Mtdave2

Yeah i have been searching, no luck, so i thought id just ask.

I am looking for an on board scanner that would work with my tablet or phone. the ones i find seem to be very cheap. I am wanting to track some more detailed stuff, is there a more professional one out there?

BDSL

I use ELM 327 which you can get off ebay for $10 shipped. Then download the android "free" app called Torque.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

What features are you looking for that you aren't finding in the 'cheap' scanners?

Mtdave2

I want to see 02 data, temp of coolant and trans, STFT and LTFT etc

bionictony

I have a cheap ELM 327 connector and it works with my android phone with the Torque App installed. it is able to display coolant temp, intake temp, mpg, etc. not sure about stft or ltft though.

oxonian

Hi friends,

I was wondering if there is a good OBD II reader that I can use with the iPhone?

Or is there one that is self standing (does not need a phone) for use in emergency, something not too expensive.

This is for personal use, as my cars are a bit older.

Thanks,
Oxonian

BDSL

ELM 327 will still work on iphone but the app is not free. There isn't many free app on iOS.

oxonian

Hi BDSL,

Thank you. So, do you think I should get the ELM 327 or is it better to get some other OBD II reader that has a display on it, so I do not need to get the app for the iphone?

Thanks,
Oxonian

BDSL

The ELM 327 is only like $10 shipped on eBay. You might able to get free apps on iOS. Displaying on your phone is much better on an OBDII screen....

Coleroad

The elm327 is inexpensive. I have one too. It works great no problems. If it should die in a couple years not a big deal. I have had mine almost 2 years. I use it regularly on all 5 of my cars. You can decide what app or apps you like best. For my BMW I use a special app just for it.

hziemba

I started with the Carista app and Carista ODB Bluetooth adapter, which worked fine in checking that all was OK with the car (not that I expected anything less). The Lexus customization functionality is great at showing your settings, but to actually make changes, you need to pay for the upgrade - I was happy with what I had so I never had to make the changes.

Note that Carista is geared for diagnostics and customization, but has no ability to provide engine data in realtime. For that, I got DashCommand, which I am very happy with. Unfortunately, the Carista BT adapter doesn't work with other apps on the iPhone. I solved that by buying one of the WiFi adapters on amazon.com and it worked just fine - TONS of real-time data, which you can export into a text file! The one I got was the ieGeek® WIFI Wireless OBD2 Auto Scanner Adapter Scan Tool for iPhone iPad iPod, for about $20.

Regarding Bluetooth vs WiFi - If you want to watch the data in real-time, and have the BT version, you will not be able to use any BT phone or media player at the same time. With the WiFi, when you plug in the adapter, it becomes a WiFi hot spot that you connect to, and you have to be connected to it for the app to access the data. There is no wrong answer, just something to be aware of when shopping.

Pie

iTrader: (3)

I have a kiwi adapter that works great. I bought a cheap ELM adapter and it interfered with the ECU, started making my car run rough and have a weird idle.