Which OBD2 Scanner
#1
Which OBD2 Scanner
I was looking at this one:
OBD II Car Reader | Canadian Tire
There are dirt cheap ones all the way up to professional units at many thousands of dollars.
Or one of these ???
https://www.innova.com/en-US/Product...4-4c0dea8a7168
Thanks !
OBD II Car Reader | Canadian Tire
There are dirt cheap ones all the way up to professional units at many thousands of dollars.
Or one of these ???
https://www.innova.com/en-US/Product...4-4c0dea8a7168
Thanks !
#2
If you're going for something ford specific, (Ford, mercury, Lincoln) grab an ELM327 OBDII to USB off ebay, then download a copy of Forscan. I don't know if it would work for the Mazda B series, though. It should, but we all know that story. Being Ford specific, Forscan can read airbag, abs, and all other codes as well as live data from any ford, lincoln, or mercury vehicle from 1996 to the present day.
The ELM327 also isn't forscan specific. Most other obdii software is compatible with it, too; ranging from simple CEL checkers to the more advanced software.
Alternatively.....
BlueDriver is an iOS and Android based OBDII software. Chrisfix and (I believe) Scotty Kilmer have both displayed it. What it's capable of, though, I don't know.
The ELM327 also isn't forscan specific. Most other obdii software is compatible with it, too; ranging from simple CEL checkers to the more advanced software.
Alternatively.....
BlueDriver is an iOS and Android based OBDII software. Chrisfix and (I believe) Scotty Kilmer have both displayed it. What it's capable of, though, I don't know.
#4
RF Veteran
iTrader: (1)
The Blue tooth interface is nice, works with any vehicle sold in north america from 1996 and up, although you need to look at where your OBD2 plug is on the vehicle, some times you might have to remove a panel so Blue tooth unit can fit in, if thats the case you may want to get an OBD2 extension cable, they are cheap, that way it is a simple plug and play, no panel removal needed.
You can get iPhone or Android apps to retrieve data from blue tooth inteface, in realtime while driving or memory codes, not as extensive as full software versions but still good info
Forscan is a software, like an app, and the software is what determines how much and what kind of data you can get and log and compare.
The cost of stand alone handheld OBD2 readers is based on their computer power, simple computer like an old "flip phone"($100) vs newer "smart phone" $600.
More computer power means it can run more extensive software, which is why Pro versions are expensive, you are buying a high speed computer with a display/monitor.
So if you provide the "computer", laptop, tablet, or smartphone, then cost is not too bad
The Blue tooth is just the wireless link, although the software does needs to understand it, thats what a "driver" is for.
You probably know about Printer Drivers when you added a printer to a computer.
A Driver is a translator program, the Printer speaks French the Computer speaks English, the Driver for that printer does the translation.
ELM327 interface has its own language, it speaks OBD2 to get data from PCM/ECM then sends that data out in its own language, the App or software you use needs to have a Driver that can translate that ELM327 language to the language the computer you are using speaks.
So when you see "Compatible with.......", that means there is a Driver in that software download that will translate it to ..................
You can get iPhone or Android apps to retrieve data from blue tooth inteface, in realtime while driving or memory codes, not as extensive as full software versions but still good info
Forscan is a software, like an app, and the software is what determines how much and what kind of data you can get and log and compare.
The cost of stand alone handheld OBD2 readers is based on their computer power, simple computer like an old "flip phone"($100) vs newer "smart phone" $600.
More computer power means it can run more extensive software, which is why Pro versions are expensive, you are buying a high speed computer with a display/monitor.
So if you provide the "computer", laptop, tablet, or smartphone, then cost is not too bad
The Blue tooth is just the wireless link, although the software does needs to understand it, thats what a "driver" is for.
You probably know about Printer Drivers when you added a printer to a computer.
A Driver is a translator program, the Printer speaks French the Computer speaks English, the Driver for that printer does the translation.
ELM327 interface has its own language, it speaks OBD2 to get data from PCM/ECM then sends that data out in its own language, the App or software you use needs to have a Driver that can translate that ELM327 language to the language the computer you are using speaks.
So when you see "Compatible with.......", that means there is a Driver in that software download that will translate it to ..................
Last edited by RonD; 07-13-2016 at 02:59 PM.
#5
I ordered this one.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I would rather have a USB connection, I only have one laptop with Bluetooth and it's problematic.
I have a dongle, but I still like USB better.
Can't go wrong _ only 10.00 bucks.
Thanks guys !
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I would rather have a USB connection, I only have one laptop with Bluetooth and it's problematic.
I have a dongle, but I still like USB better.
Can't go wrong _ only 10.00 bucks.
Thanks guys !
#7
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