smedina117

Hi all,

I recently purchased a one-owner 14' ES 350 with 70k mls.

Any recommendations on purchasing an OBDii scanner diagnostic tool, specifically one for the ES 350 Lexus, & yes, I know these vehicles are extremely reliable with their Toyota's 3.5 2GRFE engines and excellent 6 speed transmissions.

Besides your basic maintenance resets and erasing/troubleshooting any faulty code read, I also like to diagnose other sensors including any potential "electrical gremlins" as well as reading actual oil levels, trans.-fluid temperature(s) and programming any potential bad TPMS wheel sensors (if needed), etc.

I've been looking at various Autel OBD2 scanners, but I'm unsure that with this great car, I may or may not need such an expensive scanner. Again, any advice or recommendation(s) are welcomed - for this DYI/shade-tree mechanic.

Thank you in advance.

2014LES350

I'm new to this forum, since my wife just bought a super-nice 55k mile 2014 ES350; I've not yet had any reason to perform maintenance on it, other than a couple of minor exterior items (loose under-car plastic, loose front license plate holder), and removing a penny stuck in the console lighter, and haven't even scanned it with my generic OBD reader (Innova 3100i), since the Lexus had a clean bill of health per the pre-purchase inspection.

But, I'm going to download the software for "Toyota-Lexus-Scion" from Foxwell soon, so I can have bi-directional testing capabilities using my Foxwell NT510 Elite scan tool. I bought it in 2021 for use on my four General Motors vehicles, and later my '01 BMW X5 E53 . I purchased the Foxwell for $165, initially with GM software, but added "BMW-Mini-Rolls Royce" software a couple of months later, when I swapped for the X5 (I traded my drag car for the X5, which my neighbor had been rebuilding for me). The BMW software cost me $60 at that time. I figure that this scan tool has paid for itself several times over already, so I'm going to ante-up $80 for the Lexus download, soon.

Depending on my budget ( we're both retired), I might upgrade to a newer, faster, Foxwell NT710 bi-directional scan tool (Android-based), that I could buy for around $200-240 with the Lexus software pre-loaded. According to Foxwell link , . Using a Foxwell is considered "de rigueur" on the BMW website I use most frequently Xoutpost website

Either Foxwell scan tool is well worth the money, IMO; I trust the "Toyota-Lexus-Scion" will be as useful as the BMW or GM software I've already been using.dde rigueure rigueur

Tootsall

Personally, I use the Carista app and OBDII dongle on my '14. I believe the dongle is about $20 and the app is a subscription download...works on Android and iOS. The first period after purchase you use it with full functionality for "free" and after that you can elect to pay for a subscription or just "a week at a time when needed" for about $10. You can still check for codes without having to pay for the full function after that initial free period. (After initial programming adjustments...seat, windows, lane change blinks, etc...I may have used it once to check for codes. You can check it out on Youtube if you want. I'm not saying you should buy it, just telling you my experience (I initially got it to do the TPMS install for a seasonal set of wheels/tires so as to avoid having to go to the dealer to get the car itself reprogrammed twice a year as it will report the individual TPMS sensor codes and allow you to reprogram certain aftermarket sensors themselves to match the original codes).

bartlett

I personally think the reader from Carly is able both to read all codes and enable you to make changes to system settings.

Tootsall

If you check section 8.2 “Customization” in your manual, Carista allows you to adjust all of those during a) your initial “free” period or after you have activated the subscription, “ full featured” functionality months or years later.

swfla

iTrader: (1)

Carista is a good affordable scan tool for Lexus. A comprehensive tool is Techstream software and a cable with a pc. Google it to see costs.