You're driving a Subaru Outback to get you out and on an adventure, not for weekend wrenching, but that doesn't make you immune to the check engine light. The little icon on the dash that means one thing: Something is wrong under your hood. Or with your gas tank. Or with one of a hundred other vehicle sensors. There are two things you can do to find out what the problem is: Go to your dealer and spend an hour's labor to find out or get your own check engine scanner and figure out the problem on your own.
An OBDII scanner - named for the On Board Diagnostic II protocol used on every vehicle in the U.S. since 1996 - taps into the secret computer network in your Subaru. Every bit of information from air intake temperature to water pump action is sent along that network for the ECU to figure out and adjust as needed.
The right scanner can read all of that data along with standardized Diagnostic Trouble Codes. The codes that set off your check engine light. The best scanners can go beyond standardized codes to read OEM-specific codes and give you even more information. That, of course, costs more money. That’s why we asked the SubaruOutback.org community to tell us what OBDII scanners are worth investing in. We’ve highlighted some of your choices below.
Lead photo courtesy of LightFoot Studios/Shutterstock
1. SubaruOutback.org Favorite: OBDLink
OBDLink offers a wide range of scan tools, some of which were recommended by you. We like the MX+, which offers a very fast Bluetooth radio to help you get realtime live data from your engine's computer systems. While it requires you to use your phone or a tablet, OBDLink offers a free app. More importantly, it has apps for Apple's iOS as well as Android and Windows. Many low-priced Bluetooth scanners can only talk with Android devices and won't work with your iPhone or iPad. It works with all OBDII-compatible vehicles including your Outback, and can give you basic and manufacturer-specific codes. It also offers a three-year warranty and is safe to leave plugged into your vehicle at all times.
ScanGauge II is more than just a diagnostic tool, it's also an add-on gauge pod for your Outback. It works on all OBDII cars, so 1996 and newer, and like the rest of these scanners it will give you diagnostic information including showing and clearing trouble codes including both active and pending codes. But what it offers that the rest don't is the ability to show multiple trip computers, performance monitors, and other gauges on a convenient small screen. The backlit display can show you RPM and speed. It can also tell you intake air temperatures, fuel pressure, ignition timing, water temperature, and more. Or to help you save fuel, you can see your instantaneous fuel consumption reading, average fuel economy, and even display a cost per mile based on your last tank of fuel. More vehicle-specific gauges are available, so there's a boost gauge on tap if you want to see fun data like that.
The Innova 5610 will handle basic and manufacturer-specific troublecodes like most of our list. Because that's really the bare minimum you need from one of these scanners. The 5610 has a large color screen that makes reading data and trouble codes easy, along with the ability to watch graphs of what your Subaru is doing. It scan nearly every module of your Outback, even tire pressure sensors. What makes it a step above, though, is that it can handle bidirectional control of modules and sensors. So just like a dealer tech, you can disable a module for testing, or even command a module like an EGR valve to open and close to help test its functionality when you're diagnosing and solving problems. It's advanced stuff, but for the more advanced home wrench, it can be extremely helpful.
BlueDriver Pro is another highly recommended scan tool. Like all of the scanners on our list, it can read, identify, and clear all standard OBDII trouble codes. It goes beyond that and can give you freeze frame data, a look at exactly what was happening when the trouble code was triggered. It can show you live data to let you see what every sensor is saying right now. It can also let you know if your vehicle is ready for a smog or emissions test inspection. Resetting codes makes the vehicle not ready to be tested, and it can be impossible to guess when it's completed all of the internal tests to know it's ready again. Another great feature is that it can give you a repair report for each trouble code. This report lets you know likely causes, fixes reported by other owners, and other information that helps you lock down the problem.
