AI+Bidirectional Scan Tool THINKSCAN 689BT Lifetime WiFi Updates

Great tool that really upped my automotive diagnosis game from a basic OBDII tester! This is a very intuitive to use scan tool. It can be a little slow on doing a complete auto scan on some models, but if you select a specific area of concern, it is quite fast. It also gives you a detailed report with suggested repairs or other testing. I like how you can email scan results etc. I have not used customer support, but imagine that is easy to utilize as well. If you are an advanced DYI’er such as myself, this is really a great tool to do even more repairs yourself! Highly recommended!!

Works great and easy to use a little slow but is still good

The ThinkCar bidirectional scan tool is a major upgrade over basic OBD2 devices. Equipped with a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter, it offers wireless diagnostics—no cables cluttering your dashboard. Research shows the ThinkScan 689BT model supports OE-level full-system diagnostics, bidirectional active tests, ECU coding, and 34+ maintenance services, with free lifetime updates and no subscription fees. In my experience, setup was smooth—just pair the dongle to the Android-based tablet. The interface is responsive, and connecting vehicle modules (ABS, airbags, transmission, etc.) took only seconds. The build quality feels robust, suitable for shop or field use. For the price, it’s a bit of an investment, but if you’re a mobile technician, shop owner, or experienced DIYer, it delivers the depth and reliability of higher-end lab tools. Q&A: Q: Does this support bidirectional (active) tests and ECU coding like premium diagnostic tools? A: Yes, models like the ThinkScan 689BT support bidirectional control, including active tests (e.g., pump, injector, fan, window), plus ECU coding and 34+ maintenance resets—all at no extra cost. Q: Is the Bluetooth connection stable and easy to use? A: Very stable. The Bluetooth OBD2 dongle connects quickly, and diagnostics run smoothly—no wires to manage. Q: Are updates free and does it require a subscription? A: Yes, ThinkCar offers lifetime free updates, with no subscription fees. The tool keeps getting new car coverage and features

Bidirectional OBD II tool that is a must have when you work on your own vehicle. In my case I paired it with THINKTPMS in order to re-program my TPMS sensors during tire rotation, or when the tire shop forgets to re-program the sensors and I can use this to save a trip. When using the THINKCAR scanner alone, I mainly smart scan all modules and graph data to see problems with my vehicle. Most recently, I used sensor measurement graphing to find which wheel speed sensor was bad on my car. Overall, this is a reasonably priced tool. I found it new in box as advertised. There is a VOID sticker that would let me know if it happened to be used. The tablet I believe is Android based, and the software runs smooth. Have yet to see if there is lifetime support for updates. The only downside to this tool is you need WiFi for updates and can’t use a USB to Ethernet adapter. The USB to Ethernet adapter is for Automotive Ethernet only. For example, Automotive Ethernet can be used when scanning newer BMW vehicles. This is not a deal breaker, but it would be nice to have for faster downloads. One important note, you can use this device offline. There is no requirement to connect to the WiFi unless you want updates, online support, or to look up DTC codes. Would definitely recommend.

