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Scanner Help


stuhrling
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Can someone point me in the right direction on a scanner for of course gm vehicles.

I am looking for one that will naturally scan for codes but also allow for some adjustments of things like changing when the (cooling fans turn on, reprogramming of radio, check abs transmission, bcm modules, etc.)  Primarily for the years between 2000 & 2010.

Any thoughts would be most appreciated!

Thanks!

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The Tech 2 is--or at least was--the "official" GM scan tool.  By now, it may have been replaced by the Tech 3.  Or Tech 4.

The market is completely flooded by Communist knockoffs of the Tech 2.  If the Federal Trade Commission was functional, they'd seize containerloads of them at the docks.

Good luck getting a "real" one.  The counterfeits even have the appropriate brand-name decals, so I've heard it's hard to tell what's genuine and what's fake.

When it was me--and this was a long time ago--I bought a Snap-On MTG2500.  Extremely similar to the MT2500 which cost less and is way more popular.  The '2500s are both obsolete and no longer supported by Snappy; the newest software is 2009--but I've never seen software cartridges that new for sale.  Mine goes to 2006, Domestic and Asian, and with a second cartridge, back to 1980 1/2 domestic only.  There is some bi-directional control but I don't think it'll reprogram an onboard computer.   You might do better with a Snap-On Solus, Solus Pro, Solus Ultra, or whatever the current version is.  They're "nicer" and certainly newer than the '2500s.  I suspect I'll have to upgrade from my '2500 to one of the newer Snap-On scanners.  ("Scanner" is a trademark of Snap-on, the more generic term is "Scan tool".

Edited by Schurkey
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They are actually stopping the knock offs at the ports now. A member of another board ordered one, and it got seized at customs.

The tech-2 is limited unless you have the Candi module, and a dedicated Windows XP laptop with a serial port, and a RJ45 terminal (Cat5). I currently have a tech-2, they really arent worth it.

I have heard good things about HPT and Torque, but I have not used them personally.

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As you are looking to make changes to the PCM(Change cooling fans) you'll need either HP tuners or DHP.  I'm not certain DHP will work with cars beyond 05/06.  

The scanner is great and allows datalogging to playback and review problem areas.  I'm not certain it will look at ABS codes, BCMs etc. as I use it to tune my 88 Cutlass with L67 swap(obd2 PCM) which has none of those.  

  

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7 hours ago, Bake82 said:

The scanner is great and allows datalogging to playback and review problem areas.  I'm not certain it will look at ABS codes, BCMs etc. as I use it to tune my 88 Cutlass with L67 swap(obd2 PCM) which has none of those.  

  

WHICH "scanner"?

As said, if you're calling it a "Scanner", you must be talking about a Snap-On product.

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13 hours ago, Schurkey said:

WHICH "scanner"?

As said, if you're calling it a "Scanner", you must be talking about a Snap-On product.

HP tuners has a programmer and a scanner.  The scanner I am referring to is the HP Tuners VCM scanner.  

 

Since he wants to make changes to some of the PCM settings, he will need a DHP or HP tuners to do so.  The scanner function within HP is far superior to that of the DHP, and DHP are getting harder and more expensive to find.  

Edited by Bake82
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Wow! Thanks so much for all the response. This helps me out as to what I should be looking at. Sorry, about the term scanner😉 I was just using it as a generic term.

Best to All!

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