Did your vehicle's check-engine light just pop on? An OBD-II scanner can point you in the right direction—and potentially save you a bundle.

If you decide to use a Wireless Code Reader that uses Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to link to the OBD-II port, you should download a car scanner app.

Plus, it has a more straightforward and standard user operation, meaning it now uses the same OBD-II port, connector, and diagnostic trouble codes for all car makes.