[1chanc3]

Not sure if anyone has used this or if its any good but a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner for $8!!!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0076KBPNI?...-20&ascsubtag=

Mixed reviews on amazon....

[Myrder]

man I wish JB4 didnt stop OBD2 data.

[ECSTuning]

I prefer the "slim" design ones you can can on ebay to the bulky style in your link. I picked one up for <10 bucks a while back, it works well for what it is (a cheap OBDII access point) but it's nothing to write home about.

-James

[NW 335i]

Like this one?
http://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Inte...TG3NJFQZ1086P4

Do you have a link to the version you bought?

[ECSTuning]

^even smaller lol. Image from google, I don't recall the seller from ebay that I picked it up from, but I'm sure it was one of the higher rated ones.



-James

[Miller335]

Originally Posted by Myrder

man I wish JB4 didnt stop OBD2 data.

Or some INPA communications also.

[Meeni]

I understand these things work great with INPA and Torque or other phone apps. Does it works also for coding or the old fashioned cable is still required?

[hockeyplayer]

Just to clarify...does this work with iPhone/iPad, Android or both?

[rancur3p1c]

The ELM327 chip itself costs $17-27, way back the chinese cracked Microchip's encryption and dumped the ROM contents. They updated it so it won't happen again, but these cheap versions run v1.5 of the ELM327, which doesn't exist.

Still, for $10, even if pirated, can't be beat, if it works. I just feel bad for him...

Some of them have problems disconnecting the bluetooth/turning off the bluetooth when it loses the phone connection.

I could do better myself if I had developed it.

[rancur3p1c]

Originally Posted by hockeyplayer

Just to clarify...does this work with iPhone/iPad, Android or both?

Android only. Apple is too protective of their bluetooth protocol stack, don't want anybody messing up the phone. There is one you can buy for iPhone, it uses WiFi to connect instead, but obviously integrating a WiFi module to the chip makes it more expensive than a bluetooth option would be....

[marketmaster]

This is the one I have. $6 with free shipping:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lates...567983725.html

[hockeyplayer]

Originally Posted by rancur3p1c

Android only. Apple is too protective of their bluetooth protocol stack, don't want anybody messing up the phone. There is one you can buy for iPhone, it uses WiFi to connect instead, but obviously integrating a WiFi module to the chip makes it more expensive than a bluetooth option would be....

Do you happen to have a link to the one that will work for iOS? Just want to make sure I order the right one.

thanks!

[Maestro]

When I bought one of these I did lots of research due to all the complaints I read about. and here is the long and short of these ODBII readers/interfaces. From what I was able to find out it comes down to the ODBII chip used in these devices, they all claim to use the same chip (ELM327), however, some people say they work and other do not thus the reason for the mixed reviews.

The reason some work and some do not even from the same seller or same company who makes them, is the fact they using counterfeit ODBII chips. Some counterfeit chips work and others do not, so it hit and miss. Since most of these are Chinese knock offs and the people selling them has no connection to who makes them they have no idea which chips are actually used in the module.

The only way to be sure you have working module is to buy from a reputable company who will replace a unit if it does not work. Even the reputable companies can not be 100% sure they getting the authentic ODBII chip in their modules if they are having them made in the China.

This is a classic example of buyer beware, and you only get what you are paying for.

I ended up paying more to buy my from reputable company and it worked on all the cars I have plugged it into.

[ctuna]

How do you get these to work with Inpa?
Is there a way to map bluetooth to a usb port?
Or what?

[Kolyan2k]

i have 2 of these

http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-...CRVB235T5EP6B1

probably same thing, but these are shipped from USA instead of China

[alexwhittemore]

Originally Posted by ctuna

How do you get these to work with Inpa?
Is there a way to map bluetooth to a usb port?
Or what?

you don't.

There are a lot of protocol layers here, but the simplified picture is that the ELM327 is a sort of industry-standard chip, and it defines a protocol that, as others have said, is very frequently pirated or else re-implemented.

The ELM327 speaks serial UART on one end and CAN on the other, and takes simple commands via UART and translates them to the appropriate CAN/OBDII messages for the car. So the programmer designing for an ELM327 just needs to know how to ask it "what's the current throttle position" and it'll reply with the appropriate data. As far as end-device connectivity to the dongle, USB<>UART and Bluetooth serial profile<>UART chips are super cheap.

The upshot is that, for example, Torque or DashCommand simply implement this common, easy protocol and then piles of cheap adapters work. The down side is that ELM327 adapters aren't as generic and functional as OBDII itself, which means you can't use them for things like INPA or the BT tool, etc etc.

[ALPINWEISS330i]

Originally Posted by ECSTuning

I prefer the "slim" design ones you can can on ebay to the bulky style in your link. I picked one up for <10 bucks a while back, it works well for what it is (a cheap OBDII access point) but it's nothing to write home about.

-James

Hey if you can read (most)codes and gets live readings whenever you want and it only cost $10. That's something to write home about. For a DIYer, this is one those basic item you should have in the tool box.

[ctuna]

You get a lot with torque and a ELM327 for the money but
it looks like it doesn't replace Inpa or Ncsexpert . It would be
nice to get those to work wireless though.