OBD II Scanner

fwiw I have a kiwi 2 that works for me and does data logging... also have a standard plug in model that is super easy and simple.

 

I bought a simple ELM327-based wifi (NOT Bluetooth) dongle from eBay for £15 (something like this: WiFi WLAN ELM327 OBD2 Car Code Scanner for iPhone iPod iPad diagnostic scan tool | eBay ) and it works fine on my 360 with DashCommand on iPad or iPhone 4S.

 

Two types of code generic & manufacturer specific - former have 0 as first number - latter have 1 - these cheap things only do generic - several thousand bucks for '1' readers

 

^^^ sorry mate but this is another myth. Cheap readers amd the iphone apps all read the manufacturer specific codes its just they will tell you the code rather than the code and a description as well. All you then need is the pdf file of what the ferrari codes relate to (also saved on my phone) so you can covert a P1149 code into what it actually means. I.e throttle pedal position for example.

 

Alan just do it. It's not a biggie. There are generic codes that are shared between all cars and then there are Ferrari specific manufacturers codes. Download the sheet and you'll be good to go.

 

says it wont work with iPhone 5, so what else is recommended. I "lost" my ODBII scanner a few weeks ago to daughter's boyfriend who needs a scanner much more then me. I thought it would be cool to hook up to my iPhone. I did get the car checked out a few weeks ago with a proper SD2, no stored codes, no issues. But I like to keep track of my smog monitors because I worry about that

 

Update on this - as voicey had correctly predicted, the arrangement above seems to connect to only ONE of the two ECUs in the 360. In the past I have used it to read and clear a misfire code on cylinder 1 (I think), and it was able to clear the check engine light as well. However last week I had the check engine light come on after a very cold start-up. I connected the reader and it said multiple misfires (P0300) together with a cylinder-specific misfire (I think it was cylinder 3). I cleared the error with the reader but this time the check engine light stayed on - I suspect the second ECU for cylinders 5-8 has another misfire code stored and I can't read it or clear it with this reader. Any suggestions appreciated on how to connect to it are appreciated. For the record I'll change all the spark plugs shortly so that should take care of the occasional misfire-on-cold-startup problem, but I'd still like to know if it's possible to connect to the second ECU with a cheap reader.

 

How do you make it read both ECUs?

 

one OBD reader I'd not recommend is a gadget called "Automatic", sold at many apple stores, that plugs into your OBD port and communicates with your iphone. It reads the codes just fine and will reset the CEL, but if you leave it in to monitor driving conditions, as recommended by the ap, it caused my 360 F1 to lock the transmission in first or second gear, not allowing me to shift, then stalls the engine when you brake to a stop. Resetting the electrical system got the car started again. It is highly reproducible. It stopped doing it as soon as I disconnect the gadget from the OBD port. I had a separate post about the problem about a week ago and no one had ever heard of anything like that happening before. Could be unique to my 360, but it's very dangerous.

Carl

 

^^ Probably the car just no liking the added load on the ecu and puts the car into limp mode to protect itself thinking something is wrong. Wouldn't worry about it much but yes limp mode can be terrifying in any car if you don't realise what the car is doing. Try another app such as dashcommand or rev and see if it reoccurs. Haven't heard of the app you used before but might be a cheap alternative that isn't as tested and approved as the others.

London: try reconnecting the odb, restarting the car or a full power reset. Usually mine just takes a min or so idling if the second ecu doesn't connect. You can see what ecu's are connected when looking at the readiness monitors. Under diagnostics. Will show ECU#1 and then ECU#2 when it wakes up. Thinking about it too, I think the Rev app is better at picking up the second ecu so try that if all else fails with Dashcommand.

 

I love the idea of getting a bluetooth OBD reader and leaving it permanently connected, constantly streaming cool data to my Android phone.

But isn't it a bit dangerous to leave a BT transceiver plugged into the main data bus of your car? Seems like a sophisticated hacker could wander through parking lots with a BT scanner and find cars that have the common models of BT-OBD bridge, and then maybe do anything from unlocking the doors to making malicious modifications that destroy your engine.

Seems like it could be life and death while driving.

 

I tried this and various other things but I couldn't get DashCommand to see the other ECU. I tried RevLite but scanning the error codes is only supported in the Pro version and to be honest the interface didn't inspire great confidence in me so I didn't buy it. However, I did find a very simple (and free!) iPhone app that works very well, lets you select which ECU to connect to, reads freeze frame data (only in the Pro upgrade, £10.99), etc. - it's called EOBD Facile, I recommend it:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eobd-facile-car-diagnostic/id713921569?mt=8

Of course I have no affiliations with the developers, etc.