Tactrix J2534 Pass Through Programmer Review

By Author: JD Durham
Total Articles: 41
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This is probably the most compact J2534 pass thru programmer we have ever seen or used. The unit is so small that it can be hidden in the palm of your hand. But do not let its size fool you into thinking that it does not work.

It is a product of an independent company that originally built it to reprogram / custom program Mitsubishi and Suzuki vehicles. They wrote a software program to extract, remap (tune) and reflash the PCM chips in these vehicles. This software is free to every purchaser.

The tool is very capable for its size and can reprogram quite a few manufacturer vehicles. It works well and is readily identified by these manufacturers flash software for rewriting their PCM chips.

Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Toyota, Mazda, some GM CAN protocol, Ford is pending

We have personally tried it on a few of these and were pleased with the ease of use. We did not have any failed reprograms, which surprised us. ...
... We did notice that the GM software sometimes would identify and other times it would not on the same laptop. This leads us to believe it is a protocol (communications) problem with certain vehicles.

We have not used their software to remap, as we like other programs more.

It receives the power to operate from pin 16 of the OBD2 connector and the USB port. This allows a totally mobile solution as many other programmers require 120Vac power.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer is holding the sales very close to the company and are not wanting distributors which creates two problems. It slows the development because they simply do not have enough distributors or possibly customers providing feedback. This means they must either get their current customers to provide feedback or test them on the individual vehicles themselves. This slows down the development process of the tool, but it may also allow them to maintain a reputation as a quality product.

Since its confirmed vehicle reprogram capability is such a small list, it would not make a good tool for a professional vehicle programmer that must be able to reprogram many manufacturers vehicles. It would be great for a hobbyist that is ok with this small group or someone wanting to enter the field on a VERY limited budget or a mechanic in a store that only services these brands.

Copyright © 2012 JD Durham

JD Durham is a World Class Technician, an Automotive Hall of Fame honoree with 45 years experience in the automotive service and repair industry and a staff writer at Straight Talk Automotive. View the capabilities of the Actia J2534 Pass Thru+ XS reprogrammer and more reviews and articles to make your auto servicing and repairs easier.