I just bought a $38.00 US (including postage) OBDII scanner from 'alpha-bid
' on EBay. Right after I got it I had a check engine light come on & yes
this very cheap reader worked just fine, giving the code & resetting it. It
was a canister hose from the fuel tank problem that I had serviced about a
year & a half ago but without knowing the code -well good luck in finding
the problem. Anyway this seems to work for the engine codes but I don't know
about what other functions it might check, like ABS systems etc.
BCinBC

I used Autozone for a while and had good luck.  This pass X-mass i went
and bought
http://www.davisnet.com/drive/products/drive_product.asp?pnum=8221  So
now I am my own big brother  ;)

I will be the first to tell you it's overkill for the ave Joe/Jill BUT
I have been looking at it for two or three years and I wanted one.  I
have had good luck overall with it and thought since my 97 Elantra has
152 K miles It would be usefull to have  I am now tracking at code 0445
code with it.

I tried the $40 one from Harbor Freight and that worked on and off so I
returned it.  Walmart now has one for like $70 or so and that worked
good to.