OBD 2 scanner recommendations from users/owners

[#1]

Been looking on ebay, investigating buying an OBD 2 SCANNER. to keep an eye on my latest car. 

Has anyone got one, that they can recommend..  and why ?

or anyone know of those to avoid, and why  ? 

Need some genuinely helpful responses, please. 

[#2]

Not certain if these are ‘Manufacturer Specific’ as the listing states but I suspect it’s probably the software you use that is specific?  In my case for A Ford Focus and latterly a Ford Kuga and Forscan software.

I bought this one  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186623191161 to replace a previous Bluetooth version.

I’ve used it with great success to turn on a few features like automatic door locking, global window opening (great in the recent hot spell) and tyre pressure monitoring.

For just reading fault codes either type will do but personally I wouldn’t trust the Bluetooth version for writing back to the car (or am I just paranoid ?)

[#3]

@Batfrog Thanks for your input.... that is a good starting point... I would obviously check, to make sure that it was compliant with my specific vehicle before buying one.. there seems to be a lot of very similar types on ebay, and a lot of OBD2 apps on Android.  I have a tablet with Android 11 and a mobile phone with Android 13.. so I expect either would work.. 

[#4]

It would be helpful if you revealed the make of your latest car.as some OBD2 devices work with particular manufacturers models.

If it is another Skoda (or anything from the VAG range) I would recommend an OBDeleven which is excellent, and apparently they also cover the BMW and Toyota groups since I bought mine.

But you probably won't like the price.

[#5]

As @RobPN  points out it depends on the make of your car. For many of the Apps it also depends on the model and the App itself and whether it wants wifi or Bluetooth etc. I use a MHD ENET WiFi adapter in my BMW but I chose it because the App author recommended it as fully supported on my model but it wouldn’t have been suitable for an earlier one for instance and in fact it wouldn’t be great on the latest EV models either.

So - I’d suggest you decide first what App you’re likely to be using, (try browsing a few groups for your make to see what they recommend) and check with the App what adapters they’d suggest.

[#6]

@shutter I've had OBD scanners for both my cards for many decades, technology has evolved over that time as have my scanners.

In ALL cases I've gone for manufacturer-specific units. So I totally agree with the earlier comments that for sensible advice you need to specify the make and model and year.

FYI my older car uses a id-protected cable with software on a laptop, specifically VCDS for VAG vehicles  and gets regular updates. The version I have supports only vehicles up to a certain date, later models need a different version. Price varies depending on exact capabilities but around £200 is the ball-park.

My newer car uses a handheld "all-in-one" device that covers a smaller range of models, price around £100.

Both have paid for themselves many times over in understanding problems, occasionally helped in fixing/bypassing them and especially in reducing garage diagnostics/investigation charges. Any proper professional garage will nonetheless (and rightly) insist on confirming your diagnosis, but pointing them in a specific direction almost invariably saves time, effort and cost.

[#7]

Thanks for the input.  the car is another Skoda Fabia.    2011 but very low mileage. ( 61,000 ) ( genuine as shown on DVLA mot check site ) 

I`m not looking for some thing with all the whistles and bells...just something that would give me the error codes, and I can look them up on Google search.

Anything above £40 would be too expensive... as  @HPsauce said.. it is mainly to cut down the time and expense of getting the car to a garage, or book a mobile mech, to do the OBD diagnostics, and pointing them in the right direction for any necessary work quotation.

 I am not a fan of Bluetooth and Apps on the phone..  so I am opting for a wired version and this one on ebay ( or similar ) seems to fit the bill and can be plugged in to a laptop. Listing says it covers 98% of cars    and I would check with the seller regarding suitabillity for use on the Skoda. Fabia.. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/317074755074?  to show the codes and detail 

[#8]

I don't understand any of this. I'm gonna be in trouble if we have to change our 19yr old Fabia.......................

[#9]

@shutter At that price you might as well get it. My suspicion is that, like many basic scanners, it will only cover a subset of some systems and functions.

The best product for Skoda will be a more modern VCDS, but that's way out of your price range, even second-hand as they keep their value.

The handheld iCarsoft VAWS V1.0 covers Skoda/VW/Audi/Seat but is about £100 new (£95 on eBay), you might find a used one cheaper.

I can't advise on the more basic units as I've never used them. Given the hourly rate of most garages a "comprehensive" one is well worth it IMHO.

[#10]

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@HPsauce wrote:

The best product for Skoda will be a more modern VCDS,

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Agreed @HPsauce 

I used to use an older version of VCDS (in the days when it was called VAG-COM) and at that time it worked fine with a cheap (under £5) cable from eBay. However, when the time came to move on because my version was no longer suitable for newer vehicles I decided to go for the OBDeleven which is the next best thing, which has now been improved in the form of OBDeleven NextGen.

I bought mine direct from the manufacturer in Lithuania but looking on eBay I see there are some offers around the £65 BuyItNow mark for the NextGen version, and a used one where the bidding presently stands at about £29. 

I'd be tempted at those prices, but as my original version works fine, albeit with a slower processor, I'll stick with it for now.