To start off, I have a 2004 H2 and of course my CEL is on!
I've been looking into these OBD2 scanners online and there are so many on the market that I'm having a hard time choosing one.
What is everyone else using? Are the more expensive ones really any better than the cheap-o versions? I typically drive down the street to AutoZone since they will scan it for free and give me a printout, but I like the convenience of having my own tool. Any and all input would be appreciated as well as recommendations.

Sorry for the long post, just want to buy once!

 

HI there

I owe 3 different scanners including a very expensive snap on ...
To be honest I only use the torque app with the Bluetooth OBDII reader


This can read , delete and search for codes .. Plus a few other functions
For $20 cant be beat ...
I only use the S.O scanner to verify the torque app info and is always right
Cant see why to spend in an expensive one unless you are a professional mechanic

 

Thanks for the input. I went ahead and pulled the trigger on a cheap code reader I found on Amazon. It is similar to the one you linked, but I believe it is better suited for iOS. I hope it will save me money in the long run.
I'm fairly new to the world of "working" on my vehicle (I'm much better with woodworking tools - measuring and cutting is easy!), so I hope that I can use this tool as a starting point as far as figuring out what needs to be done.

 

Almost any thing is easier than work with these beats but having a scanner is worth it even to just get to know what is wrong when check engine light is
I always keep the Obd scanner in my truck.
You never know when it comes handy
Plus you will get lot of info while driving such as
misfire rpm speed etc
Good luck

 

Agreed..... I have one of the cheapo bluetooth ones and bought Torque Pro a few years ago. Great investment and very handy. Does not work for the Apple users though and the Torque app is not available for iphones . There are other similar solutions for the iphones but I do not know anything about those.

The other tool I recently got to keep in the shop has been awesome to have so far but.... expensive. A GM Tech2. I got a chinese clone one for a little over $300 shipped with the full big plastic case. Works perfect and allows me to really get into the computers like no other tool can. I've also used it to update all the various computers to the most current software from GM which has improved some things too.

 

It should be in my mailbox by tomorrow evening. I will update the thread once I get it set up and find a good app to use with it just in case someone stumbles across this thread in the future and is in the market for a OBD2 as well!

 

I love Torque, but it falls way short on GM specific reporting. I'm personally looking for an expensive/free tool like Torque that provides such GM specific reporting like airbags, etc., but haven't found it yet.

 

The OBD2 scanner I ordered works perfectly. It reads and deletes codes as expected. Inside the instruction manual, there were a few recommended apps which really helped. Seems like I made the right decision by choosing this cheap-o scanner, happy with it so far!