The tool is used mostly for diagnosis of drivability issues or to check codes because of a check engine light being lit. More advanced users can use the tool to tune their turbo tweak chip. If your going to buy one don't cheap out, your looking a $500+, a cheap tool will maybe get you just codes, which you can retrieve with a paper clip through the data port(obd1) along with watching the check engine light flash. Do some research, I don't own one. It's not really necessary.