Should I buy a $20 car scanner for buying a car on facebook marketplace? Is this foolproof?
Posted by Responsible-Ant-6535@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 18 comments
Buying car in NYC, GA, FL, SC or TN over FB marketplace, would love some general advice on trying not to get scammed (little car knowledge)
voucher420@reddit
A good scan tool will let you know if the monitors are ready and that lets you know if the codes have been recently reset. +1 on the pre purchase inspection by a trusted and/or well reviewed mechanic. Do this before you buy any used car. It’s better to spend a hundred now than thousands later.
Agreeable-Safety8660@reddit
Best advice you’ll ever get.
CetiAlpha4@reddit
An OBDII scanner is too basic. If you're just planning on buying a specific make, you should get something like an Autel AP2500E, scans all manufacturer specific codes and not just OBDII codes, around $60 on Amazon. You could also have pending codes that haven't set a CEL yet. It should also have a separate OBDII scanner that can check the readiness monitors. Only drawback with that particular Autel is that it only does one manufacturer and if you want to look at several makes each additional make costs extra.
And no, it's not foolproof, various things like motor mounts, suspensions, ball joints, CV joints, tie rods, springs/shocks, etc. won't set any engine codes along with any previously repaired collision damage.
xXCodfishXx@reddit
Yes but generally you'll need more than that. What's your budget? If you have no car knowledge getting a pre purchase inspection is probably a good idea. Also what kind of car are you looking for? Try to pick something no known for having major issues (i.e. four cyclinder honda or toyota.) Also you should definitely try to get your car as far south as possible, you don't want to be buying a used car from NYC. If you can buy a car in Florida that's probably the best. Finally, one of the most important things about buying a car on marketplace is evaluating the buyer.
HalfBlindKing@reddit
NYC is rough on cars. They may be low mileage for the price, but think of the time it spent idling in traffic.
BSCA@reddit
A odb2 scanner? Those are useful to have. If you have engine code lights. But most people shouldn't buy a car with engine lights on. I have a Bluetooth one. It works with an android app that has Prius plugin's. I bought a Prius once and could check the voltages of the battery cells when I test drove it.
Hopeful_Corner1333@reddit
You could use it to check monitor status, to see if they recently cleared a code to hide it.
Useful-account1@reddit
You need a fancier scanner for that. The $20 one from Walmart/harbor freight wont tell you.
Hopeful_Corner1333@reddit
I just Google it. There is one for 11.99 at Walmart that Has monitor readiness.
BSCA@reddit
That's right. I was going to say that. It's just not something average people do. When buying a car I think we have to evaluate the seller and history. Are they a trustworthy person, and what have they said about the history of the car. Some things are red flags. Some people you can judge as trustworthy.
_Rock_Hound@reddit
Nah, there is always a better fool out there.
Warm_Hat4882@reddit
It’s useful. Unless the seller resets the codes before you look. Most codes come back within 30 miles of driving, but most buyers don’t drive a car for 30 miles before buying
lincolnlogtermite@reddit
I find them useful. I check codes, make sure all readiness tests were run. I check fuel trims, see how hard the car is working at adjusting timing, see how the cats are working, check how many miles the computer thinks are one the car compared to the cluster, check how long its been since codes were last cleared.
jrileyy229@reddit
That's quite the spread of very specific states shopping in that aren't geographically very close.
Flaky-String-2751@reddit
Yes buy one. No it’s not fool proof.
Occams_RZR900@reddit
Running a system diagnostic is about 10% of what you want to look at when buying a used vehicle. I could sell you a car with a blown head gasket that doesn’t have a check engine code and has all the emissions systems ready.
VardoJoe@reddit
I don’t know the device that you’re talking about. Recently, I (in Georgia) bought a vehicle in Pennsylvania. You want to avoid anyone asking for a deposit. Ask why they’re selling it. Is it a daily driver? Can I drive across multiple states to home? If you have an address, spy on their residence with Google Maps street view and see if that car is parked there. If you don’t see it on Google Maps, it doesn’t mean it’s a scam. The pictures could have been taken while the car wasn’t there at the time. But if you do see it, it’s reassuring.
Gunk_Olgidar@reddit
Yes.
No.
And get a Pre-purchase inspection from your trusted local independent mechanic. Use the repair estimate to negotiate down the selling price. Will pay for itself by 5x. Maybe.