Autel makes professional-level diagnostic computer systems. Watch any YouTube mechanic show, and this is probably the system you'll see in use. While the company makes very high-end systems, it also makes some that are much more accessible for the average DIY mechanic. That includes stand-alone tools, handy if you don't want to deal with Bluetooth or wireless phone connections and apps, and instead just want to plug and know. Its MaxiSys models can do nearly anything the factory computer can do, even reprogram advanced driver assistance systems, but that comes at a cost. For a more DIY-friendly option, we like the AL329. It has a color screen with an easy-to-read display. The 329 can retrieve generic and manufacturer-specific codes, see emissions status, and view freeze-frame data. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles, but it gets the basics done to help you get your Subaru running right at a very affordable price.
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What is the Best Subaru Outback OBD2 Scanner for the Home Mechanic?
You're driving a Subaru Outback to get you out and on an adventure, not for weekend wrenching, but that doesn't make you immune to the check engine light. The little icon on the dash that means one thing: Something is wrong under your hood. Or with your gas tank. Or with one of a hundred other vehicle sensors. There are two things you can do to find out what the problem is: Go to your dealer and spend an hour's labor to find out or get your own check engine scanner and figure out the problem on your own.
An OBDII scanner - named for the On Board Diagnostic II protocol used on every vehicle in the U.S. since 1996 - taps into the secret computer network in your Subaru. Every bit of information from air intake temperature to water pump action is sent along that network for the ECU to figure out and adjust as needed.
The right scanner can read all of that data along with standardized Diagnostic Trouble Codes. The codes that set off your check engine light. The best scanners can go beyond standardized codes to read OEM-specific codes and give you even more information. That, of course, costs more money. That’s why we asked the SubaruOutback.org community to tell us what OBDII scanners are worth investing in. We’ve highlighted some of your choices below.
Lead photo courtesy of LightFoot Studios/Shutterstock
1. SubaruOutback.org Favorite: OBDLink
OBDLink offers a wide range of scan tools, some of which were recommended by you. We like the MX+, which offers a very fast Bluetooth radio to help you get realtime live data from your engine's computer systems. While it requires you to use your phone or a tablet, OBDLink offers a free app. More importantly, it has apps for Apple's iOS as well as Android and Windows. Many low-priced Bluetooth scanners can only talk with Android devices and won't work with your iPhone or iPad. It works with all OBDII-compatible vehicles including your Outback, and can give you basic and manufacturer-specific codes. It also offers a three-year warranty and is safe to leave plugged into your vehicle at all times.
ScanGauge II is more than just a diagnostic tool, it's also an add-on gauge pod for your Outback. It works on all OBDII cars, so 1996 and newer, and like the rest of these scanners it will give you diagnostic information including showing and clearing trouble codes including both active and pending codes. But what it offers that the rest don't is the ability to show multiple trip computers, performance monitors, and other gauges on a convenient small screen. The backlit display can show you RPM and speed. It can also tell you intake air temperatures, fuel pressure, ignition timing, water temperature, and more. Or to help you save fuel, you can see your instantaneous fuel consumption reading, average fuel economy, and even display a cost per mile based on your last tank of fuel. More vehicle-specific gauges are available, so there's a boost gauge on tap if you want to see fun data like that.
The Innova 5610 will handle basic and manufacturer-specific troublecodes like most of our list. Because that's really the bare minimum you need from one of these scanners. The 5610 has a large color screen that makes reading data and trouble codes easy, along with the ability to watch graphs of what your Subaru is doing. It scan nearly every module of your Outback, even tire pressure sensors. What makes it a step above, though, is that it can handle bidirectional control of modules and sensors. So just like a dealer tech, you can disable a module for testing, or even command a module like an EGR valve to open and close to help test its functionality when you're diagnosing and solving problems. It's advanced stuff, but for the more advanced home wrench, it can be extremely helpful.
BlueDriver Pro is another highly recommended scan tool. Like all of the scanners on our list, it can read, identify, and clear all standard OBDII trouble codes. It goes beyond that and can give you freeze frame data, a look at exactly what was happening when the trouble code was triggered. It can show you live data to let you see what every sensor is saying right now. It can also let you know if your vehicle is ready for a smog or emissions test inspection. Resetting codes makes the vehicle not ready to be tested, and it can be impossible to guess when it's completed all of the internal tests to know it's ready again. Another great feature is that it can give you a repair report for each trouble code. This report lets you know likely causes, fixes reported by other owners, and other information that helps you lock down the problem.
