Mongoose from Drew Tech

[medlock]

Need Advice. I am an automotive Locksmith. We program many transponder based keys and often run into situations where the ECU or BCM's have been changed. Some are new and some are used modules.

We do not have a large volume of these and do not care to enter the many other areas of auto repair and diagnostics.

We would like to be able to flash the modules in order to sinc the keys and modules/ECU.

Have been looking at the Cardaq and Mongoose from Drew Tech.

Any Input or advice from the A E tools staff or other site memmbers
would be appreciated.

We currently use Ford OEM tool from Hickok, AD's Codeseeker/programmer and AD's MVP-PRO, DMAX from AE Tools .

[gscode]

I am on the same boat with you. The tool that I am eyeing is the EZ flasher... but I'm worry about the subscription that we have to pay and the Internet conection too.

[mrrowland1]

My son and I have a mobile reprogramming business and your talking a major investment.We have subs for major manufacturers (ford,gm,chrysler) and pay as we go with the others.You have to be hooked to their servers to program any module (no more cd's) NASTF has a direct link to all the OEM's websites.Do your research before you jump.We use several J2534 boxes with oem tools.Alot of times you can flash with a J box but you need the factory tool to finish off the programing.We own 15 factory scan tools for this.

[startmeup]

I'm in the same boat sort of. I'm an automotive locksmith. I mostly just make keys. I currently use a keyless rides Hotwire and an abrites advi. Both are j boxes and can be used as pass through.
The abrites can also run diagnostics and some modules to reprogram instrument clusters and other things without an internet connection.

Commonly I get the call for a customer who had a ford or dodge or honda. They have replaced the main computer or the ignition or column. They want me to make a key or program there old key that no longer works.

I hate these calls! I hate to turn them down. Sometimes I can tell over the phone it's a no go. Sometimes I get out here and can't get the car to start because they need other things programmed also and I did not catch it over the phone( customer just tells me he needs a key made etc). Sometimes they are not clear or honest about the repairs they have done or somebody else did the repair and told them to get reprogrammed and it wil work etc and I have to just tell them I'll charge them upfront no guarantee ( anything could have been do e to that car ).
What I want to be able to do is convert these deals or more of them into better deals where Instead of a turn down I turn them up into a bigger job not only programming the key but programming the ecu or the other modules as needed.

I figure I'll do between 1 and 3 a week min. Is pass through with the internet subscription going to be the most cost effective deal for me?
Also I'm wanting to get into some other programming besides keys. Maybe instrument clusters and airbags and radios.