OBD II Scanner purchase help

I'm intersested in a scanner for OBD II. I'm mostly just interested in the engine codes since I'm a do it yourselfer and just take on the repairs that seem do-able after I read my manuals. I also like to have some knowledge of any problems at hand before heading to the local garage if I'm not going to do the repair.

My catch is of course I don't want to spend a ton of cash. Granted scanners pay for themselves in the long run, but I can't afford a huge expense for one now. So like most people I don't want to get ripped off but want some bang for my buck.

One that I see a lot (for just over $100) during my looking around is the 3100 by Equus. Anyone heard anything about this one or have any info on another?

Thanks!
hurl

I saw a system demo from Accutest a while ago. We plugged it into a Civic and it worked very well but its £360 for the software and you need a PDA...

As far as I know, software is pretty much universal; what you pay for is the way they give you that info and how thorough the info/test is. You basically need to decide how in-depth your do-it-yourself instinct will go, and that will decide your price point.


Jon

John's right. I can go to Pep Boys and get one for $60.00, but it only gives you codes. You must look up the code which does not give you a lot of info. the better ones will run around $150.00 to $200.00, and the GOOD ones $300.00 to $500.00 and the best one I seen was at a Ford dealership which goes for $1,000.00 to $1,500.00.
Good luck

I use a Harrison R&D model.
http://www.ghg.net/dharrison/

One catch: need a personal computer, either a workstation with a long serial cable, or a laptop/notebook/Palm PC.

Harrison supplies the adaptor which contains a microcontroller to translate the car's sloppy OBDII onboard computer communications into equally arcane archaic RS-232 computer chatter.

From there, Harrison's software allows querying the onboard computer for whatever performance statistics the manufacturer has exposed through the OBDII protocol. I read timing, O2 sensor, RPM, MAF, etc., and I can data-log results while driving around. Cost is under US$200 for the kit, disregarding the cost of having a portable PC to capture that data. Yes, effective cost is near $1000: adding cost of PC hardware, operating system, and a little savvy to assemble the works.

Do get the cheap hand-held scanners from the automotive shops, instead of this elaborate setup, if you're not a long-term car geek.

Hello Everyone,

Can someone help me with a difficult question about a new scanner?
Did someone of you ever heard from a Uniscan3 Scanner?
It is for sale on www.cardiagnost.com for about $ 499, if anybody know something about this scanner please contact me!!!
I would like to know if it is an excisting scanner and so it is, is there someone who has bought this scanner?
I would allready thanks all the people that send me some information about the Uniscan3.

With Kind Regards,

Eddy de Jong
the Netherlands
Europe.