For the DIY type of vehicle owner, avoiding a trip the mechanic for a diagnosis is the goal when any issues come up. Figuring out what is causing the issue will take time and money, but in the past, much of the professional-level diagnosis equipment that was available could be too costly and out of the grasp of the everyday home mechanic.
Thankfully, some new products on the market help to address the issues that DIY mechanics are facing — including the TopDon ArtiDiag 600 (AD600), a comprehensive tool that can help you limit the amount of money spent on vehicle diagnosis.
The AD600 is compatible with vehicles dating as far back as 1996, and works by connecting to the OBDII on vehicles from 42 different vehicle brands. As more brands come on board and more features are added, the device is eligible for lifetime over-the-air updates.
Like Topdon’s other new diagnostic device, the ArtiDiag 500, the AD600 features a 5-inch touch screen, an auto VIN reader for fast vehicle identification, and a vehicle battery voltage display. If the auto-VIN service does not work (which is rare), you can manually enter the VIN.
It runs on the Android operating system, and can diagnose in four key areas: PCM (powertrain), transmission, ABS (brakes) and SRS (airbags).
Where the AD600 goes above and beyond the AD500 is by adding several key maintenance functions, related to oil, steering, tire pressure and more. The AD600 expands capabilities by adding functions such as:
- Oil reset: Resets the oil service lamp and maintenance interval after changing the oil, keeping the vehicle on an accurate service schedule.
- Steering and Suspension Reset/Calibration: Sets the SAS angle to zero, can turn off the SAS error light on most vehicles.
- Electronic Throttle Relearn: Initializes the throttle actuators to default state
- Tire Pressure Monitor System Reset: Looks up tire sensor IDs, resets tire pressure, and turns off the tire pressure warning light.
- Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) Release:Resets the EPB system after you make changes.
The bottom line is that tools like the AD600 are very practical, and can allow you to skip that visit with a professional mechanic for a diagnosis. You may or may not end up fixing the problem yourself, depending on severity and the depths of your mechanic abilities, but at least you won’t be burdened with towing costs and diagnosis costs at a mechanic or dealership, which can be costly.
Vehicle reports generated by the AD600 can be shared via email for printing or review. There is a user-friendly tech setup, and the unit will point out faults with your vehicle’s systems in greater detail than the car itself will reveal. In a nutshell, the AD600 an affordable trouble-shooting tool that will work on all your vehicles and potentially save you lots of money in diagnosis costs.
The overall size of the AD600 unit is 9.1 x 5.0 x 1.3 inches. It’s lightweight and easy to use, and the device should prove popular among anyone who is handy in the garage and would like to leave outside mechanics out of the process, or even small repair shops that need affordable diagnostic devices to assess incoming vehicles. Past diagnostics are stood red in the unit, and there is multilingual support, including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean.
The AD600 is one of Topdon’s offerings aimed at those who prefer DIY automotive repair — and TopDon’s overall lineup includes code readers, battery testers and chargers, thermal imagers, power supplies, and jump starters for both professional and home garages. For more information, please visit topdon.com, and learn about the AD600 here.
