The $305 Tech2 clone review

[02 bonnie beast]

I think the GM MDI system will go back to 2009, but the Tech2 seems to work as far as its updated. Obviously I don't have any 2012-2013 vehicles to try it on though.

It will work on any GM OBD2, meaning 1996+.

Here you can see its updated to 2013.


Under the 2012 models it lists Chevrolet, Cadillac and Holden

mine does 1999 - 2013.

[02 bonnie beast]

What about Buick and GMC?

when you ordfer the tech 2 they will ask you what year and make your vehicle is. they will provide with the proper software to use for your car. when you buy, there is a whole list of vehicles to choose from.

[Roadrunner]

So what's up with the software?
The link to aliexpress says "This order is with 1pc free software. Pls kindly send email to us or leave message which car software do you want when you place the order. If not, we will send you the GM English card."

Does this mean that the default GM English memory card they give you is just a watered down version and to get all features you need to have the card programmed for a specific vehicle?

From browsing the web I gleaned that the genuine tech2 can read all GM vehicles with all features but the clones do not have full data for all GM vehicles.
Is this true?

I would be wanting to use this on multiple vehicles.

[02 bonnie beast]

no. it doesn't mean that it is watered down and you gotta buy the program for one vehicle. you get the full array. there are different languages, and different vehicle manufacturers. they dates and the languages are the main issue when you order the cards. all you gotta do is tell them which vehicles you will be using and they will ship the proper card with it. it's all very self explanatory, all you gotta do is read what it says. and you oughta lose the attitude that the chines stuff is crap and that they are trying to fool someone and ship them something that isn't represented. these chinese people are very proud and very proud of their products. they can't advertise certain things cause that would be copyright infringement. really, they wouldn't at all want to send you something that doesn't work. let me explain that on my 02 bonnie, ALL of the functions work,,,ALL OF THEM. so whoever tells you that they don't, is lying piece of crap that has something to gain from bashing the chinese.

[02 bonnie beast]

and for any more of you that doubt that these are good solid products,,,these aren't for you,,,you won't be settled and feeling easy till you drop a grand on one from a dealership, only to find out that it was manufactured in china too. and if you don't think i'm telling the truth,,,,i asked a friend that works at a garage, and their tech 2 is also a chinese clone....since bosch and vetronix don't manufacture these any more,,,and a dealership needs one,,where pray tell do you suggest or think that they are gonna get them? they buy them from chinese manufacturers that sell on the web. period, hands down,,,end of story

[02 bonnie beast]

after talking a little more with my friend that works in the garage that has the clone version, he told me that the only thing he has noticed that these don't do are the latter year models that dip into mdi years. once they brought the mdi on line,,,they started to phase out the usefulness of the tech 2 in those newer year model cars to force the dealerships to buy the new mdi. that said, the only issues that my friend has encountered as far as thing s not working on the clone tech 2, are the latter model years that need the candi interface. and that is saab and holden cars and anything newer than obd2. and i think what the deal is is that obd3 cars are backwards compatible, but not all functions are there and the same.

[SuperHbody]

after talking a little more with my friend that works in the garage that has the clone version, he told me that the only thing he has noticed that these don't do are the latter year models that dip into mdi years. once they brought the mdi on line,,,they started to phase out the usefulness of the tech 2 in those newer year model cars to force the dealerships to buy the new mdi. that said, the only issues that my friend has encountered as far as thing s not working on the clone tech 2, are the latter model years that need the candi interface. and that is saab and holden cars and anything newer than obd2. and i think what the deal is is that obd3 cars are backwards compatible, but not all functions are there and the same.

I appreciate the real world test's that both of you have given. I'm not one to scream about COO-Country of Origin as almost everything is made in China or elsewhere. It is tough though being a auto tech in school. One of my teachers as well as my local tool truck guy always harass me about using "Chinamen", (Craftsman), tools even though I've done all my work without issue. Plus, I've been looking at acquiring a GM Tech2 as jobs I've taken on the side almost always deal with GM brand cars.

