Getting the Most Out of a Scan Tool?

ember1205 · December 6, 2023

I have been using it mostly with TrackAddict on my phone but I also have inCarDoc and Torque (Lite). TrackAddict is the app I've used the most as it seems to give me access the most easily to the largest chunk of data.

I ran into an issue with my wife's car this week and the tool/apps fell kind of flat in terms of data for me and I'm wondering if the limitations are from the tool, the apps, or both.

Specifically, I was looking for access to things like the oil pressure readings (her car has multiple pressure switches, one of which had failed - I figured that part out from the DTC, but was interested in seeing what the reported pressures were after replacement) and none of the apps seemed to show that sort of stuff. I'm now wondering if there's another app I should be considering for use with this tool or if a better scan tool is required for more data point access. It shares info via WiFi, so any app (laptop, phone) would need to support the use of WiFi-enabled scan tools.

Mshawn · December 8, 2023

This is the one I carry in my backpack. I have a snapon triton D10 that I own if I need to go further. For heavy duty off road and on road I own diesel laptop ( texa) and use a Bluetooth with my app from diesel laptop called diesel decoder.

Mshawn · December 8, 2023

I use car scanner app

silveradosid · December 8, 2023

i have blue driver and used it to monitor my truck to work yesterday, but it does not show oil pressure as a pid to monitor

TrueBlue · January 9

Do the ODB2 protocols/standards change such that an older tool might not work in a newer vehicle? Tried hooking mine up to my truck today and got a "Link Error" each time.

ember1205 · January 9

51 minutes ago, TrueBlue said:

Do the ODB2 protocols/standards change such that an older tool might not work in a newer vehicle? Tried hooking mine up to my truck today and got a "Link Error" each time.

I believe that the general protocol should be the same across all OBD-II systems. It's possible that your scan device might need updating to correctly understand certain codes, but it should be able to at least connect. How old is the tool? Is it possible that it's damaged in some way?

TrueBlue · January 10

It's got to be close to 10 years old. I've never had an issue with it on any of the other cars I've connected it to. Just my truck. But, prior to this the only vehicles I used it on were very late 90's and very early 2000's. It is not an expensive model, likely made across the big water.

ember1205 · January 10

1 hour ago, TrueBlue said:

It's got to be close to 10 years old. I've never had an issue with it on any of the other cars I've connected it to. Just my truck. But, prior to this the only vehicles I used it on were very late 90's and very early 2000's. It is not an expensive model, likely made across the big water.

Could it be OBD-I? OBD-II wasn't introduced until 1996 and OBD-I was still present in vehicles up until 2006.

gemarsh · January 10

1 hour ago, ember1205 said:

Could it be OBD-I? OBD-II wasn't introduced until 1996 and OBD-I was still present in vehicles up until 2006.

OBD-1 won't fit OBD-2 and vise versa.

TrueBlue · January 10

No, it's definitely an OBD2 Tool

Now, because I've never before plugged it into any of my newer, push-button cars I'm not entirely sure I did it correctly. I plugged the tool in, waited for it to show me the Can display, pushed the start button without touching the brake, pressed enter on the tool, and then waited while it cycled through all the protocols shown in the booklet. After that it said Connection Error, or somesuch.

Edited January 10 by TrueBlue

GETGONE · January 10

When vehicles went to CANBUS communication, the older tools won't read CAN data. The ELM style adapter the original poster showed was known to have issues when it first came out ages ago. It was a knock off of a good working product with corners cut. I can't remember what my current Bluetooth OBDII brand is. I have the older ELM knockoff as well somewhere. I'm considering a TOPDON Bluetooth adapter as it is a bi-directional unit and is only about $60.