The reason why I wanted to write this article is because a lot of Autel users have been asking “is it worth renewing your Autel tools software subscription“, if you’re “on the fence” and you’re out of this subscription right now, you’re just trying to decipher whether it’s worth it or not, it’s going to be a very good presentation because what I’m gonna cover today is all about Autel subscription update misconception, I’m gonna take my ten plus years and try to give you some clarity by eliminating all the BS about update subscription because by getting the wrong advice, you can be spending a lot of money.
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And what you’re gonna learn today is the following:
1.What’s included when you purchase and update Autel update subscription.
2.Why there are so many different Autel update prices.
3.If updating Autel software will lose certain special functions.
4.If it’s worth renewing your Autel subscription.
Alright, so with that, let’s jump right into the first question, what’s included in update prescription.
Well there’s several things:
- They put out tote back under warranty.
- It allows you to download the latest vehicle.
- If you do access to certain functions that are on Autel servers, so like for BMW or Mercedes programming.
If you have the Autel MaxiSys Elite and then it fixes old software issue, so say for example there was an issue of auto detective, maybe they send an update that will rectify that and then lastly it add new special functions to your tools so you can do more things.
Second question: if I update my Autel diagnostic tool, can I add software from other Autel models?
So the question for this answer is NO, you cannot do that, and there’s two reasons:
- if you look at it at a bigger scale on a business level, it’s not the most profitable thing to make what I call the Jesus tool meaning a tool that will do everything.
That’s why every year when you buy a cell phone, they have the technology right now to make the perfect phone. But they’re not gonna do that because of Long-term profitability, so that’s one reason.
- The second reason is each tool might have a different hardware level, so let me give you a prime example: if I have a Autel MaxiSys Eliteand let’s say I’m starting to get like heavy-duty commercial trucks, a voltage of the truck diagnostic tool, the MaxiSys 908 that’s like a 24 volt, the MaxiSys Elitejust a 12 volt, so the hardware wouldn’t do it and then that might cause some memory issues, so some of you right now are probably having experience where your diagnostic tool is going slow because there’s not enough memory, so if you were able to add on that other software you’re not gonna have enough memory to take on all that software.
To the next one question: why do I see different prices of Autel software update?
So this is a very simple answer, we give you an analogy, let’s say this is website A selling an update subscription, and this is a website B, they’re selling the same product, now, how is this website gonna differentiate itself from the other one? well what most people do they just lower their price and that gives them a value proposition and that’s pretty much it.
Now if you get too low, it might not be a valid offering that they’re giving you.
I have heard of stories of people who went online and they were buying a subscription at a very good price and end up not paying anything, so I don’t know if you want certainty, you can maybe call Autel that can give you a list of dealers that they can do. uobdii.com don’t play that game, so just make sure you have a very good reputable source where you get, it’s kind of nerve wracking at first, because you don’t know you’ve never done business with that seller, but if you do find it you know share with your friends and you should be fine.
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| Item No. | Product Name | Online Price |
| SK237-BS | Autel MaxiIM IM508 / Auro OtoSys IM100 one-year update subscription | 460 |
| SP185-S | Autel MaxiSys Mini MS905 update subscription after one year | 620 |
| SP186-S | MaxiSys MS908 one-year update subscription | 739 |
| SP187-S | Autel Maxisys MS908P one-year update subscription | 889 |
| SP253-S | Autel MaxiSys Elite one-year update subscription | 889 |
| SP262-S | Autel MS906 one-year update subscription | 449 |
| SP331-S | AUTEL 908s pro one-year update subscription | 900 |
| SP331-B | Autel MK908P one-year update subscription | 999 |
| SP262-BS | AUTEL MaxiSYS MS906BT one-year update subscription | 650 |
| SS140 | Autel MD701 /702/703/704 update cost of 4-system to full system | Provide your serial number to update.No need shipping, operate online. |
| SS139 | Autel MD802 update cost of 4-system to full system | Provide your serial number to update.No need shipping, operate online. |
| SP358-S | Autel MaxiSys Ultra one-year update subscription | 1395 |
| SP359-S | AUTEL MS909 one-year update subscription | 1095 |
| SP360-S | AUTEL MMS919 one-year update subscription | 1295 |
| SP295-CS | Autel MaxiCOM MK808BT one-year update subscription | 179 |
| AD125-S | Autel TS608 One Year Update Service (Subscription Only) | 149 |
| SP262-CS | Autel Maxisys MS906TS One Year Update Service (Total Care Program Autel) | 800 |
| SP295-S | Autel MaxiCheck MX808TS One Year Update Service | 199 |
| SK242-BS | Autel MaxiIM IM608/ Auro OtoSys IM600 One Year Update Service (Subscription Only) | 1000 |
| SK237-BS | One Year Update Service for Autel MaxiIM IM508 (Subscription Only) | 459 |
| SP294-S | One Year Update Service for MaxiCOM MK808/ MaxiCheck MX808 (Subscription Only) | 129 |
| SP316-S | Autel MaxiPRO MP808TS One Year Update Service (Total Care Program Autel) | 520 |
| SP297-S | MaxiDAS DS808 American software update | 349 |
| SP295-BS | Autel MaxiCOM MK808TS One Year Update Service Cost (Subscription Only) | 149 |
| MY908-S | Autel Maxisys MY908 One Year Update Service | 750 |
(Table: Autel software update subscription price on uobdii.com)
Next question: I’m not able to diagnose any 2019 Chrysler is just because my Autel subscription expire?
