35thss2

What is the best scanning tool and where can I buy it from

Thanks

paul

HumpinSS

iTrader: (1)

I am biased EFILive has won me over

35thss2

where can I buy it from

HumpinSS

iTrader: (1)

Any sponser. Thunder. Check out their site at www.efilive.com

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

EFILive is the best, scanning-only, LS1-engine
tool. If you cared about other makes AutoTap
has broader coverage but somewhat inferior
performance / interface. If you wanted a scanner
that comes with a free tuner/editor/flash writer
then HPTuners might be for you.

EFILive FlashScan (when it comes out) will add a
tuning capability there. Supposedly an upgrade
@ reduced cost for EFILive users but no pricing
or license info and no release date yet. Expect
it to come in somewhere around the competition,
all-told (I figure between HPTunersand a LS1-Edit
+ EFILive combined price but this is only one
outsider's guess).

Team ZR-1

No it is not the best, its just the best free marketed on forums.

The ONLY laptop scanner that is GM approved, EPA certified and use by smog shops and the only of the vendors to be a tier 2 supplier to GM is the Ease GM enhanced OBD-II scanner.

It is the ONLY one of the laptop scanners that already uses the new GMLAN/CANis interface, protocol and speeds, comes with Bi directional and warp speed functions FREE and is the only one that includes ALL GM enhanced PIDs for all GM cars and light trucks PLUS has options to also scan other node/modules in the car.

Its the only one of the laptop scanners that has a OBD-I and -II model and is the only one that also comes in PDA, Pocket PC and wireless versions and is the only one that has options to add a exhaust analyzer to the scanner, allows the laptop to be converted to a engine scope and allows a black box datalogger to be used in place of a laptop scanner and then its data be downloaded to a desktop Ease scanner.

In the end the Ease scanner is designed with the relationship Ease has with GM engineering where the others are guessing what GM does even from one model year to another.

HumpinSS

iTrader: (1)

this should get good

35thss2

what's the price of that one ZR-1?

jimmyblue

iTrader: (11)

Looks like the personal version (which allows up
to 20 different vehicles to be scanned) is only
$350 (PC version)? But a very confusing web
orders / pricing page setup, there at obd2.com.
Some packages are a whole lot more and I'm
not sure what the home enthusiast would properly
end up ordering.

They sure do have a lot of enhanced PIDs listed.
I guess that happens when you have one per
VIN character, etc.

Looks like an interesting competitor to the ones
we usually see. If I understand the pricing right.
Wonder why they do not hit the hobbyist market
more effectively.

"Send more missionaries. The last ones were
delicious". Maybe a little sour.

Team ZR-1

They price it at $350 ( they have not raised the price in over 3 years) and that is with bi directional and warp speed ( allows you to request data up to 4 times faster then OBD-II spec's)

Its a smart scanner meaning it remembers the last time you used the scanner as to car type and PIDs that were used.
It allows up to 50 ( not 20) cars or trucks to be stored in a database and automaticlly stores any recordings to that cars own database.
You can do unlimited scans/records, I have done over 2,500 cars with mine.

It auto averages values for you along with its gauges show intant value, max, min and avg values so you have to do nothing but select the function you want in each meter gauge.

You can do ONE recording and it could be 2 hours or 10 hours, it is all about how much hard disk space you have.
Bi directional does all the normal functions like adding or removing fuel to one injector, the CASE command ( crank relearn) works correctly and it even allows you to reset JUST the LTFTs without resetting any other stored values.

If someone emails you their Ease recording it auto imports and configs the car for you in its database.

Being it complies to EPA smog testing it makes professional result reports which includes any freeze frames, DTCs and state of I/M tests.

In using it over 3 years, every day, not once did it not connect, in fact it auto reconnects if you turn key off and later turn it on,
its smart enough to pause a recording and reconnect and continue to record on its own when key is turned back on.

You can use it in ANY GM car or light truck from 1996 through 04 models and they also sell other nameplates versions such as ford, etc so that only one scanner software and interface is used.

Lastly Ease vendor is good to work with, several functions or mods I asked for they have added such as you click a button and it auto sets up all the PIDs I use for tuning and is now part of the version they sell.

68LSS1

Looks like a nice unit. I especially like the PDA software and the wireless capabilities for the PC scan. I sent them a email as I agree their website is a bit confusing. JR, are you familiar with the Snap-On scanners? How does their stuff compare to them?

Fetumpsh

It would appear from what the very unbiased opinions of TeamZR1 is saying, is in fact that Ease is the best...but do ask yourself before you get caught up in the EPA approved in bed with GM hype why majority of LS1 owners use EFILive

This Ease v's the world debate has been done to death, just do some searches on this forum.

