iCarsoft MB V3.0 vs Vident i400AU - Your single-make scan tool buying guide

Are you looking for a low-cost, powerful OBD scan tool and only need to diagnose on a single car make/vehicle? Look no further! We’re going to explain precisely what a single make scan tool is, who it is best suited for, and dissect and compare 2 of the most popular and proven single-make OBD scanners on the Australian market.

If, however, you’re looking for a full systems OBD scanner that will cover a wide range of car makes, head over to one of our most recent articles covering multi-vehicle scanners: iCarsoft CR Pro vs Autel MX808 vs Vident i730AU – Your Full Systems Scan Tool Guide.

What is a single-make scan tool?

OK, so we understand many people’s confusion regarding OBD scan tools, as there are many varieties on the market. A single-make scan tool generally covers 1 car make e.g. Holden or Toyota, or a group of car makes e.g. BMW/Mini or Land Rover/Jaguar. 

Who are single-make scan tools suited to?

Who are these single-make scanners for, you ask? The single-make scanners are an excellent option for DIYers out there looking for a scan tool to use on their own personal vehicles and who want to keep the cost to a minimum. A great alternative to paying double or even triple the price for a multi-vehicle scan tool, where you are unlikely to have much use for the wide range of car makes covered. In addition to this, a great option for workshops/mobile mechanics specialising in a specific car make e.g. Holden, Toyota, or AU Ford. 
 

iCarsoft MB V.3 vs Vident i400AU

Today we’re going to take a closer look at, in our opinion, 2 of the best single make scan tools available on the market today. For each scan tool, we’re going to breakdown and review:

• OBD/Vehicle Compatibility
• Systems Coverage
• Special Service Functions 
• Bi-directional capabilities 
• Updates
• Price

An Introduction To Today’s Scan Tools

iCarsoft MB V.3 OBD Scan Tool For Mercedes Benz

Let’s jump straight in with one of our most popular single-make scan tools: the iCarsoft V.3. A side note before we begin – for the purpose of comparisons, we are going to use the Mercedes Benz & Sprinter version of this scan tool (iCarsoft MB V.3 OBD Scan Tool For Mercedes Benz & Sprinter) – you can find the complete list of iCarsoft V.3 makes below:

• iCarsoft BMM V.3 OBD Scan Tool For BMW & Mini
• iCarsoft LR V.3 OBD Scan Tool For Land Rover
• iCarsoft POR V.3 OBD Scan Tool For Porsche
• iCarsoft VAWS V.3 VAG OBD Scan Tool For Audi VW Seat Skoda

Vident iLink400 AU Scan Tool - Single Make

Next up, we have the Vident iLink400 AU - Single Make, which based on our historical sales and customer feedback, really is one of the most popular selling single-make scan tools in the Australian market. Why? It works seamlessly with all of your popular Australian market car makes such as Holden, Toyota, FordAU, Landrover, etc.
Let’s dig a little deeper and compare and contrast these two great scan tools..  
 

OBD / Vehicle Compatibility

iCarsoft MB V.3

The iCarsoft MB V.3 covers Mercedes Benz & Sprinter vehicles that are reporting OBD2 protocol, which for the Australian market is usually from around 2006+ (make/model dependant) through to the latest manufacturer coverage, which is around 2015/2016. Without going into too much detail, the Australian market was the last to become OBD2 compliant (2006), compared to the US (1996) and EU (2001 Petrol, 2004 Diesel). This naturally means most of your older Australian market vehicles (pre-2006) usually are not compatible with OBD2 scanners, including the iCarsoft scanners. For more info on OBD compatibility, you can check out our ‘5 things scan tool sellers don’t tell you before buying’.
 
It's also worth noting that it’s not possible to add more car makes to any of the iCarsoft V.3 scan tools. Vehicle coverage will depend on which version of the iCarsoft V.3 you choose e.g. same applies for iCarsoft LR V.3 (it will only cover Land Rover vehicles using OBD2 protocol).
 