Autel makes professional-level diagnostic computer systems. Watch any YouTube mechanic show, and this is probably the system you'll see in use. While the company makes very high-end systems, it also makes some that are much more accessible for the average DIY mechanic. That includes stand-alone tools, handy if you don't want to deal with Bluetooth or wireless phone connections and apps, and instead just want to plug and know. Its MaxiSys models can do nearly anything the factory computer can do, even reprogram advanced driver assistance systems, but that comes at a cost. For a more DIY-friendly option, we like the AL329. It has a color screen with an easy-to-read display. The 329 can retrieve generic and manufacturer-specific codes, see emissions status, and view freeze-frame data. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles, but it gets the basics done to help you get your Subaru running right at a very affordable price.
We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.
I use TouchScan from OCTech with the Professional Package on a Windows 10 laptop. I can retrieve a wealth of information, including live data while operating, and display in graph form with multiple sensor readings. Excellent for troubleshooting. Personally, I use if for my 2011 Legacy and 2019 Outback, as well as other vehicles belonging to family & friends. family & friends. The laptop stores the accumulated information until I connect to my NAS (Network Access Server), where copies are downloaded.
This is the opposite of what you are asking for, but I think it is probably relevant:
I have a 2016 Forester that has reached that point in its life where I need to be able to run diagnostics to keep it on the road. Alas, none of the software/interfaces I have tried will connect to the car.
I have an old ElmScan that has worked with all of my other OBD-II Soobies (pre ~2007). Not on the Forry.
I have a KKL VAG-COM 409 interface that came with a bootleg, probably Chinese, copy of SSM3, and SSM4. SSM4 wants a registration code, but SSM3 will install, and run. However I have never been able to get the interface to work. Tried on XP, Win10, and a Win7 "Bootcamp" on a MacbookPro. Appears to be a driver issue? (with Bootcamp; who knows what? Mac hardware is special)
I have a VCI 2534 (?) interface that works 100% bi-directional on an XP laptop running "Techstream" TIS-7 connecting to my 2010 Tundra. (A life-saver it has been, too.) The same interface is supposed to work with with FreeSSM, but I haven't been able to get it to do so on XP, or Win10. I may try with a Linux box the next time I am in the mood for frustration.
Simply reading/clearing DTCs don't cut it any more. For a diagnostic tool to be useful on any newer car, it has to be bi-directional. It needs to be able to program TPMS sensor IDs for you to even rotate your tires, fer cryin' out loud. It needs to be able to program keys/key-fobs to work with the Immobilizer. It needs to be able to exercise any of the hoards of actuators in these cars, from the idle control, to the VVT, to the fuel pressure, to the stinkin' door locks.
I would even consider spending $1K+ for a capable device, but before putting that much cash on the line, I would need to know that it was fully functional for both Subaru, and Toyota, and that it would continue to work w/o having to purchase $999 software upgrades every year.
And then there is my wife's new '22 OB. It doesn't appear to even have an OBD connector. Connect via Bluetooth, maybe? In my case, it doesn't matter, 'cause the car has a Gold+ extended warranty, so I don't have to worry about that one, but others might need the connectivity.
And I guess I don't have to tell you what Subaru can do with their $$$$ SSM . . .
To sort out what the best scanners are, we figured we should poll the SubaruOutback.org audience. Once we get some replies, we will follow up here and update the original post so the community can use this is an OBD2 scanner resource going forward.
I would think:
$ 5 Torque Pro for Android plus a $15 dongle, and $100 BlueDriver for Android / Apple will come up, and the rom-raider freeware community as this is a subaru forum.
I would think:
$ 5 Torque Pro for Android plus a $15 dongle, and $100 BlueDriver for Android / Apple will come up, and the rom-raider freeware community as this is a subaru forum.
