The Hidden Cost of Cheap Scan Tools: What Buyers’re Really Paying for in the Long Run
Walk into any parts store and there’s a shelf full of code readers. Most cost under $100. The box says it reads check engine lights and works on all cars. For someone doing basic repairs, that might seem like enough. But after a few months in a real garage—or even a well-equipped home shop—that tool starts showing its limits. You see a generic code like P0442. Nothing else. No data. No test. No direction. You replace a gas cap, then a purge valve. Still the same code. That’s the kind of guessing that drains time and wastes...