This scanner arrived in a condition that completely undermines trust: it was already registered to another account. That alone would merit a refund, but it turns out the registration issue was just the first of many failures. Advertised as a professional-level bidirectional scan tool with wireless updates and advanced features like ECU coding, CANFD, DoIP, and AutoAuth for FCA vehicles, the THINKSCAN 689BT couldn't even get the basics right. Out of the box, I expected auto-search to scan and identify the vehicle system with minimal input. What I got instead was an error-prone guessing game that forced me to manually enter basic vehicle information- something even cheap generic OBDII tools do automatically and correctly. I spent more time navigating failed connections and incomplete module detection than diagnosing anything useful. It felt like this tool had the guts of a budget scanner buried under a flashy touchscreen and inflated claims. The user interface feels clunky and outdated. Menus are inconsistent, scanning speed is painfully slow, and the bidirectional functions are hit-or-miss at best. Many of the functions I tried either failed to execute or required multiple retries just to connect. It promises full system diagnostics, but several ECUs couldn’t even be accessed on vehicles where I know communication is possible. I tested it on a late model FCA vehicle and a mid-range GM model, both of which required multiple retries just to consistently pull the same DTCs I can pull from my 2 other scanners. We are not even talking advanced advanced diagnostic scans. Just basic codes. Wireless updates? The process froze during the initial update and device restarted. I eventually got it updated, but the first experience was anything but confidence-inspiring. When I dug deeper into reviews across seller platforms, I found a disturbing pattern: many buyers also received pre-registered devices. Others mentioned having to contact the company to clear account lockouts. That means THINKCAR is either repackaging returns as new or has an inventory control problem that allows used units to be sold again. Either way, that's unacceptable. The worst part is that none of this is priced like a budget tool. This unit sits in the mid-to-upper tier range and for that, it has to deliver. It didn't. The combination of misleading sales practices, half-baked firmware, and a basic failure to deliver even entry-level performance is a deal-breaker. Support is a condescending joke. They ignore all questions that require any knowledge of how to use the product and pick and choose anything else based on whatever sounds the most condescending. I absolutely abhor this product and their support. Pros: Device physically appears sturdy On paper, feature list seems impressive Cons: Device arrived already registered to another user Auto vehicle scan failed many subsystem and package detections Interface is confusing and poorly optimized Bidirectional functions often fail to connect or perform their expected function Basic DTC reading is unreliable across common vehicles Wireless update can fail providing 0 user feedback just a reboot and retry Customer support response times are atrocious Marketing claims do not reflect real-world performance Other buyers have reported the same registration issue Hot Take: What THINKCAR delivered here is a bloated tool that pretends to be high-end while failing at even the basics. Getting a used device labeled as new is already grounds for distrust, but when you add in failed scans, broken auto-detection, and buggy software, and the absolute worst customer support, the THINKSCAN 689BT becomes an overpriced paperweight. The best thing this scanner did was convince me to return it and never look back.

I purchased this scanner because of all the hype about the free lifetime updates but mainly because the advertised ECU coding/ Programming feature. But after using it for a few days my thoughts were the following. This is nothing more than an overpriced code reader with a Bluetooth option. What good are lifetimes updates if the scanner can’t do anything but read and clear codes? The truth is I was wrong about many things regarding this scanner and others. I need to be honest. This little scanner won’t do what the ridiculously overpriced ten thousand dollars unit does. But It will definitely help you diagnose your car trouble. I have a 2014 Dodge Durango and I’ve been using AlfaOBD with my android phone for years. I wanted something with what I though would be the same or more features than the AlfaOBD. The AlfaOBD app combined with a OBDLink MX+ from Amazon and my phone can access a few more features on my car than the Thinkscan 689BT. One of the biggest misconception is that If an item is more expensive, it should be able to do more than the less expensive one. Well, I can admit that I did just that due to my lack of knowledge regarding car scanners. So, I immediately decided the Thinkscan 689BT was not a good option. Another issue that was that I purchased the separate FCA unlock feature not knowing that I did not needed to purchase this option because my Durango is a 2014. Chrysler introduced the scam-firewall on the 2018 and later models. After returning the Thinkscan 689BT I found out that once purchased, the FCA feature is not refundable. After the Thinkscan 689BT, I purchased two other more expensive units and I can honestly tell you that they couldn’t do much more than the Thinkscan 689BT. All these units on the market are pretty much the same. Bigger companies like Launch and Topdon have many, many more models than Thinkcar but they are all marketed to squeeze the most out customers. They all pretty much use the same device but changed features here and there to force you to buy one of more devices because this unit has something that you need but your current unit does not have the capability of performing. They all do it folks. We see it daily with our smart phones. They change the outside then change a feature here and feature there and call it a new android or iPhone. When in reality is pretty much the same device in different shell. But its a human nature to want the newest and later toys. We’ve been program to be this way. Car scanners are no different. The bottom line is that No scanner can do it all. One of the very good feature about the thinkcar is that they do offered lifetime updates. The larger brands will sell you a unit that may have a few more features. But they’ll force you to paid half the unit price on yearly subscriptions. The thinkscan 689BT is more than capable to diagnose your vehicle, Keep in mind that they all have their limitations. It depend on the car brand and model. In most cases is not due to the scanner itself, but from greedy car manufacturers. They are the one who limits car owners from doing their own repairs. In my opinion, You should be able to do whatever you want to “YOUR” car. Amazon doe not allow you tube links. Please look for and watch this video to gain more knowledge about scan tool , regardless of brands. Are Autel scanners USELESS - MS906BT - MUST WATCH BEFORE PURCHASING I honestly regret returning the 689BT without acquiring much more knowledge about all it features. I thought I was done with Thinkcar but Thinkcar was clearly not done with me. A few weeks after I returned the thinkscan 689BT I was surprised with an email from them. They offered me a refund of the $128.00 dollar FCA fee and I was honestly not expecting that. If you need and fairly inexpensive car scanner that can clearly do more than a code reader, then this is the one for you. I just wish that I knew then what I know now. My advice to Thinkcar. Keep adding features to the scanner, If you can add features like topology and keep offering lifetime updates. You will dominate the market. Consumers want more bangs for their money. A concept that the bigger companies clearly forgot. I will give the Thinkscan 689BT four stars because its a very capable unit with LIFETIME updates and I will add an extra star for Thinkcar good customer service. For reaching out to me weeks after returning the device.

