[Monoblock]

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I started posting about my use of OBD2 wireless adapter in 4 other threads, and realized the info is now scattered about and hard to find. I thought I'd try to consolidate things.

Also, since it's known that there are dodgy OBD2 adapters out there, this thread might serve as a place for people to post their experience with specific adapters over time - whether they work or not, durability, best price for value, etc.



Table Of Contents:

1. Background: What is OBD2, and what’s this all about anyway?
2. Where’s the OBD2 port?
3. Do I choose a bluetooth or wifi adapter?
4. Android+Torque Setup Instructions
5. iPhone+DashCommand Setup Instructions
6. List of known good OBD2 adapters
7. List of known bad OBD2 adapters
8. Screenshots

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• Background:
OBD2 (On-Board Diagnostics, Version 2) is a hardware diagnostic & sensor protocol for communicating your car’s sensor & error data to an external scanner or monitor. In the early days, scanners were expensive pieces of standalone equipment costing many hundreds (thousdands?) of dollars.

A few years ago someone got the bright idea to make a wireless adapter to stream the data but not do any data interpretation itself. Instead you buy the software separately.

I think the whole thing is brilliant, in that you can get world class monitoring and diagnostics for around $20 (not including the cost of the phone, of course).

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• Where does it go?
The OBD2 port on your F22 is located on the drivers side just under the dash a couple inches from the hood release handle. The OBD2 adapter draws power from the port. Just plug it in and forget about it.

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• Do I choose a bluetooth or wifi adapter?

There are both bluetooth and wifi adapters available.

The wifi adapter is kinda interesting in that the OBD2 adapter *is* the wifi network. You bring up networks in settings on your phone and connect to the OBD2 wifi network that it’s broadcasting.

• Android:
If you have an Android phone, you can go with either option, but I recommend bluetooth since you won’t have to switch wifi networks on your phone every time you get in your car. With bluetooth it’ll just connect every time you get in and you don’t have to think about it. Note that this point is moot if you choose to put an old dedicated phone in your car that's just always stays connected to the OBD2 adapter.

• iPhone:
Now, if you have an iPhone, you don’t have much choice (***) but to go with the wifi route, since Apple is very particular what companies and devices that they let pair to an iPhone.

(***) Well, I fibbed here a bit: there IS an iPhone bluetooth solution out there called BlueDriver, but it’s expensive and I don’t care much for the interface. I think it's around $99, but for some reason I can't get to their website right now (as of 01/24/2015).

http://www.lemurmonitors.com

https://www.facebook.com/BlueDriver.net

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• Android+Torque Setup Instructions

1. Order a bluetooth obd2 adapter. See below.

2. Plug it into your OBD2 port, under the dash on the left.

3. Download and install Torque Pro here. Cost: $5

Note that there's a free version with limited options if you just want to try out the basics

4. Pair the OBD2 adapter with your phone

You can now start setting up the gauges, monitors, etc that you want. The defaults are pretty good, actually - so worth just playing with those at first. Note that you can set up and flip through several pages - so you could set up, for instance, a page with dials you commonly use while driving, a page for when you want to track/race you car (lap times, etc), and a page for deeper diagnostics - it even has widgets for doing a full emissions check.

Note that pressing on a gauge/control and holding for a second or so will bring up the settings for that gauge. There you can change the dial type (needly, number, both), size of the gauge, set the min & max values, whether you want a warning when a value goes to high, etc.

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• iPhone+DashCommand Setup Instructions

1. Order a wifi obd2 adapter. See below.

2. Plug into your OBD2 port under the dash on the left

3. Download and install DashCommand here on your iPhone.

4. In iPhone settings, switch the wifi network to the OBD2 adapter (it should just show up).

5. Start DashCommand, and it should automatically start showing data.

NOTE: scottomfg also recommends checking out the OBD Fusion app - says it works great.

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• List of known OBD2 adapters that work with the F22
(Note: both adapters that I purchased came with a CD-ROM with some software -- I did not need to use either, tossed 'em in the trash)

Bluetooth:
iSaddle: $15 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KLZCVGU
Used successfully by: Monoblock

ScanTool 427201 OBDLink LX Bluetooth http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9S71LW
Used successfully by: tke743

WiFi:
ieGeek: $14.50 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3K2X4M
Used successfully by: Monoblock


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• List of known OBD2 adapters that do NOT work with the F22

Some people are having problems with the iSaddle (which is working for Monoblock as per above).
One report that oil temp isn't working.
One report that it's not connecting to the ECU at all.


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Screenshots - Torque Pro

The display I normally have showing when I’m just driving around. This is on a 6 year old Google Nexus One that I was no longer using. I’ve turned off wifi and pulled the sim card - it’s a dedicated OBD2 monitor now:



Some other people’s setups. A bigger screen = more dials. Some people are even using $100 cheapo tablets you can find on ebay.













