Scantool that reads manufacturer specific codes?

ISambo · 09-19-2007, 12:44 PM

I have been researching different scantools on the market for some time now and have not yet found an answer to this question:

How do you know if a scantool will be able to read manufacturer specific codes (Lexus in my case) in addition to the standard codes common to all vehicles?

I know there are plenty of tools on the market that will read the codes laid by the EPA, but which ones will be able to read all the additional codes that Lexus uses? I have seen a lot of info about the Mongoose from Drew Technologies on this website, but I'm not sure if it will give me access to all the information available through my OBD-II port. I figure that if I am going to spend a decent amount of money on a scantool I would like to purchase one that will give me access to all the available info.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

DarquePervert · 09-19-2007, 01:23 PM

As I understand it, it's nto a matter of the tool's ability to read the codes, but the software's ability to interpret the codes.

Mcnovy · 09-19-2007, 01:53 PM

If you buy the mongoose, I am VERY sure that you will be able to "catch" all the error codes from your vehicle,
the problem will be to find the program that knows about the "secret" error codes...