Pavel Jelic It has been some time since we published the first part of the series on our magazine Self-diagnosis for iPhone. In the pilot episode, we talked together more about the types of car diagnostics and looked at the OBD2 port, which is the alpha and omega for vehicle diagnostics - it is used for connection. Through the mentioned article, you could also purchase the right diagnostics exactly for your device. So we have the introductory information behind us, and in this article we will look together at how you can connect an iPhone (or Android) to the diagnostics, and how to get the diagnostics to communicate with the selected application on the smartphone. Let's get straight to the point.
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In order to connect self-diagnostics to your vehicle, you only need a device and an application that can communicate with it. In the previous part, you already learned that you can only use Wi-Fi diagnostics within iOS. Diagnostics with Bluetooth support only works on Android, that is, if we are only talking about mobile devices. You can also use Bluetooth diagnostics, for example, with a computer that has Bluetooth, in addition, there are also wired diagnostics that are designed for stable data transmission and are generally used for more complex operations. In our series, we will focus only on basic and simple diagnostics, both for safety reasons and because of the difficulty and limitations that arise when using wireless and cheap diagnostics.
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Connection of diagnostics with vehicle and telephone
If you own an iPhone and want to connect with diagnostics, it's definitely not complicated. First you need to move to the vehicle, then diagnostics connected to the OBD2 connector, which you must first find - the procedure is again in the previous article. After connecting the diagnostics, you must turn on the ignition – turn the key to the first position, for keyless starting just press the start button (without clutch). Remember to ideally turn off the lights, radio, air conditioning and other components that could drain the battery. As soon as you turn on the ignition, a red LED will light up on the diagnostic, indicating that it is successfully connected to the vehicle and that it is possible to connect to it with a smartphone. Now the procedure differs depending on whether you have an iPhone or an Android device, i.e. Wi-Fi or Bluetooth diagnostics.
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Connection to iPhone (Wi-Fi)
If you need to connect the diagnostics to the iPhone, after connecting to the vehicle and turning on the ignition, go to Settings, where you click the box Wi-Fi access. Here, wait for the networks available nearby to load. Individual diagnostics can have different names, but most often the name of the Wi-Fi network contains OBD2 or OBDII. After that, it's enough for this network tap and wait as soon as the connection is made. It should then appear on the iPhone that you are successfully connected to Wi-Fi, then the green diode should flash on the diagnostics - but it also depends on the selected diagnostics. The Wi-Fi network should not be locked with a password, but if it is, I recommend looking in the manual - the password will definitely be there.
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Connecting to Android (Bluetooth)
If you are one of the owners of a device with the Android operating system, the procedure is very similar. Even in this case, after connecting diagnostics and turning on the ignition, move to the native application Settings, however, where you open the box Bluetooth. Once you do so, a new device should appear in the list of new devices, again with the name OBD2 or OBDII. On this device click and wait for the connection to take place. If the input window appears pairing code, so try entering 0000 or 1234. If neither code is correct, look again in the manual, where it will certainly be written. After a successful connection, the diagnostics will appear at the top as the known device you are connected to. Even in this case, the green diode should flash on the diagnostics.
Selecting an application for communication
After successfully connecting the diagnostics to your smartphone, all you have to do is download the specific application that suits you from the App Store. Personally, I have been using the application for a long time Car Scanner ELM OBD2, which offers practically everything I've ever needed. Within the mentioned application, you can view the dashboard with your own information, there is also an option to display live data. For most of you, then, the function for displaying and possibly erasing diagnostic error codes (DTCs) is ideal - thanks to them, you can find out what the car doesn't like, or which part might be wrong. You can also use the function for recording live data while driving, and I mustn't forget the fact that the application is in Czech - we'll look at a larger analysis later. If you want to connect the application with diagnostics, just tap on at the bottom of the application Connect, and then allow access to local networks. If the application has a problem with the connection, then according to the attached instructions, grant the application permissions to connect to the local network.
You can download Car Scanner ELM OBD2 here
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There are countless applications available in the App Store that you can use to work with self-diagnostics. Note that each one is different - this means you may need to link the app to the diagnostics manually, most often in the app's settings. However, some applications may offer other functions, many of which are often paid for. Together, in the next part, we will look at the selection of the best applications that you can use for communication with diagnostics. As already mentioned, there are really many of them available - some are intended directly for data monitoring, which will be used mainly by car mechanics, while other applications can offer simple settings of certain functions in the vehicle directly for amateurs. Later, of course, we will also look at how to easily read and clear error codes step by step and explain other concepts.
You can buy the ELM327 Wi-Fi diagnostic for iOS here
You can buy ELM327 Bluetooth diagnostics for Android and more here
Hello Jablíčkár, these peripherals are good as an extension of the display in the event that you do not have, for example, a temperature indicator, but only a light, and you can prevent problems such as DPF not being regenerated by such an occasional check of the thermostat. By deleting the error log, you only complicate the diagnosis during a real service later.
Hello, I have elm and I would like to run wag DPF on my iPhone, I cannot find a suitable application to download, if possible there is something suitable in Czech, thank you