Quantcast
Jump to content


Anyone used the Autel MaxiDAS DS708?


Recommended Posts



For the money it is a rock star. It is very functional over a very broad band of different makes. I've had mine a year or so and do not regret it. Yes, no scope and it can't do everything every dealer level scanner can (but neither can snap on). Autels tpms tool is real nice too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the money it is a rock star. It is very functional over a very broad band of different makes. I've had mine a year or so and do not regret it. Yes, no scope and it can't do everything every dealer level scanner can (but neither can snap on). Autels tpms tool is real nice too.

I've been hearing the same thing ... It just seems too good to be true and cannot fathom why someone would buy a $10k Snap On over the Autel. Besides the lack of a scope, do you see any other features missing?

 

Will take a look at the TPMS. Didn't know they made one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no internal battery in the Autel. But you get used to it. Their customer service is so so at best. It is WiFi ready. It can print wirelessly. It might not do diesel well but diesel is not my area of expertise. If you visit Savannah before you make your scanner purchase you can try mine out. But really... For the money it is by far the best I've seen or used.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no internal battery in the Autel. But you get used to it. Their customer service is so so at best. It is WiFi ready. It can print wirelessly. It might not do diesel well but diesel is not my area of expertise. If you visit Savannah before you make your scanner purchase you can try mine out. But really... For the money it is by far the best I've seen or used.

I'm going to take you up on that. We will plug my VW TDI into it and see how it fairs. I'll PM you when I'm down there next.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've owned one for about a year, got it between 1200 & 1300. Lack of battery means starting from scratch if unplugged. Does do software updates over wifi and they are pretty frequent. Live data has some of the best coverage I have seen for an aftermarket scan tool. For the money is can't be beat. Can be a little interesting to get used to, seems like they copy the oem tool pretty closely. I have dealer Ford & GM tools and the Autel is an exact clone for the most part. If you do a lot of the same make but the factory scanner, if you want a general shop tool this pretty damn good. Like others have said, no bells and whistles, no scope or trouble shooter, just good basic info. I use this mainly for Chrysler as the factory tool is insanely expensive and I am pretty pleased with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the only scanner I have. Just had a Denali in the shop. The owner had it at another shop in the area that uses otc products. The genysis couldn't access the drivers seat module. The ds708 was able to not only read read the module but had good bidirectional support as well. The ford diesel coverage is very good. The gm diesel support is hit or miss. Haven't tried dodge. The European coverage is excellent. Bmw support is great. Mine even works on pre obd2 models using the proprietary bmw connector. There is almost no tech support. I would not purchase through Asian sources. Seems those units aren't warranted through the Autel us division. I bought mine through aes wave. Those guys are great. I have been surprised by this unit almost everyone I use it.

Cliff

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

ok so i typed a long text about Autel and my browser froze before posting...... :angry:

 

 

i was saying, i used it twice and liked it, owners of DS708 i met really like it for the price, but not loving it : doesn't do eveything.

 

DS708 from US retailer : from $1300 to $1600 with Autel USA support and updates

DS708 Asia/China orders : from $980 to $1300 - no support from Autel US, updates from Autel China or something..

 

BUT, now they have the MaxiSys on the market which is better:

- quad-core processor on Android platform, with a solid state drive

- built in Li-ion battery

- Auto-VIN detection

- Bluetooth connectivity with VCI, so you walk around the car with the scanner - no wire from screen to DLC

- J-2534 reprogramming comes with Pro model

- remote access from Autel tech

- and has SCOPE !

 

prices i've seen lately

Mini MS905 : $2200 (only has OBDII 16 pins connector)

MS908 : $3000

MS908 Pro : $4000

 

with today's technologies and low cost productions, i don't know how competitors justify those $8K~$12K scan Tools, and even less prices of Euro packages and updates.

i was thinking the release of MaxiSys would make a price drop of MaxiDas....but not yet.

