For car owners and enthusiasts looking to go beyond basic vehicle diagnostics, a simple OBD2 scanner might not be enough. While budget-friendly OBD2 devices, such as Bluetooth ELM 327 dongles paired with smartphone apps, have their place, their capabilities are often limited, particularly when accessing systems outside of standard OBD2 protocols. These entry-level tools typically can’t read non-OBDII systems or retrieve data not mandated by OBD2, like precise oil level readings. Although OBD2 can flag issues with the oil level sensor, it won’t show the actual oil level. Manufacturers like VeePeak clearly state that their scanners are designed only for OBD2 scanning. To truly interact with your car’s full computer network, you’ll need a more sophisticated tool.
Stepping up to the next level of diagnostics, tools like the Autel DiagLink, usually priced around $90-$100, start to offer more comprehensive features. The key point about the DiagLink is that it’s brand-specific. Each unit comes with software for only ONE car brand. This gives you deeper diagnostic abilities, including resetting service lights and operating electronic parking brakes, but only for the brand you initially set up. While adding software for another brand is possible for roughly $10, this brand limitation is important to consider if you work on different makes of vehicles. However, for owners dedicated to a single car brand, the DiagLink can be very cost-effective, providing functions often unavailable in similarly priced generic OBD2 scanners.
If you need a tool that can read non-OBDII data across multiple brands, scanners like the Autel MD806, which cost around $200, become a strong contender. While it’s believed to use similar hardware to the DiagLink, the MD806 uses software that supports multiple car brands without needing separate software downloads for each. Furthermore, the MD806 usually includes “lifetime” software updates, although “lifetime” in software terms typically means the expected support life of the device. Despite this, the Autel MD806 is considered one of the best values in scan tools due to its broad capabilities at a reasonable price. It meets the needs of most home mechanics, offering advanced features without being prohibitively expensive, especially for those who expect to use it frequently.
