XTOOL D8W AI-Assisted Bidirectional Scan Tool with Topology Mapping

I've owned the Xtool D8BT now for about a month. I have many diagnostic tools, and I really put them through the ringer. I am a diagnostic tech for a well-known nationwide used car dealer, and I scan and troubleshoot about 10-12 vehicles a day. I have gotten to know this tool inside and out, and will tell you a bit about it. QUALITY Firstly, it is quite a rugged tool (unlike many other scanners in this sub-$1000 price range). The case is solid, with no flex. It also has a kickstand so you can hang it on the steering wheel for some good ol' driver's seat diag. It can be tricky to get balanced on some cars as the tool is quite compact, but it is light enough to make it work on most cars. MILEAGE CORRECTION I originally purchased this tool specifically for it's mileage correction capabilities. We have many vehicles come in with damaged, inoperable or even missing Instrument clusters. Typically we would order a used replacement unit and have it sent out to match the mileage to the vehicle, which takes time and money. Well I am pleased to say that is now (mostly) a thing of the past. I'm sure that there are some vehicles that this will NOT do mileage correction on, but I have not run into any in the time I have been using it (bear in mind, we only deal with vehicles that are relatively new; nothing over 10 years old). This is a BIG money saver for shop owners or mobile technicians! IMMOBILIZER/KEY PROGRAMMING It's immobilizer capabilities are also incredible, for the price. I have added keys successfully on many domestic and Asian vehicles with this tool. The menus can be a bit confusing, especially compared to some higher end key programmers we use, but all it takes is some poking around to find the correct function to use. I also have also successfully performed 'all keys lost' on a Nissan Altima with a smart key (very impressive!) and a few Jeeps with standard blade keys. A few years ago a tool this capable would have cost you several thousand dollars! GENERAL DIAGNOSTICS Every vehicle that comes into my bay gets a full scan. I am pleased to say that the Xtool D8BT is a more than capable diagnostic scanner. It is SUPER quick to auto-ID the vin and execute a full system scan. Once the vehicle is loaded it has all of the same active tests and special functions as my MUCH more expensive Autel. Updates seem to be very frequent as well. My second week of using it, a Ford update (v13.10 if I recall) broke the Auto VIN function. Any Ford vehicle I scanned I had to manually enter the year make and model (quite annoying). However, within a week a new update was released that restored this functionality. This tells me that the company is staying on top of things on their end. Very reassuring. DISLIKES It is not without it's faults, however. When viewing live data, for example, there is no search function available like on my Autel. This will probably not be an issue for most, but some vehicles have HUNDREDS of data PIDs to scroll through and the search function of the Autel makes it a breeze to find exactly what you are looking for. (See my edit below; XTOOL has now added this functionality as of March 2022!) There are also a few annoying quirks that I believe are specific to the Bluetooth model (I do not own the corded version to compare). The range of the Bluetooth VCI is actually quite impressive, but if you do lose connection, even for a second, it boots you right back to the main menu. This can get frustrating, trust me. It also seems to lose Bluetooth connection if you allow it to go to sleep during a session. I have disable the auto-sleep function in the Android settings menu to remedy this issue. The last niggle I have with the tool is in it's update speed when viewing/graphing live data. It is quite slow, to say the least. It seems to update data at a rate of about twice per second. This is about half as slow as my Autel, which I also find quite slow. Overall it is useable, but really makes troubleshooting tricky issues harder than it needs to be. Honestly, all of these complaints really are minor considering the price. It is just a fantastic tool, overall. Cannot recommend it highly enough. *EDIT - 3/1/2022 Just wanted to mention that a system update was released earlier this week that added a search function while viewing live data, which was one of my only gripes! Just makes the tool that much better!

