OBD2 heads up

[D5meister]

I wanted to have a go at the Torque app etc.

Got a cheap ELM327 mini from COLOURLEMONS(Jessie) on the bay.

It Pairs but wont see the ECU. So - some elm 327 units out there dont work. Some do.

A lot of the Blue see thru units look the same, but are all subtly different.

Almost none contain an ELM327 device!!!!!!!!

My one is cleverly built with a BT chip and a microchip 2515 Can bus IC and an NXP 1040 CAN tranceiver - so, as eric morecome said, all the right notes are there. Something is screwing it all when the Torque app rotates thru the Protocols, it never finds the one for the 2003 D5 (which Im ashamed to say I dont know what it is)

The unit although there are 16 pins on the user viewable side, in the unit pin 1,2,3,9,10,11,12,13 are cut off.

This leaves

pin 16 12V power in, OK
pin 4,5 Signal and Chassis ground which are bonded together, OK.

pin 6 CAN J-2234 HI - OK
pin 14 CAN j-2234 LO - OK

pin 7 ISO 9141 2 - k line OK

pin 15 ISO 9141 2 - LOW - Not Soldered - but no metal to solder to around the hole?

Any CAN - bus legends give me a help.

Oh, the pcb has printed on it S2015-1 just visible thru the retain tag moulding recess

[Georgeandkira]

You know your hardware. I do appreciate any board work anyone does. I've done but a small bit myself.

A good thing to remember is that these Torque app units are cheap garbage. THAT'S OK because lots of electronics are cheap garbage and do their jobs until they fail-think cars!

The QC of these plug-ins is so questionable that many eschew them completely.
The claim is that they can (read "will") damage your car.

Anyone is better off with a higher level unit. Kira

[cheshired5]

I cut a slot out of the OBD2 flap so the dongle is plugged in permanently.
If it will break my car, someone needs to hurry it along because it's been there, problem free for nearly 2 years now.

[D5meister]

Hi chesh, any chance u cud take a pic of yours and post.

The current rash from china on the bay and amazon are 'based' on V2.1 of the current real ELM327 code - but it is code written in the far east to mimic the real release from ELM.

The one you have, Im guessing is Ver 1.x code which is the 'actual code' ripped from the early ELM devices (as the code wasnt lock protected in the units) and it was put into clones in china factoly.

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by D5meister

Hi chesh, any chance u cud take a pic of yours and post.

The current rash from china on the bay and amazon are 'based' on V2.1 of the current real ELM327 code - but it is code written in the far east to mimic the real release from ELM.

The one you have, Im guessing is Ver 1.x code which is the 'actual code' ripped from the early ELM devices (as the code wasnt lock protected in the units) and it was put into clones in china factoly.

I have 2 mini ELM327 Ver 1.5 from this SELLER who now only appears to sell 2.1 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252169251982

Mine looks identical cosmetically to the listing.

I've also used this seller though it's unclear which version they're now selling.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-WiFi-...4AAOSw3xJVYsq2

[oragex]

I also have a 2.1 here and impressed with it. Not the best to show codes or at least it says I have none, but it will give plenty of information with the free Torque.

The difficulty with these gadgets is to get them connected with the phone/tablet. Sometimes the way you disconnect it is important so as to be able to reconnect it the next time. Need to joggle with deleting/reinstalling the ELM on the bluetooth list and turning the bluetooth on and off. Also to connect it takes a few moments maybe about 30 seconds, which is a bit confusing.

[wisc]

Originally Posted by Georgeandkira

You know your hardware. I do appreciate any board work anyone does. I've done but a small bit myself.

A good thing to remember is that these Torque app units are cheap garbage. THAT'S OK because lots of electronics are cheap garbage and do their jobs until they fail-think cars!

The QC of these plug-ins is so questionable that many eschew them completely.
The claim is that they can (read "will") damage your car.

Anyone is better off with a higher level unit. Kira

After trying a supposed ELM327 unit & Torque software & then reading a fair bit on-line, I am in agreement with Kira on this......if I do decide to get a reader, it will be a good hardware and software combo

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by wisc

After trying a supposed ELM327 unit & Torque software & then reading a fair bit on-line, I am in agreement with Kira on this......if I do decide to get a reader, it will be a good hardware and software combo

Unless you pay big bucks, a lot of readers are snide copies anyway.
There's nothing wrong with the cheap dongles. You just have to buy the right one, much like the Dice units knocking around.
From what I've seen, hardly anyone on here uses official, approved, genuine, licensed readers.

[D5meister]

The one I got off the bay does blutooth Pair ok to the Tablet a samsung galaxy tab 4 with kit kat.

The Torque app cant decode any of the data and cyxles thru the protocals looking for a match and never comes out of the search.

Jessie on the bay is sending another - will it fly, its 50/50 maybe this variant is actually good and I got a poorly made one.

there are warnings / reviews about poo quality ones.. maybe 80% of them are perfect?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/ELM327-min...9829308/g.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Version-Blue...7+torque&psc=1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revi...l&pageNumber=1

[wisc]

Originally Posted by cheshired5

Unless you pay big bucks, a lot of readers are snide copies anyway.
There's nothing wrong with the cheap dongles. You just have to buy the right one, much like the Dice units knocking around.
From what I've seen, hardly anyone on here uses official, approved, genuine, licensed readers.

I am thinking of getting one of these:

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showpo...11&postcount=4