alright well there’s two reasons:
- okay so as you know, Chrysler has this thing called the security gateway and basically why they implemented this because there’s actually a hacker who got into their system and they showed Chrysler and they freaked out so they made it very difficult for third parties to get into that information, so first we have a special cablethat will allow you to do that.
- For a second you need a valid subscription, so let me give you a prime example, this is from one of my budy shop clients in Hawaii and he has the Maxisys elite, now he was trying to diagnose this jeep I think it was a2018 and what happened was thathe had this error. Yeah, if you can see his Internet is full, so I already knew the symptoms, so I register his tool and then as you can see here then:
Downloaded some file from auto servers and then it prompted him to go to the diagnostic screen.
So, when you are working on the jeep or any Chrysler product on the 2018 to 2019 to present-day you do need a valid description.For all the other vehicles on the diagnostic software you’re not going to use that so that should answer your question.
Next question: my dealer says, if I update my Autel tool, it will add on the other features that I’m missing:
Just because they are a dealer doesn’t mean they have a your best interests or the knowledge to know if that features on there, so I’ll give you a quick story, there was a friend of mine, he’s a dealer whose client has a Autel MaxiSys Pro, the client was trying to write a vin number on a Ford and that function wasn’t there, so the client called the dealer and ask him “hey I don’t have this feature”, so the dear said you know it to be an update, so the dude paid for the update which for his tools like a more than 2200USD and the feature still wasn’t there OK it still wasn’t there.
But, a guy’s got to be careful where you get your advice from because as I said some viewers don’t have your best interests, the only way I would trust you if they had it verified by an engineer right, if the engineer says yes we have this feature on there and you need it, then I will do it, OK, so just be careful with that.
Next question: if I don’t update my Autel tool will be locked?
No Autel does not lock tools.
You can skip many years as you want the day you do decide you’ll erase everything, and then put everything up to date, the only negative is you won’t have access to certain features like you know the programming. And you won’t get any updates on your tool will be out of warranty.
Next question: I heard if I update my Autel tool I might lose some features, is this true?
This is kind of tricky I don’t want to freak you guys out, so yes and no, hear me out alright so each time you press the update button, that’s what I call there’s a risk reward ratio is a small risk that a feature that would maybe having problems might be removed to be put back on at a later time, okay and at the same time there’s a high probability or high reward that there’s gonna be more features.
So I manage my clients accounts and what I typically do is I only like to update when I face a problem that only an update. I kind of use the same philosophy as the J2534 programming like you can’t just be updating all the modules without a purpose without a reason that prompts you to do. So I don’t want to tell you guys like if you’re in a subscription now not to press the update button, you need to get your money’s worth but that’s the philosophy that I do okay. I only like to do it because the other thing is too and a lot of people have experiences remember maybe last year sometime the icons were in color. Now all the tools now are in black and white and that pissed off a lot of people you know so that’s why I kind of like do I need to update it.
So I hope that answers your question alright they sometimes they’ll take all the little features but they’ll add them on later because they just need to get it fixed.
Next question “do I need a valid subscription to do the key coding with Autel IM508 and IM608?
Really depends on the volume of key coding that you’re doing so if you’re doing a lot of European or if you have like one key coding tool on you, it is probably advisable to have a subscription because as you may or may not know some manufacturers when you’re doing to keep coding you could let’s say updates like the cache modules in order to ruin procedure or some manufacturers do need a valid prescription in order to do that really learning procedure. OK now on the other hand if you’re just doing the key coding casually and you’re probably working on maybe American, maybe some Asian vehicles, you don’t need. I guess the amount of volume you’re getting and you know with locksmith things you guys can’t be wasting any time, so you don’t want to get there and oh my it’s not working because you’re talking not out-of-date, so you can make that.
Next question: I purchased a secondhand Autel and found out later it was reported stolen. Will purchasing an update unlock the unit?
No, it won’t, it will not be the only way to get that tool unblocked, alright, is this the original person who made the complaint goes to a Autel and unlocks it otherwise it’s gonna be a brick wall and this is why I tell you guys to be extremely cautious, if you’re buying secondhand units I don’t advise it, because as I said before most of the time you end up spending more money because you don’t know what baggage came alright, so you take that into consideration.
Next question: Will an update card for a Autel MaxiSys Elite work for a MaxiSys Pro?
There’s actually I think SKU number associated with every update card, the SKU will have the name of whatever tool that is allocated for okay. So you can’t purchase a Autel 906TS update card hoping that will work for BT and vice-versa, okay it’s specific to that model.
