 What is up all my YouTube brethren, thank you for tuning back into the channel today. We all had an awesome Christmas, an awesome new year, and we've got even more awesome things here on the channel to be able to show you. Today we're going to be doing a full review on the Ardipad Mini. This is by TopDun USA, another awesome scan tool. This one's going to be better than just about any other one that I've done any reviews on, so you guys are going to want to check this one out, stay tuned. So getting into this, we've got the Ardipad Mini. This is put out by a company called TopDun USA. Primarily they were an overseas company, but they're breaking their way into the U.S. market and they're breaking in in a big way. This Ardipad Mini is something that I've had my hands on for about a month, month and a half now and been able to put it through its paces in the U.S. market vehicles, the Asian vehicles, and quite a few here and in between. I've had some time to be able to compare it to some snap-on scanners and some of my factory scan tools as well, so this thing has been actually something that I'm going to tell you guys is very, very impressive. What it is hardware-based-wise, it is a hardware-based platform usually put out by launch, so you're going to see this one in more of like the overseas market, the launch HTT, I believe is what it was called over there, but we've got it rebranded hardware-wise as the Ardipad Mini. It is an Android-based software tablet. It's going to have a 7.5, I believe 7.5 inch screen to it. It is very nice, handheld, and the biggest kicker of it all is the OBD-2 port that plugs in is Bluetooth wireless, so you don't have that big dongle cord hanging out and getting in the way everywhere. Everything's going to be able to be taken out on the road and used whenever and wherever you guys choose, so hardware-wise this thing is very capable, very agile, easily handheld, a nice product to hold. So now we'll get into the meat and potatoes here of the software and the function that we have. As you can see the Android-based tablet, very nice. We've got their Ardipad Mini software, so like I said, this is like a launch-based hardware tablet that you see. Now this thing has over 130 different makes models from American, European, Asian, Chinese all the way across the board. Now I can sit here and scroll forever. It goes from zot-yay all the way up to your abarth and everything in between. So we are able to see just about anything that they have there for traditional diagnostics. The really cool thing that I like about this one is that if you have any kind of issues here in the shop sense, you're able to have their technicians come in for remote diagnostics. This scan tool doesn't have to be sent in for, oh, we've got to check your software repair or we've got to go on a 30-minute telephone conference call to try to figure this out here and have you try to figure out and press 97 buttons as well. Their customer help team is also based in the U.S., so that helps for us guys here. As you can see here on the scan tool, we've got everything, our remote diagnostics, all of our software upgrades. For everything that we've got in our scan tool, we can update all of these from the standard-based software through all of the different manufacturers. You can check your software and update as needed on there. Go back to the main screen. We've got our traditional diagnostics, we'll go to that in a minute. And then we've got our special functions, our resets. The quick settings is what I like to call this screen. You've got our oil resets, steering angle sensor, battery bleeding, electronic throttle relearn, tire pressure monitor, diesel particular filter regen, gear relearns, injectors, the whole nine yards guys. This thing has a really nice, easy, quick set of resets and calibrations for you. So we're going to go back to the main screen, maintenance and help, personnel center. You're able to adjust all your profile and settings, add it, add it, add it. So we want to get into the diagnostics portion of it and we can see what this thing can actually do for you. So to give you guys a quick test of the full function of this, we've got our 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan here in the shop. We're going to unhook the OBD-2 port from the back of that and we're going to plug it into the vehicle, plug it in and we'll get in here so we can get away from all the hustle and bustle in the shop. So here on the scan tool, we're able to scroll to our Dodge, click on that one and then we're able to find out, see where our software update is and we'll submit to look into this one. Have it load. One of the things that I did find out about this is that it does take a little bit for loading. If you start this thing from a cold boot, you're going to have a minute or so of loading. I've already kind of got it loaded here. Also when you go to search for a vehicle, you hit that, you hit the manufacturer there. If you do an automatic search, which is from this tab right here, that automatic search is going to take the VIN number of the vehicle and it's going to do an online search through its database and it's going