 

so i was aiming at MaxiDas, but getting tempted by MaxiSys..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The maxisys looks like a great tool. I don't see any literature about the scope. It does say it has scope capability though. Either way perhaps this tool and a four channel pico scope would be the way to go and both could be had for thousands less than a verus or verdict

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see any literature about the scope. It does say it has scope capability though. Either way perhaps this tool and a four channel pico scope would be the way to go and both could be had for thousands less than a verus or verdict

 

Agreed. Would like to test one of these out myself prior to buying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So advanced is a dealer for them? I'm very interested in these.

 

That surprised me too. I'll stop by Advance tomorrow morning and ask.

 

Did you get the maxiDAS or the maxiSYS?

 

EDIT: I went by Advance this morning. They had no idea what I was talking about and took me to look at their $30 generic OBD-II scanners. I left fairly confused. They must not be a nationwide supplier but more on a store-by-store basis.

Edited by Wes Daniel
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

That surprised me too.  I'll stop by Advance tomorrow morning and ask.

 

Did you get the maxiDAS or the maxiSYS?

 

EDIT:  I went by Advance this morning.  They had no idea what I was talking about and took me to look at their $30 generic OBD-II scanners.  I left fairly confused.  They must not be a nationwide supplier but more on a store-by-store basis.

You need to speak with your CAM. The trial program is through the commercial portion of advance only and its pretty likely the in store commercial folks wont know much about it.

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I met with the rep for the Autel and a few other items. I am pretty much sold on the scanner but I cant get it out of my head that its about $200 cheaper online. I am going to call autel's us number tomorrow to see if the support is the same. They also are giving away their TPMS tool with the DS708.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I met with the rep for the Autel and a few other items. I am pretty much sold on the scanner but I cant get it out of my head that its about $200 cheaper online. I am going to call autel's us number tomorrow to see if the support is the same. They also are giving away their TPMS tool with the DS708. 

You should speak with the rep and see what he can do. Maybe he can set you up with some type of stocking pricing or something that could benefit you over the long term.

 

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

had the scanner for about a month so far and i love it,
it does everything the genesys and the high end snap-on scanner do for less then a quarter of the price.

http://www.obd365.com/wholesale/autel-maxidas-ds708-1213.html

they always have new updates, which i consider a very good thing.

the only downside to the unit is that it will take some getting used to and the menu is not unified, for example, if you want to check the ECU, under some manufactures it will be listed as ECU unit, others PCM units, others something different. also for certain cars, like an 01 f350 diesel (they just recently released the update to support ford diesel)you will not find the diesel option under the F350, instead you have to look for the engine model in the menu where you select the car model, those are minor things for and for me and they dont bother me much

i have used it on 2001 mercedes S500 (W220 body) and it scanned a total of 41 different systems, i didn't even know the car had that many systems, it scanned everything from AC to Radio, Navigation, Insturment cluster, ABS, Airmatic, Airbags......etc

overall im very happy with it, and highly recommend it, especially considering the price

(UPDATE)
------so far had the scanner for about 6 month and i am happy with it, no major problems and as i mentioned earlier the only annoyance is searching the menu's sometimes. i have used it on many different car models and it worked great on all of them. there is no ECU programing in this device, you can program keys and security systems on certain cars but not all, i was able to program the key on 01 infiniti I30 but not on a 2003 Saturn L300, the device only workes on cars 96 and newer and some models have to be 97 or 98 and up (had an 96 mercedes c220 and for that model it would only read regular obdII codes, but for the 97 and up it does everything). --------

(update #2)
had the scanner for a couple of years now, still works good, i just wanted to add that the cost to sign up for software update after the 1 year thats included is about ~$600 (total care package for 1 year, update and warranty) which i thought is kind of high, especially concidering the current price of the model. but on the plus side the updates are not mandatory, i haven't purchased any update packages since i first got mine and dont find the need to yet (don't really have any cars that are newer than 2014 that i need to work on)

also another thing they recently not too long ago released their newer model maxisys which looks really nice but is more expensive, its just another option to consider if you are a mechanic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

had the scanner for about a month so far and i love it,

it does everything the genesys and the high end snap-on scanner do for less then a quarter of the price.

http://www.obd365.com/wholesale/autel-maxidas-ds708-1213.html

 

they always have new updates, which i consider a very good thing.

