The Cold War Kid
New member
Can a phone be used as a scan tool?
What's the best way to accomplish that?
What's the best way to accomplish that?
cell phone scan tool?
- Thread starter The Cold War Kid
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
AntleredRuin
New member
Get an OBD2 Bluetooth dongle like this:
https://www.amazon.com/SAVFY-Blueto...bluetooth&qid=1572612645&s=automotive&sr=1-34
And the Torque Pro app.
Works wonders.
https://www.amazon.com/SAVFY-Blueto...bluetooth&qid=1572612645&s=automotive&sr=1-34
And the Torque Pro app.
Works wonders.
brillo_76
Elite Member
Yes they can provided they are a smart phone. I use obdlink
OBDLink(R) - OBD-II Diagnostic Scan Tools for Android, iOS, & Windows | OBDLink(R) | OBD Solutions
And torque light applications.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
OBDLink(R) - OBD-II Diagnostic Scan Tools for Android, iOS, & Windows | OBDLink(R) | OBD Solutions
And torque light applications.
Sent from my SM-J337V using Tapatalk
The Cold War Kid
New member
I was at a garage where the guy pressed a few buttons and his scanner displayed a "graph" of both o2 sensors performing. He instantly knew the front one was ok and the rear was not.
Some scanners seem to be able to reset odometers and program key fobs.
What will your Torque pro app do? Did you choose it based on the number of things it can do? Can you get a readout of the oil pressure? Talk to me...
Interesting - "THE WORLD OF SCAN TOOLS" - sounds like a sci-fi movie!
torque pro will answer most questions on codes. I use it most of the time now, even though I have an older code reader, since my torque pro and reader are plugged in all the time , its just easier to use it. Plus with the torque pro you have all those extra gauges when driving. Mine is set for volts, temps ( trans and engine) . You can have more gauges, I just use those 3 and big enough to read. Then swipe to another screen where gauges are smaller and I have a bigger variety.
mtbtim
Elite Member
Torque Pro is limited on what it can provide you but it is a great tool to have. When you're setting up Torque Pro on your phone, you can select things you want to monitor. The things that are available to monitor will be highlighted in green. If they aren't available, they are black. For O2 monitoring, the only thing I can see with torque pro is the voltage and maybe that's what the graph display was showing when the mechanic was using his scanner. You can't monitor oil pressure with it.
If you have an Android phone, you should try it out. It's much more affordable than getting a scan gauge. The app is only around $5. I use it mostly to have an accurate reading of my coolant temp, trans temp, charging volts, and to read and clear CELs. For some reason, the app doesn't show an accurate volt reading though. It it's showing 13.2 volts, I'm really at 14.2 volts. I determined this by comparing the values with a multimeter connected to my battery compared to what the app was displaying. So, I just add 1 volt to what I'm seeing.
If you're interested in buying an OBDII reader that works with Android devices, here's what I got: https://amzn.to/2S2ygi5
And, if you go the Bluetooth reader route, buy this as well. It allows you to turn off the power to your reader so you don't have to pull it out every time. The reader constantly draws a small amount of power and could drain your battery if your truck sits for a long time.
https://amzn.to/2WADssd
For your information and anyone else reading this post, 1996-1998 3rd Gens don't offer trans temp info via the OBD II port. If you want to monitor your trans temp, you'll have to install an aftermarket gauge: YouTube
If you have a 1999-2002, you can monitor your trans temp - select "Transmission Temp (Method 2)
The tool the mechanic was using was probably a much more expensive scanner possibly made by Snap-on or Matco. These scanners can get up into the thousands to purchase.
19963.4lsr5
New member
I use Dash Command on my iPhone with a Carista Bluetooth adapter.
I use Torque Pro on my LG Tablet
I have a ScanGauge installed in my Saturn and 4Runner
I have a used Mac Mentor scanner updated to 2008
I have an innova scanner that is usually my first hand held. The Mac is the biggest guns I got and not much is there for the 96 to 98 model years.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I use Torque Pro on my LG Tablet
I have a ScanGauge installed in my Saturn and 4Runner
I have a used Mac Mentor scanner updated to 2008
I have an innova scanner that is usually my first hand held. The Mac is the biggest guns I got and not much is there for the 96 to 98 model years.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
