Frequently asked
Compatibility, what each edition includes, what you need alongside it, and how buying works. If your question is not here, email us and we will answer it — and probably add it to this page.
If your car has an OBD2 port it will. In the UK that means petrol cars first registered from 2001 and diesels from 2004, which covers almost everything on the road. The port is a 16-pin trapezoid socket, normally within reach of the driver’s seat — under the dashboard, behind a flap in the fusebox cover, or near the handbrake.
The free trial connects to your own car before you pay anything, which is a more reliable answer than any compatibility list.
Yes — an ELM327 adapter, which plugs into the OBD2 port and connects to your laptop by USB, or to a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. AutoScan is software; the adapter is how it reaches the car.
We no longer sell hardware, so buy whichever adapter suits you. AutoScan works with any ELM327. Our adapter guide covers what to look for and what to avoid.
If you want to know what the warning light means and turn it off, Standard is enough. If you want to know why it came on — live sensor data, freeze frame, MOT readiness, ABS and airbag — buy Enhanced. That is the edition most people should choose.
PLUS adds Bluetooth, mobile app software and a commercial licence. ULTRA and ULTIMATE are for workshops doing module-level ECU work, and are more than most people need. The pricing page compares all five side by side.
No. Every edition is a one-off purchase with a lifetime licence key. The key does not expire and the software does not stop working.
What varies by edition is how long you receive new software versions: one year on Standard, two on Enhanced, three on PLUS and ULTRA, and lifetime updates on ULTIMATE. When an update period ends, the version you have keeps working.
By email, normally within minutes of your order. You receive a licence key and a download link. During busy periods it can take longer, but it should never be more than 24 hours — if it is, email us and we will sort it immediately.
Everything is digital. There is nothing to post and nothing to wait for in the mail.
Fourteen days. If AutoScan will not do what we said it would, tell us what happened and we will refund you.
We would rather fix it than refund it, so it is worth emailing support first — a large share of refund requests are a COM port setting that takes two minutes to correct.
Yes. The licence is tied to you, not to a vehicle, so you can read as many cars as you like.
Standard and Enhanced are licensed for personal use. If you are charging customers for the work, you need PLUS, ULTRA or ULTIMATE, which include a commercial licence.
Windows 7 through Windows 11, 32-bit and 64-bit. It runs on an ordinary laptop — there is no minimum specification worth worrying about.
AutoScan is Windows software. macOS and Linux are not supported directly; some customers run it under a Windows virtual machine, but we cannot support that configuration.
It tells you whether the emissions readiness monitors have completed and whether there is a stored fault that would put the engine management light on — which is an MOT failure in its own right on most modern cars.
It cannot predict the rest of the test. Brakes, tyres, suspension and lights are not things the ECU reports on.
Yes. Email info@autoscansoftware.com with your order number and we will arrange the difference rather than charging you twice.
Yes, both include it in full. You do not need to buy it separately, and the site will stop you from doing so by mistake.
The Tuning Pack is a genuine add-on for Standard, Enhanced and PLUS customers.
Email support and, where a problem needs someone to look at your screen, remote assistance. It is included with every edition for as long as you own it.
There are also thirteen video tutorials covering setup, reading codes, live data and MOT readiness, free to watch whether or not you have bought anything.
Not any more. We are a software company and we decided to stop handling stock, postage and returns on a low-margin cable so we could put that time into the software instead.
AutoScan works with any ELM327 adapter, so nothing is lost — buy one wherever you like. The adapter guide explains exactly what to look for.
Start with the tutorials — thirteen short videos that take you from installing the software to reading a code on your own car.
If you are still stuck, email support. We would much rather spend ten minutes getting you running than have you give up on it.
The trial reads real fault codes from your own vehicle. No card, no expiry countdown, no obligation.