 

the only downside to the unit is that it will take some getting used to and the menu is not unified, for example, if you want to check the ECU, under some manufactures it will be listed as ECU unit, others PCM units, others something different. also for certain cars, like an 01 f350 diesel (they just recently released the update to support ford diesel)you will not find the diesel option under the F350, instead you have to look for the engine model in the menu where you select the car model, those are minor things for and for me and they dont bother me much

 

i have used it on 2001 mercedes S500 (W220 body) and it scanned a total of 41 different systems, i didn't even know the car had that many systems, it scanned everything from AC to Radio, Navigation, Insturment cluster, ABS, Airmatic, Airbags......etc

 

overall im very happy with it, and highly recommend it, especially considering the price

 

(UPDATE)

------so far had the scanner for about 6 month and i am happy with it, no major problems and as i mentioned earlier the only annoyance is searching the menu's sometimes. i have used it on many different car models and it worked great on all of them. there is no ECU programing in this device, you can program keys and security systems on certain cars but not all, i was able to program the key on 01 infiniti I30 but not on a 2003 Saturn L300, the device only workes on cars 96 and newer and some models have to be 97 or 98 and up (had an 96 mercedes c220 and for that model it would only read regular obdII codes, but for the 97 and up it does everything). --------

 

(update #2)

had the scanner for a couple of years now, still works good, i just wanted to add that the cost to sign up for software update after the 1 year thats included is about ~$600 (total care package for 1 year, update and warranty) which i thought is kind of high, especially concidering the current price of the model. but on the plus side the updates are not mandatory, i haven't purchased any update packages since i first got mine and dont find the need to yet (don't really have any cars that are newer than 2014 that i need to work on)

 

also another thing they recently not too long ago released their newer model maxisys which looks really nice but is more expensive, its just another option to consider if you are a mechanic

I have a Maxisys and the speed of it blows the older maxidas out of the water. My only issue is at less then 2 years old I can't use it unplugged. And they want $900 for a new tablet. I believe I'm going to pick up a OTC Encore for day to day, and keep this thing for when I need to do something oddball like program immobilizer on a honda or nissan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         3 comments
      Got your attention? Good. The truth is, there is no such thing as the perfect technician pay plan. There are countless ways to create any pay plan. I’ve heard all the claims and opinions, and to be honest, it’s getting a little frustrating. Claims that an hourly paid pay plan cannot motivate. That flat rate is the only way to truly get the most production from your technicians. And then there’s the hybrid performance-based pay plan that many claim is the best.
      At a recent industry event, a shop owner from the Midwest boasted about his flat-rate techs and insisted that this pay plan should be adopted by all shops across the country. When I informed him that in states like New York, you cannot pay flat-rate, he was shocked. “Then how do you motivate your techs” he asked me.
      I remember the day in 1986 when I hired the best technician who ever worked for me in my 41 years as an automotive shop owner. We’ll call him Hal. When Hal reviewed my pay plan for him, and the incentive bonus document, he stared at it for a minute, looked up, and said, “Joe, this looks good, but here’s what I want.” He then wrote on top of the document the weekly salary he wanted. It was a BIG number. He went on to say, “Joe, I need to take home a certain amount of money. I have a home, a wife, two kids, and my Harly Davidson. I will work hard and produce for you. I don’t need an incentive bonus to do my work.” And he did, for the next 30 years, until the day he retired.
      Everyone is entitled to their opinion. So, here’s mine. Money is a motivator, but not the only motivator, and not the best motivator either. We have all heard this scenario, “She quit ABC Auto Center, to get a job at XYZ Auto Repair, and she’s making less money now at XYZ!” We all know that people don’t leave companies, they leave the people they work for or work with.
      With all this said, I do believe that an incentive-based pay plan can work. However, I also believe that a technician must be paid a very good base wage that is commensurate with their ability, experience, and certifications. I also believe that in addition to money, there needs to be a great benefits package. But the icing on the cake in any pay plan is the culture, mission, and vision of the company, which takes strong leadership. And let’s not forget that motivation also comes from praise, recognition, respect, and when technicians know that their work matters.
      Rather than looking for that elusive perfect pay plan, sit down with your technician. Find out what motivates them. What their goals are. Why do they get out of bed in the morning? When you tie their goals with your goals, you will have one powerful pay plan.
  • Similar Topics

