Quote Originally Posted by jrece View Post
I did see the ElmScan 5 Compact on Amazon for cheap, but also noticed the cost of getting the GM enhanced package with it. You have to purchase the ScanXL and then the GM enhanced totaling $180 in addition to the $35. This is comparable, but then I have to have a laptop with me instead of a fairly small handheld. There was also a user who stated the refresh rate was pretty slow, and would not allow for much diagnostic at rate (or live). Is this true?
The software that comes with the unit for free is pretty good and provides runtime/freeze frame data. They actually provide a few scanning softwares with the tool on CD, but they are only general OBDII.

I also have the ScanXL and GM add-on. It does provide a lot more vehicle specific information but in truth for me so far only a small amount more than the free software. But...it's very detailed and can be customized extensively. You can even make your own dash for it.

Refresh rate is entirely dependent on two things. 1. The speed of the computer. 2. The amount of PIDS, *things* being monitored.

I think you can select over 350 things to monitor at a time with the enhanced, the problem is the PCM and serial bus can't report that much data quickly. So, with everything on, the RPM will report oh around once every 4 seconds. But turning unneeded things off and dropping that to more like 50 things being monitored, the difference is massive, RPM for example has no real loss in frame rates.

On my search of a good reading system, this is what I ended up with. I run it on a netbook in the car and it works well. There could be something better but I haven't found it yet.