Vident i400AU

The Vident iLink400 has most major US, European, Asian, and Australian brands available to download to your scan tool. Upon purchase, you receive 1 free car make of your choice, which you can select when receiving the scan tool. In addition to this, you can add up to 4 other car makes of your choice, at an additional cost. A really great feature to safeguard yourself in case you wanted to use the scan tool on another vehicle.
Regarding specific vehicle coverage, this depends on the car make; however, the scan tool covers OBD1 and OBD2 vehicles, generally ranging back as far as the mid-90s for some car makes, through to around 2017/2018. This is just a rough guide for an idea of coverage; however, we can always check specific vehicle compatibility for you. Overall, an excellent option for those wanting to cover earlier OBD1 vehicles, as many scan tools, like the iCarsoft scanners, only covers OBD2 vehicles. 
 

iCarsoft MB V.3 vs Vident i400AU

Due to the capability to cover older OBD1 vehicles, together with the option to add more car makes to the scan tool, the i400AU would be our pick here. However, if you’ve got an OBD2 vehicle that falls into the compatible range, the iCarsoft V.3 is a great option for general diagnosis.

Systems Coverage

Like most scan tools on the market these days, both the iCarsoft MB V.3 and the Vident iLink400 give you access to full systems diagnosis, allowing you to read/clear trouble codes and view live data on engine, body, transmission, SRS, and more. 
 

Special Service Functions

iCarsoft MB V.3

Covers an impressive 8+ special/service functions as per below:
Oil Service Reset
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) 
Battery Management System (BMS)
Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Regeneration 
Electronic Throttle Control System (ETC)
Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) Calibration
ABS Bleeding  
Injector Coding
Auto VIN technology (automatically identify your vehicle model and year)
 

Vident i400AU

With access to 17 special/service functions, the capabilities here are as powerful as it gets in this price range. The iLink400 covers all of your ‘standard’ service functions and more, such as:

Oil Service Reset
Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) 
Battery Management System (BMS)
Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Regeneration 
Electronic Throttle Control System (ETC)
Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) Calibration
ABS Bleeding  
Injector Coding
*And more (full details on our website)
 *Special service functions are vehicle specific - the functions listed are generic scan tool capabilities, and it’s always best to check with the seller if there’s a particular function you want to access on your vehicle*
 

iCarsoft MB V.3 vs Vident i400AU

Both scan tools have a great service function coverage here. The i400AU has slightly more covered, however, both are capable of all of your standard service functions (vehicle make/model dependant).
 

Bi-directional Functions

Both the iCarsoft MB V.3 and Vident i400AU are capable of Actuation Tests / Bidirectional Tests and is used to access vehicle-specific subsystem and component testing. 
 

Updates

iCarsoft MB V.3

One of the great perks of purchasing any iCarsoft scan tool is the lifetime free updates. Once the initial purchase has been made, you won’t be required to pay any additional costs for future updates – no extra fees is always a winner in my eyes!

Vident i400AU

Vident scan tools come with a very generous 3 years of free updates. After this period, the yearly updates/license cost is $70. You are only required to purchase the license update if you need access to new vehicles included in the updates.  

Price

iCarsoft MB V.3

Coming in at $265, the iCarsoft V.3 model really is a great budget option if you’re looking for a powerful scan tool and are only looking to diagnose a specific make/car group.

Vident i400AU

The iLink400 comes in at $290. In our opinion, great value for money as although this is a ‘single-make’ scan tool, you are still safeguarding yourself with the option to add more car makes in the future. 

Summary

In summary, we believe the Vident iLink400 AU and the iCarsoft V.3 OBD Scan Tool are 2 of the best single-make scanners in the Australian aftermarket diagnostics field at present. Which one is right for you will of course depend on personal preference and the vehicle you will be using it with. 

However, whether you go for the Vident iLink400 or the iCarsoft V.3, each of these scan tools are an absolute steal at under $300 considering they will virtually pay for themselves after just one use. We all know the extortionate costs of repairs/diagnosis these days – why not safeguard yourself and invest in your own scan tool rather than filling the pockets of your local mechanic?

Head over to our website and check out our single-make scan tool range now, and if you’re still unsure, we’ve got an excellent customer support team who are happy to guide you in the right direction. 

https://www.azscanners.com.au/obd1-obd2-single-brand-scan-tool/
 

Single Brand Scanners

Comparison tables are for reference only. They demonstrate general functions and features of our products. The compatibility for these functions may vary depending on vehicle's make, model and year. Refer to our function lists or contact us for more information.

*Vident i400 series (i400AU, i440AU, i450AU) and i700 series (i700AU, i710AU and i730AU) have free life time udpates on all the units purchased after 10th of April 2023