[123pugsy]

I'm thinking of getting a half decent scan tool.

Not sure about which one would be better.

NEMYSIS

Or.......

AUTO ENGINUITY

Anyone use these before?

[Conrad_AZ]

I have the Autoeginuity tool with the standard OBDII interface which works on all 96 or later cars and also the Chrysler specific one that has all of Chryslers codes.

The original standard reader had a hardware problem that prevented it from recognizing any DLC port. I called their trouble line and they shipped a replacement within an hour of my call. Since then I have not had any problem with either the standard or Chrysler reader.

I used the tool when I bought a 2005 5.7l Hemi Dodge Durango to use as a donor car. It had been rolled and I used the tool to do a through diagnostic on the Durango before I bought it. Worked well and provided a long list of all the stuff that had been damaged during the crash. The one I liked the best was that the fuel module reported a "Improbable Fuel Level" at the time of the roll over.

All in all Auto Enginuity was reasonably priced and the company offers great support and service.

If I had it to do over again I would consider buying their Domestic bundle that covers Chrysler, GM and Ford. The enhanced package gives quite a lot more info than the standard OBDII.

[123pugsy]

Thanks for the response.

I'm also leaning towards the Auto Enginuity.

Is there things you'd like in the tool that are not there?
How about OBDI ?
Is it necessary these days or can I just user a jumper and read the codes from the dash?
As you can see, I'm scan tool iliterate, but if I get one, I'd like it to be half decent.

[Conrad_AZ]

Originally Posted by 123pugsy

Thanks for the response.

I'm also leaning towards the Auto Enginuity.

Is there things you'd like in the tool that are not there?
How about OBDI ?

Is it necessary these days or can I just user a jumper and read the codes from the dash?

As you can see, I'm scan tool iliterate, but if I get one, I'd like it to be half decent.

Good question... AutoEnginuity is a great scanner and diagnostic tool, but it doesnt allow you to reprogram the ECM - I would like to be able to 'tune' the fuel/air tables and adjust the spark timing etc. HPTuners offers a kit that can act as a scanner and also has the ability to reprogram the ECM.

Unfortunately for me, they dont offer any support for Chrysler products. If you have a GM or Ford and you want to be able to have total control of your ECM then I would look at www.hptuners.com.

You should check with them, but I dont think the OBD2 scanner will work with the older pre 96 OBDI systems. The OBD2 does read and diagnose the CAN bus which is very helpful in chasing problems other than drive train.

I not an expert here, but I think that most of the manufacturer systems (Ford, GM, Chrysler) have some manner of support that allows you to display trouble codes on the dashboard.

For the AutoEnginuity, you have to plug a connector into the DLC port that is generally located on the left side of the dashboard. The other end goes to a USB port on the computer that you have loaded the AutoEnginiuty software.

Your other option would be one of the cheaper hand held units that are sold at Kragen etc. The problem I have with these is that they only read the standard OBDII codes and none of the manufactuer specific codes that you need if you are trying to diagnose a difficult problem. The other nice feature of using this type of software is that you can datalog key sensor data such as the upstream O2 sensors, throttle position, air temp, spark, engine RPM, speed etc. while you drive the car.

I have included a pdf of one of the scans I ran on the Durango before I started to take it apart.

[123pugsy]

Thanks Conrad.

I ordered the Auto Enginuity from my link above today.

Looks like a pretty good scanner.

Thanks again,
Pugsy