to take an extra minute or so to download all the vehicle specifics. So I already know what I have, so to quicken up the process here, 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan and then it brings up all of our ECUs that we have available on the vehicle. Everything from PCM, literally all of it. So to start off, we've got our powertrain control module here up top. I'm going to click on that one, see what kind of rate we get here for communication speed. Processing, please hold. There we are in our PCM. Everything from module information, that's going to show us all our ECU, the part numbers for that one, software levels, fault codes, read and clear, read the data stream, actuation tests, the configuration reports, specialty functions, system tests, OBD2 monitors and the OBD2 functions. One of the things that I did notice and realize that this software is extremely inclusive. It has literally every single option that my factory Chrysler scan tool has with the exception of doing software programming on these ECUs. And that one, I seriously do not know anything that is less than the $5,000 range that's going to have the amount of functionality of this one. Everything from OBD2 monitors to in the specialty tests to do the customer specific functions like changing the light output and timers and everything along that line. So we're going to go to our specialty functions and just give you guys a quick little demonstration of everything that this has the function of doing. I've also used this in a couple of other vehicles. This one specifically, we did some transmission work to it earlier today and I was actually able to take this scan tool and put it through its paces and was able to do a full transmission quick learn restart the torque converter clutch reset procedure and do a break in period on that one. Normally on every other scan tool, I have not seen that specific availability of a function to it either. Like I said the first time in it takes a little bit to populate but there it is about 30 seconds later. All of these different functions all the way down to the transmission to the torque converter break in period that enables the torque converter break in when you install a new one. Quick learn in the transmission, phaser cleanings, blah blah blah. Like I said this thing literally has every single function that my factory scan tool has built into it with the exception of doing module programming. I can program keys, I can do tire pressure monitor programming. Now granted take into effect that the key programming and the smart module programming you're still going to have to have the pin numbers and what not from the factory so you might have to do some finagling with the dealership or an online subscription to be able to get those vehicle pin numbers but it does have the capability of doing those programs. Data streams, we're able to go into the data streams and I can scroll through this one forever. We're able to scroll all the way through, it has every single field and option available. We're able to select anyone that we want to see so we can see switch status, we'll have it processed there and it's able to see the low side pressure switch in the transmission. If we wanted to we could graph that and it opens up a graph and you're able to adjust your min and max also on a lot of these different graphs and it'll keep the timetable to what you select it to. And you can graph as many things as you want at a time, usually when you hit the graph function we'll just click a couple of them here so we can see a whole lot of different ones and then you can see that it brings up all of those, puts a graph of all five of them separately or you can combine them and see a nice combined graph of every single function. That makes it really nice and easy for seeing everything all at one time. The only downside that I did find to the software and it's not in its function, it's possibly a slight lack of function is everything that you see here in the data stream, it's a lot. So once you select things you can unselect them but out of these 130 some things that are in the list I have to scroll through and find each individual one of what I want. It would be kind of nice to have some kind of a search tab or a search function to narrow down that specific field that you're looking for but like I said they're all here, all you have to do is really search a little bit extra for them. We're able to see our configurations and the OBD2 monitors so in the dodges especially we're able to see which cylinder is misfiring, when cylinder contribution, style test, heater monitors, O2 sensors, the different banks and data streams for those specific OBD2s, cruise control cutout, you're able to see what percentage you're at for the oil change indicator monitor, which cylinder is misfiring, all the normal things that us as technicians are able to use on a normal daily basis. It's all there and it's all inclusive. Another thing to set up here for you guys, I've kind of created my own fault code for it so we're going to be able to read our fault codes, read our DTC of information and as you can see we have our intake air temp sensor circuit