Got burned by a Chinese ELM327 OBD2 bluetooth adapter...

[333arod333]

So I only bought the cheap one because I see many people have success with them. Of course with my luck this one was trash. It pairs with the phone just fine but the torque app won't recognize the adapter.

I can't justify spending $70-100 for the scantool lx or mx, just to be able to read IAT2's, boost, and voltage.

Anyone know if I can do something to make the one I have work? Software update/reflash or something? Or maybe someone knows a place that sells the cheap ones that work 100% of the time? I saw the BAFX ones that people say you have a better chance of not being garbage, but its still not a definite thing... and apparently the communication speed is not on par with the scantool mx. $100 for some gauges though? Idk, I can always just pop the hood and see if the IC pump is circulating, I know what my max boost is, and voltage isn't that big of a deal (no system or anything sucking up juice).

Any thoughts?

 

[Synyster06Gates]

I picked up one of these. Works great

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OMT6UEK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[b_dike]

As cheap as they are, why not just buy another? I know it's hit or miss, but the majority of them seem to work. Mine worked, my fathers work, and a friend has one that works... Just saying the chances of getting two bad ones are slim.

 

[333arod333]

Do you guys think the faster communication time of the scantool makes that much of a difference?

 

[bigmoose]

Do you guys think the faster communication time of the scantool makes that much of a difference?

It does if you plan to datalog. I have the MX and it works flawless. I went through three elm327 devices before I bought my MX.

 

[C0bra99]

ordered this and it works fine.
http://www.dx.com/p/elm327-obdii-bl...s-transceiver-dongle-blue-183801#.VRta_OH52Vo

 

[thomas91169]

ordered this and it works fine.
http://www.dx.com/p/elm327-obdii-bl...s-transceiver-dongle-blue-183801#.VRta_OH52Vo

Thats the same one as the OP's.

OP probably got a bad unit. Why not return/RMA it?

 

[o2k]

same thing was going on with mine... so I bought another reader.. and then it wouldn't work either... But I was using an unpaid version of torque.. I downloaded the free version of torque.. and they both worked..

 

[333arod333]

I did return it and got a refund for the torque app since I couldn't use it. I'm not confident that I'll get a good unit out of these cheap Chinese replicas. It seems as though the bafx could be OK but there are many reviews about issues with Ford. The one in the link above also has chances of not working. Idk what to do at this point really. I'd love to be somewhere buying it where I can try it out.

 

[black4vcobra]

I bought 2 of these last year and they both work - http://www.ebay.com/itm/V1-5-Mini-B...212?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d18bd654c

Only issue is that my phone gets confused between the 2 since they have the same device name and I have to unpair one reader if I want to pair with the other. No big deal though.

 

[sunburned]

I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products...27902024&sr=1-9&keywords=auto+bluetooth+obdii

Worked fine for years now. Only issue is it's kinda big.

 

[thomas91169]

I did return it and got a refund for the torque app since I couldn't use it. I'm not confident that I'll get a good unit out of these cheap Chinese replicas. It seems as though the bafx could be OK but there are many reviews about issues with Ford. The one in the link above also has chances of not working. Idk what to do at this point really. I'd love to be somewhere buying it where I can try it out.

who cares, have them keep sending them to you until one works.

the chances the second one will suck too is astounding.

 

[RockStarKick]

Any of these work with IOS ?