Code readers aren't too expensive, basic types start at £20 on ebay and will always come in handy for modern cars.

Brian wrote on 30.04.2011 at 10:31:03:






Good point.

There are still many who believe that plugging in a scan tool "tells you what part to replace"....as opposed to the old days when "real mechanics"  had to actually diagnose what the problem was. Ha !

A fault code will bring you a diagnostic chart or trouble tree showing the steps and tests needed to narrow down the exact problem. Sometimes it's only two or three checks or tests, sometimes six or eight,  but I've seen some faults codes where the corresponding diag chart has 40+ tests!

Of course, if a person specializes on a particular make/model over a long period of time recognized fault patterns can be seen, making it tempting to skip all the testing. This is understandable and in some cases, preferable.

Cheers
DD

In general with code readers the more you pay, the better the anaysis of the code(s), thats why some are £20 and some several; £1000s.
Cheers

Completely agree, there is a lot more to it than price. As for Snap on perhaps its a £100 scanner with a snap on badge and a high price tag. Your scanner at £120 is exactly the same price as my local engine management expert suggested I buy. We have a few scanners at work but more or less only use them to get the code numbers, after that its intuition, the oscilloscope or old fashione bits like vacuum gauges, comprssion testers etc.
Cheers