Phantom Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 My son is moving out and taking his OBD II scanner with him so it's finally time to get my own. My issue is that there are som many options it's not clear which way to go. Here are my general guidelines: 1) I really don't want to spend more than $100 but want to be able to get as much diagnostic information as possible in addition to the "code". 2) Do I go with a standard style hand-held unit or one that is bluetooth compatible with my smart phone? What should I get and why? Pro's & con's either way? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1969honda Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 I really like my BAFX bluetooth reader, paired with the paid version of the Torque app it does a really good job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted August 29, 2016 Author Share Posted August 29, 2016 I've been reading a lot of reviews about them. Lot's of good stuff about the Bluetooth units but one site did bring up connectivity issues and lost data if the smart phone goes into "sleep" mode. Have you experienced any of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1969honda Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 I've had a few times it hasn't wanted to connect, just unplugged the adapter and tried again. No problems with sleep mode though. App does like to stay running in the background though, usually have to exit the at and then check to make sure it actually closed. They are alot of forums for extra PIDS and dealer only functions that you can program in. I mostly use mine for watching sensors on Powerstrokes and diagnosing problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1969honda Posted August 30, 2016 Share Posted August 30, 2016 Best part is you can load the app to an Android tablet and have a large amount of data right at your finger tips on one screen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhm Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 This one seems popular: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WPW6BAE/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1472777344&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=obd+ii+scanner&dpPl=1&dpID=41cD405-HGL&ref=plSrch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 One of my issues is that a unit that connects via WiFi is not usable where I live. It needs to be a standard handheld or connect via Bluetooth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calZ Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 Normally accessories like this that connect via wifi have their own network. Many action cameras sync with phones via wifi, and you can do that anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 Good to know. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted September 3, 2016 Author Share Posted September 3, 2016 Going through the zillions of offerings on Amazon I think I'll try the Veepack. It has a high consumer rating, over 1k reviews, and is compatible with my IOS devices. The BAFX is as good but not compatible with IOS at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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