Obd2 Scanner Pro

[Heberto Calderon]

Thebest OBD-II scanners were once expensive luxuries that were exclusive to mechanics and other professionals. Those days are long gone, and we recommend that every driver has one to help diagnose their car problems before hiring a professional. That way you know which issues actually need fixing, and what you can do at home.

There are a seemingly-infinite number of OBD-II scanners on sale right now, but they're not all made equally. Fortunately we've spent a great deal of time testing OBD-II scanners over the years, many of which cost less than $200. We know exactly what scanner and features you need, no matter what kind of car you have.

OBD-II/EOBD scanners work on almost all passenger vehicles sold in the United States since 1996, in Canada since 1998, in the European Union since 2004, and in Australia, Mexico and New Zealand since 2006. If you're unsure where an OBD-II scanner plugs in, gere's how to find your car's OBD-II port on North American cars. If you're living elsewhere, here's how to find your OBD-II/EOBD port worldwide.)

Not all the best OBD-II scanners are created equally, though. Generally speaking you'll come across two distinct types of devices: handhelds and wireless scanners. Those names are fairly self-explanatory, but there's a huge variance in what those scanners look like and the kinds of features they have to offer.

In either case, however, there are there are several high-performance OBD-II scanners that cost less than $200. Long gone are the days where the best OBD-II scanners are unaffordable luxuries, and they are must have tools in every driver's arsenal.

Here are the best OBD-II scanners you can buy right now, based on our own hands-on testing. You can scroll down the page to find more in-depth information about each mode, and what makes them so good at what they do.

The perfect OBD-II scanner to make you feel like a professional, this handheld scanner can do a lot more than read or diagnose faults. Paired with the Innova app it actually details what's wrong, parts you need, and how much it should cost. Plus predictive tools to warn you about potential problems in advance.

The easiest Bluetooth scanner to set up, based on our testing, while also offering a range of professional-feeling features in a into its compact design. That means you get diagnostics, repair instructions, parts lists and even predictive features to anticipate imminent problems.

While rather cumbersome with its Switch-style design, the Topdon ArtiDiag500 still offers an excellent suite of diagnostic tools wrapped up in a nice rugged frame. In fact it's one of the most capable OBD-II scanners around, and with a price tag that isn't going to break the bank.

Not all car access ports are created equally, and your pre-1996 beater may not work with the majority of scanners on sale. Thankfully the Bosch OBD 1300 comes with cables for older motors, and has a range of repair suggestions to get you back on the road.

This might as well be a Nintendo Switch for your car's onboard computer thanks to its rugged horizontal case. But its' more that just a sturdy device, since built for professionals as well; as amateur drivers. It's one to consider if you want a powerful scanner than can handle a beating.

While capable as an OBD-II scanner, the Ancel BD310 can also be used to augment your car's dashboard with a range of engine specs. That's on top of a simple and elegant design, smartphone compatibility, and a very reasonable price tag.

The Innova 6100P is the kind of OBD-II scanner that will add a professional feel to any amateur mechanic job. That's certainly how we felt during our testing, anyway. This crossover device is able to operate as a standalone handheld unit, though its connection to the Innova app offers a great many more diagnostic abilities.

As we found during testing for our Innova 6100P review, this is a scanner that has a more involved set-up than most. But once connected we found that the scanner was easy to use, and managed to complete tasks very quickly

We feel that the $140 Innova 6100P has all the features any driver will need from an OBD-II scanner. Its 2.8-inch color screen displays everything from live data to fault codes to a pre-inspection I/M readiness check. It can even predict when components might fail in the near future, and what repairs and parts your car may need at any given time.

The Innova CarScan Mobile 1000 is one of the most innovative Bluetooth OBD-II scanners we've ever tested. Not only is it the easiest wireless OBD-II module we've ever set up, it also packs in a lot of the same incredibly useful and innovative features you'd find on larger Innova scanners.

We found that the CarScan Mobile 1000 offered a huge range of diagnostic features, including Innova's predictive software that can identify potential problems before they go wrong. Better still it has the same part and repair suggestion features, so you know exactly what to ask your mechanic for. On top of that, if you want the scanner to turn your phone into a second set of automotive gauges, that is an option.

