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OBD-II Bluetooth scanner help


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I got something cheap on Amazon and use Torque Lite for the app. I’m not sure about intimate thoughts since I just got it to read and clear codes when we went to the mountains. The thin air kept tripping codes. Just make sure you get one that is compatible with your phone since some are android or Apple only. You likely need to buy the full Torque version of the app.

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just google obd2 bluetooth on amazon.  its all commoditized chinese shit.  theyre 20 bucks and all work the same.  well, so long as you make sure its compatible with android vs ios.  and some support wifi on top of bluetooth.  bluetooth is better.  mines from 'vgate'. 

 

for app Torque is good.  though it is a damn resource hog so if you have a poors phone itll be sluggish

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2 hours ago, 52-80 said:

just google obd2 bluetooth on amazon.  its all commoditized chinese shit.  theyre 20 bucks and all work the same.  well, so long as you make sure its compatible with android vs ios.  and some support wifi on top of bluetooth.  bluetooth is better.  mines from 'vgate'...

I did that and it was a total PITA to get working.  Also, the "clear code" function is totally hit or miss.  Sometimes it clears it, sometimes not.

I was hopeful that a more expensive model will work better but haven't pulled the trigger yet.  Was gonna wait until the light comes on again.

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On 5/23/2019 at 6:32 AM, 52-80 said:

and some support wifi on top of bluetooth.  bluetooth is better.

There's a sentence I never thought I'd read in my lifetime... though I will say, Samsung/Android's Bluetooth beats the shit out of, say, Macbook Pro Bluetooth.

I already did the "search amazon" thing and came out with a dizzying array of options, some of which were $100. I don't mind a bit of setup. Thanks for the recommendation on Torque. Looks like Torque has a list of supported adapters, although the prices are out of date (much higher than current list).

Based on the Amazon reviews, it doesn't appear that the more "reputable" devices are any more reliable or better-supported than the cheap Chinese $10 jobbies. So I'll try one of those first.

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On 5/23/2019 at 6:17 AM, Jkwellborn said:

Torque was supposed to be a really good one from what I had read, but it wasn’t offered on apple for the longest time.

Somehow not surprised that Android was ahead of Apple on this.

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2 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

There's a sentence I never thought I'd read in my lifetime... though I will say, Samsung/Android's Bluetooth beats the shit out of, say, Macbook Pro Bluetooth.

I already did the "search amazon" thing and came out with a dizzying array of options, some of which were $100. I don't mind a bit of setup. Thanks for the recommendation on Torque. Looks like Torque has a list of supported adapters, although the prices are out of date (much higher than current list).

Based on the Amazon reviews, it doesn't appear that the more "reputable" devices are any more reliable or better-supported than the cheap Chinese $10 jobbies. So I'll try one of those first.

Just for the little dongles.  Maybe it has to do with parts and or licensing at this price point.  The Bluetooth LE is more stable than the wifi version. 

The vGate version 3 or 4 are 25$ and most people are very happy with it.  I've got no complaints.

 

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1 minute ago, 52-80 said:

Just for the little dongles.  Maybe it has to do with parts and or licensing at this price point.  The Bluetooth LE is more stable than the wifi version. 

The vGate version 3 or 4 are 25$ and most people are very happy with it.  I've got no complaints.

 

With WiFi, you have to set up a TCP or UDP service to feed the data in firmware, or have relatively complicated custom software. It's not as simple as BlueTooth, where you're just setting up a serial interface.

In fact, it looks like the most expensive part of all of this is the software. If you're using Torque Pro, no sense in paying more.

The one I picked up was $11. Looks like a bunch of them are all similar, so you just find one with good customer support in case you get a dud.

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Mine uses wifi instead of bluetooth; you plug it in, and it creates it's own wifi network.  Join that and you are good to go. I paid $15 I think on Amazon a few years ago.

For software I use OBD Fusion (on apple store, they may have a android version).  It's $10, and there was an additional fee for some additional Toyota diagnostics I needed.  Works great on either iPhone or iPad.

 

 

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