scan tool advice

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zinprogress

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Hey all, new to the forum and a long time chevy enthusiast. My father in law recently hired me to put his 96 3500 with a 5.7 back together after he had it sitting for the last 7yrs. He had the heads gone through and just moved onto the next project. I got the truck all back together and of course he didn't mark the distributor so now Im in the market for a new scan tool.

What are you guys using? I used to have a modis but that will be one tool i regret ever getting rid of. We tried one of the "too good to be true" scan tools on amazon that claims to do everything from tpms sensors to transponder programming and it just turned out to be a glorified code reader (no surprise there).

Thanks for the advice!
 

Dravec

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I have an Innova 5610. It is a bidirectional unit, that has a fair amount of features for $330, but it's not all powerful. Good enough for abs bleeding and a few other things.
 

zinprogress

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hey thanks for the reply! I really just need something that can do abs and wheel speed sensors and some other slightly more involved diagnostics. How does it do with stuff like that?
 

Jesse_Wenting

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If you want to set the distributior "perfectly" yourself you'll need something that can read cam retard. IIRC if you're +/-2° it'll throw a code. Been looking for a suitable scanner that's not held expensive myself lol
 

zinprogress

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If you want to set the distributior "perfectly" yourself you'll need something that can read cam retard. IIRC if you're +/-2° it'll throw a code. Been looking for a suitable scanner that's not held expensive myself lol
Yeah, my old modis did all this and then some but that was several thousand dollars and i have no desire to get that involved in diagnostics ever again. Im surprised there isnt just free software and a *** com cable available for these trucks.
 

Schurkey

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When I damaged my Snap-On MTG2500 several weeks ago, I went on eBay looking for a newer/better unit.

Ended up with a Snappy Solus Pro, several different OBD-1 connectors, a battery that isn't totally shot, and a charger, a reasonable but not all-inclusive number of "Personality Keys", an OBD II connector, all in a bigass suitcase with some user manuals on CD included. Version 8.2 software (GM--Ford--Chrysler (Jeep is not listed separately like on my '2500, and I haven't gone looking for it,) about a thousand Asian brands, No European) so the thing will only connect to Domestic and Asian VIN-specific vehicles one or two years newer than my previous '2500. The tool itself is probably 10+ years and two generations newer than my old '2500.

$350 shipped to my door. There are more units essentially like what I bought, for about the same price, maybe a little more. I'm still watching eBay to see if a Solus Pro shows up with newer software. 18.2 (I think) is as new as it gets; and there's NO support from Snappy for the Solus Pro any more.

BOTH my old MTG and the Solus Pro will talk to the ABS; but there's no option on either one to do an ABS activation/automated bleed sequence on my '97 K2500. (I have used this Solus Pro to do an automated ABS bleed on an '03 Trailblazer, however. Perhaps the ABS unit is different.)
 

df2x4

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If you're only worried about GM stuff, there's always the Chinese Tech 2 clones. They'll do pretty much anything on 1991-2013 GM vehicles. I got mine on eBay for $350.
 

zinprogress

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When I damaged my Snap-On MTG2500 several weeks ago, I went on eBay looking for a newer/better unit.

Ended up with a Snappy Solus Pro, several different OBD-1 connectors, a battery that isn't totally shot, and a charger, a reasonable but not all-inclusive number of "Personality Keys", an OBD II connector, all in a bigass suitcase with some user manuals on CD included. Version 8.2 software (GM--Ford--Chrysler (Jeep is not listed separately like on my '2500, and I haven't gone looking for it,) about a thousand Asian brands, No European) so the thing will only connect to Domestic and Asian VIN-specific vehicles one or two years newer than my previous '2500. The tool itself is probably 10+ years and two generations newer than my old '2500.

$350 shipped to my door. There are more units essentially like what I bought, for about the same price, maybe a little more. I'm still watching eBay to see if a Solus Pro shows up with newer software. 18.2 (I think) is as new as it gets; and there's NO support from Snappy for the Solus Pro any more.

BOTH my old MTG and the Solus Pro will talk to the ABS; but there's no option on either one to do an ABS activation/automated bleed sequence on my '97 K2500. (I have used this Solus Pro to do an automated ABS bleed on an '03 Trailblazer, however. Perhaps the ABS unit is different.)
You got a Solus for $350???? That'd be a good way to go. I don't want to fix anything european ever again and anything new enough to not be supported by that unit probably wont be coming my way for quite a while.

As for the Tech 2 clones, i wish the only thing i ever had to work on was GM:boti:!!!
 

PlayingWithTBI

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Keep in mind, at the end of this year Snappy isn't gonna support the Solus Ultra anymore. They may be getting affordable :biggrin:
 
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