Autel MaxiScan MS300 Scan Tool Worked Great! Showed I had bad coil, even which one
Worked great, let me do the reasearch before bringing it into the dealer. Wonderful buy! My car has a bad coil and I have to go get it fixed this weekend.
Autel MaxiScan MS300 Scan Tool Functions as intended..
Got this unit after 'service engine soon' light came on a 2000 BMW 323i I just recently acquired from a friend. Being new to the LA area and not knowing (or trusting) any mechanics yet, I decided to get this unit and give it a shot myself. I'm glad I did and I feel as if this little device has already paid for itself in the first go. I was able to read the codes right away and reset the computer. As other reviewers have noted, the CD is not of great use, neither are the code tables in the instruction manual. Regardless, the key is getting the codes! Even with a 'proprietary' engine code, you'll be able to get the fault description online - either in a fault site for your specific make/model or in the forums. I now have the likely culprit causing the light to go off and can tackle the work myself - it would have cost me $$$ at a dealership or a mechanic, but its something I can do relatively easily in my garage with a bit of time on my hands.
Note other reviewers comments on passing emissions testing after erasing computer codes and data in your car. You will most likely have to drive around x number of miles to make sure the computer cycles thru all settings before returning a 'pass' on a scanner.. this scanner will also not reset an 'airbag' light - that's a more involved issue.
Overall completely satisfied with the unit and I can't really see the other scanners at 3-5 times the cost of this one performing any better.
Autel MaxiScan MS300 Scan Tool Worked great for a couple '01 Subaru Outbacks - very simple!
Just plug it in, turn the car to "on," hit enter, wait for it to scan (<1 minute for my car), then hit scroll to get the codes. I didn't try the cd that came with it, as the manual that comes with it, as well as my Hayne's manual have the code definitions. Codes give basic information, such as those I received: "P0328 knock sensor circuit high voltage input" and "P0442 Evaporative Emission Control System Leak Detected (small leak)," the latter of which could be caused by many different issues. Googling the code along with your make and model will likely bring up a ton of information on how to actually fix the problem(s), so the codebook + CD are less useful than the web for those of us with less mechanical experience.
The cheapest I can get a mechanic to hook up a code reader for is $15, so using it on 2 cars It has already paid for itself. No batteries required, as it runs off the car's power, so it is always ready to go. Great purchse.
Autel MaxiScan MS300 Scan Tool Simple and excellent!
Very simple setup but works wonderfully. Clears the codes and reads any check engine light. Also tells you all parts that are "ready" or not. I honestly have nothing bad to say about this for the price that you pay.
Autel MS300 Scan Tool I should of bought one a long time ago. Works PERFECT.
My Car Service Repair Center charges 'BIG Bucks' to analyze and reset the Car Code. Ordered this, it came in a couple of days with all the instructions and so easy to use myself. THANK YOU
Autel MS300 Scan Tool As Promised
I was hesitant after reading the negative reviews for this item, but they were in the small minority, so I was willing to give the product the benefit of the "doubt the negative reviews". I'm glad I did.
For the pittance this item costs, you could not ask for more. Simple, easy to read display and operation. But don't expect it to be so easy you don't have to read the instructions. I found the them accurate and clear, not the typical transliteration you sometimes get.
Unlike what others have reported, the CD-ROM loaded a very simple but functioning program. I got a valid report when selecting the GENERIC setting, but not when selecting the TOYOTA setting. So make sure to try the generic as well as the car manufacturer setting. The software usually returns a diagnostic after entering the 5 alpha-numeric, BUT NOT ALWAYS. Just hit your ENTER key and it should appear.
My specific experience:
1) with car ignition OFF, I pluged in the MS300 and got a lighted display with the "greeting" CAN OBD2.
2) I turned ignition to ON, but did NOT NOT start the car. Then pressed the ENTER button and got the proper and full sequence of messages as promised by the manual page 10.
3) I waited for the Main Menu which gives you the quantity of error codes IF there are any, and I/M Readiness Status.
4) I selected DTC (scroll if needed), and was given the one DTC that had been stored, in my case "P0440".
5) I wanted to clear the error code and the dashboard "Check Engine" light, so I scrolled to ERASE, and pressed ENTER, then ENTER again (for YES).
6) My error code was gone. (the "Check Engine " light had already gone back out after several days of driving)
7) I looked up the P0440 DTC in the Manual and in the CD-ROM program under the GENERIC setting. Both reported that the DTC meant "EVAP Emission Control System Malfunction".
8) If my "Check Engine" light comes on and the MS300 reports the same error, THEN I'll take the car in for service.
Autel MaxiScan MS300 CAN OBD-II Scan Tool Great little item.
Great little item. Very easy to use and diagnose problems. Only takes a few seconds to identify a check engine light problem. Highly recommended..
Autel MaxiScan MS300 CAN OBD-II Scan Tool Great little product. Money well spent
Had a fault code trigger on my '96 Land Rover Discovery. Think it had to do with the IAC, but anyways, the truck still ran fine. However, the stinkin' CEL was on now. On my old Bronco, I was able to jump some wires to clear the CEL, but with the OBDII, looks like the only way to clear it was with a scanner.
So I bought this little gem, as the local Autozone doesn't check codes anymore, AAMCO wanted $40 to reset it and a local gas station, to which I was a customer just a few hours earlier, wanted $20 (what ever happened to familiar faces and creating a strong customer base...anyhoo). So not wanting to give my hard earned money to these thieves, I bought this gem and for the money, it can't be beat. I was able to read the code (have a pen and paper at the ready to jot it down in case you have multiple fault codes and to keep a history of the fault codes. After you clear them all and if the CEL comes back on, scan again and compare fault codes to see if they were the ones that you jotted down earlier. Now you're on your way to troubleshooting! Good job! Now go have a beer!) and reset the CEL (check engine light for you newbs). Totally worth it and now I actually have a tool in case it kicks the code again. In which case I'll actually start troubleshooting. Might've been a one time fluke.
Reading the reviews, looks like the earlier generation of the product reviewed unfavorably and as time progressed, the reviews looked promising. I say go for it and if it doesn't work, exchange it. If it really doesn't work for your vehicle, just return it.
My sister has a CEL on her Lexus so I'll see if it works well for her car. But at least for a '96 Land Rover Discovery, it works!
MaxiScan MS300 good for the price
works alright on some cars but doesn't work on my honda fit however works awesome on my nissan altima 1999 reads the code and then you just have to google the code to get answers on what is wrong
MaxiScan MS300 OMG!!!!
What can I say? For 10 minutes---yes, just 10 minutes---I figured out why the engine light is on and managed to turn it off. I can't make a better use of $22 for any other investment.