Screenshots: DashCommand:

[Ramos]

Awesome info! Thank you very much

[BMWKLR]

The link for the bluetooth is going to the wrong one I think. Is this the one I should order?
http://www.amazon.com/iSaddle-Blueto...ywords=iSaddle

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by BMWKLR

The link for the bluetooth is going to the wrong one I think. Is this the one I should order?
http://www.amazon.com/iSaddle-Blueto...ywords=iSaddle

Opps - I mixed up the links - will fix that now.

Yes, the iSaddle is the one I have, although I went with the blue one.. because... uh... bluetooth... blue... and I have an Estoril Blue 228i.

[BMWKLR]

Originally Posted by Monoblock

Opps - I mixed up the links - will fix that now.

Yes, the iSaddle is the one I have, although I went with the blue one.. because... uh... bluetooth... blue... and I have an Estoril Blue 228i.

Ok. Very Cool. Will order today and report back later.

[fkacct]

This is absolutely awesome. Never thought something like this exists for so cheap! Is it possible to pair the iSaddle Bluetooth and your phone to car Bluetooth connection at the same time?

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by fkacct

This is absolutely awesome. Never thought something like this exists for so cheap! Is it possible to pair the iSaddle Bluetooth and your phone to car Bluetooth connection at the same time?

Ok - I just tried this: I popped a SIM into my Nexus One, paired with the car, and it works. I dialed a number while Torque Pro was running simultaneously and showing engine data.

[TBro2002]

Awesome app! You would think that as cheap as this is to do, BMW would have built something like this into iDrive.

[mmmmm235i]

This is such great information. Would anyone happen to know where I can get one of these vent mounts?

[fkacct]

Originally Posted by Monoblock

Ok - I just tried this: I popped a SIM into my Nexus One, paired with the car, and it works. I dialed a number while Torque Pro was running simultaneously and showing engine data.

Monoblock, thanks for checking. Can't wait to get the dongle in. This basically makes the expensive P3 CAR VENT more or less unnecessary....

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by mmmmm235i

This is such great information. Would anyone happen to know where I can get one of these vent mounts?

I have two:

1) This one is awesome if you have a smaller or lighter phone (i.e. not a "phablet")
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Q3G8LPQ

2) This one handles my iPhone 6+
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OTMH6D4

[ska///235i]

Great stuff

I think it should go to DIY section so it doesnt get lost in the future

[wjones14]

Is there any issue with leaving the Wi-Fi OBDII adapter plugged in when leaving the car? I thought I read on some other thread where doing this could drain the car battery, even if just left plugged in overnight in the garage.

[rar2ooo]

doesn't dashcommand work on android aswell? can anyone confirm this?

[artinz]

Anyone know any other really good bluetooth OBD2's similar to iSaddle? apparently I amazon won't ship this item to Canada. Stupid BS.....

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by rar2ooo

doesn't dashcommand work on android aswell? can anyone confirm this?

It does, although I haven't tried it on Android (I have it on iOS):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hCommand&hl=en

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by artinz

Anyone know any other really good bluetooth OBD2's similar to iSaddle? apparently I amazon won't ship this item to Canada. Stupid BS.....

This one looks near identical:

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B009NPAORC

Worse case it doesn't work and you call Amazon and they'll refund your money. I've even found sometimes they don't even want to bother with you returning it.

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by wjones14

Is there any issue with leaving the Wi-Fi OBDII adapter plugged in when leaving the car? I thought I read on some other thread where doing this could drain the car battery, even if just left plugged in overnight in the garage.

It is indeed on all the time, but I believe it goes into a low power mode when the car is off.

I've had no problem so far, but I've only left the car for 2 days max w/o turning it on.

Googling around, there are some mini OBD2 bluetooth adapters out there with power buttons. Here's one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400761745047

Anyone want to be a guinea pig?

[scottomfg]

Originally Posted by wjones14

Is there any issue with leaving the Wi-Fi OBDII adapter plugged in when leaving the car? I thought I read on some other thread where doing this could drain the car battery, even if just left plugged in overnight in the garage.

I'd like to hear people's experience about this too. My understanding is you can leave it in overnight no problem, but if you are gonna leave you car unused for a few days, it's best to pull it.

[scottomfg]

Hey Monoblock, great post, thanks for putting this together and having screenshots, etc. One suggestion, you might want to add OBD Fusion as an iPhone app that is available, it's what I use and it works great: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/obd-...650684932?mt=8

[Monoblock]

Originally Posted by scottomfg

Hey Monoblock, great post, thanks for putting this together and having screenshots, etc. One suggestion, you might want to add OBD Fusion as an iPhone app that is available, it's what I use and it works great: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/obd-...650684932?mt=8

Thanks Scotto - I've added it to the iPhone section (section 5).

[M2-BM35i]

On looking more into this it appears there is a US and Eur spec for these devices?

Anyone know more about this?