Switched from a basic code reader to a proper scan tool and it's like night and day

I was using a $40 generic OBD2 reader for years, just pulling the basic P-codes. Last month I had a 2018 F-150 with a weird intermittent misfire that the cheap reader couldn't pin down. I finally bit the bullet and got a decent bi-directional scan tool. In about 15 minutes, I could command the fuel injectors and watch the live data stream, which showed a sticky injector on cylinder 3 that the basic code never flagged. The old way would have had me guessing and swapping parts. What's the best mid-level scan tool you guys are using in your shops right now?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair62615h ago

What did that bi-directional tool run you?

the_finley15h ago

lol yeah @blair626, "run you" is right. I dropped way more than I thought I would on mine too. Felt that sting for sure.