Please recommend a good scanner for Bulbasor

[BULBASOR]

Bulbasor is a 2004 T1N - can you guys recomend a good scanner I should get? (I already have a scan guage - I was looking for somthing that could do more and diagnose more stuff and just help me keep Bulbasor healthy.

 

[Cheyenne]

Have you read through the 'Scanners' sub-forum?

Scanners

sprinter-source.com

Keith.

 

[BULBASOR]

Yeah - I just did some searching and it appears that the guys here on the site are using the scan gauge just like me AND the guys that have the tools and stuff seem to prefer the iCarsoft MBII - so I decided I would buy one of those - Do you think I made a good choice?

 

[autostaretx]

Many of us have spent $69 (or less) on an Autel AP200 ... it's a blue tooth dongle that uses a smartphone as its screen and "buttons" ... the software is very similar to the far more pricey Autel 802.
There are a couple of threads about it in the Scanner section.
I have a DAD, the AP 200 and a ScanGauge (model 1). I'd rate the AP200 very close to the DAD's diagnostic capabilities.
What it *doesn't* do is *control* the Sprinter like a DAD or full dealer tool can.

Next up after the Autel devices is/are the "C3 Clones" ... MB laptop software and cable set to the OBD socket. Pretty much requires a dedicated older laptop (IBM ThinkPad), and the vendor packages frequently offer the laptop, too.

--dick

 

[Nautamaran]

What Dick said...

One caution with the AP200 is that the app requires a data connection to the internet so it can phone home and validate your subscription with Autel (even though your first Benz-sprinter subscription is lifetime...)
This likely isn’t a problem if you’re in a workshop on WiFi, but may become a problem if you’re off grid somewhere.

-dave

 

[hulagun]

I was an early adopter of the Android Torque app and find it more helpful than not, especially for free. I just ordered an Aural AP200 and used the points on my AmEx card to drop the cost under $50. I get the data connection issue but am off grid so seldom that I figured "why not? cheap thrills". If I have good success with the AP200 I can always upgrade to something more sophisticated later.

 

[220629]

I was an early adopter of the Android Torque app and find it more helpful than not, especially for free. I just ordered an Aural AP200 and used the points on my AmEx card to drop the cost under $50. I get the data connection issue but am off grid so seldom that I figured "why not? cheap thrills". If I have good success with the AP200 I can always upgrade to something more sophisticated later.

Everyone has different needs.

I've seen the iCarsoft MBII for around 120 bucks. It is stand alone. The AP200 has more features, but the iCarsoft MBII has what is needed to help get you back up and rambling down the highway. Eg. - It can clear the TCM 2nd gear LHM symptom.

It was pointed out in another thread that the Apple devices have been known to clear/delete the Autel AP200 app/program if the iCloud storage gets low. It can take a while to upload the Autel app/program again.

I have no real data plan with my cell service. I do carry a stand alone scan tool and the AP200 when traveling FWIW.

vic

 

[rv-sprinter]

One caution with the AP200 is that the app requires a data connection to the internet so it can phone home and validate your subscription with Autel (even though your first Benz-sprinter subscription is lifetime...)
This likely isn’t a problem if you’re in a workshop on WiFi, but may become a problem if you’re off grid somewhere.

-dave

Just to confirm, "the app requires a data connection to the internet" . . . is this just when downloading the Benz-sprinter subscription initially or any time you want to use the AP200?

Thanks!

 

[Nautamaran]

Just to confirm, "the app requires a data connection to the internet" . . . is this just when downloading the Benz-sprinter subscription initially or any time you want to use the AP200?

Thanks!

The (infinite) “subscription” to the Benz-Sprinter module requires a login every time you restart the app, and so needs a data connection to be able to contact the Autel server... it would be great if these infinite subscriptions would cache the authentication and just “work” but that doesn’t appear to be how they designed the infrastructure?

If someone has a workaround I’m all ears...

-dave

 

[rv-sprinter]

The (infinite) “subscription” to the Benz-Sprinter module requires a login every time you restart the app, and so needs a data connection to be able to contact the Autel server... it would be great if these infinite subscriptions would cache the authentication and just “work” but that doesn’t appear to be how they designed the infrastructure?

If someone has a workaround I’m all ears...

-dave

I have very few apps and never leave any apps running on my phone after I use them. I bought an MD808 Pro about 6 months ago because I wasn't sure about the AP200 login requirements. Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I wonder how often the AP200 calls home to mother China?

 

[Nautamaran]

For its convenience the AP200 is my go-to tool at home, but I carry my older MD802 in the back of the van just in case my iPhone feels the need to dump the 1.67 Gigabyte ( ) footprint up into the cloud...
-dave