For Kia vehicle owners who are also keen DIY enthusiasts, understanding your car’s diagnostics is now more accessible than ever. Beyond the standard shop manual, Kia offers a subscription-based scan tool, granting you in-depth access to your vehicle’s systems right from your own garage. Starting at a reasonable $30 for a 72-hour period, this scan tool subscription also conveniently includes access to the shop manual, making it a comprehensive resource for tackling car maintenance and troubleshooting.
Setting out to explore the capabilities of this tool, initial expectations might include uncovering hidden settings or customization options. However, the exploration revealed that those seeking secret tweaks might be disappointed. Diving into the Body Control Module, some options were found, but these largely mirrored standard vehicle settings or were unchangeable. For instance, the “Remote Window Close” feature, set to ‘false’ by default, resisted attempts to enable it, with the system indicating it’s not supported on the US model tested.
Further investigation into the main ECU settings page unfortunately led to program crashes, and the function to update ECU firmware was also inaccessible. Despite these limitations in modification and updates, a potentially valuable feature surfaced within the VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) settings: the option to reset data for range estimation. While untested in this initial exploration, this could be of interest for those looking to recalibrate or understand their EV’s range calculations.
Accessing this diagnostic power requires a subscription through the Kia Tech Info portal, which upon payment, provides a download link for a Windows-based program. To connect your computer to your Kia, a USB to OBD-II adapter cable and its corresponding drivers are necessary. The good news is that standard OBD-II adapters, like those used for other car brands such as Toyota Prius, are compatible, eliminating the need for proprietary hardware.
Image alt text: Kia Scan Tool Software Interface displaying vehicle subsystem options, highlighting diagnostic functions.
The downloaded software package, being a slightly older version, necessitates an immediate update upon installation. Navigating this update process might present a minor hurdle. Initial attempts can sometimes stall, possibly due to server connectivity issues with the Korean server from which updates are sourced. Persistence, or waiting until Korean business hours, might be required for successful updating. Although the update process itself doesn’t prompt a restart, a manual reboot of the program is advisable to ensure proper functionality post-update.
Image alt text: Screenshot of Kia Scan Tool connection settings, showing OBD-II adapter selection and vehicle auto-detection.
User experience, common to many professional automotive diagnostic tools, isn’t particularly intuitive. The process begins by selecting your OBD-II connection type, followed by an auto VIN detection which then populates a list of all vehicle subsystems applicable to your model. It’s worth noting this list is comprehensive and includes subsystems not necessarily installed in your specific vehicle trim. Selecting a non-existent subsystem results in an error message. Switching between subsystems involves navigating back to the main screen and re-selecting your car model, although a “previous vehicle” option offers some convenience.
Image alt text: Kia Scan Tool home screen showing main diagnostic functions like Fault Code Search, DTC Analysis and Data Analysis.
The primary interface presents a “Fault Code Searching” function, which scans all subsystems for diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). The remaining functions are subsystem-specific and include DTC Analysis (for viewing codes within a selected subsystem), Data Analysis (displaying live data values), Actuation Test (for component testing), ECU Information (detailing firmware and part numbers), and Vehicle S/W Management (intended for settings adjustments, though limited in practical use as initially observed).
Image alt text: Example of Kia Scan Tool Data Analysis screen displaying real-time vehicle sensor data and parameters.
The Kia scan tool proves most valuable for reading and clearing fault codes and for scrutinizing live data across various vehicle systems, including the high-voltage battery system in EVs. During this evaluation, a stored code was indeed found: U130F87 DC EVSE Communication Error. This code was likely triggered by an issue encountered at an Electrify America charging station. Reassuringly, the scan tool effectively cleared this stored fault code.
Image alt text: Kia Scan Tool DTC Analysis interface displaying a stored fault code and options for code clearing and further information.
Image alt text: Kia Scan Tool Actuation Test menu showing available component tests for a selected vehicle subsystem.
Image alt text: Kia Scan Tool ECU Information screen displaying ECU details like firmware version, serial number, and part number.
In conclusion, the Kia scan tool subscription offers DIYers and Kia owners a genuine pathway into vehicle diagnostics. While it may not unlock hidden customization features or boast the most user-friendly interface, its core capabilities in fault code management and data analysis are robust. For Kia owners looking to understand and maintain their vehicles at a deeper level, this scan tool represents a worthwhile investment, particularly when coupled with the included shop manual access.
