After buying car / make specific OBD2 tools like VAG-COM and BMW Diag I'm after a more generic OBD2 fault code reader (clearly for the tin tops!).

E.g. my girlfriends Peugeot is playing up slightly and it would be handy for this.

Plus I change my car quite often and its costing lots keep buying car specific readers.

Sooo anyone got experience of the ELM327 type generic interfaces used with free software? Cost about £40 ish on eBay.

Are they any good?

Any other alternatives I should look at?

Ditto I've been trying to work this one out for a while. Some of it seems too good to be true.
I'd be vry interested in any info anyone can post as well.

I have both an older Elm323 and a hand held U480 code reader link http://stores.ebay.com/alpha-bid

I found Alpha bid very good to deal with.

If you have a laptop Elm scan is the way to go because it will give you live data & freeze frame as well as fault codes however OBD2/EOBD can use different protocols.

Most European and Asian manufacturers (including post 2001/2003 BMW and VW) use the ISO protocol.
However Ford & GM groups each thier own protocol.
The U480 reads most protocols including the recently introduced CAN bus which is being used on a lot of models,

Universal EOBD/OBD2 laptop software tools won't do much more than read and clear codes and read live data.

Most hand held reader won't read live data --- but this is a fast changing market place... see the U581 on alphabid.


The Gendan diagnostics web site is a good source of info but the prices are much higher than Aplhabid



[Edited on 14/2/08 by britishtrident]