SingPad New U480 CAN-Bus OBDII Car Diagnostic Check Engine Auto Scanner Trouble Code Reader

For the money, this is a great gadget. It plugs into the computer terminal located down above your brake pedal and in a few seconds it diagnoses your car's system and finds out why the "check engine" light has come on. In my case, it confirmed my worst fears: I needed a new catalytic converter! My mechanic has a small shop and I've been going to him for years and we've worked out an "I pay cash" deal where he fixes my '98 Corolla and I get a deep discount because there's no invoice, and he makes out because since he's a sole proprietor the money goes into his wallet, not to the government. I've had no problems since then, but I've let a couple of friends borrow it and, sure enough, it identified why their "check engine" light was on! Knowledge is power, so they were able to go to a shop and say they'd run a scan and such-and-such is wrong, and they ended up not having to pay for more work than they needed. IMHO, this has already paid for itself. The scanner shows you a code and the accompanying booklet is listed in a nice order so you can quickly find the code. I took it in to my mechanic and he tried it out on a couple of cars and really thought I got a great deal for the money. I've had my '98 Toyota since it was brand new and I'm 60 and joke that I'm driving the car until I die. As long as my mechanic is around, I have this meter, and my mechanic can find parts, I'll keep my Corolla going strong -- 17 years now and still runs great! Even if you're not a mechanically-inclined person (like me) this is easy to use and gives you and idea what is wrong with your car. If the shop gives you a big b.s. story about needing this and that, you're equipped with the knowledge as to what really is wrong with your vehicle. I can't praise this little diagnostic gadget enough. It's great!

UPDATE: Deducting a star, because this cheap code reader frequently OVERHEATS and then fails to sync, with no indication why. If you leave this in a hot car, it will just suddenly and quietly stop working, and take hours before it cools off. Even if you keep it climate controlled, staying plugged in for 30 minutes or so will get it hot, and you're in trouble again. Now that you know the problem, it's tolerable, but makes me wonder how many people who say this didn't work for them, might just have left it in a hot car too long...A code reader is a great item to have, even if you don't work on your car, just to avoid failing a smog test... If your car hasn't been driven enough (since the battery was last disconnected) in exactly the RIGHT CONDITIONS to get all the sensors "ready", then you'll fail your smog check for no good reason, If you're in the city where you don't get it up to a steady 55MPH for minutes at a time, or you park outside where the vehicle is frequently over 120F degrees, then you need to be particularly concerned, as one failed test will cost more than the price of this tool.With a code reader, you can check the sensors are all READY and PASS before you go in, and never fail a smog check for such a stupid reason again. A mechanic will give you some general driving suggestions, but without an OBDII code reader and actual recommended "drive cycle" instructions to follow, you may end up wasting lots of time and fuel, and still never pass your smog test.The included manual is absolutely terrible, including the service code list. You can figure out how to use it on your own, and search the web for service codes for your make of vehicle, but it's still a nuisance... Some lists even tell you which components can cause the service code, and that can really help you find a common cause for multiple codes suddenly coming up. The included manual will barely tell you which major system might be causing the code.

2. I was driving home from work on a Friday night around 10pm with my mom's car suddenly the engine light comes on and the engine has very little power. The Suv can't go more then about 25/30 mpgh..... What to do on a Friday night around 10pm? I get home and use the car diagnostic. It read out the error..... I then goggled the error which told me the issue. After about 5 min of research, I find it probably covered under an special issue warranty. I call toyota USA the next day and get the info.... I take the car down to the dealership and informed them of the issue with the special issue warranty. They had no idea at the dealership.... The SUV was repaied and covered under toyota specail/issue warranty for the problem... This tool helped save 2,000........ It more then paid for it self.... I will make a side note that that on my mom's car has to be on with the key in while in my old car that was not the case....1. My mom was driving my car and the engine light came on... My car has a very pick about oxygen senior. I was getting sick of trying to find a place that will read the code for free which is about 30 min to 45 min away or spending 45 dollar to see the code and have the code clearI bought this item and just use it. It told me it was a sensor which from my experince is the gas cap. I check the gas cap which was not tight which is not a surprise as to whom was driving the car. I tight the gas cap and cleared the code. This item just paid for itself twice with me using it ones. I give 2 thumbs up or as seen above 5 stars.