If you do not timely diagnose the car, you can lose sight of breakdowns that can lead to extremely expensive repairs. To prevent this from happening, car owners try to visit service centers periodically. However, diagnostic services at the service station hit hard on the wallet, not everyone can afford such a pleasure.
Modern technology does not stand still, and today on sale you can find compact OBD2 Bluetooth adapters. Products of this type are distinguished by affordable cost, ease of installation and use. In this case, the device can be connected to any smartphone or tablet. Thanks to a small adapter costing no more than 1.5 thousand rubles, you can significantly save on expensive and not always high-quality services. Consider the main indicators of the device and methods for setting it in more detail.
Bluetooth adapters OBD2 ELM327
This device is a universal device with which any owner of the machine will be able to independently carry out preliminary diagnostics of auto systems and take timely measures for its repair.
Externally, the autoscanner resembles a small box the size of a little larger than a box of matches. It is installed in the standard connector located under the dashboard near the steering wheel, and does not interfere with the process of controlling the telephone exchange.
Of course, other models of similar devices are also available on the market, however, the OBD2 ELM327 Bluetooth adapter has the best reviews. Therefore, it is worth considering in more detail the features of this particular model.
If it speaks of the legality of using such a device, then it can be safely used. However, this gadget only allows you to receive data about the state of the car, you can’t use them as evidence of serviceability or malfunction of the car.
What readings does the device take
Thanks to the wireless adapter, you can:
- read standard diagnostic error codes and receive information about them with similar explanations;
- reset errors (for example, extinguish a light bulb reminding you to check the engine);
- display on the smartphone screen indicators of various sensors in real time;
- receive basic data about the PBX used.
What are the advantages of OBD2 Bluetooth adapter ELM327
The device has the following advantages:
- quick and easy connection, which even a child can handle;
- support for any device or gadget (you can use a phone, tablet or laptop);
- Russian language support;
- high build quality (users note that the casing of the device is made of durable material, the contacts do not leave in off-road driving);
- long term warranty service (1 year).
In addition, if the wireless adapter is incompatible with the smartphone or the car itself, it can be returned to the manufacturer without problems.
The disadvantages of the device
Users did not note any disadvantages of the device. However, due to the great popularity of OBD2 Bluetooth adapters, they began to fake. Of course, fake products will not work in the right mode. In this case, the performance of the devices can be very different from the truth.
Therefore, it is worth buying autoscanners only from trusted sellers, and even better - contact your official distributors. Do not save.
In addition, some users do not always connect the device correctly. In this case, the device will not produce the necessary parameters and errors at all. Therefore, it is worth considering more carefully how to connect the OBD2 ELM327 Bluetooth adapter. If you carefully follow the instructions, then a compact scanner will be a real salvation.
We connect an autoscanner on Android
To configure the device yourself, you must first download a small free Torque program. It is publicly available on the Google Market, so there will be no problems installing the utility.
After that it is necessary:
- Connect the OBD2 Bluetooth adapter to the appropriate connector in the car.
- Start the automatic telephone exchange engine and wait until the indicator light on the autoscanner lights up.
- Go to the wireless settings of the smartphone.
- Activate Bluetooth and enable the search for available devices.
- Select the OBD2 adapter from the list of Bluetooth.
- Enter the security code if necessary (usually just dial 1234).
- Launch Torque.
- Re-enter the smartphone settings and select the adapter.
- Go to “Connection Type” and select Bluetooth by activating the autoscanner.
- Go to the Torque menu.
- Click on "Adapter Status" and wait for the connection between the device and the smartphone.
- Go to the main menu of the utility and select the "Current Information" section.
Done! Now you can get real-time vehicle status data. In this case, the user can choose which graphics he wants to constantly see, and which he absolutely does not need. You can enable or disable various screens that show fuel consumption and other parameters in real time.
Windows connection
To pair the device with this system, do the following:
- Connect the OBD2 Mini Bluetooth adapter to the vehicle's on-board system and turn the ignition key.
- Turn on the computer and go to the "Control Panel", where you will need to select "Bluetooth Devices".
- Add new devices, after which a list of all available connections should be displayed on the screen.
- Select an autoscanner.
- Enter security code.
- Wait for the device and PC system to pair.
- Install any diagnostic program on the computer. Today there are a huge number of them, so finding them on the Internet will not be difficult.
- Run the utility on a laptop computer. In this case, it is most convenient not to specify the connection ports manually, but to select the automatic connection setup mode. The program will have to independently find the adapter and pair.
- Close all settings windows, after confirming them.
- Click "Connect."
- Done!
If an antivirus is installed on the computer, then it can block a suspicious program. In this case, you should choose any other utility for diagnostics or add already installed software to the firewall exceptions. However, this usually does not happen.
Can I connect the adapter via a USB cable
In order to do this, you will need to download a small Baidu Root program and install it on the head unit. For this, it is also recommended to install additional smartphone drivers. They can be found on the manufacturer's website. Usually they are called D2XXSample.
After that, it remains only to download the Torque diagnostic program. Next, you need to activate access to the devices connected through the wire and start using all the benefits of ELM327.
However, this method is considered the most unreliable, since very often the drivers are installed incorrectly. This leads to the fact that the autoscanner is not recognized by the system. It’s much easier to use a wireless connection type. In this case, the stable operation of the adapter is guaranteed.
In addition, the USB cable constantly pops out of the socket, which can also complicate the operation of the device. And the extra wire in the car will be very annoying.
Finally
Autoscanner is an indispensable thing for every car owner. However, buying cheap fakes is not recommended. In this case, the device can show that all the systems of the machine are working properly, while irreparable changes will occur in the most global nodes of the PBX. It’s better to overpay and get reliable data in real time.