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If the tool is actually a scanner and not a code reader, it does have some value beyond simply reading codes. It should also display sensor values, monitor outputs such as fan and A/C relays which can assist diagnosis of problems that may not set a DTC.
Scanners can be invaluable when there isn't a code. Unfortunately, the User's Manual won't give you much info about what everything means - nor will a
FSM. You might pick up Ben Watson's Chevy Fuel Injection so that you can learn how it works. Post any scans in Scan and Tune. Right now, if it isn't starting, you aren't going to learn much. Assuming it cranks, you need to check for air, fuel and spark and the scanner isn't going to give you a whole lot of info. You might repost symptoms under a separate topic.
I was told that the scanner could tell me where the problem is without a bunch of guess work or throwing money at things that aren't the problem.
Only if you have a good basic knowledge of modern automobiles, a factory service manual, basic diagnostic tools and can follow a flow chart. Without those essentials the scan tool may only confuse you. A code that mentions a specific sensor does NOT indicate it needs replacement.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.