Next question: I re-formatted my Autel tablet and I’m out of a subscription. Do I need to purchase an update card to get my software back?
Yes. Let me tell you guys something okay if you are near the end of your subscription I highly recommend backing up your stuff, because there is a probability that in the future, your tablet’s gonna start to run slow or be there might be a glitch that comes on it like maybe you start clicking GM and it doesn’t work anymore. So if that’s the case you can delete the software, if you have a backup, then you can just drag and drop it back onto the diagnostic section, you’ll be fine. If you do this without backing it up, if you delete your software, you’re screwed okay you’re unfortunately gonna have to pay for the update subscription.
Next question: can I purchase the Autel ADAS subscription and add it to my device without buying a calibration Kit?
You can’t do that, when you buy a ADAS subscription, it’s gonna ask to be paired with that calibration frame.
Next question: I recently purchased a replacement battery, but the unit only turns on when the power cord is plugged in directly to the tablet, will an update card fix this issue?
This is a very good question, so if you decide to purchase an update, there’s a high probability that it will rectify the issue, what you’re gonna do is go to system settings do a complete factory reset download new software and what will this do is this will reset the battery curve, but don’t take this advice for gospel okay, this is not a guaranteed fix, and if you think about it, the whole purpose in buying a battery is to actually avoid paying for 1200 dollars update feed.
Then you know senior tool away so yeah I wouldn’t say it’s a risk that you can take but based on what my engineers told me and I think they should fix that problem, but if this happened to you guys, how do you recommend getting consult, because if talking to you I’m able to surface what’s the root of the problem is? I can tell you if the update is going to fix it or not okay.
This is the question that everybody is waiting for it : “should I renew my Autel software subscription“?
And I wish I can give you a straight answer but there’s two reasons why you need to do it:
- the first one is the severity of the problem.
2.the other reason is it depends on who you talk to.
if you talk to you know any dealer who’s been selling you of course, they’re going to say you need your updates right, and it does have its benefits, but you have to think, think, do they really have your best interests, okay I would respect somebody if I told them you know what my situation was he said you know it, you actually don’t need nothing I would have more respect to that, but if they’re just saying yes then you know free advice could be the worst, the most expensive advice, so just be careful about that, but what I’m gonna do? I’m just gonna share with you what approach I do with my clientele who come from different industries, okay so these are the type of problem they have a that will indicate if they need an update, if you’re in auto body repair industry, you’re probably working on brand new vehicles okay, so if that’s the case you can afford not to have your tool up to date, because if you scan a vehicle, it’s not on the software that you’re told isn’t getting the newest update that could be a problem for you alright.
For those you don’t know every year when the new year starts it takes I’ll tell about six months to rear that your software there onto the scanner, so if you’re most of my auto body repair clients that if they’re working on newer vehicles they’ll have their things always up to date, a second of dealerships people buying cars they’re buying secondhand vehicles, most of them that I know they have a more of a mechanical background, alright they’re not doing like a bunch of programming encoding, I mean maybe here or there, nothing guides faded my client tells these guys can be out of a subscription for a while, okay until they get to a point where the vehicles that thereby.
I are not on the scanner OK so these guys can hold off pretty much a fleet companies, it really just depends on your fleet, if your guys are buying branding vehicles every year, yeah you need a new description. If you have older vehicle, the software will be updated for 2019 2020 already, so you wouldn’t need to do it, what else we’ve got Locksmith. I think you need to have your tool up to date because you don’t know what you’re gonna get like if you have an area of expertise and you don’t work on certain manufacturers and you just work on mostly American or agent, you can probably get away with not having it, but most of the time my locksmith points they get their renewed, auto mechanics can get away with it without having their hair tool up to date.
You go update their tool every two to three years, just because of a new vehicle and they start to have problems with the tool special, no updated with mobile mechanics they are in the same industry, systems, mobile transmission repair shop, these guys they can be out of a subscription for a while, they’re just doing like really learning and stuff like that.
So you know if they’re not really working on brand new vehicles, they should be fine, and then for J2534 programming if they need a program, a module to use a laptop anyway so you wouldn’t need it and then people who work from home, your car you know you probably aren’t buying brand, you will be able to do is probably going to the dealer, because it’s under warranty. So these guys can keep their things out of warranty for awhile and the auto glass repair industry, they’re probably doing a lot of 80 stuffs though is probably recommended for them to keep their stuff up to date.
So summary:
- Be careful where you get update advice.If you have a relationship with your vendor make sure they really have your best interest. Because they said there’s a motive behind it, you know some vendors get compensated for the update on the facility directly, so just make sure all right.
- Backup your software before your subscription expires
OK, it will save you a lot of money and a lot of grief.
- Be careful where you buy your subscription.
okay, lower you go, the more riskier it is, alright depending on where you buy it from.
So trust your guy feeling do your research, if you have a friend that found it cheap, you know ask where you share that advice or whatever.
- Lastly, if you’re still confused and want certainty, contact at www.uobdii.com, no matter whether you need to buy an Autel update subscription
