTi6orBxKuUVDTq90xUxHlsN%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_6GpvWcYQ

been using this for years! PAir to your phone as well!