3rd edit: Xtool added a requested feature which was missing into the scanner via a software update which as an end-user is 5/5 customer service. Waiting for the trigger recording function to be implemented. PRO TIP: with the Xtool screen recording feature the end user can get the playback with the button feature to move to any time point in the recording. 2nd edit: There is a learning curve with these scanners. If you choose the wrong PIDs you see voltages. Simply checking the values below the voltage gives the readable data. Also you need the right module. You cannot read transmission live data from the engine module. Battery on this is on par with the launch 919BT with idle power loss of more than 4 % over 8h with the screen off. With an active VCI session it is higher at 2% over an hour. Edit; to speed the data transmission from the vci to the tablet I found having the car running helped. The 2024 upgraded version of the XTOOL D8W OBD2 Scanner has a 64G SSD, and wireless connectivity. That allows working at the engine without the need for an assistant. This feature is particularly beneficial for repair shops and car owners, offering convenience and efficiency. From topology scanning, diagnostics, bidirectional controls, and over 38 resets there are a number of functions for the user. The ECU coding and key programming may not be covered. With any scanner compare them and contact the manufacturer for their confirmation. The Topology Module Scan capability allows for clear visualization of connections among vehicle modules and diagnosis. I used throttle body relearn and ECU reset and was successful on a Honda CRV. For those seeking dealership-level diagnostics, the XTOOL D8W delivers precise and in-depth results across all automotive systems e.g SRS and BCM . With the ability to view live data from each system in graph form and perform active tests, users can confidently address any issues with their vehicles. This diagnostic scanner makes a worthwhile investment for automotive enthusiasts with 3 years of updates and vehicle additions. Cons: the connectivity can be an issue in a congested WiFi area. If there are too many drops try to see if the area WiFi is the cause or from another source. Battery life on these tablets could be better but it does charge when attached to the vehicle.

I have used XTOOL for a few years now. Owning the A30 and D7S both are great but limited A30 is wireless but don't have all the features and D7S has a lot of user friendly functions but is not wireless. So when the D8W was released I had to have it. It has all the perks of those scan tools rolled up in to one great unit. Plus it offers more then what I was expecting it had. For example the AI in the diagnostic you get real solutions and the most common cause for the dtc this saves you a lot of time. With this D8W its like having an assistant help you. I had a no start on a Toyota truck and it was a fuel issue. Checking for power at the pump with the key is not an easy task with power on only for a few seconds unless you have help. The D8W was my helper being able to turn the fuel pump on and off with a simple touch on the screen I was able to determine it was a bad pump while I was under the truck. Plus this scanner has good battery life and a bigger screen compared to the D7S. It also comes in a well made case with everything to get started I couldn't be happier with this unit it has everything you would want weather your a diy person or professional. XTool is always putting out updates so you are never wondering if the scanner is outdated and need a new one and you can choose what you want to update from the list of every car make imaginable out there. in conclusion I highly recommend this scan tool for anyone or business.

This is my second X Tool Scanner and they have worked great for what I've needed both on my personal vehicles and using them professionally at work as a technician. We have the big name scan tools at the shop but they constantly need ridiculously priced updates on top of the astronomical original purchase price compared to the X tool scanner. On top of being an affordable option it also comes with 3 years of free updates and even after the free period its a very reasonable price to pay the yearly fee. 99% of the time this is our go to scanner over our Snap-on for ease of use and it does pretty much everything we need out of a scan tool. It's bidirectional so it allows some changes to be made in the ECU, VIN matching components, ABS bleeding function, actuation tests for most of the systems, electronic parking brake controller for working on brake systems, etc... For the money it's by far the best scan tool I've owned or used and I'd highly recommend this to anybody regardless of of your a hobbiest or professional technician. It's a great tool to have in your toolbox!

I've reviewed several scan tools, even tried some. They all promise certain things. THe ONE thing I was looking for above all was Trans Temp to properly refill my CVT or other modern sealed transmissions. This one is mid range priced, but no better than lower priced units and comes with a nice plastic case plus a Universal brick style charger that is suitable for anywhere in the world. Case in point. This statement in the ad clearly states: "Graphing & Text Live Data Stream (such as Misfire/Transmission Temperature, Sensors, etc)" Transmission Temperature? It doesn't. It reads the sensor and returns VOLTAGE, which is USELESS without a conversion factor to temperature. Raw voltage is unreliable until linearized and then converted to temperature; simple engineering. Battery life is mediocre. Apparently has no power down mode if you happen to leave it on; drains quickly. Not intuitive. PIDs are sometimes not typical and confusing what they really mean. Obscure numbers referencing them. Many are listed, yet are unavailable. So, why put there what isn't available? Contacted "support" which was equally useless. It took weeks to get any answer and even that response was "we're checking with Engineering". Then, a week later, amid apologies for the delay, the answer was the same: Doesn't read trans temp! So, for value, this ranks poorly. Since it does not provide what I needed AND updates are included for ONLY 3 years, buy a lower priced unit with LIFETIME updates. Stick with the reasonably priced units, but don't expect "support" from any of them.