The Topdon ArtiDiag500 is another OBD scanner that blurs the line between professional and amateur use. While it looks more like a rugged gaming handheld than other OBD-II scanners, it's actually one of the most capable ODB-II scanners you can get as a consumer. It's able to monitor brakes, airbags, battery health, run an I/M pre-inspection test and also displaying live car data.

What we didn't like about the ArtiDiag500 was that the cable wasn't quite long enough to reach the engine bay and you'll need to disconnect it for storage. Still, we were big fans of the fact it runs on a version of Android and can automatically update its software. That, along with Wi-Fi and the rechargeable battery, are pretty rare features in our experience.

The downside is that this scanner can't draw power from the OBD port. That means you'll have to plug it into your car's cigarette lighter or have some AA batteries handy. There's also no manual or quick start guide, so we had to download a copy from the Bosch website.

Foxwell's NT614 Elite diagnostic scanner is impressive in how it's squeezed a large 4.3-inch display into such a small scanner. It doesn't have a touchscreen or a battery, but we found this rugged scanner to be powerful and capable or probing a great many car problems.

It should be no surprise that the Foxwell NT614, like the Topdon ArtiDiag500, is built for professionals and amateurs alike. It packs in the ability to graph data, cancel warning lights, as well as monitoring your battery charging system, airbags, brakes and transmission. Other useful features includes microSD storage, and programmable keys.

Ancel's BD310 is a dual-purpose scanner capable of operating as a standard handheld, and when connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Better still, it's capable of turning into a secondary display displaying various key engine details inside the cabin.

We found that the BD310 was one of the easiest scanners to keep around, because it's small and light enough to fit inside your glovebox. Granted this means the 2-inch display feels a little small, and we found the four-key interface to be a little awkward, but it didn't get in the way of figuring out how to diagnose your car.

The ThinkCar ThinkDiag TKD01 is one of the largest Bluetooth-based OBD-II scanners around, which can make it difficult to install. In fact the 3+ inch size means some cars may need to rely on an extension cable to plug this scanner in. But the upside is that the bulk makes the oval-shaped module more or less indestructible.

ThinkDiag's app offers profiles fore more than 100 automakers, which makes it ideal for locating manufacturer-specific error codes. This scanner is also able to show extended fault codes and can deal with errors like the oil-change light and monitor key car systems with minimal fuss. Like Innova the scanner is also able to predict when future problems may arise, but sadly doesn't offer any advice on how to deal with the issue.

Autel's Autolink AL539 has a feature you don't often see among OBD-II scanners: A built-in multimeter that can uncover problems in your car's electrical systems. That includes burnt-out cables, electric shorts, alternator voltage, busted fuses and so on. The only major downside is that you can't use the multimeter while the AL359 is plugged in as an OBD-II scanner.

The design also offers a great many benefits, particularly thanks to the compact and lightweight frame. However the AL539 also has a pull-out stand, which lets it stand on its own, and a generous 58-inch cable. We also found the interface to be very easy to follow, particularly thanks to the icons for all the major functions.

The SeekOne SK860 has a lot of great things going for it, including a large color screen, lifetime warranty, rugged design and the ability to perform a large number of tasks while also being easy to use. Of course you pay for all those benefits with a scanner that is both large and relatively heavy.

During our testing, we found that the eight-button navigation and an icon-based interface (packed onto a 2.8-inch color screen) made the SK860 incredibly easy to use. A lot easier than most budget scanners we've used in the past at any rate. Plus there's a single-button pre-readiness check to show you if there are any underlying faults.

The EDiag YA-101 is an inexpensive scanner that offers a large array of diagnostic features. This includes an I/M inspection-readiness test and a battery-testing sequence, all controlled by a color screen and a nice, intuitive interface.

That said, the low price does come with some caveats. There's no graphable data, no manufacturer-specific error codes or the ability to switch off those pesky oil-change lights. Likewise the 32-inch cable isn't quite long enough to reach under the hood of your car.

But if you're looking for a way to get started with an OBD-II scanner on the cheap, this is still a reliable option to pick. Especially since it offers a lifetime warranty, and endless firmware updates.

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