best scan tool for 2005 prius

I am looking to purchase a scan tool, mainly for use on my 2005 package #6 Prius (also have 2000 Sienna van & a 1986 Camry) but also want it to work on a variety of other cars since I am always being asked to help people w/ car problems.

I have an engineering mind (w/o degree) and a background in auto diagnostic and repair (but currently work in another field of repair) so I want more information rather than simplistic. I would like OBD I & II and CAN capability. I would like it to be upgradeable, able to read real time sensor data and possibly glitch capture. I would consider a handheld or a laptop interface, or...? Preferably under $300.

There are so many different devices out there I was wondering if the very knowledgable folks on this forum could recommend some they have had good experiance with. Mostly I want it for the Prius as that is where I assume it will save me the most $$$ in the long run so I could drop the OBD I capability for more capability on OBD II and CAN.

 

When I try to use the techinfo.toyota link I get:

"You have asked Firefox to connect securely to techinfo.toyota.com, but we can't confirm that your connection is secure.Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted identification to prove that you are going to the right place. However, this site's identity can't be verified."

Does that mean the site has been hijacked or is it OK to proceed?

 

Re: best scan tool for 2006 prius

Thanks, clicked through the warnings and link worked fine. However the $1345 price + $1100 per year subscription fee is a bit steep for a DIY. I'd have to do some serious side work to justify that!

I love our 06 Prius, it's extremely user friendly and all the technology it utilizes is cool but it seems Toyota has purposely made it more obtuse and scary than it needs to be. With all of the on-board computers and MFD it would be SO EASY to provide us with basic survival information. How hard could it be to provide basic triage such as:

Level of emergency -
1. Get this looked at as soon as convenient
2. Limp it to a dealer or home if you need to
3. Have it towed to nearest dealer
4. Please step away from the car immediately!!!

and some idea of the area needing attention as any basic set of gauges would show.

Every other car I ever owned had a temperature gauge, most had oil pressure gauges and a few had ammeters. With these 3 gauges (or even individually labeled idiot lights) a person can make some fairly useful decisions regarding emergency response and ongoing health of the drive-train. I realize the Hybrid system is more complex so a few additional indicators could be helpful. But less??? How hard could it be to provide faux analog gauges on the MFD for those of us who actually pay attention to such things?

I am so dreading the day when the light actuated cash crash happens. Some innocuous warning will force us to call the tow truck to take us to the dealer money dance. The dealer wants $125 and the independent Toyota mechanic wants $100 just to pull codes! These options are only available during regular business hours...if they aren't too busy. For this reason alone I can justify a few hundred dollars for a decent scan tool.

A couple days ago my wife called me at work around 6pm to ask what she should do - the "check engine" light came on when she first powered up after the car had sat for 2 hours. I am no dummy, I repair fairly complex equipment for a living, but I was at a loss on what to tell her (and probably could have done no better if I was in the driver seat as everything sounded and smelled normal). I called the nearest dealer - their service dept was still open but the technician who could pull codes was gone for the day - they would be happy to let her drop it off over night (not helpful). Auto-zone could pull codes for free but not after 6pm w/ only 2 employees (store safety policy). Found another store further away that would do it so we risked driving it 10 miles. They pulled the codes but I couldn't understand exactly what it was over the phone and gave up after asking 3 times (heavy accent) but it was apparent he didn't seem to know what it meant either. Fortunately the light went out while my wife was sitting in the parking lot deciding what to do next. Unfortunately she did not get a printout and does not remember the code number so now I have no idea what happened.

In my search for scan tools I have ran across some highly acclaimed devices (of course all sound awesome in the sales brochure ): Actron, Autoenginuity, AutoXray, Bosh Mastertech, Carman Scanlite, Dynoscan, Inova, ScanGage & Victronix. All of these and I am still at the mercy of the Toyota giant?

Ok, my rant is over. Thank you all on PriusChat who graciously share your knowledge and time to help fellow Prius owners. I just wish we had some pull with Toyota.
:focus:
My wife puts a lot of miles on the Prius and not always in town. I need a backup plan for when she is on a dark deserted road with no dealers or auto stores handy. It would be nice to have something I could keep in the car to help make better decisions. Would a ScanGage II be helpful enough or is Techstream the only real answer?

I realize I'm asking for something a bit different than I started out with and would still prefer capability to use on multiple makes of cars if possible - but my wife's recent experience kind of changed my focus.