Fairly easy to set up for the first time and use. Requires an email address, internet connection, and a password. Took 3 re-boots to make it stop going through the initial set up ( pick a language, country, time zone, etc), but fine after that. First use it showed 245 updates available. If you don't work on many of the vehicles listed that are not even sold in the U.S. you have to open each line item to read the details of the update (like update for ABS on Xinjui vehicles?). Then you choose to update or not. Or you can select update ALL and fill your scanners memory. Once I went through 245 lines I got to work. But as new updates continue to come in they migrate to your entire update list, so you can't tell which are new and which ones you have already looked at. My only gripe so far. Otherwise, the scanner has good speed and a refresh rate when looking at live data, has a ton of features, makes, models, topology (2 thumbs up) and is easy to navigate. The AI assist simply connects to Google AI to provide more detailed information. I was even able to send Pre and Post Scan reports to my email for printing (my non-WiFi printer doesn't support direct scanner to printer transfer). The D8W also found 3 Active DTC's which hadn't lit up any dash lights on my 2017 Ram I just purchased, while it was still under an extended warranty. So it paid for itself first use. Just started using but happy so far. Only ongoing issue being the update thing. Hopefully XTOOL is working on a way to separate or highlight new incoming updates with the ones I have looked at and declined to update. Or a way to delete the updates I decline to download. Many of these are for vehicles I have never heard of and will never work on. Cheers

I just ordered the D8BT after owning the D8 for more than a year. Additionally, I considered getting an A30M and keeping it in my car. The TPMS activation and replacement battery remote programming functions alone are valued at over $300. Only three uses of the scanner would have paid for itself, as diagnostic scanning at the dealer starts at $250. A30M owners also voiced concerns regarding the differences in adaptability between Android and iOS devices; however, as of late, iOS has improved and matched Android versions in terms of user interface. A30M only has 21 unique functions, whereas D8BT has 38+ (including vehicle-specific functions) and a topology feature. For certain cars (Mazda, Lincoln, and Ford), D8BT includes ECU configuration, ECU coding, and ECU offline programming. It can also be used with an inspection camera and has key programming functionality. D8BT Among dealer-level bi-directional OBDII scanners, this one has a well-known user interface and costs more than $10,000. Excellent value if you need sophisticated scanning capabilities; it comes with a two-year guarantee and free three-year software updates. You can keep all of the current software and updates after three years, but you won't be able to buy any additional or newer versions of the program beyond that time. We tested three cars all day long, and the batteries held out for more than seven hours and forty-five minutes. As of December 21, 2023, the 2024 Lexus RX350H is not supported by D8DB. Scanners for my previous vehicles, including the 2004 Mercedes ML350, 2008 Honda Civic, 2012 Hyundai Elantra, 2012 Lexus CT 200H, 2022 Lexus RX 350, and 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid Night Shade, all worked without a hitch. When contacting customer support via email, you may expect a prompt response within a few hours, even on weekends. You cannot rely on engine error codes or misdiagnose problems; instead, you must determine what is causing them. D8BT provides real-time data to help you diagnose problems accurately and replace any damaged parts. A P0420 error code, which is frequently encountered in the field, signifies that the catalytic converter isn't operating at its best. Catalytic converters are not always bad. You must view the live data from the oxygen sensors. If there is no reading or no change in the voltage of the sensor, it means the oxygen sensor is defective or operating slowly, and it has to be replaced. You just need to replace the $98 OEM faulty 02 sensor instead of replacing the $700 catalytic converters. Diagnose your HVAC system and find leaks to potentially save thousands of dollars on repairs. When I spoke with Evy at XTOOL, she forwarded my request to their software engineers, who responded. You would need to provide the 17-Vin code in order to verify whether unique features are available for a given vehicle. I recognize that some people may find it odd and wonder why they requested your car's VIN code, but this is because the code can provide particular information about the primary system components of your vehicle, enabling them to confirm whether or not the unique functions are available. excellent storage container with a USB-2 data cable for easy file copying from the scanner to the PC or Mac. To make file backup and file transfer easier, I would like to see an option to insert microSD cards. Basic reporting is accessible, and sending PDF reports to an email address is simple, but printing is not one of the options. They should be at least utilizing Android 10, as this is a pretty outdated version of the operating system. The XTOOL R&D development team informs me that D8BT has not yet been able to be upgraded to Android Version 10.

