MUCAR VO7 S

This Mucar Bi Directional Scanner has showed me things beyond a simple code reader. It has so much options as comparable to OE diagnostics. I was able to unlocked my vehicles additional features as well and actuate solenoids to door and windows alike for testing. Overall, given some hands on use, it is a very capable unit. The only thing that would have made this a top notch unit would have been if it was a full TPMS tool or came with one.

Since I had an Otofix D1 (by Autel), I wanted to see how this compares. For everything I tried, the two are quite similar, both being Android based touchscreens offering bi-directional analysis and programming on a long list of makes and models through their OBD2 ports. The first thing you have to note is Autel's well known name and history for these vs. this brand (Nucar), which I'd only heard of once before.

Nearly all the similarities, if not identical, are in functionality via the ODB2 port. Both use a wireless Bluetooth dongle, and both appear to offer all the same system interrogations, and both appear to offer all the same programming functions. And both give the info in about the same time, and generally organized the same way. If there is some difference in what they do via the port, I've not found it yet.

Where the obviously differ is in packaging. This analyzer/programmer case is both thicker and has a larger footprint by quite a bit, I'd guess 30%. The Otofix is very thin and the case around the screen adds only a little bit more. Which makes me tend to think the Otofix might not survive abuse quite as well, making it the smaller one I'd rather sit in the driver's seat with, but this one the choice for under the car or hood, or places where it is potentially more vulnerable.

While both offer screen shot storage to support showing owner's details of problems found, the Otofix also has a camera to record images you decide anywhere on the car, which could be a useful feature. As for Android versions, this runs 10.0, while the Otofix runs 9.0. I'm not certain that really much matters in the end, but it might be noteworthy in later years from a support perspective.

This Mucar has 2G Ram and 32G storage, while the Otofix 2G Ram but 64G storage. Batteries are almost identical: 6000ma for this one, 5800ma for the Otofix. Other than onboard storage, which also perhaps plays into space to keep photos using the camera feature, again, the two are fairly equal.

One place they do differ is free updates. You get three years with this one, but only two with the Otofix. After that, with both, you have to pay for future updates. And if you are a shop, you will need them to address future model cars.

However, if you are an individual, even one with one or more cars in a collection that doesn't typically change, or doesn't have new cars each year, once the update period on box passes, they will continue to work using all the stored updates that have been downloaded.

The other place the differ is cost. This one is $470 vs. $400 for the Otofix (as of 17-July2023). And here is where the amount of time before free updates end and whether or not you are a repair shop or just an end user, perhaps along with more rugged packaging, become a real decision point. Both do a great job, and I can't say one is particularly faster or appears to do more than the other. You learn that doing a full scan always takes some time, and a large part of that is the car's ODB2 system response, not the reader.

So saving another year's updates costs might be worth getting this one, or if you mechanics are hard on tools like this, that might make it the better less delicate choice. If lower cost is more important, and hardened case and one less year of free updates isn't a big deal, then look at the Otofix.

The Mucar V07 diagnostic scan tool with wireless bluetooth connection is made in PRC (china). First off, this is an excellent all system code reader. There is ECU coding, but only for select makes and models that I do not own. The bidirectional testing is a great feature, as the tests vary by make, model, and year. The first thee years of updates are provided, but you need to pay for an update subscription after 3 years (at $99 per year) or choose to live with the updates you have. The diagnostics interface is slow, but works. The unit could use more onboard storage so I could keep all makes and models updated. I wanted the immobilizer functions to work for me, but it was not covered by the V07. This is a good scan tool, but if you need more functions for the main North American brands, you will need to spend more.

For the price, this is a good way to get into diagnostics. Has many features that a $1000+ scanner would have. It's also not locked behind more payments for access. It also comes with 3y of updates and $100 per year after that. Of course it's also still fully functional if you choose to stop paying for the updates. No single scanner has everything, but this one is a great way to start off a collection.