Oh, yeah; a Web search turned up plenty of hits, but sorting Wheat from Chaff was a daunting task. Just FWIW, the "Forum" search is not real useful, either.
Um, that "Bluedriver" thing doesn't appear to be bi-directional. Read codes and clear them . . . Better than nothing, but not much.
(edit) Thinkscan doesn't look too promising, either; theres an awful lot of BS pseudu-info sales hype there, but not much real performance data.
I find this on many scan/diagnostic tool offerings. "Chaff" dude
Oh, yeah; a Web search turned up plenty of hits, but sorting Wheat from Chaff was a daunting task. Just FWIW, the "Forum" search is not real useful, either.
Um, that "Bluedriver" thing doesn't appear to be bi-directional. Read codes and clear them . . . Better than nothing, but not much.
(edit) Thinkscan doesn't look too promising, either; theres an awful lot of BS pseudu-info sales hype there, but not much real performance data.
I find this on many scan/diagnostic tool offerings. "Chaff" dude
I think for true bi directional you need to find a tuner and ask. You’re talking at least a few k. I know one shop paid 14k for theirs, and I’ve heard minimum 6k. Good luck sir
Found one compatible with your Forrester 2.5 I believe Subaru Tuning Software – HPTuners. I’d give them a call I bet if they can’t do it themselves for compatibility purposes they can point you in the right direction at least please keep us posted
Hi Again.
Ooh; sorry you're under the weather. A friend of ours just spent most of a week in bed with that plague, but she is feeling better now and back to doin'.
Yeah, I saw that tool on Amazon. If you look, they have another one right next to it for $500. Says "bi-directional", and appears to have the same specifications. What's the difference? "Shrug." Autel also has tools in the $1K-$1.5K range, again, it's hard to tell what you are getting for your money.
Another diagnostic tool in the <$1K range I looked at has a similar set of claims to the Ancel you linked, but when you actually looked a little deeper, the bi-directional support varied with make and model, and for any Toyota, it had very limited capabilities.
FreeSSM is, well, Free, but I haven't been able to get it to work for me. Might just be that it doesn't support cars newer than 2010? No Data. Romraider isn't aimed at mechanics, but rather for tuners who want to alter boost curves and fuel maps, etc. It didn't appear to have much, if anything in the way of diagnostics. Might not support a newer car, either; the pre-compiled vehicle "definitions" available didn't have any newer cars listed.
But that's the sort of nfo I was hoping to see in this thread. Someone with actual hands on experience with one. And sorry, but I can put only limited confidence in Amazons product ratings.
I like the '16 Forry. I can live with the TPMS warning light, and I already have a solution in hand for measuring transmission fluid temperature so I can proceed with a fluid change. But for any sort of DTC involving the engine or fuel systems, repair becomes a "witch hunt", and I'm simply disinclined to go there. I'll part the damned thing out first
Lotsa miles left on my 1st gen OB, and I have a ton of spares for it, including a complete low miles engine. (I had a tranny, too, but it disappeared during a recent move, darn it.) No need for a "special" diagnostic tool on that car. It's my off-road vehicle and dog-hauler, but it's fine with goin' down the highway. If you don't mind 65-70MPH.
Maybe call one of those tuners and ask them they might have some pointers for you or at least know which device you can use I’m sure they deal with DIYers all the time. Good luck to you bro
After a ridiculous amount of time on-line, I have narrowed my search to one device/provider. Chinese, no surprise there.
In theory, it will run SSM3, SSM4, and Techstream (hacked, obviously). Cost with shipping was just under $400, should work fine on my Lenovo Win10 laptop.
I have already dusted off the laptop, updated the OS, DL'd the SSM package, and verified that it will install. I will grab their "newest" TIS release before the shipment arrives. (Coming from the UK.)
I'm not gonna pass along any more info until I have the thing in my hot little hands, and verify that it all works as promised, but at that point, I'll check back in here with item specifics. Wish me luck . . .
Hi All
As promised, I'm back.
