Carista EVO - Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner - Car Diagnostic Tool & Code Reader with Access to Diagnostics, Customizations, Service Tools & Live Data (Subscription Required)

Easy to connect to vehicle, app easy to download and register. Scanner and app connected quickly and easily. Good information given about the vehicle, fault codes identified and reset without any issues. Upgraded subscription opened up valuable additional functions. From first experience of the Carista EVO very satisfied and was easy to use, set up without any drama’s. Very worth considering as a diagnostic tool.

The Carista EVO OBD2 scanner is an excellent tool for anyone who wants to understand their car better or save time on diagnostics. Pairing via Bluetooth is effortless, and the app connects quickly without any fuss. Within seconds, it scans the vehicle and provides clear, detailed information about any fault codes or potential issues. What’s great is how user-friendly it is even if you’re not a mechanic, the layout and explanations make it easy to follow. The ability to customise certain vehicle settings is a nice bonus, and the live data readings are accurate and responsive. It’s compact, well built, and works seamlessly with both Android and iOS. Overall, it’s a reliable, professional-grade diagnostic tool that’s simple enough for everyday drivers but powerful enough for enthusiasts.

I use the Carista Evo regularly to monitor DPF Regens which occur every 200 - 250 miles. Carista enables me to tailor my journey to ensure completion of the process. The downsides - some issues with connection, resulting in frustration, but after some unplugging and rebooting it comes back online. Also had a couple of occurrences where it won’t clear a fault, but reassuring to be able to diagnose any issues. I have not embarked on the customisation features. Overall, a good product and worthwhile purchase, though subscription is expensive.

Having used many diagnostic tools for years, including the USB types such as OBD11, I rate this higher for regular users as it is not pay per option, but subscription based. I also find the GUI easier to use than OBD11 and it seems quicker and more responsive. When I'm not using it with the Carista app, it can also be used as a dongle to connect to my android phone running VAG DPF app (other diagnostic apps will work in same way) so I can keep a real time eye on my DPF and its regeneration. Very easy to setup and I've recommended one to friends due to its easy ability to read and reset codes and quite easily interpret live data

Having used dealer-level diagnostic and programming software, this device is an absolute must for the enthusiast. It makes complex programming a doddle - what would normally take 30 mins now takes around 3 minutes. Before reading this short review, a couple of must knows - check your vehicle is compatible before buying on the CARISTA website. For example, this device only had basic functions on a 2015 Mercedes E Class. But it had full functionality on a 2008 BMW 3 series, and also a 2018 VW Polo. For those who think this is the 'ONE STOP SHOP' of diagnostic scanners out there - it comes pretty damn close. It's plug and play, no need to connect to wifi (iOS ELM 327), simply launch the app and it connects to the Carista seamlessly every time. Picture shows activation of ‘Real-time MPG’ on an e90 BMW M3 which can improve your driving style helping you to understand how to save fuel when not driving these cars at their full potential. This option was activated in 2 minutes on the CARISTA and not normally activated from the factory on these vehicles. A quick lesson in On Board Diagnostics: Most cars have several 'modules' (ECU's) which control all functions of the vehicle. Do a google search of 'BMW Module Tree' to see what this looks like on paper. Your £5 - £50 scanners can normally interrogate ONLY THE ENGINE (ECU) module, as this is most commonly responsible for the 'Check Engine' light. A £50 scanner might give you live data of engine parameters with graphing etc. for fault finding, and the £5 scanner will simply give you a fault code. These scanners rarely let you code/program anything on the vehicle. The more expensive scanners £50 - £250 work to interrogate additional modules including ABS, Airbag, Transmission etc. which can also cause the Check Engine light to illuminate. Decent scanners have better compatibility with a wider range of vehicles and some explanation of the fault codes built in (google is normally best for interpretation of codes anyway). These are still 'scanners' and permit very limit coding/programming to the vehicle, unless otherwise stated (steering angle sensor, battery programming, TPMS reset etc. are common features built-in). These scanners work for 50% of vehicle problems. The expensive £400+ scanners usually allow interrogation of all vehicle modules, or atleast as many as are compatible with the device. Common faults often occur in auxiliary modules such as Footwell, Light, Car Access System, Radio etc. which normally only dealer-level OEM software can interpret, interrogate and program properly. These scanners offer varying levels of compatibility, but work for 90% of problems on cars, most independent garages use these and they often require some sort of subscription service. The amazing thing about the Carista is that it is actually interrogating several modules in the car which normally only the £400 scanners would do. In order to do complex customisations it needs access to read and write to these auxiliary modules. To enable features like real-time mpg, driver door unlock on one-click, and increasing brightness of rear lights would normally require 30 mins of downloading module data to a laptop, interpreting through dealer-level software, editing string values, and re-uploading to the module, all in a careful and timely manner. The Carista takes care of this whole process and does the coding in seconds. It's quite unbelievable (although not the first on the market to do this, it seems to be the first multi-vehicle, cross-compatible device). So in having access to all vehicle modules, Carista is able to report back detailed error codes within these modules. The caveat is it only works if the Carista scanner is compatible with the vehicle. A 2015 Mercedes E Class W212 with the 'Auxiliary Battery Malfunction' error was not picked up by the Carista, nor was it recognised by a trusty £200 scanner. It's likely that to read this error in more detail, a £400+ scanner would be required, or dealer-level software with a USB cable and laptop. The 2007-2013 BMW 3 Series E9x vehicles are very well covered, as are VAG group vehicles. Compatibility seems to be improving regularly and is already very good for a device at this price. Carista have a Beta Test Team which are constantly working to add functionality and compatibility. You can join this team from their website. All in all, an excellent little scanner, worth every penny. Hints for use: Keep a record of the customisations you carry out. Carry out customisations one-at-a-time with the IGNITION ON but ENGINE OFF. Ensure your car battery is in good order, if in doubt connect a battery charger if doing a long session as a battery failure during programming can be fatal for the module. End all other apps on your phone/tablet and disconnect all other bluetooth devices. Do not operate things in the vehicle whilst coding/diagnosing/using the Carista, modules should be idle during read/write. Opening / closing doors and windows and operating the radio can affect coding. WARNING on BMW E9x vehicles: Activating the 'Engine can be started only when car is in Neutral/Park' is for AUTOMATIC MODELS only. Activating this customisation on a Manual vehicle will prevent it from starting! - There are a number of issues like this, where the customisation needs to be carefully considered before activation. Wish list for future updates: More powerful diagnostics - adaptations, activation of ABS pump for bleeding, O2 sensor testing, live data streaming, sensor readouts, graphing, etc. Save/Restore feature - after making some customisation 'mistakes' you have to go back and undo those customisations by guessing. Increased vehicle compatibility list, especially Mercedes and other popular cars. Also fixing functionality with other diagnostic apps which are classed as compatible, could not get these to recognise and connect to the Carista. Also, some information on each customisation, quite often it's a case of guessing what each thing does. Grouping customisations into a 'custom list' would also be handy. For example, you don't need to look at customisations relevant to the sunroof when the vehicle does not have one. Thanks Carista for a device that everyone has been waiting for. Enjoy your car, your way!

