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Autel JP701 scantool

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Raqune, Nov 18, 2010.

  1. Raqune

    Raqune Junior Member

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    Has anyone out there tried the Autel JP701 scan tool? It claims to read / clear not only engine codes but ABS, airbag, transmission ECU codes, etc. - both generic and manufacturer specific.

    I see a lot of them on Ebay and Amazon, etc. most all the reviews look good, found only a couple negative. However, I would like first hand experience from the knowledgable people on PC if possible.
     
    #1 Raqune, Nov 18, 2010
  2. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    I have not used the JP701, but I do have the MS310.

    When it comes to scan tools, it all depends on the functionality that you want. I honestly don't expect the JP701 to provide the Prius owner with a satisfactory experience given the price.

    The MS310 is nice to have in the glove box, being about the cheapest way that you can read generic codes and reset the check engine light. At $50 or less it is a great value. Right now I keep it in my RAV4 because I'm trying to track down an intermittent problem with some mouse-chewed wires on the Air/Fuel O2 sensor.

    If you want a little more, such as monitoring Toyota proprietary Prius data, a Scan Gauge does a pretty good job. $160

    If you need some serious DIY Toyota diagnostics, consider AutoEnginuity. I have used AutoEnginuity on a variety of cars including Gen II, my RAV4, my 2000 Honda Insight, and it works well as both a generic reader and with the Toyota proprietary expansion. Note that Gen I is poorly supported, and Gen III has not yet been implemented. But given that this tool is intended for independent mechanics, it is not surprising to see a 2-3 year lag between vehicle release and support. This is $400 for the tool, diagnostic software, and Toyota proprietary expansion. You supply the laptop.

    If you have money to burn, Techstream Lite is $1345 and gives you full OEM Scan Tool capability (except security functions). You supply the laptop.

    It may be possible to use a Tactrix scan tool, $169, but you'll need at least a two day Professional Diagnostic subscription to Techstream $55 to make it work. Money better spent on AutoEnginuity IMHO if you need it for ongoing Gen II tweaking.
     
    #2 seilerts, Nov 19, 2010
    2 people like this.
  3. Raqune

    Raqune Junior Member

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    Thanks Seilert for laying out the options so clearly! You put in a nutshell a lot of what I learned by spending several hours poking around online (some of which I had learned and forgot already :p).

    There are so many scan tool options out there - I like what I've read about the ScanGage and will likely end up getting one to keep in the car for monitoring basic stuff. However, I also like the capability of graphing sensor data in real-time, glitch detect data capture memory, etc. but would prefer not to have to lug my laptop out everytime I plug in or work on a car.

    The JP701 from Autel is advertized to "do it all" for Japanese autos and for a few dollars more I can buy software from them to load into scan tool to convert it for use on American cars or German cars, etc (pick any one-at-a-time) - I mostly own Japanese autos but help friends & family out too.

    It's also supposed to read / clear airbag, transmission and other dealer specific codes - this is all very tempting to try it just to see what it can do but I would only have 7 days to find out if it worked well enough to keep so would need to know how to determine it's accuracy fairly quick. How does one find out whether the tool is useful or not?

    Is there some specific tests to check it's preformance? Would one need to have a known accurate tool to compare every reading (perhaps a ScanGage II)? Can one safely create specific known faults on purpose to see how the scan tool reponds? If I have my faults scanned by a auto parts store or by whatever tool a friend might have - how do I tell if it came up with correct information w/o having a dealer check it out to make sure?

    Maybe these questions should be on a seperate post? They do not necessarily relate to my initial question about the Autel but could apply to any scan tool one might consider buying.

    I would be happy to post my findings on PC for everyones benifit, but it would help to know what I should look for that would be useful.
     
    #3 Raqune, Nov 20, 2010
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I suggest that you first obtain a list of Prius-specific DTC. One way to do so would be to review the repair manual info available at techinfo.toyota.com and look at the diagnostics sections covering the engine, hybrid vehicle, traction battery, SRS, transmission control, and whatever other ECUs you might be interested in.

    Once you know the list of DTC, then you can induce a code and see what happens. For example you can make the engine misfire by disconnecting a wiring harness connector to a spark igniter or a fuel injector. You can remove the fuel cap and cause another engine ECU DTC.

    You can induce a traction battery and hybrid vehicle ECU DTC by removing the traction battery interlock switch.

    Depending upon what fault you induce, you may need to have a couple of operating cycles before a DTC will be logged.

    By the way, you should not count on ScanGauge to be able to retrieve any DTC other than that produced by the engine ECU.

    Of course, if you decide to do something to induce a DTC, make sure you know how to undo whatever you do. Good luck.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Nov 20, 2010
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