With rare exceptions, the AD500 will work on your vehicle, going back as far as 1996 models and covering dozens of vehicle brands worldwide. After a simple setup to connect the AD500 to your Wifi connection, the AD500 works by physically connecting it to the OBDII port on your vehicle for diagnosis. 

This device offers a 5-inch touchscreen, and its automatic VIN reader function provides almost instant vehicle identification. The operating system is Android-base, and diagnoses are offered in four main areas: PCM (powertrain), transmission, ABS (brakes) and SRS (airbags). Reports about vehicle issues generated by the AD500 can be shared via email for printing or review.

Using it is about as simple as can be. Just plug in and follow some very basic prompts to get the info you need. Anyone young or old, mechanical or not mechanical, can figure it out.

After diagnosis, depending on the severity of what you find, you may or may not be able to fix the problem yourself, but at least you aren’t burdened with any towing costs and diagnosis costs at a mechanic or dealership, which can quickly become expensive. The AD500 also allows you to turn off the Check Engine Light once the issue is resolved, and lets you test O2 sensors.

In terms of the physical unit, the AD500 is very portable at 9.1 x 5.0 x 1.3 inches, and lightweight at under 20 ounces). It also offers multilingual support, in languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean, giving it a global reach.

Compared to other options in this category, Topdon’s AD500 is a strong choice that I would recommend to DIY mechanics looking for an affordable option. To learn more, visit topdon.com, or learn more about the AD500 here.