Scan Tool Review: Offline Repair Info (6)

Okay, the Autel MX808 came out in 2017 with Android 4.4.4 operating system. In late 2022 the MX808S was released with updated hardware and Android 11. In 2023 the MX900 followed as the official replacement and the MX808 eventually was officially discontinued. It does however still receive updates for diagnostics and is still functional in that regard. Similar to the demise of the OTC Encore the Android sytem in the background became outdated though at one time it had a wealth of repair information access. iATN is still available and the MaxiFix service. The tool is not useful for web searches but still very able to help with diagnostics. 

  Thanks for reading.

Kenny@GGAuto.Repair

Scan Tool Review: Offline Repair Info (5)

 OTC stopped support for the Encore scan tool 10/24 but the Android 4.2.2 operating system it ran on had been losing abilities for awhile. Ten years on Android 4.2.2 is remarkable but its time had come. The great thing OTC did for the Encore users was not just leave us with an outdated and unsupported system and with us good luck. No. They not only let us keep the Encore which still functions well as a diagnostic tool but gave us what amounts to the upgraded version. The Bosch ADS525 X was sent to us, included with a year of updates and a trial of wiring diagram access. The Bosch tool uses Android 10 and a Google Chrome browser for web searches and results and also has links pre-installed to Motor TruSpeed Repair and Wiring Diagrams. Under the Repair Information header are IDENTIFIX, Mitchell1, ALLDATA, Autodata and MOTOLOGIC links. An OEM header with links to manufacturer sites and the Tech Communities header with iATN and TST links. Relevant subscriptions to those sites required of course. 

Thanks for reading!

Kenny@GGAuto.Repair

Scan Tool Review: Offline Repair Info (4)

 One of the first scan tools based on an Android operating system was the OTC Encore in 2013. Quickly became my favorite tool right up until the loss of support in 10/24. I think it was Android 4.2.2 and had lost its usefulness as far as being further updated. So while the tool is still very useful in diagnostics right up to 2024 models, some of the Android features became outdated before the 2024 cut off. The email app was no longer considered safe as were some of the web servers denying the outdated Firefox version access. I have noticed that iATN link still works but for this topic of offline repair information I'll just have to give the Encore an honorable mention. It was amazing in its heyday and still a great tool in other aspects but no longer a repair information database heavyweight. 

Thanks for reading!

Kenny@GGAuto.Repair

Scan Tool Review: Offline Repair Info (3)

 I'll continue covering various scan tools and their access to repair information available without having to connect the tool to the car. Last post was about the Harbor Freight ICON T10. This post will cover the AUTEL MaxiSys906 MAX which is also an Android 10 based scan tool. The MAX, because ii is Android 10 allows browser access to various online service information databases via the Quick Link menu in the Autel program. 

New services can be added to the link page as needed for quick access. 

You can also exit the MaxiSys program, which uses the Firefox browser and use the Google Chrome browser to do further information searches. 

I did a brief access of iATN, Identifix and AllData through the Quick Link menu for examples. I could also add the TrueFix link from Harbor Freight if I needed. 

So we have comparable access to repair information through either the ICON T10 or the MaxiSys906MAX, independent of the vehicle. 

Kenny@GGAuto.Repair

Scan Tool Review: Offline Repair Info (2)

 We began with the TOPDON ArtiDiag606S in the first installment of this series covering available repair information on various scan tools. The criteria here is information available without connecting to the vehicle. This time we'll cover the Harbor Freight ICON T10. The T10 uses a Android tablet format and is packaged with the TRUEFIX repair information package. 

Choosing the TRUEFIX option will open a webpage where you can enter the specific vehicle information and after that choose your search terms which in this case will be that same P2646 as we covered in the last installment. 

From there we get repair, location and procedural information related to the code and the variable valve timing system. 

Now in case that isn't enough you have yet another option on the T10 because it is Android tablet based. You can choose the Repair Information tab in the Toolbox menu and have an array of online sources of your choosing. You can even add YouTube cat videos if you like. 

Very impressive. 

 

Next up the Autel MaxiSys MS906MAX

Kenny@GGAuto.Repair

Scantool Review: Offline Repair Info (1)

 Way back in 1998 I got a Snap-on Vantage MT2400 and it changed my life. If you aren't familiar the tool was a hybrid of sorts between a graphing digital multimeter and a lab scope which was definitely useful in and of itself but it was also a portable diagnostic database that upped my game. I never understood why it wasn't the most popular tool Snap-on had. You could carry the Vantage out to any car, even a system you weren't familiar with and in a few minutes know exactly how a particular sensor worked, how to test it and do the tests. Game changer. I still have two of them, as well as the kv modules but the display screens succumbed to age and are no longer legible or I would still find uses for them. 

While that tool was a major innovation in 1998 modern scan tools pack a lot of repair information, even those at the lower end of the spectrum. A TOPDON ArtiDiag600S can be had for less than $200. Let's look at one of those and how it handles providing repair information offline, or with no connection to a vehicle. Very useful for getting familiar with a system before the car is even in the shop and planning a best approach pre-emptively. 

. Very recently had a 2008 Acura MDX in for a P2646 so lets use that. Enter the Library. 

DTC Repair Guide

The manufacturer and code.

Get the code description, repair reports and repair steps. 

You can also look for technical service bulletins but they are listed by system and may have to do some scrolling to find if there is a relevant one vs a more precise search. Next up we'll see how the Harbor Freight ICON T10 handles the same repair, as far as sharing information. 

Kenny@GGAuto.Repair

TPMS Article (link)

 TPMS Diagnostic Surprises Andrew Markel Brake & Front End