Code reader.....

[ThinkDiag]

Even though your paying for it over and over? Most diagnostics you pay once and update free

You need to consider that this is not a £5 dongle that does not even support bi-directional this is a dealer level tool.

Most OE level tools you do actually have to keep paying to some degree but they are also 10 to 20 times the cost of Thinkdiag.
The cheap tools that are not OE level they are normally the ones you do not have to keep paying for.

Launch Pro3 Uk version is about £1500 and you still have to pay for updates on that the same goes with the Pro Autel tools. For some people a Pro3 will be better than a thinkdiag because they will work on many brands of car but for people who only work on a couple of brands of car and do not want to pay £1500 the ThinkDiag is better as it offers the same hardware and the thinkdiag uses the launch pro3 software for the brands that are available on the thinkdiag.So for people who work on limited amount of brands of car they can get a tool that performs the same as the £1500 tool but just with limited brands. (The pro3 is around £500 a year for updates i believe)

I think it all depends on the level of tool that you want for your vehicle, Thinkdiag has an eobd software that is free forever so if you just want the ability to read codes the same as a basic cheaper tool you can do this and not pay for updates but if you want oe diagnostics it will cost you about £30 per brand per year.

There is a reason why most garages do not use free tools and use tools that charge for updates and my opinion is that they pay because the tools that charge for updates are better than the free ones and there is a good reason why Launch are one of the most popular diagnostic tool manufacturers even though their tools require that people pay for updates. Free is not always the best and the money that is paid for subscriptions pays for many many engineers to keep improving the software and updating it to make sure that it always works on the latest vehicles with the best special functions and actuation tests.

What tools are you referring to when you say most tools just make you pay once and i can try to explain the difference in the tools for you if i have experience of the tools you mention.

[Brian147]

Having said that , I checked the insignia earlier, oil life is 37% and when I switch on engine it says ‘service vehicle soon’ but it seems to early for it to throw up that message so I thought something might come up on the scanner but no, so I presume that all must be well in that case. I thought that message came up when oil life was below 10%?

Weird, but yesterday I was having a poke around in the engine bay just cleaning up a few bits after work, took off the glow plug leads and put them back after making sure everything was tight and secure and the ‘service vehicle soon’ message has disappeared!! [emoji848] voodoo magic maybe!!!!

[Howy]

Nice,see how it goes.

[Alex421]

Loose connection miby, have you changed glow plugs? If so did they need programmed?

[Brian147]

Loose connection miby, have you changed glow plugs? If so did they need programmed?

Hi Alex, no didn’t change anything, literally just having a poke around with the torch looking for anything out of the ordinary........

[Alex421]

Hi Alex, no didn’t change anything, literally just having a poke around with the torch looking for anything out of the ordinary........

Brilliant saved you a few Bob

[Rok1214]

I ordered chinese op-com "v1.99". Got it kinda working using a combination of 2 opcom softwares. Probabaly v1.7 works better. This 1.9 is fake anyways. It should be actually v1.3x something.
Mine reads and deletes faults, shows live data and dpf info. I also managed to "program" some extras on my instrument cluster (engnine temp, gearbox fluid temp, compass - what is that anyway?)
I've also been waiting my vgate Icar for 2 months now. Hopefully I will receive it.

Hey do you remember the 2 opcom softwares that you used to be able to program? I remember doing something similar to get the extra instruments showing up on my Astra J 2011, and I want to do the same on my Insignia, but I cannot remember the programs and combinations that I had to do to get it to work. Also last time I used a old Win7 machine and now I'm trying with a Win10 but getting communcation errors..

[Alex421]

Hey do you remember the 2 opcom softwares that you used to be able to program? I remember doing something similar to get the extra instruments showing up on my Astra J 2011, and I want to do the same on my Insignia, but I cannot remember the programs and combinations that I had to do to get it to work. Also last time I used a old Win7 machine and now I'm trying with a Win10 but getting communcation errors..

V1.99 unlocks instruments options

[JanarJ]

Hey do you remember the 2 opcom softwares that you used to be able to program? I remember doing something similar to get the extra instruments showing up on my Astra J 2011, and I want to do the same on my Insignia, but I cannot remember the programs and combinations that I had to do to get it to work. Also last time I used a old Win7 machine and now I'm trying with a Win10 but getting communcation errors..

Hi,

I think it was OP-COM 08-2010 China clone soft and VAUX-COM_120309a+131223d_GB+OcFlash China. I downloaded opcom pack somewhere. Think i got the link from aliexpress.
First i read the car with 08.2010 soft and then read it with 120309a. I also got comminication error when reading only with soft 120309a.

I am running win10 pro and it worked.

[dsknectd]

i have an op-com and a vxdiag (good for menu enabling etc) and a cheap elm (leave it in for dpf monitor) but i say hands down buy a thinkdiag for codes and dpf regen etc etc and you get forum discount

[Howy]

Thinkdiag is a good piece of kit,once you find your way around!

[Rok1214]

Hi,

I think it was OP-COM 08-2010 China clone soft and VAUX-COM_120309a+131223d_GB+OcFlash China. I downloaded opcom pack somewhere. Think i got the link from aliexpress.
First i read the car with 08.2010 soft and then read it with 120309a. I also got comminication error when reading only with soft 120309a.

I am running win10 pro and it worked.

Yes I think this is the way I was able to do it last time on my Astra! Need to get the software and test this weekend to see if it will work on my Insignia.
Also I forgot this, but does the dash have to be powered on while programming or off?

[Rok1214]

Success! I was able to unlock a few of the menus, battery voltage, coolant temp., more fuel usage statictis etc..
But does anyone know if the ECO submenu can be turned on through this way of programming?
I've already opened up a topic (https://insignia-drivers.uk/forum/in...hboard-display)
asking this question but was not able to get any answers..