SingPad U480 CAN-Bus OBDII Car Diagnostic Scanner MaxiScan Universal Can-Bus Obd2 Engine Scanner/Code ReaderTool for OBDII Vehicles

Bought to read codes for '99 Honda Odyssey and '06 VW Jetta.Read all reviews before purchase, so I was aware of what I was buying.Scanned Honda codes no problem.Linked to VW on most of the sub-menus and pulled 4 codes. Problem is these don't relate to Bentley or Ross Tech codes. Searched online and found a list of generic codes, but none of these applied either.As a generic reader it works very well, is easy to use with an easy to read screen. Codes need to be written down and researched, or have your internet device with you.Maybe it will work on some of the earlier model VW's, I don't know, but if you are buying solely for VAG I would look elsewhere.All the forums say Ross Tech, so this will be my next purchase.

My 2003 VW New Beetle's airbag light on the instrument cluster lit up to indicate a malfunction somewhere in the system, so I took it to my local VW dealership's service department to have them diagnose the issue. I was told the driver's-side seatbelt receptacle had developed a fault, which is apparently a rather common problem with that model of VW. I was charged $65 for the diagnosis and was told that I wouldn't get much change from four one-hundred-dollar bills to get the problem fixed, which is where the HotMax scanner comes into the story.I purchased a new OEM belt receptacle from a popular internet auction site for about half of what the dealer was asking. During my research I read on an online forum that one has to use a VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) scanner to turn off the dash light once I'd replaced the defective part- the light will not turn itself off without a VW scanner/code reader even after you've got the new part correctly installed. I have an Auto X-Ray scanner already, but it unfortunately won't turn off airbag lights on this or any other car, so I hopped onto Amazon.com to find a reasonably-priced VW-compatible code reader and came across this item.The tool arrived within a couple of days and was well-packaged. It seems to be rather stout in construction and features a large backlit screen. Unfortunately the tool is not waterproof, which really shouldn't be much of an issue for most users. The tool also comes with a nice zippered nylon-like storage bag, which should give sufficient protection should you wish to store the tool in your trunk or beneath a seat. The accompanying manual is far from comprehensive, but it will give you a brief outline on how to use the tool, warnings, etc.Replacing the belt receptacle on my car requires removing the driver's seat (I'd outline it here but there are several excellent threads on internet forums outlining the procedure.) The whole process took less than an hour; I then had to use my newly-arrived tool to turn off the dash light.Of course you should read the Hot MaxScan's owners' manual before use, but in a nutshell all you have to do is ensure the ignition key is in the OFF position, plug the wiring harness into the reader, insert the other end of the harness into the plug below the knee bolster (on my car it's purple in color- no panels need to be removed to access it. Just use a flashlight above the pedals and you'll find it. The harness only fits one way, so it's foolproof and you needn't worry about hurting anything.)The tool is powered from your car's diagnostic plug- no batteries are needed.Once plugged in, your tool's screen will light up with VW and Audi emblems. Turn the ignition key to the ON position (don't start the engine- just turn the key until the warning lights illuminate.) On your tools screen, scroll down the options to 'Airbag,' and hit the 'Y' button to read the car's error code. When I did it the tool provided me with the error code but for some reason didn't have the code's description in its database. I looked up the code on an online forum and confirmed it was indeed the problem the dealer informed me it was.To turn off the dash's airbag light, simply follow the directions on the tool's screen to erase the car's stored error code. It's very intuitive, which is a good thing because the manual is a little sketchy on this procedure. Once you get the confirmation that it's cleared, you just need to press any button to return to, for lack of a better term, the tools home page. Next, turn the ignition key back to OFF, and unplug the tool from beneath the knee bolster, grab a beverage of your choice and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.The other options (eg- oil/service lights, emissions codes, etc) appeared to be similar in operation to the airbag option- simply a series of drop-down menus. If you can use a mobile phone, you can use this tool.Best of all, between the price of this code reader and the self-replaced seatbelt part, I'm only out-of-pocket a grand total of $115, a far cry from the nearly $400 that I would have paid had I taken the Beetle to the VW dealership for this repair.Of course I've only used this tool once, but it has already paid for itself. It was very easy to use, seems rugged enough for its intended purpose, comes with a nice pouch, and is reasonably priced. Better yet, the box the tool came in states it will read error codes on OBD II and EOBD (European Onboard Diagnostics) vehicles as well as several other types of automotive computer-controlled systems, so I can foresee using this tool on my family's and friends' cars when trouble inevitably arises.Many thanks for reading my review, and best of luck with your automotive repairs. Happy motoring!

It worked for only a few uses and then on the last day it flickered and the next day it did not turn on at all.I am generously giving this 3 stars even though I got sent a lemon and I will explain why:The reason for the generous 3 stars is it did what I expected "when it worked", it could clear code for the malfunction light and check readiness for Smog check.It will give the option to read VAG codes and the OBD2. it just will not know the actual definitions for them. It would tell you an error code but no definition found so you had to look up the codes on the internet to find out what it meant.It was a basic handy device but again, unfortunately, this device did not work for very long. It died only after a few uses.But thankfully because I purchased it on Amazon and notified the company about the device not working anymore they gave me a full refund. So thankfully I got a refund for this lemon.So it is up to you if you want to try this with the chance of it just dying after a few uses.

Works great for my Audi A6 2.7t. Two things I don't like: 1) I can't update the software so it tells me what the codes mean. I have to constantly look it up by jotting the codes in my phone, (or taking video/pictures), and then going inside to look them up on my computer. 2) It doesn't do more in depth Audi code reading, like programming certain features. It would have been nice to have this have a small amount of memory, or the ability to hook it up to a computer at the same time as the car (like a laptop). But for the money, I like it, and it also works on other cars, not just Audi/VW.