OK.... its managed to get 3 stars.... just.... hang on.... no, just changed it to 2 Lets be clear, you're buying this either:- 1. You have a specific requirement 2. Your inquisitive nature is getting the better of you I am 1 - To replace rear discs and pads on an Audi Q3 is £400 - at a dealer or not. The parts cost me £76 and the job takes about 2 hours if you have difficulty jacking up a car - an hour if you don't. The problem is that the electronic brake needs to be disabled to allow brake pistons to be pushed back to get the pads onto new discs, and you can do this either by dismantling the motor (as per YouTube), or properly by disabling the EPB in service mode. - And thats why I bought one of these. So I can change pads and rotors for about £140. - So give it a star for that saving. Functionally, its basic. You can enable some settings that are hidden by the default vehicle management settings for some reason, make the lights flash, alarm beep etc.... (give it a star for that - even though you have to pay £33 for the pro version for year to change anything or see the fault codes - but I knew that before I ordered it) It arrived the following day, excellent service - gets a star for that.....(probably Amazon - thank you) And thats it..... oh hang on..... it needs to lose a star..... If you have any sense of personal security, you won't want to put your personal details, card details, paypal etc..... into a mobile phone or tablet (I'm on Android so really don't want to put anything on google store).... so, anyone trying to safeguard their pennies would (quite logically) get a Google Play redeem voucher..... DONT - Carista app does not recognise google redeem vouchers are eligible methods to pay .... Why on earth would they prohibit that I hear you asking? Well I can only assume that it is so that they have a method to charge you for the second year subscription without you remembering to cancel your payment - real cute CONISTA.... If you are forced to put in Paypal or Credit card (and they do actually say this in the terms) they can carry on charging you for the privilege of having it forever - without seeking your permission (presumably?) - I can't see what other reason they wouldn't work with Google to pass payment from the Play store to Carista.. In fact, now I type this.... guess what, you can have 1 star, and if I could give you 0 stars for despicable business practice, i would. Don't waste £35 on Google Play vouchers to pay for this App - it will not work. I can't comment on the IOS version, but assume its the same deal. You'll have to buy the pro version with Paypal, then swap your payment method to Google Play store to remove Paypal from your Google Play account/ phone. If anyone can find a more straightforward way to disengage electronic parking brakes through OBD please post here.

Works well for diagnostics and live data. Setup is simple and the app is user-friendly. Just note, it does require a subscription to unlock advanced features like customizations and service tools. Worth it if you want deeper control.

Poor rating not because the product isn’t good, it probably is good, but Amazon listed it as fully compatible with my car. Didn’t think to double check this with Carista as thought Amazon could be trusted. But it turns out, as advised by Carista when I contacted them: “ Most 2024+ VAG Group cars are equipped with the new SFD2 lock. We can confirm that your vehicle is equipped with the SFD2 lock. At present, our app does not support SFD2 unlock functionality. We are currently evaluating the feasibility of implementing SFD2 unlock, but we cannot provide any assurances or timelines regarding if or when this support might become available. Sorry about that.” Considered returning it but going to hang onto it and try it out on the Audi I plan to buy soon. Poor show from amazon but great service Carista