[02 bonnie beast]

after talking a little more with my friend that works in the garage that has the clone version, he told me that the only thing he has noticed that these don't do are the latter year models that dip into mdi years. once they brought the mdi on line,,,they started to phase out the usefulness of the tech 2 in those newer year model cars to force the dealerships to buy the new mdi. that said, the only issues that my friend has encountered as far as thing s not working on the clone tech 2, are the latter model years that need the candi interface. and that is saab and holden cars and anything newer than obd2. and i think what the deal is is that obd3 cars are backwards compatible, but not all functions are there and the same.

I appreciate the real world test's that both of you have given. I'm not one to scream about COO-Country of Origin as almost everything is made in China or elsewhere. It is tough though being a auto tech in school. One of my teachers as well as my local tool truck guy always harass me about using "Chinamen", (Craftsman), tools even though I've done all my work without issue. Plus, I've been looking at acquiring a GM Tech2 as jobs I've taken on the side almost always deal with GM brand cars.

i can appreciate that. and let me vouch for these people that sold us these two units, they are very honest and straight forward people. i found that out about them first thing. the unit that i have is as a factory unit should be. and coming from me personally, a man that lives on 900 dollars a month from my ssdi, if i had spent even one good dollar for a bad piece would have ruined me financially. i had to buy this out of the fact that the dealership wanted the cost of this just to diagnose my vehicle. and certainly would have run me into the thousands as they tracked the issues down. so i opted to bite the bullet and take the gamble. and so far i can honestly tell you that it has already paid for itself.

[CMNTMXR57]

I

With that said, Bosch (who now owns the rights to GM Tech 2's as they purchased out Vetronix), will not support the unit because it's a factory knock-off. So should you have to replace the VCI module (I've had to replace mine due to wear and tear on the connection where it damaged the motherboard inside), or any other necessary repair.

Also, T2's can only be updated through 2009 MY vehicle info, was my understanding from GM. For 2009+ GM has gone to a new setup called MDI. MDI is backwards compatible with pre-2009 GM vehicles (it even has the software on the screen to emulate the screens you'd see on the T2).

these tech 2's are fully upgradeable with factory parts, andf i have updated mine to the newest software, direct from the gm website, and i had zero issues doing it. my tech 2 can do any vehicles from 1999 to 2013.

Not trying to make a debate or anything. I worked in a GM service department, I purchased mine from them, as a used unit when the dealership "cycled" a few of there older, more "gently loved" units. Mine is a Vetronix unit, with a valid serial number, validated by Bosch (when I had to replace the VCI module a couple years back), as they now handle the Tech2. When I tried to update mine at the SPO terminal in the service department that I formerly worked at, it wouldn't let me go past 2009. Granted this was a couple years ago also. Things may have changed since.

[02 bonnie beast]

i took my tech 2, and connected it to my laptop and opened up the tsi2000 software that i bought with it, and unlocked it with the dongle provided with the software. as soon as i did that you can do diagnostics of the tech 2, and log into the g.m. website with them. i did that and checked the version of software that it had, and there were no issues downloading an update and flashing it to the tech 2. no issues whatsoever. and as far as the hardware goes. noeither bosch nor vetronix manufacture any of this stuff any more. everything has gone mdi. the only places you can get any parts at all for the tech 2 is off the web. that said, when you buy one from websites that advertise them new, they are not real units. anything that you buy for them are also not real pieces. they are all of chinese manufacture at this point in time. so many people have paid well over 1500.00 for something they thought was real, and it was actually a chinese clone. let me assure you that if you buy anything tech 2 from anywhere on the web, andany dealerships, except a few of the old units that had been taken out of use early on, they are chinese clones. period, hands down, end of story.

[CMNTMXR57]

I mentioned that GM has gone MDI in my first post of this thread.

And Bosch supports the tool as that is where I bought my VCI module through.

http://www.boschdiagnostics.com/TESTEQU ... Tools.aspx

http://www.boschdiagnostics.com/testequ ... Tech2.aspx

[1tinindian]

I think the GM MDI system will go back to 2009, but the Tech2 seems to work as far as its updated. Obviously I don't have any 2012-2013 vehicles to try it on though.

It will work on any GM OBD2, meaning 1996+.

Here you can see its updated to 2013.


Under the 2012 models it lists Chevrolet, Cadillac and Holden

mine does 1999 - 2013.

Why does it NOT go back to 1996, which was the beginning of OBD2?

