TOPDON’s TopScan Is a Must-Have Diagnostics Tool For Every DIYer
The TopScan Lite is a DIYer’s dream OBD II device, giving you the power of a professional bidirectional diagnostic scanner in a pocket-sized package that connects to your phone via Bluetooth.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by TOPDON.
Months before our content team was contacted to write a review of the TopScan Lite, I had already purchased my own from TOPDON’s website and had been using it to perform engine diagnostics on my 1996 Corvette and my 2008 Mercedes CLS. What you’re about to read and see in this review is from the perspective of a happily paying and 100% satisfied customer.
In this review, I’ll walk you through what the TopScan Lite has to offer, how it differs from the TopScan Pro, as well as my real-world account for its uses and capabilities.
The TopScan Is the Best Money I’ve ever Spent on a Tool… Period.
As mentioned, the TopScan Lite is an OBD II diagnostic code scanner and bidirectional tool. That’s the most simplistic description of it. But in reality, it’s so much more. If you have any familiarity with the TopScan and are on the fence about whether it’s the right tool for you, you’ll be convinced to pull the trigger at some point before the end of this article. If you’re a mewer DIYer and don’t know much about the TopScan, the same will happen for you as well!
What does it do?
The TopScan is your first line of defense when encountering diagnostic codes (DTCs). That applies to engine codes, as well as codes related to all other computer-controlled systems of the vehicle for 60+ brands. From there, you’ll have access to a large slew of OBD II capabilities that are available to professional technicians:
Bidirectional Control: The TopScan doesn’t just read codes and data, it also allows you to command the computer to perform system-specific tests and activate certain features, all from your phone!
8 Reset Functions: The TopScan allows you to reset the computer and any stored codes after performing maintenance and repairs, including oil reset, throttle adaptation, EPB reset, steering angle reset, DPF regeneration, ABS Bleeding, BMS reset, and airbag reset.
AutoVIN and AutoScan: It saves you time by automating the VIN entry process and scanning the full system in one go.
Performance Test: It helps you record information about your car’s performance and run highly accurate test.
I/M (Emissions Monitoring) Readiness: A quick scan will let you know if your vehicle is ready to pass an emissions test.
Multi-Lingual Support: The device can be set up in multiple languages, such as French, German, Spanish, Portugese, Russian, Japanese, Italian, and of course, English.
Repair Information: The TopScan provides users access to a vast database of DTC repair guides and Technical Service Bulletins.
Note: The availability of each individual functionality is dependent on the vehicle and its computer. If your car’s ECU doesn’t have the aforementioned functions, then your scanner won’t either. For example, the TopScan can do a whole lot more on my 2008 Mercedes than it can on my 1996 Corvette.
My Real-World Usage
The reason why I purchased the TopScan Lite in the first place was to record live engine data and run diagnostics on my 1996 Corvette, which, luckily for me, falls on the very last year of the C4 generation, and the very first year of the OBD II mandate. At the time, the car had severe lean running issues. Using the TopScan Lite, I was able to read the codes (and, importantly, their definition) right on my phone. From there, I was able to read live engine data while running the car, which helped me see the active and long-term fuel trim. This helped me focus my next steps in diagnosing the issues.
The package comes with very clear instructions for setting up. I had to download the TopScan app on my phone, and from there, the app has instructions that walk you through establishing the OBD II connection.
Also worth noting, the interface is genuinely nicely laid out and easy to work with. Especially compared to some professional grade scan tools, at least in my experience. On the homepage, you find all the primary functions of the device. My usage for the TopScan so far has been predominantly in the Diagnostics section, which can be found right at the top block of the screen.
Once connected, the key has to be turned to the ‘ON’ position. The engine can remain off. The scanner will make a Bluetooth connection with your phone and start establishing a connection with the car’s computer systems. Once the connection is established, the diagnostics and bidirectional capabilities become available.
One of my favorite parts of using the TopScan has been that, since the data is on my phone, I can have my phone mounted on the dashboard with the engine data open, and go for a test drive. This allows me to keep an eye on the metrics while putting the car through various testing conditions. (It should go without saying that if you don’t have a helper, this type of test must be done with EXTREME caution, and you should NEVER drive distracted, especially while on public roads.)
TopScan Lite vs. TopScan Pro
As the names very clearly distinguish, the TopScan Pro is a more capable version of the device than the TopScan Lite. Both tools come with the baseline 8 reset functions, which include:
Oil reset, throttle adaptation, EPB reset, steering angle reset, DPF regeneration, ABS Bleeding, BMS reset, and airbag reset.
The higher-tier TopSan Pro has an additional 5 essential functions:
Injector coding, tire pressure monitor reset, sunroof initialization, seat calibration, and window calibration.
The reason I chose to go with the TopScan Lite as opposed to the pro variant is that I believe for my personal usage, the functionalities of the Lite are plenty. As the name suggests, the TopScan Pro is geared a bit more toward a professional user than a DIYer such as myself. If (and when) I eventually graduate to a more serious level of DIY work, I will always have the option to upgrade the Pro.
The Best Part? The Price!
When I purchased my TopScan and at the time of this writing, the TopScan Lite is available on the TOPDON website for $53.99, while the TopScan Pro is listed for $99.00.
For those unfamiliar with the prices of these scanners, the professional-grade offerings from the likes of Matco and Bosch will cost you in the THOUSANDS, plus the cost of subscritions! But TOPDON is bringing the same level of capability to the masses, and right to the comfort of your phone screen, for a small fraction of that. With that in mind, owning a TopScan is a no-brainer for anyone with a toolbox!
The Subscription
As is the case with any advanced DTC tool, TOPDON’s TopScan comes with a subscription service. Your purchase of the TopScan includes the first year of the subscription. But after that, it will need to be renewed in order to be able to take advantage of all the capabilities of the device. While using the device does not require a subscription, without it, your TopScan will serve as a more basic diagnostic tool and loses the following capabilities:
Full system diagnostics, reading and clearing fault codes, reading data stream, bidirectional controls, maintenance, IMMO, and software updates. At the time of this writing, the price of the annual subscription for the TopScan Lite is $49, and that of the TopScan Pro is $99.
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