After 15 years turning wrenches, I still think a Snap-On scan tool beats an Autel every time for European cars.

Worked on a 2018 BMW 540i last week where the Autel couldn't even pull the transmission codes but the Snap-On Solus picked them up in under 2 minutes, what scanner have you found that actually handles the tricky German stuff right?

2 comments

2 Comments

samthompson9d ago

Drove a 2019 Audi A6 home last month and the Autel kept throwing some generic CAN bus error that meant NOTHING. Swapped over to the old Snap-On Modis I keep in the truck for backup and it instantly showed me a bad ABS module communication fault. People can say whatever they want about Snap-On prices being stupid high but that software just WORKS on the Germans. I swear those Bavarian engineers design their electrical systems to hate cheap scanners on purpose. Autel keeps trying to be everything to everyone and I think they spread themselves too thin on the complex European stuff.

hollyramirez9d ago

Wait, hold on @samthompson, you kept a Snap-On Modis in your truck? Those things are practically antiques at this point. I thought I was the only one still hanging onto old gear like that. I've got a Modis Ultra in the back of my garage that I break out for the same reason - Autel and Launch both give me garbage on older BMWs and Audis. That specific ABS module fault is a nightmare to track down without the right tools.