TOPDON ArtiDiag Pro Scan Tool: Amazon
I picked up a MK1 Audi TT earleir this year and although it starts and drives, I know that there are probably a bunch of issues plaguing the vehicle. The first issue that is most noticeable is that when I start it up, it sounds like a jet engine is roaring from the engine bay.
Because my project car also has the infamous pixelated instrument cluster, I can’t exactly tell what the issues are. So I thought this would be an opportune time to try out TOPDON’s ArtiDiag Pro, a diagnostic tool that not only can give me insight into the trouble codes my vehicle has, but also allow me to do any other kind of diagnostics I need to. For this review, TOPDON supplied this scan tool for me to test and offer my honest opinion on.
The first thing you’ll notice upon unboxing, is that the ArtiDiag Pro comes with a sturdy carrying case. Inside, you’ll find the unit, which is also pretty solid itself. On the lid, there is a locking storage section where you can keep your connecting cable and other goodies.
To connect to your vehicle, you have a connecting cable that connects between the scan tool and your vehicle’s OBDII port. The cable feels very durable and looks like it will stand up to many years of use.
The ArtiDiag Pro measures about 9.5 inches wide, almost 5 inches high, and 1.5 inches thick. It’s actually quite light, but feels very durable. The screen is a 10.1 inch screen, so it’s plenty large. The screen has a bit of glare when using it outdoors. In fact, as soon as you get it, you need to change the screen brightness immediately to the highest setting as you can’t see very well right out of the box.
With the highest brightness setting, the viewability is okay. If you’re in the shade or in your garage, the screen is bright and easy to read. When you hold the tool in your hand, it feels sturdy and just a great overall size to hold when working on your car.
As with any wireless scan tool, you should set up with WiFi and download all modules that you need. The ArtiDiag Pro features 35 maintenance service functions and other special functions for more than a hundred makes and models. When you buy the Artidiag Pro, it comes with 2 years of free updates. After that, it costs $249 per year. Keep this in mind if you plan to keep this unit for a long time and also plan to keep up with all the software updates in the future. There are other brands that offer free lifetime updates, but it’s usually with lesser known brands that do not offer scanners that work as well as TOPDON ones.
If you’re looking for a scan tool that only read diagnostic trouble codes, you can probably get a cheaper and simpler unit that will do that and reset codes. If you want more information and capabilities, the ArtiDiag Prod does it. After pulling the codes on my Audi, I found a bunch that I didn’t know I had.
If you wish, you can directly look up the trouble codes. Another option that I prefer is to send the diagnostic report to my email so I can research and look up later on my computer. Since it is connected to the internet, you can email it right away to yourself to look into later.
As I research and address each of these trouble codes, I can go back in and reset the codes to see if it clears properly. It’s going to be a long journey ahead to take care of each one of the issues that have come up on my car, but I’m glad to have this handy tool available.
The ArtiDiag Pro has a ton of other functions should you need it. As you saw earlier with the crazy amount of trouble codes I had, I will certainly be needing some of the modules in the future as I diagnose these issues.
In the time that I’ve been using the TOPDON ArtiDiag Pro, I’ve only encountered two things that did not work for me. One, is one issue that I’ve had across many of TOPDON’s scan tools is that the Auto-Detect function for the VIN number just never seems to work. It runs for a while and cannot detect the VIN number on my car. The second issue is when there is a button on the edge of the screen (such as the back button in the upper left corner), it doesn’t detect my touch and I have to press several times before I get it in just the right spot to register.
Besides those small annoyances, I’ve found the ArtiDiag Pro to be highly capable for diagnosing issues on your car. If you plan on getting it, keep in mind that TOPDON continuously changes their product design so what you get may not be exactly what is pictured on this post. For example, others who have bought this product on Amazon have a carrying case that looks different from mine.
Another change that is occuring as of the writing of this post is their transition from an older version to a newer version with improvements to the CPU, operating system, storage, network capability, functions. Even the size is changing. According to TOPDON, if you want the newer version, make sure you check with the seller that you are getting the newer version. Finally, be sure to check out TOPDON’s Black Friday 2024 deals starting November 22nd and running until the end of the year!
TOPDON ArtiDiag Pro Scan Tool: Amazon