high. I have that one unplugged. We're able to click on this to figure out our freeze frame data reports so exactly when it was the DTC where it was set, the mileage when it happened and we're able to put this one and save it in the diagnostic report. These diagnostic reports back in the main screen are able to be sent, shared, recorded exactly whatever you want to do with these reports is totally up to you and you hear that. As soon as we exit out of it, it says don't forget to retrieve the connector because everyone at some point in their career will forget to leave something in the vehicle. So this one has a reminder to hey dummy, take the dongle out of the vehicle so you don't leave that one behind. So when we look at the overall fit and finish of this thing, it's very well put together. It kind of reminds me of my son's iPad cover which is really a good thing because that thing is really indestructible. This thing, I've dropped it quite a few times. I do have a little bit of a clutty nature to me so it has been dropped and it hasn't had a single issue with that one. Like a regular tablet, it does have a camera here on the back. Be able to take photos to be able to send and share wherever it needs to. Wi-Fi capable, it connects to Wi-Fi, does all of its updating online so that's nice. The receiver here is Bluetooth connection, not Wi-Fi. I like the Bluetooth because it's usually a little bit quicker, a little bit more of a stable connection for you. That makes it really nice as well. The other thing that I really would have liked to have seen would be in some kind of a charging or docking station for it. It currently does not have that. It just has a little port there at the bottom that it flaps out and a standard micro USB cable plugs into it like every other Android-based cell phone. It uses mostly every other connection that you have that's pretty normal to an everyday tablet. Power function and it's able to go off. I have noticed though that if you don't have it plugged in and you don't have it physically turned off, the battery itself because it's holding memory and the program is open in the background that it will go dead in about two days' time. So I do like to keep mine plugged in as well. So the last thing that I know that you guys really want is the comparison and the price and the different features of what this thing has to offer. So price-wise it is going to be right in that price form for you guys who have your nice own little shop or you're a DIY guy who works on a whole lot of vehicles. This really isn't going to be for the guys who just work out of their backyard and do a couple of vehicles here and there. It's priced a little bit out of range for that one. At the price point of $1,500, $1499.99, this thing could be yours through TopDontUSA. Now comparing this to some certain other scan tools that are on the market today, I was able to do a lot of diagnostic checking with what this thing will do compared to a snap-on scan tool and that one's going to be close to what like an ethos edge will do. The ethos edge today on today's market runs at $2,600. So you are over $1,000 cheaper than a snap-on ethos edge plus the fact that it's going to have no cord to it as well. That's a feature that I really like to be able to plug it in, take my little scan tool iPad out, go around the car and do all my little diagnostics under the hood able to actuate all the functions without being tied down by that cord. That is a super awesome function to be able to have. The warranty on this thing, it's going to have a two-year full warranty on you and they, like I said earlier, I showed that they do have the diagnostics right there built onto the scan tool. So you're able to call up their US-based software help and say, hey, I have this problem and such and they're able to log right onto your software, onto your Artipad and do software updates, check the function of it, see if it's the actual hardware or the software be able to help you through that. I actually put myself through the call center to try to get to someone. I was able to talk to Jason, was a guy's name down in Alabama. He was able to function and help me with my operator error ended up being in the first five minutes of the call. So another great feature for it. Then the team over at TopDawnUSA said, you know what, we'll be able to do one better for this one. Top on, they offer something called intelligent diagnostics. So when you have a code, you're able to click on that code and it takes you through the factory, the OEM checklist, go through the flow charts to be able to see what you want. It points you out to the different PIDs and data outputs to see what you really should check for that specific code. They are going to be able to have this available on the Artipad Mini as well. It's not going to be in that original function. It's going to cost an extra fee. It's going to be an extra $1,080 per year. But as compared to the Snap-On, which is over $2,000 per year for adding on to like the Zeus or the Varus platforms with their intelligent diagnostics or the Apollo, those things are going to be way over the moon outrageously price compared to this