I have the tricom scanner that Alex sells. When it works its really a wonderful tool to have in your arsenal. Keep in mind that there are different OBD II standards for different makes. Ford uses PWM. The tricom scanner I have can handle all three types (ISO, VPW, and PWM). I figured this way I can scan my friends' and family's cars, too.
Unfortunately I've been having trouble lately; it won't connect to my car. I know the OBD II port works on my car since I just had an emissions test last month where they checked for codes. I emailed Alex and he offered some troubleshooting tips. If that doesn't work, he said I can ship the unit back to him for a test. His hardware has a two year warranty if I remember correctly, which is pretty good in my opinion. His offer to test my scanner also goes above and beyond what most retailers would provide as far as service is concerned.
All in all I think Alex has a good business going, and despite the problems I've encountered I would recommend his product. Even if this GB doesn't happen, I would strongly suggest looking into a scanner for yourself to pull CEL codes and check readings that aren't displayed in the vehicle. If you're in an area without an Autozone to pull codes for free, or if you're in California where they aren't allowed to, your scanner will pay for itself eventually.
