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.

MUCAR is a seller of OBD2 scanner tools that allow you to scan, research, and clear codes. They also offer additional diagnostics software you can download to the scan tool. I received this device, the MUCAR CDE900 Pro from MUCAR in exchange for a review. So, I will do my best to talk about my experience with the device so far, both good and bad.

A couple months ago, I did a review on MUCAR’s JS501 2-in-1 Jump Starter/OBD2 Scan Tool. I found it to be a useful tool that comes in really helpful when you need to check for engine trouble codes or if you need to jump start a dead battery. MUCAR supplied me with their more powerful JS502 Jump Starter with OBD2 Scanner, which is essentially the same unit but with a higher capacity battery and more powerful jump starter for bigger engines.

This is the first 2-in-1 portable jump starter and OBD2 scan tool that I’ve seen. I never really thought about this being a thing, but it does seem like a pretty good idea–especially for those of us who like to maintain our own cars. The MUCAR JS501 is such a device that provides you with emergency jump starting with the functionality of a code reader when you need it. This tool was provided to me for review for this post.

The MUCAR CDE900 OBD2 Scanner is a nice step-up from your basic code reader if you’re looking for one with a nice touchscreen and options for analytics. For the $50, it’s a good price for an OBD2 code reader. Personally, I wouldn’t fork out the additional $40 for the extra data you can pull from your vehicle unless you truly needed it. I didn’t find the special functions from the add-on particularly useful, but it’s something you might need if you’re trying to diagnose something wrong on your vehicle.

TOPDON is a popular brand offering a wide range of these more-capable scan tools depending on your specific specialized needs. TOPDON sent me this unit called the AD600S (a.k.a. ArtiDiag600S) for review, which is advertised to have 8 reset services and 4 system diagnostics. Depending on what you need a diagnostic tool for, you should take close look at the capabilities of the specific unit you’re looking at, as they have many different models with differing features.