Sensor Scan Tool

[Rob95CS]

I'm looking for a scan tool that I can hook up to my Cutlass and view the sensor data as it's running. Anyone know of any made for my car (for a fair price) that I can buy? It's a '95 Cutty w/ the 3100, OBD-I if I'm not mistaken.

[gmrulz4u]

First off, are you sure you don't have that OBD 1.5 thing that GM did with a lot of 94-95 cars?

 

I have, and would ONLY recommend AutoXray. Their website is:

 

http://www.autoxray.com

 

I DARE you to try and find something negatively written about them on the web!

 

I have had their GM OBD-1 scanner for about a year now and am totally in love with it!

 

I bought mine for $149 US with a Free carrying case. I wish now that I had just saved about $120 US more and purchased the Pro Package that has all GM, Ford, Chrysler, and Import cables and software installed.

 

With AutoXray, there's NO cartridges that you have to use. There's NO need to plug it into a cigarette lighter because it's hand-held and runs on 4 AA batteries. Plus, one of the coolest things is the fact that when and if you purchase the PC LINK for it, you can get automatic updates and upgrades via the web. Basically, ALL the software for every type of car is already loaded into the scanner, but you can only access the stuff that you've actually paid for. When you want to add other car makes/models, you just call them and they give you an un-lock key that you type into the scanner.

 

I bought mine from here:

 

http://www.autotestsys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ATS&Product_Code=ATX10110&Category_Code=AX

 

And eBay has these right now:

 

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&krd=1&from=R8&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=autoxray

 

[Slade901]

Basically, ALL the software for every type of car is already loaded into the scanner, but you can only access the stuff that you've actually paid for. When you want to add other car makes/models, you just call them and they give you an un-lock key that you type into the scanner.

 

Could you please elaborate when you say "ALL the software for every type of car is already loaded into the scanner, but you can only access the stuff that you've actually paid for. When you want to add other car makes/models, you just call them and they give you an un-lock key that you type into the scanner." Do I have to call them up everytime I scan different cars?

 

I've researched the web and I'm fixing to get the AutoXray 6000 model but I'm lost about when you said that I have to call them up to un-lock for other makes/models.

 

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=SVBIZINK3.story&STORY=/www/story/11-06-2003/0002052774&EDATE=THU+Nov+06+2003,+09:55+AM

[Rob95CS]

First off, are you sure you don't have that OBD 1.5 thing that GM did with a lot of 94-95 cars?

 

I haven't a clue. How do I tell? And I take it the scanner won't work if I do happen to have OBD 1.5 ?

[gmrulz4u]

Could you please elaborate when you say "ALL the software for every type of car is already loaded into the scanner, but you can only access the stuff that you've actually paid for. When you want to add other car makes/models, you just call them and they give you an un-lock key that you type into the scanner." Do I have to call them up everytime I scan different cars?

 

Well, with basically ALL other scanners, you have to purchase a stupid cartridges and or software every time you want to add a make of car. For example, with Actron scanners, if you want to add the ability to scan Chrysler OBD-1 cars, you have to go buy a $100 add-on cartridge. Or, if you get a newer car and want to scan OBD-2, again, you have to go buy the add-on cartridge. You can imagine how much extra stuff you'd have if you wanted to cover ALL makes/models/and years of cars!

 

With AutoXray, you never have to purchase add-on cartridges. In fact, there's not even a place to plug-in cartridges. Because, everything is already pre-loaded on to the scanner. So for example, I just purchased the GM OBD-1 AutoXray. My scanner technically HAS all the Ford, Chrysler, OBD-2 etc. installed, but I just can't access it until I pay for them.

 

Make sense??

 

[Slade901]

Oh really?

So basically if you got an Autoxray GM OBDI scanner and all of the other car models are preloaded then there is a possibility that someone could hack the scanner and load the code to unlock the other features. No, I would not do that

 

I'm still thinking on getting the Autoxray 6000 model retail is $699.99 but there is a site that sells it the cheapest $539 free shipping, free Autodata 1992-2002 Diagnostic Trouble Codes Manual or 9300 Deluxe Digital Multimeter.

 

http://www.autotestsys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=ATS&Product_Code=ATX6000&Category_Code=SPEC

 

http://www.autotestsys.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=ATS&Category_Code=AX

 

 

I was also comparing the Actron OBD SUPER AUTOSCANNER? KIT for $379.99 with promotion code PROMO CODE ASWB1103

10$ off on purchases of $80 to 199.99 and 15% on purchases of

$200 or more.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=6936&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&storeId=10101

 

However, a PC based full scanner is another alternative as well just like what Rob95CS is looking for.

Freescan is what most people recommend but it does not support my car 1990 oldsmobile cutlass supreme 3.1L V6 so I was also looking for an alternative.

Ease Diagnostics and has some good review but it is way expensive http://www.easesim.com/scantool/data/scantool_pricing.htm

 

Diacom Automotive diagnostics from rinda.com sounds good but they are also expensive and only covers one particular brand http://www.rinda.com/acro/dcmstd.pdf

[gmrulz4u]

So basically if you got an Autoxray GM OBDI scanner and all of the other car models are preloaded then there is a possibility that someone could hack the scanner and load the code to unlock the other features. No, I would not do that

 

Yeah I know what you mean...I actually wonder how exactly they went about trying to make sure that they don't end-up getting cracked/hacked?

 

I know that if you call to upgrade, there's all this special info that they have to get from your Scanner. Each AutoXray has like 3 unique sets of codes that identify it, not just the Serial Number. So I'm guessing there's different upgrade codes for EVERY single AutoXray they've ever produced!

[Slade901]

If someone gets a hold of the algorithm or someone figures out the algorithm for unlocking the scanner then they can just create a S/N Generator for it.

Just like software programs and once someone figure out how the software cross-reference the unlock code then someone just basically create the S/N or Code Generator.

[89oldscutlass]

5oo or 600 bucks sounds cheap compared to my big brothers MAC scanner we use in his garage it cost $6k. But on the flip side we can reprogram ECMs but only back to their stock perameters.

[supreme_style21]

'95 should be OBD II I believe. I could be wrong.. my '94 is the 1.5. If it is OBD1.5, an OBDI scanner will work, but jumping it with a paperclip will not.

[Redfox340]

'95 should be OBD II I believe. I could be wrong.. my '94 is the 1.5. If it is OBD1.5, an OBDI scanner will work, but jumping it with a paperclip will not.

 

Nope, still OBDI. There were some vehicles that implimented the OBDII system earlier, but not our cars.

Remember that the model year 1996 was the transition from OBDI to OBDII.

 

- Erik