Buying a diagnostic code reader

[Killakam78]

Guys

Im thinking of buying a code reader for my 1.8T....just somthing cheap and cheerfull as i am a novice mechanic and belive this would save me a few quid as me and the misses both have Audi's. Just wondred if this would be a resonable purchase and if can get the codes is there a resource for what they mean? Please see below for the type of tool i am wanting to purchase

U281 OBD-2 CAN-BUS CODE SCANNER for VW/AUDI/SEAT/SKODA CAR

Any good?

[cctuning]

You might as well buy a vcds from ebay for as little as £10 and all the fault codes you can find on wiki Ross-tech.

[Killakam78]

Is that the one you would use with a laptop? How easy are these devices to use?

[cctuning]

Yes it is used with a laptop and it's very straightforward to use. Loads of people have this and if you were to buy and need any help then you can give me a call and I can talk it through with you.

[white.akita]

I have both, vagcom and the hand held orange ebay scanners and i prefer to use the hand held ones.
I have never had a problem with the handheld scanners and they are easier to use and the big plus is that it fits easily in the glovebox so can be used at all times, if your car brakes down its probably going to be away from your house and laptop.
When i get the codes i can google them on my android phone and find out what the problem is and how to fix it anywhere in the country that has a phone signal.
a hand held code reader is one of the best things you can carry in the car they also dont need batteries so will always work for aslong as you need.

[Eshrules]

I agree with akita ^ handheld scanners are an invaluable addition to the glovebox.

A many of my good friends carry the v checkers I sold in theirs and I know they've already paid for themselves several times over.

Vagcom/VCDS is good if you've got a laptop already and you're DIY'ing. But if your only intention is to read fault codes, a handheld will suffice.

[Killakam78]

I do fancy the hand held tbh, just have an issue with buying from ebay lol. The one i saw was on amazon so i think im gonna go for that one cheers guys

[jimmer111]

If you have a smart phone use a bluetooth OBD II reader and the Torque App, this also has some other trick stuff you can use everyday as well as fault readings such as bosst gauge MPG and GPS speed etc. I have an android phone, not sure if the app is available for i phones but it is very good. I am using the free version which does everything i need.

James

[Killakam78]

Cheers, however i use a blackberry:( not great for apps! I think im gonna buy one of the 30 quis ones off the net.

[Damrob]

Could anybody tell me what the orange hand held readers are called
cheers

[white.akita]

Hand held code readers, you will see them on ebay for around £20.
I think model number for vag cars is something like u281 and for all other cars its u480.

[Eshrules]

look for a seller called alphabid (he's ebay and web based) - used him a lot and never had any issues at all.

[Damrob]

Thanks,will order one and give it a go