one. If you add the intelligent diagnostics to it, which they're going to be all tied in through a company called Drive Motor, it is an intelligent diagnostic based software that they're going to have all tied into their software as well. If you add that on to it, this thing is going to be very comparable to what would be a new Snap-On Apollo. If you're going to end up buying one of those right now, that's going to end up costing you over $7,000. Plus you're going to have to renew your yearly subscription on the intelligent diagnostics as well. You do on this one, but at over half the price, it's worth it to a shop who really is going to use these things. It's a fantastic add-on for an awesome price. Just like they were able to do one better, I'm able to do one better for you guys as well. If you guys decide that you really like the Scantel, it's something that you could use in your life or for your shop, we're going to give you something awesome. Normally this thing comes with one year of free updates for the software and the diagnostic side for you. Now, one better, if you sign up through Topdown USA and you mention Rust Belt Mechanic, they are going to hook you up with an extra year of help on top of that. So you're going to extend your software updates out an extra year. Now these guys, when you go to order it, you can either order through the website or you can call them in person. I'll put both those down here in the description as well. You're going to call them and they're going to verify everything that you want and you need. They're going to make sure that this Scantel is going to fill exactly the function of what you want to accomplish with your shop or your everyday life. So in closing, all of the pluses and minuses that we have with this thing, we'll list them all out here. On the negative side of things, I don't really like that this thing's just a little bit small of a screen compared to other Scantels. I do like that it's more handheld, that's nice, but the screen could be a little bit bigger, but it works with what it has. But I would like to see this thing have a docking station as well in the future, adapt the bottom of the scan tool so it could be able to dock and charge because it does go dead within a couple of days if it's not powered all the way down. The search function would be a nice add-on to see in the data parameters when you're doing data scans and looking at live data screens on the vehicle. That would be something nice to have. Plus, if you haven't booted up the software, normally it's going to take a little bit longer than a couple of other scan tools that you would see. An extra 30 seconds or so of wait time is what you're going to end up seeing in that one. On the plus side, big plus is going to be the price. As a comparable scan tool is going to cost over twice as much as the $1,500 cost of this one, the price point puts this thing in its own league. The fact that it's able to also do every single function that my Chrysler factory scan tool is able to do is a huge plus as well. Plus that it's able to work when it's not online either. My Chrysler scan tool, all we have is a little pod, a little port that plugs into the vehicle. That has to transfer data via Wi-Fi to a server. The server then is able to talk to whatever Wi-Fi device that we have, usually an iPad. So when you go out on a test drive, we have to worry about hooking up the dongle and hooking it into a Wi-Fi source. It's pain in the butt. So having this thing able to work independently with Wi-Fi is nice. The Bluetooth feature on the wireless dongle is very quick, very responsive. I like that as well. All in all, it's a very well built scan tool. It's almost indestructible. It's very nicely built and the software is what actually helps us in the long run too. Very well built scan tool. I'll give that one a thumbs up. Like I said, if this is a scan tool that you guys like, I'll put down in the description the phone number and contact or top-down USA. They're gonna be able to handle everything you need as well. The other partner company that they have with them is called Cutting Edge Solutions Diagnostic Equipment. They would be able to hook you up with any other scan tools that you would have if this one doesn't fit the needs that you really, really want, I guess. So here in the future, I'm also going to be doing a review on their ARTIP pad too, which is their larger sister kind of scan tool. It's gonna be something that's more functional, more capable, has add-ons. You're gonna be able to plug in and do a couple of more things than this one is gonna be able to do. That'll be a pretty neat review coming up as well. Well, that's about all I have for you guys today. On this episode, I appreciate everything you guys have done for me here in the past. As a matter of fact, this channel just rolled over 10,000 subscribers. I never thought I was gonna get to that point, but thanks to you guys, you have made it all possible. I really, really appreciate it from deep down below. It's something that's very humbling and very awesome to see. Thanks for tuning in today, guys. We'll see you on the next episode and you guys, stay awesome.