Wasted $250 on a fancy scan tool that barely works on my older trucks

I bought this high-end OBD2 scanner from a Snap-on truck thinking it would be the answer to everything in my driveway. Turned out it won't even read the ABS module on my 2005 F-350 or my buddy's 2001 Chevy. Anyone else had a scan tool that was useless for anything older than 2010?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny_hall25d ago

Why do we keep falling for the Snap-on hype? I've been turning wrenches for 20 years and I learned the hard way that expensive doesn't mean better. Those high end tools are built for dealerships with brand new trucks, not for us regular folks working on older rigs. The money goes into the brand name and the truck financing, not into making the thing actually useful for common vehicles. I've had better luck with a $40 Bluetooth dongle and a free app than with any of those overpriced brick scanners. The real scam is convincing people they need to spend a paycheck on something that's outdated before you even finish paying it off.

the_anthony27d ago

Funny enough I used to defend those high end Snap-on scanners hard. Thought you had to pay to play if you wanted real diagnostics. But then I borrowed a buddy's $60 Autel unit and it read stuff on my 2004 Duramax that the big expensive one couldn't touch. Wasn't even close. Changed my whole view on where the money actually goes.

noahmartin27d ago

Same thing happened to me with a VW Golf. Borrowed a cheap little scan tool from AutoZone and it pulled up a transmission code my friend's Solus Pro couldn't even see. Makes you wonder where that huge markup actually goes, doesn't it?