As automotive electronics continues to evolve, so do the tools that are needed to diagnose and repair today’s complex electronics systems. From 1993 to 2006, the Toyota factory scan tool was the Vetronix Mastertech. In 2007, Toyota changed that to a new PC-based platform called TIS Techstream. The diagnostic software is now loaded onto the hard drive of a Panasonic Toughbook, and a wireless connection links the laptop to the dealership’s network and the internet.

The laptop connects to the ­vehicle with a Denso Vehicle Interface Module (VIM) that plugs into the OBD II connector.
The factory scan tool can obviously read and access the full range of onboard diagnostics on any late-model Toyota (back to 1989), including powertrain, body, ABS and other systems. The tool also allows a technician to simultaneously view and analyze onboard vehicle data, browse relevant technical bulletins and even reprogram the vehicle from the driver’s seat via the wireless TIS connection.

The Mastertech scan tool can still be used for reprogramming, but only on Toyota models up to 2007. For newer models, Toyota recommends the TIS ­system.

One of the advantages of going to a PC-based diagnostic software system over a dedicated handheld scan tool is that the software can be installed on...