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By carmcapriotto
      Recorded Live at MACS (Mobile Air Climate Systems) 2024 Training Event & Trade Show, Adam Kimmel discusses the refrigerant and thermal management industry. He highlights the significance of air conditioning technology in vehicles, the essential use of fluorine in refrigerants, and the evolution of refrigerants for environmental safety. Adam Kimmel, Koura, [email protected] Show Notes
      The importance of air conditioning (00:00:01) Discussing the significance of air conditioning in vehicles and homes and the commitment of industry professionals. Understanding fluorine in refrigerants (00:01:53) Evolution of refrigerants (00:05:16) Future challenges and developments (00:10:19) Regulations and alternatives (00:14:18) Safety and handling precautions (00:16:10) Engineer training and transparency (00:17:11) Understanding refrigerant nomenclature (00:19:47) Efficiency and GWP (00:25:38) Thanks to our Partners, AAPEX and NAPA TRACS Set your sights on Las Vegas in 2024. Mark your calendar now … November 5th-7th, 2024. AAPEX - Now more than ever. And don’t miss the next free AAPEX webinar. Register now at http://AAPEXSHOW.COM/WEBINAR NAPA TRACS will move your shop into the SMS fast lane with onsite training and six days a week of support and local representation. Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at http://napatracs.com/ Connect with the Podcast: -Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RemarkableResultsRadioPodcast/ -Join Our Private Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1734687266778976 -Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/carmcapriotto -Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmcapriotto/ -Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remarkableresultsradiopodcast/ -Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RResultsBiz -Visit the Website: https://remarkableresults.biz/ -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections            
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By carmcapriotto
      This week on Business by the Numbers, I want to talk shop and share insights that hit close to home for every garage owner out there. Today, I’m talking about an often overlooked aspect of your business - the true cost of inaction. Not just the dollars and cents you count every day, but the opportunities you might be missing out on.
      • The Hidden Expenses: The not-so-obvious costs tied to decision-making in your shop. From choosing between internal work vs. retail work to the long-term effects of quick fixes
      • Opportunity Cost Explained: Ever wondered about the cost of sitting on your couch instead of grabbing that $100 helping a buddy out? Opportunity Cost: It's all about what you're missing out on by choosing one option over another.
      • Real-life Examples: From loaner cars to hiring decisions, I aim to illustrate how overlooking opportunity costs can have a tangible impact on your bottom line.
      And hey, if you're hitting up Kansas City for Vision 2024, swing by and say hi. I'll be there, ready to chat and share insights in person. See you out there!
      Thanks to our partners, NAPA TRACS and Promotive
      Did you know that NAPA TRACS has onsite training plus six days a week support?
      It all starts when a local representative meets with you to learn about your business and how you run it.  After all, it's your shop, so it's your choice.
      Let us prove to you that Tracs is the single best shop management system in the business.  Find NAPA TRACS on the Web at NAPATRACS.com
      It’s time to hire a superstar for your business; what a grind you have in front of you. Great news, you don’t have to go it alone. Introducing Promotive, a full-service staffing solution for your shop. Promotive has over 40 years of recruiting and automotive experience. If you need qualified technicians and service advisors and want to offload the heavy lifting, visit www.gopromotive.com.
      Paar Melis and Associates – Accountants Specializing in Automotive Repair
      Visit us Online: www.paarmelis.com
      Email Hunt: [email protected]
      Get a copy of my Book: Download Here
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • Our Sponsors

×
×
  • Create New...