[no1kicker]

To reflash a PCM you need to have a subscription to GM's services, which costs mega bucks. I don't have that capability on mine or the clone. The Tech2 can certainly be updated. The one I got has 2013 software on it, the same as my original. I'm not sure how a scantool would fry your electronics, got a link to that rumor?

hey haro, i reflashed my ecm. you only have to buy the 55 dollar three day access. the tis2000 software to flash, and the dongle key to unlock the functions to flash is and extra 25 dollars, and that was why my tech 2 cost me 325. cause i bought the software and dongle with it.

Can you share a link to where you got the tech 2 with the dongle? I don't see the dongle being included when I look at the aliexpress link in the first post, unless I am missing it.

[Whitecrystal1]

Is it ok to sell these units because they are not being sold in the US?

Older news but a local VA resident was busted for selling units like this and got in a lot of trouble with GM over it. http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae/news/20 ... teonr.html

Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking In Counterfeit GM Diagnostic Equipmenttitle Goes Here

[02 bonnie beast]

To reflash a PCM you need to have a subscription to GM's services, which costs mega bucks. I don't have that capability on mine or the clone. The Tech2 can certainly be updated. The one I got has 2013 software on it, the same as my original. I'm not sure how a scantool would fry your electronics, got a link to that rumor?

hey haro, i reflashed my ecm. you only have to buy the 55 dollar three day access. the tis2000 software to flash, and the dongle key to unlock the functions to flash is and extra 25 dollars, and that was why my tech 2 cost me 325. cause i bought the software and dongle with it.

Can you share a link to where you got the tech 2 with the dongle? I don't see the dongle being included when I look at the aliexpress link in the first post, unless I am missing it.

if you are ordering these units you need to be talking with the people you are ordering from./ you can contac them and askl them questions. they are there to explain, and they do very well.

[02 bonnie beast]

Is it ok to sell these units because they are not being sold in the US?

Older news but a local VA resident was busted for selling units like this and got in a lot of trouble with GM over it. http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae/news/20 ... teonr.html

Virginia Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking In Counterfeit GM Diagnostic Equipmenttitle Goes Here

well, seeing it is that that happened in 2012, and this is 2014. as long as you don't advertise it is real, or a clone, and say that you bought it second hand, i'd say sell them.

[02 bonnie beast]

I think the GM MDI system will go back to 2009, but the Tech2 seems to work as far as its updated. Obviously I don't have any 2012-2013 vehicles to try it on though.

It will work on any GM OBD2, meaning 1996+.

Here you can see its updated to 2013.


Under the 2012 models it lists Chevrolet, Cadillac and Holden

mine does 1999 - 2013.

Why does it NOT go back to 1996, which was the beginning of OBD2?

dude, did you bother to read the ad for the piece you were looking at? it is all explained,,or do you not know how to read and comprehend english? all you gotta do is ask the people from the company that is advertising them

[crash93ssei]

dude, did you bother to read the ad for the piece you were looking at? it is all explained,,or do you not know how to read and comprehend english? all you gotta do is ask the people from the company that is advertising them

What is the deal with your attitude in this thread?

[CMNTMXR57]

No kidding.

[02 bonnie beast]

sorry. sometimes i gotta put a check in it. didn't mean to be a bullhead. it's just that the answers to 99.9% of the questions you all have are written in the description of the pieces you are looking at. read. and if you don't understand, they have a messaging function there on ali express, and all you gotta do is send them a message and they will respond as soon as they are able. it's just like ebay, but only doing business in china with the chinese. believe me when i tell you they want to sell you these pieces. it's their livelihood. i don't know why they do the software they do. it isn't the chinese that are watering down the software, it isn't that they are stripping it down and making you buy more than one piece to make the full puzzle. these things were designed by bosch, and vetronix. they are manufactured to factory specifications as put forth by gm. if the software doesn't seem complete, it's not the chinese doing it,,,it's bosch and gm, and vetronix that did it. you gotta understand that those cards are only 32 meg. that isn't much, and doesn't hold that much software. thus said, if you read the decription of the piece you are looking at, it explains that you need to tell them what cars you will be working on with the item, and they will send you the proper card. it's as simple as that. no harder,,,and no mysteries. how much more complicated can it be?