[Tested] 4 Best OBD1 Scanners for 2023

We tested 10 reliable scanners that can support OBD1 vehicles on 5 different OBD1 vehicles to see which ones worked the best. Our main focus was on two important things: whether these products could work well with OBD1 vehicles and if they provided the necessary features for OBD1 vehicle owners.

After carefully testing and evaluating them, we found the top 4 scanners that are reliable and can support OBD1 vehicles.

IMPORTANT ALERT: there are products called “OBD1 to OBD2 adapters”, and they claim to connect your OBD1 vehicles with your OBD2 scanners. Well, we have tested some of those to see if there is any magic. As we expected, there isn’t. So please, please, and please, don’t waste your money on those products.

4 Best OBD1 Scanners: Comparison Chart

[Note: Swipe left for full table]

Product	Score	Quick review
Actron CP9690	9.8	• Read full system codes • Clear codes • Live data	Check Price
INNOVA 3145 (for Ford)	9.5	• Read engine codes • Clear codes	Check Price
INNOVA 3170RS	9.0	• Read full system codes • Clear codes	Check Price
INNOVA 3123 (for GM)	8.8	• Read engine codes • Clear codes	Check Price

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Best Manufacturer-specific OBD1 Code Readers

BIG NOTE HERE: These two scanners only work as code readers, nothing more, nothing less. They will show you the trouble codes; then you need to find the code meaning in the manual books. Sure, you can clear codes as well.

The books will come along with the scanners. There are lots of things you can see in the books:

• general information about how the vehicle computer works,
• detailed instructions,
• a full list of codes, etc. 

Anyway, there’s a lot of patience needed here, but there’s no other better option. 

And beware that:

• OBD1 scanners don’t get power from the vehicles; they require 2 AA batteries.
• OBD1 scanners don’t check every mechanical issue, only ones detected by the car computers.

INNOVA 3145 (for Ford)

INNOVA 3145 is for Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury domestic cars and trucks from 1982 to 1995.

This tool is the simplest thing we have ever used. Just push the “ON” button, then the “TEST” one, and wait for the codes to appear. It takes about 10 seconds to start sending the codes and another 10 seconds to display them, super fast. Thus, INNOVA 3145 has the ability to save codes. There’s a “MEMORY” button that lets you recall all the codes whenever you want. Yes, this also means you can bring the scanner to the repair shop, give it to the mechanics, and they can read the memory codes to solve the problem. 

We also test this INNOVA 3145 with its extension cable – INNOVA 3149. The extension cable improves the diagnostic capabilities of the tool and gives us more detailed results. With the INNOVA 3149, we can access both the MCU system and the EEC-IV system, enabling us to analyze the vehicle’s diagnostics more thoroughly. Additionally, the cable is 6 feet long, providing us with extra convenience and flexibility during the diagnostic process.

Today’s best INNOVA 3145 price:

Read more: Innova 3145 Review: The Best Ford OBD1 Code Reader

INNOVA 3123 (for GM)

NNOVA 3123 is for GM vehicles from 1982 to 1995. In fact, we must admit that the INNOVA 3123 is not as great as the one we use for Ford (INNOVA 3145). It doesn’t display digital codes on the screen. We have to count the times the engine light blinks, and then look in the booklet to find what the codes mean, it’s kinda annoying.

Additionally, this model can only read ECM and ABS codes on the onboard computer, restricting our ability to dive deeper into other systems. Another issue we’ve noticed is that it does not have the capability to save codes, requiring us to manually write them down for future reference.

While counting the lights can still be a bit tedious, it is much more preferable than having to spend a significant amount of money at a repair shop just to pull a code. With the INNOVA 3123, you can at least get a general idea of what is happening with yout GM vehicles.

Today’s best INNOVA 3123 price:

Read more: INNOVA 3123 Review: The Best GM OBD1 Code Reader

Best OBD1 and OBD2 Scanners:

Actron CP9690 (with live data)

Actron CP9690 is for 1984-1995 Ford & GM, Chrysler, and Toyota vehicles. Actron CP9690 is the best OBD1 scanner with live data that we’ve tested. Actron CP9690 comes with 8 adapters, which are 4 OBD-I cables and 1 OBD-II cable for supporting different vehicles. While it may be slightly inconvenient for us to switch cables when testing multiple vehicles, this should not be a problem for home mechanics with only a few cars to take care of.

One of our favorite functions of the Actron CP9690 on OBD1 vehicles is the live data feature. Initially, we didn’t think this scanner could access a broad range of data.  However, it exceeded our expectations by providing us with a diverse set of data during live data monitoring.

We also tested the Actron CP9690 on some OBD2 vehicles and it performed flawlessly, comparable to other OBD2 scanners we have tried. However, Actron CP9690 is pricier as it doesn’t offer any service functions on OBD2 vehicles, I think it’s because of the ability to work on OBD1 vehicles.

Today’s best Actron CP9690 price:

INNOVA 3170RS (without live data)

INNOVA 3170RS for GM & Ford OBD1 vehicles.

Actually, INNOVA 3170RS cannot work with the OBD1 vehicles directly. This scanner comes with different adapters that you can use to connect to your OBD1 vehicles. You need to pick the right adapter for your vehicle.

Just like the Actron CP9690 above, INNOVA 3170RS goes beyond engine diagnosis to check for manufacturer-specific codes in all the systems in your OBD1 & OBD2 vehicles.

However, this little gadget only reads live data on OBD2 vehicles, which is a lack for those who want to read vehicles’ real-time condition.  

That’s still fair for the price, though. If you’re not too concerned about real-time readings on OBD1 scanners, then INNOVA 3170RS is still a great scanner for the price.

Today’s best INNOVA 3170RS price:

What’s Next?

I’m sorry for the lack of options in this post. But there are no other reliable products available in the market at the moment.

Hope that you can find one friend for your OBD1 vehicle after reading this post.

And if you know any good OBD1 scanner that is still available, don’t hesitate to share it with me and other readers.

Thank you.