I really wanted to like this scan tool enough to keep it, but I ended up sending it back. I did a lot of research before purchasing; the reviews were top notch for the most part, but I can't be certain whether the reviews are biased toward positive, as their promotions (free upgrades like extra year of updates) are dependent on sending a screenshot of a review of the product. I suspect, but can't be sure of, that some popular Youtube reviews may be sponsored in some form. It worked excellent for most things. But it became increasingly frustrating with what it wouldn't do-- which is a lot of things, especially on older models. 2000 Chrysler Sebring using a standard ISO (non-CANBUS) OBD2 protocol -- this unit wouldn't connect to it whatsoever. My $20 ELM327 clone connected to it just fine. I tried literally everything: generic OBD-2, specify the correct protocol, any related model, etc. and that's the crux of the problem-- it should just work. 2007 Chrysler Pacifica -- Programmed keys, had a slew of bi-directional tools, overall pretty good. But was missing a lot of stuff. I found the remaining modules by trying different Dodge / Chrysler vehicles of the same era. Choosing a 2007 Caravan brought up twice as much bi-directional functionality than the Pacifica menu did, and actually worked. You have to do a lot of hoop jumping to find everything it can do. 2015 Kia Sedona -- Worked like a charm, and I honestly didn't have enough time to explore what it could do, the list was endless. 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix -- Probably the main reason I invested in a well rounded bi-directional scanner was to obtain ABS codes and things I couldn't get from my $20 ELM327 bluetooth module & torque PRO app. For this vehicle it was missing *ALL* the chassis / ABS functions. I was pleased to see bi-directional support for transmission and engine solenoids and such, but every ABS or chassis function you clicked on said "this function not yet developed." Say what? This was probably the most common ABS system on the planet (Delphi ABS VI) back in the day. I emailed them and they pretty much told me it was a lost cause, they didn't have enough data to implement the functionality on an older model. They suggested trying related models, which I'd already done. I spent way more time with this unit than I should have, mostly bouncing around different menus and vehicles to see if/how I could get things to work. The interface/menu system is poorly laid out-- some functionality is off the main menu under special functions, while you'll find others in the diagnostics menu where you either auto detect or tell it what vehicle. The last straw was the 2000 Sebring that I couldn't connect to. This was only a 5-vehicle sample size which doesn't reflect very well on the unit. The hardware is seriously old, and Android 5.1 operating system will feel like you hopped in a time machine and went back to your first smart phone. I will give XTool credit though, the tablet and app is fast and responsive, so is data communication to/from the vehicle. The screen resolution leaves a lot to be desired, I think it's 1024x600 or some such, but it's perfectly readable and shows a good number of live data on the screen at one time. But doesn't compare well to competitors using newer hardware, albeit for more money of course. The case on the unit is very durable and probably the best I've seen-- you'd have to work really hard to break one of these. I also like the barrel plug for power (more durable) as opposed to USB-B on competing scan tools. If one needs to save money and has mostly newer CAN-BUS supported vehicles, I think this is a fine tool. But if you need to make a living with one (or scan the whole range of 1996+ OBD-2 complaint vehicles) or if time is a precious commodity, I think you'll find it very frustrating. In the end I purchased a model from another brand that was a few hundred more, but it does everything this scan tool wouldn't, and with zero hassle or frustration. Given a scan tool of this caliber was an investment for me, I think the extra money was well spent.