Careful HPTuners, your scanner might be next in the TeamZR1 sights.....the EFILive guys don't bite anymore.

Predator

Why the majority of LS1 owners here use EFLive?? Well, LS1 Tech is in bed with EFLive, and the users of EFLive are in bed with LS1 Tech. There isn't any other reason!

Team ZR-1

That is the general response from people who cannot overcome the facts of functions a scanner does not have where Ease does and they cannot respond with techie facts is attack someone who uses scanners 365 days a year.

This is a fact, I BETA tested efilive long before you used it and I know what it does and does not do.
It seems any time someone has a different view about a scanner the hackers come out to make personal attacks but the plain fact is if your designing something and are getting direct engineering from the vendor your product works with is much better then a hacker guessing for NO nameplates wanted 3rd party repair shops getting the detail the nameplate's techs get.

As to unbiased YES, I have tested ALL desktop scanners for years and repeated testing their scanners over the years and its FACT that makes the results, not me.

I suggest you really start testing the scanner you use and other makes and then you also can have some valid response.

Team ZR-1

I have seen the Snap-On once and did not spend much time on it for it did not allow me to scanner/record as many PIDs concurrently as I like.
With Ease I have scanned over 40 PIDs at once and that greatly helped me later analyze all the conditions when I export the raw data I then can catch something out of spec where I could not when only 24 PIDs are allowed.

As to PDA, I use their pocket PC version for I have more use being it has a MS OS and can run programs like Excel from it.
As to wireless, its best like at a shop where multi scanners then can connect to one scanner host PC through the air or if racing the data goes directly to PC in the pits.

I use mostly the Ease Datalogger, its a small black box connects to ADLC so no laptop is needed. Being I tune many cars when using a laptop and sending people out for high speed test runs, over time 2 laptops got wacked where the datalogger has a metal case, quite small and cannot get damaged.

It can store up to 7 plus hours of recordings and then you just plug it into your desktop that has Ease and download all saved recording to either replay or export for use in Excel.
You can even auto set it meaning you simply plug into the ADLC, soon as engine start the datalogger auto starts recording so no hands on needed at all. Every time engine is restarted the logger auto starts a new recording so you can leave it in car for lets say a whole week and then download all recordings to analyze over the weekend

As to what you want its is the GM enhanced Personal OBD-II scanner.
You get everything needed, software, cables and even newest interface that works with new GM GMLAN where a few '04 models are already using.

HumpinSS

iTrader: (1)

Ahh all this bickering and bullshit about whose product is the best this and that. Pick your product and be happy with it as long as it suits all your needs then there are no reasons for comparisons. All of them do the same thing (log, scan, clear codes and save) so the money will be well spent no matter which way you go. Team ZR1 have you used V6 lately?

Fetumpsh

Then why do majority of people on this forum use EFILive or AutoTap?.
As for techie facts, like the ripper you said about switching the PCM's DLC into 2x and 3x modes, yes we just love those ones.

So you Beta tested a product 2 years ago, and still hold the same judgement of it. You probably haven't even seen V6 of EFILive yet you still judge it based on what you saw when it was in Beta stage.

Again, why do majority of people on this forum use EFILive or AutoTap?.
Perhaps YOUR sales methods scare people off!!, perhaps most users don't care about the ability to scan thier grandma's Cavalier, they own an LS1, they tune LS1's, and EFILive offers ample information to the hobbyist and professional users to get the job done.

LS1Edit and HPTuners I'm sure never got GM engineering approval/assistance to do what they are doing, with your logic does that mean they are no good either??.

Fetumpsh

Funnily enough, this from an Ease user

Team ZR-1

All scanners are not equal, one scanner claims to be custom for LS1 when in truth it does not support ALL of GM's enhanced PIDs so they turn it into some marketing hype for they just have not backward engineered to find all the PIDs GM uses and as from one model year to the next GM renamed the PIDs.
People use scanners they give them incorrect data as example autotap after all these years still has not fixed the delivered torque PID math.

Yes I have tested V6, as well as autotap's newest release and even if you make changes to the software if it uses a junker interface then it still is the weak link.

I always retest new versions for IF I found one that functioned better I would have no problem switching to another scanner but to this date the Ease scanner is still the best overall, works flawless and already works for the next gen PCMs for 2005-2007 cars so in my case 1 scanner works on all 84 to present GM cars/trucks and in generic mode any make or model. Plus is the only laptop scanner vendor that has a model that also scans/records EVERY module in the car, not just the PCM.

As to the dude asking the stupid question as why one brand is MARKETED more here, we know the answer but in short you do not see GM market here and so Ease is the same, they feel they do not have to prove their product esp since the brands marketed here are NOT on GM's, EPA or ARBs approval list where Ease is.