Update: I cpuld finally get real support. Some of the failures on Mercedes they are working on an update for that. I still think is a good prpject running on a good debloted hardware. Lets just hope they keep updating the software. First, I did an extensive test, and I gave it a second, third, and fourth opportunity. It kept failing, but mostly, support was REALLY bad. The good things: The hardware is OK. It worked mostly smoothly, everything loaded fine, and updates did not take long. I downloaded them via 5GHz Wi-Fi, and even “heavy” packages, like 200MB, installed in seconds. After tons of updates, it still worked smoothly. It is an Android tablet with a very modified ROM. They did a great job removing most of the bloatware and leaving only the necessary options. BUT, Google will pop up now and then saying Chrome is not official, or that you need Play Services to use Chrome, etc. I also love the magnetic holder for the OBD dongle. That is a great feature. This is not the cheapest scan tool. There are several others with good reviews, but I rolled the dice on this one, and lost. The cons: It threw tons of errors while reading a 2007 Volvo. Eventually, going into the modules manually somehow worked, but the reset that I needed was still not there. On a 2022 Mercedes Sprinter, tons of modules showed “Unknown variant.” I primarily got this for the Volvo, and it failed there, but I tried hard to keep it, so I tested my second “excuse” to keep it. It failed there too. I contacted support about the issue. After very delayed replies, they told me to open a feedback ticket and send the info (video, screenshots, system log, etc). I did. Two days later, the reply was basically, “couldn’t find anything, contact the company for support.” Literally, the reply was “contact the company.” YOU are the company. I started another chat with a basic question about how to use the Volvo OBD to Ethernet connection, and the guy kept pasting a reply about Wi-Fi connection. I told him, please, take a second, read again, I’m about to return the product. He said “yes sure,” and then pasted the same canned reply again. If this works for what you need out of the box, perfect. The hardware is great for the price, and the software is decent. But if it does not work right away, forget about support. Support is a joke. More than a joke, it feels like an insult. I really do not like returning products. I gave the company plenty of opportunities to help me fix the issue, but they pushed me hard to return it. The support was totally unacceptable. Other stuff: - Seal was broken - Chat with support from the device is super buggy. Will lag when typing so you will miss some letters, and always will not send the last word unless you hit enter at the end of the phrase before sending it.... So if even the support app is broken.... - Sending feedback ask for email address to update of any changes, never got any notification (yeah is not in spam either). I had to manually go into the devices to check the status of the feedback.

Great scanner tool, it worth the money 💰 will save hundreds.

Qui n'a pas déjà galéré avec des petits OBD2 à relier à son téléphone? Maintenant, c'est fini. Cet OBS2 est complement autonome. Raccorder le module a votre voiture et toute les options sont accessible par une connections Bluetooth. Module qui se range facilement par aimantation à l'arrière de l'écran. Au top. L'utilisation reste très professionnelle. Il n'est pas aisé pour un novice de s'y retrouver. Mais les options sont très complètes. Jusqu'à créer et sauvegarder des rapport avec les informations de votre société. L'interface est agréable disponible en plusieurs langues, dont le français. Pour ma part, j'ai quelques difficultés sur un Vito de 2003. La reconnaissance du véhicule est aléatoire avec des erreurs de model qui passent de Viano à Sprinter. Mais c'est un vieux véhicule. Pas de problème avec des véhicules plus récent. Lecture des erreurs, remise à zéro des alarmes, réglage des capteurs,... je dirais que tout y est. On appréciera sa pochette rigide de rangement. Franchement, belle surprise pour cette "valise" OBD2.

