"I bought the Autel first. I spent $500 on tokens just to do two Mitsubishi Outlanders. I sold it, bought the KeyRead V20. It paid for itself on the third job. For Mitsubishi, it IS the best." — Dave T., Locksmith, Texas
"The V20 struggles on BMW, but on Mitsubishi? Flawless. I did a 2022 Triton all keys lost in 4 minutes. Try doing that with a T-Code Pro." — Javier M., Auto Technician, Australia
If you work on Mitsubishis daily, the Keyread V20 Best pays for itself in a few jobs. For the price (under $400–500 depending on source), it’s one of the most cost-effective dedicated programmers out there. Just keep a backup tool for the newest models.
Would I buy again? Yes.
Recommended? Absolutely – for Mitsubishi-focused work.
In the low hum of the diagnostic bay, where the air smelled of ozone and ambition, Mira Torres stared at the bricked ECU. It was a Mitsubishi Evo IX—a customer’s pride, a rally ghost—and its brain had gone silent after a botched flash.
“Dead,” her colleague muttered, tapping the casing. “Tell him to buy a standalone.”
Mira didn’t answer. She reached into her toolbox and pulled out a worn, orange-and-black device: the KeyRead V20 Mitsubishi Best. Unlike the bulky, menu-drowned scanners everyone else used, the V20 looked almost retro—a rugged tablet with physical shortcut keys and a single, multi-color LED ring around its power button.
The shop owner, old Kenji, had given it to her years ago. “This one speaks Mitsubishi,” he’d said. “Not just OBD. The real language. The one they forgot to put in the manuals.”
She clipped the V20’s harness to the OBD port and powered it on. The LED pulsed amber. No handshake. No protocol sync. The car’s CAN bus was a ghost town.
Most tools would’ve given a “Link Error” and quit. But the KeyRead V20 had a secret: a legacy mode labeled MUT-III Secret Factory. Kenji had warned her never to use it unless the car was already dead. “Because it wakes up things that were meant to stay asleep.”
Mira pressed the key sequence: Down, Down, Up, Best, Best, Enter.
The LED flickered red, then green. The screen lit up with a single line: “K-Line active. Booting kernel 0x7E3.” keyread v20 mitsubishi best
On the Evo’s dashboard, the odometer flickered—then displayed a string of hexadecimal: 4E 65 76 65 72 20 44 69 65. Never Die.
“No way,” she breathed.
The V20 cycled through modules the factory scanner couldn’t see: Hidden fuel maps. Unlocked ignition timing tables. A ghost log of test runs from the Okazaki proving grounds, dated 2005. And buried in the deepest sector: a diagnostic routine labeled “Best Mode – Full Decode.”
She tapped it.
The engine cranked once. Twice. Then—a sound like a caged animal finding its voice. The Evo roared to life, idling smoother than it ever had. The check engine light extinguished. The V20’s LED turned a steady, pulsing blue.
Her colleague stared. “What did you just do?”
Mira unplugged the KeyRead, its casing now warm like a living thing. She ran a thumb over the faded Mitsubishi triple-diamond logo on its back.
“I didn’t fix it,” she said softly. “I reminded it what it was.”
From that day on, no one in the shop called the V20 a scanner. They called it the keymaker. And Mira never told anyone the full sequence—except for the customer, who drove off into the night with an Evo that would never, ever truly die.
Because some tools aren’t made for codes. They’re made for ghosts. And the KeyRead V20 Mitsubishi Best knew every single one.
Broad Device Compatibility: The V2.0 update is noted for its ability to unlock a wide range of the Mitsubishi FX series, including older models like the FX1S, FX1N, and FX2N, as well as more modern units like the FX3U, FX3G, and FX3SA. "I bought the Autel first
Comprehensive Unlocking: Beyond simple password reading, it is designed to "crack" or "unlock" password-protected PLC and HMI (Human-Machine Interface) software, allowing for full project recovery.
Industrial Reliability: In the automation community, it is often favored because it handles manufacturer-specific security protocols that generic tools cannot. Why it is Considered the "Best"
The "best" designation typically comes from its success rate with the FX3U series, which was historically more difficult to unlock than its predecessors. Technicians often prefer it because:
Efficiency: It reduces downtime by avoiding the need to wipe and reprogram a controller from scratch.
Versatility: It often comes as part of a suite that supports other industrial hardware (like Omron or LS PLCs), making it a "Swiss Army knife" for field engineers. Important Distinction: PLC vs. Automotive
While the name sounds like it could be an automotive tool, KeyRead V2.0 is strictly for industrial PLCs. If you are looking for Mitsubishi car key programming, you would instead look at diagnostic scan tools like the iCarsoft JP V2.0 Go to product viewer dialog for this item. or the Launch Creader Elite 2.0 Go to product viewer dialog for this item.
, which are designed for vehicle OBD2 systems rather than industrial controllers.
Are you looking to use this for industrial automation maintenance, or are you trying to program a replacement key for a vehicle?
Password Retrieval: It is primarily used to read or "unlock" passwords from PLC models like the FX3U, FX3G, and FX3GA.
Legacy Support: The tool is often cited for its ability to handle both 1-level and 2-level security passwords on older and mid-range Mitsubishi industrial hardware.
Recovery: It serves as a recovery solution when original passwords are lost or when documentation was not provided during a handoff from an equipment manufacturer. Key Considerations "The V20 struggles on BMW, but on Mitsubishi
Legitimacy and Safety: Note that many versions of this tool found online are hosted on third-party sites and may be flagged by security software as malware.
Alternatives for Diagnostics: If you are looking for vehicle diagnostic tools for Mitsubishi cars, professional scanners like the iCarsoft JP V2.0 or the iCarsoft JP V3.0 are widely considered among the "best" for consumer and semi-pro use. Typical "Best" Hardware for Mitsubishi PLC/Key Tasks
| Feature | Keyread V2.0 | Modern Universal Tools (Autel/Xtool) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Cost | Very
For mechanics working on Mitsubishis from the late 90s up to roughly 2015, this tool is often considered the "best" value-for-money option for several reasons:
Before discussing the tool, you must understand the target. Mitsubishi has used several immobilizer generations:
Many budget tools claim to handle Mitsubishi but fail on Type 3 or Type 10 smart keys. They lose data, fail to read the BCM (Body Control Module) code, or simply freeze.
The KeyRead V20 solves this by acting not just as a programmer, but as a full vehicle hacker and data analyzer. It is currently considered the best balance of price and performance for the Mitsubishi niche.
To illustrate why this is the best method, here is a typical workflow:
Scenario: 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer. All keys lost. Original key is ID46.
Step 1: Connect KeyRead V20 to OBDII port and turn ignition ON. Step 2: Select Mitsubishi > Asia > Lancer > 2014-2019 > All Keys Lost. Step 3: The V20 sends a sniff command. It warns you to open the driver door. (Smart feature; it detects ground state changes). Step 4: In 30 seconds, the tool displays the 15-digit ECU Code and the 8-digit BIN. Step 5: The V20 automatically calculates the Transponder Password. No need to go online for a token (unlike T-Code or KeyDIY). Step 6: Insert a blank Super Chip (TPX2 or ID46) into the V20’s onboard coil. Write the dealer key. Step 7: Cycle ignition. Car starts.
Note: The entire process takes 4 minutes. With generic tools, this specific model often takes 40 minutes plus internet fees.