What brand & type of OBD II scanner & code reader is everyone using???? The tool is something I will not use every day,so I want to keep the price as CHEAP as possible. There is so many to choose from. I am sort of interested in a live data unit that scans & reads codes, and will clear the stored codes.

go to auto zone and let them use theirs for free, no need to buy one if you are not full time mechanic

Thanks for the response. Excellent idea,the only problem is the nearest Auto zone is a little over 40 miles away (one way). Anyone know how many pins on the plug on a 1997 Nissan pickup Hardbody pichup ????

Your HB should have two connectors - a gray Consult connector for Nissan's diagnostic computer, and the standard white OBDII connector. My old '97 was set up this way. If you're only using the scanner for your truck, you could get a consult adapter and use it with free software on a laptop vs. buying a scanner.

I'm not sure that you'll find a consensus on the best OBDII scanner in this forum, since most of our activity seems to be from members that have pre-OBDII trucks.

Heath

Great idea, I going to check into the consult adapter. - Thanks

if you have a smart phone with bluetooth you can pick up an OBDII bluetooth dongle off ebay for like 5 bucks, then just download one of the free apps available like torque and you can read your codes and it will display stuff like rpm, coolant temp, vehicle speed, etc. it's actually pretty cool. I have it set up on my evo so I can use my phone as my wideband and boost guages.

it also lets you datalog to some extent.

here's a link to the one I have.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ELM327-OBD2-OBDII-V ... 230fe16dd7

Novajoe wrote:if you have a smart phone with bluetooth you can pick up an OBDII bluetooth dongle off ebay for like 5 bucks

Whoa.. that is cool! I wonder if my Samsung Intercept is a smart enough smart phone?

Heath

yea it's pretty neat. If you can download the torque app and you have bluetooth then you're good to go.

any information that get's sent to your ecu (engine speed, coolant temp, etc.) can be read off of your phone with the dongle and the torque app.

edit: also if you do like me and leave the dongle attached while you're driving so you can monitor stuff from your phone then you might want to relocate your obd2 port. It's really easy to kick it with your left foot when you clutch or something since the dongle sticks out like 3 inches. I just turned mine sideways so that it points toward my radio instead of towards me.

That would be the way to go (smart phone - with blue tooth). I only have a regular cell phone, with all the extra features disabled. I drive school bus and share my phone with the students. I did alot of research and decided to try an online service (obdcom) using a laptop. They offer 24 - 7 day service and you can communicate with live help by phone or over the internet and the service is located here in the U.S., not some where over the pond.