So I have a working bi-directional scan/diagnostic tool, but with caveats.
The device is a VXDIAG ("VCX DoIP" model, made by Allscanner, a Chinese company.), and it was purchased from obdii365.com, also Chinese. I purchased a Toyota "license" for it as well. Total damage, including shipping from China, was just under $400. But read on:
It works on Subaru with a hacked copy of SSM3/SSM4. The SSM "Patch" provided doesn't appear to work with Win10; I'm waiting for a Win7 install disk, and will try that. I like Win7 way better than Win10 in any event.
But the soon-to-expire "provisional" copy of SSM4 will connect to my 2016 Forester, and it is bi-directional; the only thing I have done so far is activate the horn, and work the door locks, but for that to happen, it has to be talking to the cars CANBUS, and working is working. SSM4 is not at all intuitive to use, and there doesn't appear to be anything like an instruction manual available for it, so be prepared for a steep learning curve.
I haven't tried the Techstream software with the VXDIAG device yet, but the TIS v.7 I have on another box works just fine, and it isn't real difficult to learn.
Caveats: Support from obdii365.com is virtually non-existent. Plus they are asleep in bed when I'm up and about, so there is a significant delay in any response. There is some info on-line, and some youtube stuff, but beyond that . . . One of the youtube videos shows a successful installation/activation on a Win7 laptop; as mentioned, I will try that next.
Also, the connector at the car end of the OBD cable fits rather loosely, and doesn't always make a solid connection to the car. This causes all manner of problems, and I really do not expect to receive a replacement from obdii365. At some point I will have to fabricate something better. So while it works, it's shaky at best.
Overall, I Can Not recommend this as a solution. No way is it a "Plug -n- Play" tool. While $400 is a very nice price compared to sourcing an official tool from Subaru (~$3,000 for the Denso device, plus $1500/yr subscription for SSM software ), it is money down the drain if I am ultimately unable to resolve the remaining issues.
I'll come back and report if the SSM hack works under Win7, as this would at least make the thing usable ongoing. Otherwise I will try the old trick of resetting the computers date, but on modern systems, this brings it's own set of problems . . .
"Why I hate e-cars . . ."
Steve
Well I did not find an Autel MaxiSys 808, but the MaxiSys 908S Pro appears to have full Subaru support. $2K tho . . .
Were I doing business repairing Subarus, I might, probably would drop two grand for one, but for home DIY on one car . . . I think I'll struggle along with the VXDIAG solution a bit more.
(edit) Were I fixing Subarus for a living, I'd be able to justify purchasing the Denso/SSM package, as presumably that will also support the newer cars as well.
No, but I'm pretty sure it was the stinkin' "Windows Defender" throwing a monkey-wrench into the process. I thought I had it disabled, but it apparently re-enables itself when you reboot (?). (Kinda like the Nannies in the '22 Outback.) And being Admin in Win10 is not the same as "root" on a Unix-based platform.
Whatever, I hate Win10; it's as annoying as MacOS can be, but at least MacOS is polite about it, and lets you proceed with your folly-of-choice after issuing dire warnings, etc.
Not WinTen; I won't miss it a bit. But getting Win7 on a newer PC . . . I finally had to build a custom install DVD with appropriate USB3 drivers included, and a routine to load them onto the SSD immediately. Otherwise, as soon as the install started, it dropped the BIOS enabled connection to my external optical drive and stalled. That was a PITA, but I now have a working Win7 on the 2-in-1 Lenovo "Yoga" laptop.
Next challenge will be to install the various drivers, and then see if I can get the touchscreen, pen, screen rotation, etc. to go. (This one has built-in LTE, too. I'm not real hopeful.)
All in good fun. "We Be Geek."
(edit) My daily driver is a Macbook Pro, or once in awhile a Linux install on the Lenovo. Ubuntu has gotten fairly usable of late, and most everything works as advertised right out of the box. I thought about trying to get SSM3/4 to run under WINE, but recalling how much trouble I had getting "Kindle for Windows" to fly . . . Just NO.
