Thread: Diagnostic Equipment for L322 2002 TD6

All I can say is I've have the IIDTool and I'm very happy with it so far. They all have their + & - which you have to way up. But the guys from GAP Diagnostic give plenty of surport. One even hangs around here. When he's not on Holidays.

Hi Steve

Gary

G'day Peter,

This is like the classic "how long is a piece of string?" question. It really does depend on what you want to do with the unit, how you plan to use it and where you want to use it, and a bunch of other factors as well.

It's kind of difficult to do a side by side comparison of the products for any one person. Partly because of the expense involved in owning all the diagnostic tools, partly the fact that some tools are VIN locked and partly, as above, the intended use.

As Gary points out they all have pluses and minuses.

The IIDTool that Gary has is a great piece of kit. It's a compact unit, uses the message centre in the car, and is quite easy to use. The support is great from all reports. It does however lack some of the function of the other more mature tools. No disrespect meant here as the developers are catching up real quick with more functionality coming out regularly.

The Hawkeye is basically an end-user version of the portable Testbook tools that were previously used by LR guys in the big workshops. It's produced by the guys who produced TestBook. It's a somewhat straightforward tool to use, very functional for most diagnostic situations, reasonably portable and not too hard on the fiscal reserves. It does require special leads to perform some programming and more complex functions.

The Faultmate appears to be the most comprehensive tool available so far, as it covers just about every function on every ECU your car may, or may not, have. It does take some setting up to unlock all of the modules necessary for your car and as such is VIN locked to your car. While the basic interface unit can be used stand alone, you require a laptop to fully exploit the richness of all it's functions. It's the most expensive option but is very comprehensive.

If you just want to check and clear fault codes then all the above tools can do this. If you want to diagnose problems with specific ECUs, reconfigure settings, test actuators, read live data and such then you need to make a list of what you really need, review the specifications and functions of the tools, and select the appropriate tool. There really isn't a one size fits all solution unless you want to go to enormous expense, and probable overkill.

Personally I'd love to own a Faultmate but my budget will only stretch to a Hawkeye or IIDTool.

That's my 2c worth anyway.

Cheers,
Iain

An excellent explenation from Iain.

As stated I have the IIDTool but if money no object would also get the Faultmate from BBS not that Ive found a use for it as yet.

IIDToll stays in the car. The Faultmate would stay home

Gary

I have one of these :http://www.rswsolutions.com/index.ph...=415&Itemid=81 OBD-USB with some simple software run on a pc which I bought from Hard Range, was a bit cheaper when I got mine and for simple stuff like reading a few things and resetting eas etc it was the cheapest non vinlocked thing.

I have gotten my money out of it several times now, and as others have said depends how much you want to delve into the car's mind, what type of problems you wish to troubleshoot, and how much you want to spend.

I have leant the cable and netbook I keep in the car out now to 3 people, and I have used it on my P38 a few times also.

its an option, but its probably too basic for most people.

Oops,

You're right there JSP. Missed that one, and as you say a good though basic tool.

I guess I'm biased as this tool doesn't offer as much for a diesel owner.

Thanks for the reminder.

Cheers,
Iain

OK: I spent a few bucks but I like the quality and functionality. I use it with a 10" netbook and it is very easy to use and enables me to save readouts to the netbook.

Here's my 2 cents worth -

I used to distribute BBS products in Australasia - I still have some hardware and I wouldn't even bother to enable it as I simply lost faith in BBS - they are hopeless with their support and are very consumer unfriendly in their business ethics - that is why they operate out of Cyprus where they can hide from normal consumer protection laws.

I currently operate a couple of RRC, a D2 td5 and a couple L322 RRs (td6 and tdv8). I used to have a P38a.

I currently have a HawkEye and it is by far the simplest to operate. It can be hooked up and working within 5 secs (unlike the BBS products) of taking it out of its packaging after purchase. It never has any communication issues or software lockups or bugs (unlike the BBS products).

I imported it myself from UK at a nice low price.

For a 2005 td6 it requires the basic unit and a red adapter (no special leads etc as mentioned above). It is not VIN locked and not even locked to a particular model variant. eg for D2 it does all MY variations and both td5 and v8. for L322 it does all models from 2002 - 2012.

I sometimes have it running on my lap and can diagnose on the run whilst driving if I need to.

It is fully comprehensive in its ECU range diagnosis capability.

If you have any questions on the HawkEye diagnosis use on the L322 td6 or D2 td5 just ask.

Thanks Daniel, can you please give me the address & cost of where you bought the HawkEye
thanks
Roger