Evening all,

Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive OBD 2 scan tool/code reader/software for laptop, that is capable of communicating with all the modules on my x308 (not just engine codes)?

Ideally less than £200 is the kind of money I am thinking of.

Cheers

 

There is a thread dedicated to this topic where you will be able to review many members experiences with various units. It is a Sticky at the top of the General Tech Help section

If you don't have a reader yet, I recommend OBDCOM, but it is engine codes only I believe. Unless it has been upgraded, it will not read suspension or transmission codes. Most others don't either.
OBDCOM Diagnostic Systems for ALL vehicles

It is priced at $88.00 so you are not risking the farm.
Great customer support in my case.

Knock on wood.... I have never needed to read the other codes

 

Auto Enginuity with the Jag enhancement will do everything but it is $500 for everything. Most cheaper ones will do the engine codes, but not transmission. It
will pay for itself if you avoid 1 dealer visit.

 

Hey everyone,

Has anyone ever heard of generic odbII readers tripping out the computer and causing it to go into failsafe? This happened to my 2000 xj8 the other day, after replacing fuel injector o-rings and erasing the codes.

Failsafe: My car went into failsafe after erasing lean code for bank 1. However the code reader brought up a new set of codes (P1642, P1797) and only when I had my scanner plugged in did it go into failsafe!

Getting rid of failsafe: After looking these codes up online I then found a forum that discussed a similar issue, it advised to disconnect (-) terminal and then reconnect (-) terminal. I did this and my car started back up just fine, no more CEL. But now I am afraid to even plug this generic reader crap afraid that it might cause this again. To be honest I think some of the generic readers will mess with your cars CPU.

My advice, don't just buy any code reader like I did.

 

Never ever heard of it on jags and frankly don't believe it to be anything but coincidence.

 

Actually, even my AutoEnginuity code reader occasionally will cause the car to throw a P1642, which is a CAN bus token drop. That does not concern me much, since that might be expected anytime you connect new hardware to a communication bus. I doubt it would do so if the instructions to connect the code reader before starting the car were followed.

As to the RP, that has never happened to me, and it it is probably prudent to not tempt fate by trying again. That said, I certainly would try it again just to see what heppened. Then again, I am not particularly known for being careful!

 

Now that you mention it, the Autel MD702 I ended up purchasing has a similar effect on my xjr, albeit minus the restricted performance/MIL. Seems to cause a plethora of CAN Bus errors on various modules (P1797 is a common one).
It also seems to actually trigger the ABS/ traction control fail that my car periodically experiences.

Other than than that it does everything else its supposed to do.

 

My Ultragauge did that and put me in limp mode until I found out I had to force the 9141 protocol.

 

I bought this one for my e46
Actron Pocket Scan Code Reader CP9125: Get the best Code Readers/Scanners at Advance Auto Parts

pulled and erased all the codes on that car and on my wifes Audi. For $40, a solid purchase and very therapeutic when the worlds brightest light comes on

 

Interesting RJ,

What is the 9141 protocol, and how does one implement it?

My Autel gizmo has two scan modes, a normal "OBD2" scan and a more comprehensive CAN bus scan.

These error codes tend to come up as a result of the latter; although this mode is the only mode that enables me to communicate with the ABS and Trans modules, so I can't eliminate using this feature.