Tech 2 China clone: Yes or No?

This is for anybody gonna to have a GM Tech 2 Chinese knock off for troubleshoot

Reason for a Tech 2 clone:

The price is reasonable around $350.00 and if it doesn’t last that long at least it’s cheaper than the thousands I would pay for a used Tech 2 original.

johno504: good reports on the SAAB forums for OBD2 cars.

WVZR-1: You need to be concerned that the ‘card’ used is programmable using current GM technology. I’d be concerned with the included years with the buy. If there’s ‘no card’ and just the hardware it ain’t worth squat. I’ve never looked at the offers of them so I’ve no idea of what they say is included.

Grandspt: It says it covers most 1991 to 2013 GM cars.

I just bought one off cardiagtool.co.uk and I am going to give it a try. I purchased it from a US seller but there are others from China. I contacted the seller and asked if it would cycle the ABS pump on a 1996 Corvette and other body control module diagnostics, he said that it would.

It does come with the 32 Mb flash card for GM. He has Saab and Isuzu cards and they are $60.00 each.

Ddahlgren: Works great with my trailblazer. And duramax. And Sierra. And escalade. And envoy… you get the picture. I don’t recall which I ordered exactly though.

WWT: Works with GMs from 1991- 2013

OBD1 is everything before ’96!

If the menu is in the Tech2 for ’91 then that hints that all you would need is the correct 16 – 12 connector/adapter and also likely a provision to power it with the adapter. OBD2 is self-powered from the DLC, OBD1 ain’t. ’94 & ’95 would work without the adapter, they’re 16 pin DLC with pin 16 being B+.

I’ve used my “REAL” Tech2 with ’95 but not Corvette, compared to my Tech1 on the same car I did have some contradictory comparisons that I couldn’t explain. I don’t recall them now but it did confuse me for a time. I put a JY ECM in a ’95 ParkAvenue for a fellow to resale and it ran well so I worried NOT about it.

FYI, There is a Tech1A OBD1 to OBD2 interface that lets the Tech1a work fine with 96.

PatternDayTrader: it seem like a quality piece of equipment

I think it is pretty well constructed. It is a fairly large unit and has some heft to it. I tried all the cables and connectors and they fit tightly. I am pretty happy with it.

The A.C. brick to run it at home without the car has the shortest cords I have ever seen but that is a minor complaint. I got a chuckle when I first opened the package. All the stickers came in a bag, example: Serial number/upc bar code, model number, the GM Tech 2 label. They want you to install them yourself. This is probably how they get away with no lawsuit’s for cloning the device.

JimLentz: I got mine through a site in China, but they have various suppliers and the one I bought was only on their site a few weeks. I did not pay any duties on the unit. If you buy one I know there is a vendor on eBay that is in the US and though it costs a little more at least you have someone to contact in case of issues. If I were to do it over again that is what I would do. Some of the units have a cheap DC to DC converter in them and I purchased a good DC to DC converter in case mine ever goes out. I found a video online showing how to do it and years ago I was an electronic technician so would be easy for me.

I did capture a screen for that car for what the Tech 2 calls a Crank Position Variation Relearn.

tech2-Crank-Position-Variation-Relearn

Relearn for 2002 Pontiac Gran Prix.

The only vehicles listed under 91 is Saturn, however I have 33.004, so not sure if there is a 33.007 and it covers 91 better. If I enter 92 I have the option of doing diagnostics on a Y body with L98, which is certainly not for a 92.

With the version of TIS 2000 I have the versions supported are 27.010 and 27.012. I have no way see what is on those versions without downgrading my memory card, but would have no way to go back to 33.004.

tech2-tis2000-1

tech2-tis2000-2

Boovy: I over paid for my Tech 2 from a seller on EBAY $350.00. I wanted to buy from someone in the US.
There are a lot of other sellers like: Cardiagtool.co.uk they are cheap.
They do take PayPal so I guess you could take chance. But I am not endorsing them since I didn’t want to take that chance purchasing it through them.