Choosing your first Automotive Lab Scope

[Quincy]

Greetings to all those in the forum, it’s been awhile since I posted on ETCG Forum but I’ve been working on plenty of vehicles since last time I was here in July. Ever since I really got interested in the Diagnostic work of cars and trucks I’ve always wanted to purchase myself an Automotive Lab Scope. About 10 years ago I was head over heels for the PicoScope but the price always scared me away. Now I’ve seen a trend where there are lot more companies (ones that I’ve never heard of) selling Lab Scopes and prices vary greatly. I’ve been working on rebuilding my Tool collection of which I sold off stupidly 4 years ago and saving my money to go on a shopping spree so to speak for mostly hand tools but recently there have been a couple of occasions where I wished I had a Lab Scope to be able to pin point the fault on a car and lost the job to a friend of mine who has much more diagnostic equipment than I do! (Sob) Anyways, what Automotive Lab Scope would you recommend? Are there Analog and Digital Lab Scopes out there and if so, what’s the main difference? Can they both be used to test all the circuits on a car? I know how a Lab Scope works and the basic theory behind it but what should I really be looking for in a modern Lab Scope and when is it worth spending the extra money? Your personal experiences with said Lab Scope, etc would be greatly appreciated! Ultimately I think I would want to get a 4 channel PC Based Lab scope that doesn’t require it’s own separate power source and just runs off the laptop but I’ve also considered stand alone units if the price is right. The Snap On Modis can be had for $875 to $1200 used from Craigslist which would be great for the scan tool ability also but how much can I trust a stranger selling me a unit that originally costs over $6000 new and only wants a fraction of the cost now? Is there a reason they are selling them so cheap? Any opinions on the Modis, Verus or Vantage Pro?

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[zero]

If I’m not mistaken the MODIS only has a single channel lab scope, used units may be selling for cheap because the cost of upgrading the software is border line insanity. If you’re working on anything that would benefit from the pro level software and being able to get into all of the systems, then why not. If you’re dealing with older cars you can get scanners that will do OBD, ABS and airbag systems for $200-$300 to start, and you would probably get some free updates.

I saw a single channel stand alone scope on the Matco site a few months ago, but it was $400+ and only single channel.

[James O’Hara]

I have used vantage, vantage pro, verus and the prices for them are insane. We don’t really use them on big rigs at all. I used them in school and I want to say you really want a 2 channel though 4 channel is best you can normally do enough with a 2 channel. Scopes are great but, the price is just insane. I really want one but, at the prices they charge man. They can be extremely useful especially for diagnostic work with injectors and sensors.

[Quincy]

Thanks for the responses, I didn’t think anyone was going to respond at all…maybe it’s just that most people on the forum don’t use or know about Lab scopes, I don’t know.. Anyways I’m pretty sure the Modis is a 4 Channel Lab Scope, all the pictures that I’ve seen of it have 4 different colored inputs on the back but I will research it further of course before pulling the trigger on anything. You’re definitely right DeFirnz on the update prices for the Modis, the are absolutely insane! I would be satisfied with an update that covers up to 2012 at least for a few years as I mostly work on cars 1994 thru 2008. The other problem I’ve heard about the Modis from a lot of users is that there is hardly any Bi-Directional Controls for running tests on actuators in vehicles but still a great scanner/Lab Scope to be had for $1000 if you don’t need to update it for awhile. There has been of an emergence of lab scopes on CL lately in my area but only 1 or 2 channel and they tend to look a bit antiquated but the price is within my range around $250. MDK22 is right on the overpriced Vantage Pro and Verus units, don’t think that would be a suitable option for me at least. The Pico Scope looks more and more inviting with 4 channels and a ton of tools, guides and reference materials that it comes with, it just looks like the best tool for learning and growing with, that’s if you can get over the price shock. I think I’ve learned the difference between an Analog and Digital Lab Scope so Digital is definitely the way to go.

[James O’Hara]

I would talk to scannerdanner his channel is on youtube. He recommend the pico scope and it is what i plan on getting unless I can somehow get the shop i work for to buy and pay for a verus but, like I said I work on big rigs and the integration we have on these trucks i can monitor the voltages using our laptop/scan tool tech so it is not really needed except for when they have manufacturing issues or new tech with limited to no information.

But he is an expert on this stuff so I would talk to him andI would also recommend getting his diag book from what i have heard it is amazing.

[none]

The MODIS, in its first incarnation, was always a four channel scope. The MODIS ultra is only a two channel scope. One of the complaints I’ve heard most about the MODIS is that the software is Windows based and that the software will invariably get corrupted.
I bought a MODIS used off of eBay and got burned. Conversely, I’m still thrilled to have it compared to the OTC Genisys touch that my shop provided. I don’t hate the MODIS, just the seller on eBay.

My MODIS was new in 09 and its software never got updated. The Windows software is indeed corrupted, it does quirky things, the scope skews and reads DC voltages a half volt in the negative, and its cooling fan seized up on it well before I ever got it. In spite of the troubles, I get shit done with that box. That brand new Genisys takes all day just to realize somebody hit the start button. I’m hoping that I can afford to get my MODIS back up to snuff. I have about $1300 spent on it so far and if it costs me another $1500 to get a machine I can rely on for the next four years, I won’t complain. If you went balls out on a four channel Pico scope for automotive applications, you’re talking about $2300 just for the scope and then pick your price for a laptop if you don’t already have one to run it. The Pico scope is a great device, but its job is strictly as a scope. That MODIS or Verus gives you scope and scan tool built into one and you get all the cool stuff like bidirectional controls.

The model year updates from Snap On wouldn’t seem too stupid to me if it wasn’t for the fact that you have to buy the European software separately. I’m happy without the European support on my MODIS anyway, but the thousand dollars a year just for US and Asian software says I can wait a while longer. You don’t need to update software every year if you’re going to buy a MODIS or another Snap On scan tool. I always figure on most new cars going straight to the dealer for at least the first three years with an applicable warranty anyway. As such, you just don’t need the latest and greatest.

If you decide to buy a Snap On something or other, a new one is going to be outrageous in price compared to anything from Pico. A used one largely comes with the crap shoot of whether or not you can trust the seller. If you can settle for a one or two channel scope, the Pico lineup might be the right place for you to shop. You should be able to pick up a good automotive two channel scope in the $700-$800 range. In terms of how either the Snap On or the Pico functions, see if you can find somebody nearby to let you try them out and see what feels right for you. They both perform well with refresh rates that allow you to see details in milliseconds or better. I recall a brand called Auto Ingenuity, but they might strictly be a PC based scan tool.

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