I'm back to close the loop on this.
As noted above, I was able to put Windows7 on the Win10 laptop. It wasn't trivial, but it did activate.
I was able to install the SSM3/SSM4/VXDIAG_Manager software, and the "Patch" works as advertised under Win7.
I was able to connect to the Forry, run assorted diagnostics, see "live" parametric data, etc. I found the instruction manuals for the SSM* software, and I guess I'll have to RTFM at some point.
All good, but randomly when trying to connect, the car CANBUS has a fit about something. The instrument panel lights up like a Christmas Tree, the VXDIAG refuses to connect, and after shutting down and disconnecting everything, the car has the CEL on when re-started. A generic OBDII scanner finds the following DTCs:
U0101, U0122, U0073, U0155.
All CANBUS "communication" errors. The scanner will clear these DTCs, but they are listed as "permanent", and they come right back. Driving the car a bit does clear them, and then the VXDIAG device will connect again. I pulled the car OBD connector loose, and gave it a good once-over; it looked fine.
Whats the phrase from MIB? "This rates 9/10 on my Weird-Sh*t-O-Meter." For lack of a better culprit, I'm still blaming the VXDIAG cable. Whatever; when it works, it appears to work just fine, and for the moment, that's all I'm concerned about. FWIW, this would not be the case if I were hoping to use this thing to service cars for profit. I will try the VXDIAG with Techstream software on my Tundra when I'm feeling ambitious, to see if I have similar issues.
But I'm done for now, and honestly, I'm sick of looking at it; I'm gonna get my boy George to take me for a ride somewhere this morning.
ByeBye! Steve (and George, the Mule)
That's the thing about being a Geek, ya just can't let things go w/o knowing why . . .
So I stood on my head in the Forester footwell, and experimented with a generic OBDII scanner. I found that if I moved the wires coming into the Subaru diagnostic port, I could cause the scanner to glitch. In fact, I was pretty much able to pin it down to the wire at pin 4, which the service manual indicates is a ground connection.
I couldn't get the female pin out of the connector block for a closer look, but I did get a complete female connector with a wiring "pigtail" from Amazon (of all places), cut the OEM connector off, and spliced the new one on.
The generic scan tool, and the VXDIAG device are 100% solid connection now. SSM4 runs w/o issues, and I still haven't had to resort to "Reading The F'n Manual" :-D
I just now, under a magnifier, was able to release the catch and withdraw the pins from the connector. Nice heavy-duty female pins they were, too; there was a full-width leaf-spring which solidly contacted the male pin from the scanner. Alas, this spring in the number 4 pin was flat against the inside of the structure, and only making contact as chance allowed. Looked like it was probably born that way, too.
I tried for a foto, but it wasn't gonna happen with my phone, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Caused a bunch of trouble did that little beggar. Intermittent wiring issues can be so annoying . . . But now you know "The Rest of the Story".
Steve
I have one of these; it is a good tool. About the only negative I can report is that the cable isn't very robust. I have already replaced it once, and the replacement is developing the same issue: the cable is separating from the OBD connector, exposing the internal wiring. This doesn't immediately cause a failure, but generally something like this is the beginning of the end for a cable assembly.
OB Forum gang; if you get one of these, be especially careful of the cable. Best if you can just plug it in, zip-tie the cable in place for support, and leave it alone. Just FWIW.
I have had the OBD Lynx for over 4 years and it was not until the latest update that the thing started working correctly. It now connects and disconnects like it should. Up till then was using
Free SSM VAG cable and a Dell Lattitude 5175 for last 3 years
Perhaps you mean OBDLink LX? That's what I have - it's pretty limited on my Gen 5, but at least it can read Mode $06, including misfire counts. Also, last I heard, Free SSM wasn't working for Gen 5 and later Outbacks (due to a change in the ECM).
It all depends on how much you wanna spend. I myself use Autel. Unfortunately it only supports 1 year of updates then cost about $ 800.00 per year to continue support.
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