Vident iLink450 Full Service Scan Tool Reviews
The Vident iLink450 is an excellent choice for anyone on a budget who is interested in a full-service OBDII scan tool. I was particularly interested in a unit that could perform automated brake bleeds, and this one does possess that capability. In fact, I don't think there's much it won't do.
Of course, the iLink450 can perform many functions in addition to reading and resetting codes. Rather than go on and on about all the things this tool can actually do, I've posted a few photos below of the box. Its capabilities are listed in these pics - at least the major categories are.
A nice zippered carrying case is included with the iLink450, as shown here, along with a shot of the contents of the case:
The unit will run standalone, but is capable of recording live data, which can be played back on a PC. The mini-CD shown in the photo contains the Setup program for the PC-based application. The cable in the above photo is used to connect the unit to your PC, and the white gizmo in that shot is a micro-SD to USB adapter, which can be used to update the software in the iLink450.
Installing the application on my laptop was very straightforward. I inserted the disc, selected my language, and clicked Install.
A desktop icon titled iScanzilla was automatically created as part of the software installation. Upon initial startup of the application, I was instructed to create a free user account, which also doubled to register the warranty for my unit. After that, I could update both the scan tool and the PC software (my i450 shipped with Ver. 1.00 PC application, so I updated it immediately to Ver. 2.00).
A very well-written manual is provided, but navigating the interfaces of both the PC application and the scan tool itself are very intuitive. Below are a few shots of the tool in use. The first is a pic of the main screen. The three function buttons (F1 ... F3) below the screen are programmable, and I have already programmed them for my three favorites in this shot.
As you can see, the screen is bright, and the text is reasonably crisp. After selecting the ABS&SRS option, I was taken to another option screen on which I selected Electronic Brake Control. This took me to the next screen, on which I selected Special Functions, just to see what was there.
The Special Functions screen is where the Automated Bleed option resides.
Although I wasn't interested in performing a bleed at the time, I selected this option to see what came next. What I got was a detailed set of instructions about how to proceed.
I backed out of the Brake Bleed procedure and selected the ABS Motor option.
This took me to a screen with all sorts of data regarding the ABS.
After quickly browsing the data displayed, I backed out and disconnected the tool from the OBDII service port.
This is all the time I had to play with the unit today. Let me know if there's some specific function you want me to drill into, and I'll see what I can do when I have more time.
Cheers!