Excelente equipo y a un gran precio, una herramienta indispensable para los que nos gusta reparar nuestros coches.

Desde el packaging hasta el funcionamiento, me ha parecido una herramienta de diagnosis buenísima, perfecta para uso profesional y también, si eres de los que, como yo, haces tus cositas a tu coche por tu cuenta. Te voy a contar más por si te ayudo en la elección. 📦 Viene en una caja super bien empaquetado, dentro de un estuche semirrígido que protege la unidad contra cualquier golpe. Dentro encuentras la tablet, cargador con diferentes conectores y diferentes cables para tipos de vehículo, además de un cable RJ45 y las instrucciones. 💪🏼 Lo que más llama la atención a primera vista es lo bien hecho que está todo. Tiene mucha protección alrededor para que pueda soportar el uso en taller. 🧲 Algo que me ha encantado es que el dispositivo OBD bluetooth viene con un imán para poner en la parte posterior de la tablet y nunca se quede por ahí. 🛜 La conectividad es genial. Puedes conectar el wifi para poder descargar actualizaciones y además, realizar consultas. Esto me ha parecido genial. Eso sí, algo que me ha parecido raro es que no he podido o no he sabido cómo hacerlo, conectar a una red móvil compartiendo internet desde mi dispositivo. Seguro que se puede o hay forma, pero no he dado con ello. La conexión a través de bluetooth es genial, rápida y muy efectiva, pudiendo incluso desplazarte con la tablet más de 10 metros sin perder conexión. 🔋 La batería es genial. Yo no he tenido todavía que cargar la tablet y ya he realizado unas 15 diagnosis. 📒 Algo que es fundamental es, precisamente, que a la hora de realizar la diagnosis, puedes emitir un informe. Este informe puedes incluso actualizarlo o modificarlo. Pero hay más… puedes enviarlo al cliente desde la propia tablet por email, imprimirlo, guardarlo… Una pasada. ‼️ Las alertas, además de consultarlas y estar bastante bien claras en las traducciones, puedes guardarlas y, por supuesto, eliminarlas. Incluso las almacenadas en el vehículo, esas típicas que con una herramienta normalita serías incapaz, con esta herramienta se puede. 🧐 Las primeras diagnosis han sido a dos BMW diesel. Uno es un 118D cabrio y el otro, un 325D touring. En ambos casos me ha dado todos los datos de forma perfecta. He podido eliminar un error y dar con un cortocircuito que no alcanzaba a solucionar. 🚐 La tercera diagnosis fue a una Mercedes Sprinter 2009 y aquí es donde he visto el “pero” que te comento. En este caso, la primera conexión fue fallida. La segunda conexión me pidió conectar a internet para bajar una actualización. Hecho esto, volví a intentar realizar la diagnosis y ya me dio datos, previamente realizando preguntas como si estuviera eligiendo de forma manual el vehículo. En los otros, los ha aceptado de forma automática. Necesitaba solicitar una regeneración del filtro de partículas y no es posible con esta herramienta. No he podido de ninguna de las maneras. He intentado varias formas, he visto algunos vídeos, buscado en internet, pero nada. 🙌🏼 Este es el único “pero” que le he sacado como te digo. He podido hacer, como te comentaba, diferentes diagnosis con total éxito. 🎥 Algo que también me ha gustado y mucho, es que puedes grabar la pantalla mientras realizas la diagnosis por si quieres o necesitas hacerlo, por ejemplo, en caso de una peritación donde necesitas verificar cada paso que das en el taller a la hora de diagnosticar cualquier incidencia en un vehículo. ✅ Me ha gustado mucho. Es una herramienta muy pro. Quizás la conectividad con Mercedes-Benz no es la ideal, pero es una marca que pone muchas pegas en eso como sabrás. Por lo demás, por calidad, precio, robustez, funcionalidades, calidad de los informes, etc., te la recomiendo.

AMAZING SCANNER WONT BUY ANY MORE FOR ME THANKS THINKCAR

Nice package nice seller nice delivery