Is there a cheap tech 2 alternative?

Good morning,

I can't recommend one unfortunately that I can think of. I paid $3,500.00 for my scan tool from Snap-On. I was able to find a Tech 2 on Amazon for $80.00. I have added the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Diagnostic-Scanner-Vehicle-Diagnosis-Multilingual/dp/B07ZTG8RC6/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=tech+2+scan+tool&qid=1676042038&sr=8-5

I am not sure if it is the right one you are looking for but check it out, maybe it will help.

It says Tech 2 but I'm not sure if it's the exact same one you have or at least close to it enough to get you up and running.

Let me know how it goes. In the meantime, I will look around for you and see what I can come up with.

I don't know or am I affiliated with the seller. So, make sure to read the description and return policy carefully.

The only other thing you could do is to call the dealer and make a service appointment for them to flash the BCM and program the key fobs. I used to run the wholesale division at the last dealership I worked at. Garages would install parts and then have the vehicle towed there and programed and be done within an hour or so. Not the cheapest option but at least it will be done.

Hope this helps!

Thanks,
Brendon

Hi guys. I have to stick my nose in here. Brendon, if you're referring to a Snapon Solus Edge, my friend has one and I liked using it. I have older Chrysler DRB2s and a DRB3 for all of my older cars, but I needed something newer for my 2014 Ram and Caravan. I found my Snapon on eBay from a fellow in Il who always had a few listed as having the latest updates. Mine was updated through 2018, and that's all I'll ever need for a long time. I just looked and didn't find his username, but there are others at pretty good prices.

JPM93, I have a few comments of value to share. First, given the other problems, try your scanner on a different vehicle first. We read quite often about the 12 volt supply terminal being dead in the diagnostic connector, then the scanner never turns on or communicates.

If you do need a new Tech2, as Brendon eluded to, there used to be a bunch of them listed on eBay as "new", for $300.00. I suspect those were excess inventory from the scanner manufacturer. That's how I got my Chrysler DRB3.

The Tech2 was GM's dealer-level scanner just as the DRB3 was Chrysler's. One difference is the DRB3 will do emissions-related stuff on any brand of car or light truck sold in the U.S. starting with '96 models, so a lot of independent shops bought them. They went obsolete on 2004 Dakotas and Durangos, and on the last few 2008 Jeep models, so now you can find those for sale by shop owners wanting to upgrade. They won't access all the other computers on anything other than Chrysler products.

The huge problem with the Snapon scanners is they are very proud of their annual updates, and charge accordingly for them, but that can work to your advantage. My friend pays around $1000.00 per year for the updates, and they designed it so you can't skip any years. For example, mine is updated through 2018. If I want to bring it up to date now, I have to buy the 2019 update for $1000.00 before I can buy the 2020 update, . . . for $1000.00, then I can buy the 2021 update, for, guess how much? $1000.00, then another $1000.00 for the 2022 update. I only paid $1800.00 for the scanner in 2018. Instead of wasting $4000.00 to $5000.00 for all the updates, it's a much better value to just buy a used one again and resell mine. On top of that, if you buy a brand new model, you have to pay extra for Asian import coverage, and extra again for European coverage. One of those includes Harley Davidson. All of that was included with my used model.

The point is, once these get to be a few years out of date, for car owners like me, there's no need to keep buying the updates, but for shop owners, they must keep on buying them if they want to be able to work on the newest vehicles. Many of them have multiple scanners and they just keep one updated. When others get too far out of date, it's less expensive to buy a new scanner than it would be to buy all the updates. Those out-of-date models are the ones you'll find on eBay. I just saw one there for a little over $500.00.

As a point of interest, I was just talking with a fellow from O'Reilly's, and he tells me one brand they offer uses the same software that Snapon uses, but at a much lower cost and very much lower cost of updates. Haven't looked into that further, but it's something to consider. He mentioned Bosch and one other brand. Can't remember which one is supposed to be the same as the Snapon version.

Depending on your future needs, one of our other experts was recently telling us about a new scanner he bought made by Autel. You can find them at Harbor Freight Tools, among other places. I've never used one, but I have heard a lot of good things about them and their capabilities. One thing that's available now is the ability to program key fobs.

If you're never going to use this on anything newer than what you're working on now, consider an old Snapon "red brick". That's model MT2500. They used to be real popular, but they require two plug-in cartridges. I don't know if they work on OBD2 cars, but I'm sure they never worked on vehicles with the newer Can Buss system. I don't know which years GM switched over to that computer language.

You'll find a lot of other scanners on eBay. At least one I observed in a store can be updated over the internet, and the first two updates were included at no extra charge. Plus, it looked like you could wait three or four years to get the first update, and that would include all the missing years at once. If I have that right, that could keep it current for eight to ten years before you have to pay for one.

Others may weigh in with their favorites too. If I have to do this over in the future, I think my choice would lean toward an Autel model.