How to make a diagnostics of a car yourself through the phone

Director for itself: Choose devices for computer diagnostics

Recently, computer diagnostics were carried out only in dealerships with the involvement of expensive professional devices and specially trained personnel. And today, every motorist can buy quite affordable equipment for himself and independently monitor the health of the machine. There are devices with various functions on sale. You can choose the appropriate, that is, the corresponding user’s fitness and his requests.

Dealer diagnostic equipment (software and adapters) is not produced by the automakers themselves, but by specialized companies. In some cases, they supply their products to the market and even offer simpler and more budget solutions for ordinary consumers. However, the vast majority of amateur devices are various copies of dealer equipment: from cheap likes with very limited functionality to solid clones.

Smartphone or computer

For diagnosis, you can use a smartphone or computer. If the car is old, it will be possible to connect to it only using PC and a special wired adapter. In cars younger than 10-15 years (depending on the brand and manufacturer), diagnostics can be carried out using a smartphone or tablet connected through a wireless diagnostic module.

There are also special automobile scanners. These are universal devices with a built.In adapter. They support most data transmission standards from the diagnostic tire of the car. Such devices are a professional solution that is used in services and automobile.

For the basic diagnosis, a smartphone or computer will be enough, but if you decide to buy a professional kit. He has a simple integration, there is a Russian language, and it is also suitable for most brands of cars.

Hobdrive

Hobdrive combines an intellectual on.Board computer and diagnostic software. The application uses the ELM327 adapter and GPS sensors to obtain the desired information.

Hobdrive includes the indicators of the vehicle sensors, engine diagnostics, record travel, route planning and calculation of fuel consumption. The full version of Hobdrive, compared with the demo version, has several advantages: continuous tracking errors, tracking fuel consumption per hour, day or specified period of time. Available for Android and iPhone.

Incardoc

Incardoc shows all the parameters of the engine and the car in real time: speed, rotation angle, temperature, pressure and other sensors.

This application allows you to draw graphs with the information received in real time. If desired, you can delete or save errors and all related data. It is possible to send reports to e.Mail.

But there are several problems that users complain about. This is an unstable connection with cheap adapters and problems with connecting via Bluetooth. Available for Android and iPhone.

Dashcommand

Dashcommand can be set for free, but the time of using demo version is only 30 minutes, after which it will be proposed to buy the full version for 10. This program has more reporting indicators and there are various diagrams that are absent in Piston. That is why professional mechanics often use dashcommand.

After starting the application, it will be necessary to agree with the conditions of use, and then perform several steps to set up to receive more accurate information. Click on the “Car” button in the main menu to add information about the machine (year, brand, model and engine). As soon as this stage is completed, exit the menu and connect to the adapter by clicking on the connection icon in the middle of the screen.

If you have problems with the connection, disconnect the OBD-II adapter for a few seconds, and then repeat the attempt.

After connecting, you can view real.Time data on various diagrams almost without delay, by pressing the Dashboards button and choosing one of the options below. In other sections, you can access several other reports and functions, most of which are free during the trial period. Unfortunately, reading engine codes requires the purchase of the full version.

Although, some auto mechanics use a free version. They have enough of it. True, it is necessary to drop a software assessment period every 30 minutes. To do this, you need to go to the settings menu and find the “storage” item in the list. Then go to Dashcommand and, being inside the folder, click the “Clean data” button.

Hob Drive

The application is a triple service. An on.Board computer, a gasoline consumption analyzer and a diagnostic tool via OBD2/ELM327.

Available both paid and free version. The latter allows you to perform the current diagnosis of car errors, the first is constant tracking and operational notification, as well as the control of overheating and suspicious lags.

The on.Board computer fixes fuel consumption, performs power measurements. The program has a built.In travel planning option. Evaluating the time of driving on the remainder of the tank, recordings about gas stations, statistics of routes, calculation of expenses. The integration can be configured according to your preferences, there are many built.In topics.

Torque Pro

The most common application for an independent analysis of engine operation. Yes, Torque Pro specializes in the diagnosis of only car engine. However, this does not mean at all that you should not have it on the phone!

Convenient colorful integration, understandable designations make the use of very convenient.

• Determine and track fuel consumption;
• Provide information about loads;
• Display data on the number of revolutions;
• Locally diagnose the fuel system;
• Determine and analyze consumption.

The application still has a lot of functions, and it can become an excellent addition to the main diagnostic software for Android.

Movi/Movi Pro

The free version diagnoses most errors, but paid can eliminate them. A very simple integration and high accuracy of indicators are the undoubted advantages of the program. However, the price makes us think about the competitiveness of the project. First try free movi.

Diagnostics of cars on Android: Adapter choice

To begin with, in order to diagnose yourself, you need to purchase an adapter type OBD, OBD-2, EOBD. The choice of the adapter directly depends on the brand of your car. Up to 3000. Of course, it is better to purchase this adapter abroad. No need to go anywhere, in the age of modern technology this adapter can be purchased in an online store that will be delivered directly to your house. It is better to purchase several inexpensive adapters at once to choose what is better for your car. And finally you found the desired adapter, bought it, and you will use it to diagnose through Android. Now you need to find a connector for this adapter. In each hotel brand, it is in different places, mostly this place is under the steering wheel. As soon as you attach the adapter, a sound or LED signal should be made. It signals that the adapter is working and works correctly.

Step two: install the necessary applications on a smartphone or on a tablet

There are a number of applications that can track data from the car using “OBD”. Unfortunately, we cannot describe here a complete list of such existing programs in connection with their huge variety. We offer our readers several such programs that, in our opinion, are today the most useful and quite interesting.

“Dash” stands out from many programs and is considered the most useful, since it is not only a well.Thought.Out application, but it is also compatible with a large number of supported types and models of adapters. At the moment, this program is available for smartphones and tablets that operate on the “Android” system. But apple users can subscribe to the beta version of the program for the IOS system. According to preliminary data, this program will be available for downloading on iOS by the end of this year.

Disadvantages:

“Automatic” (99, Android / iOS).

If you do not want to independently use the analysis of many received data from the car and are ready to spend 100, then the Automatic application will be an excellent solution for you, which itself will process the data obtained from the “OBD” diagnostic connector.

At the first opening of this application, the program itself will help you at each stage in the process of its installation. Further, the program independently begins to track how you drive a car. And if you do something wrong, then she will immediately give a sound signal. This application has really not so many settings. To our regret, the developers were probably too lazy to make a program that would accept data from a car in real time (which would probably be good when you are directly driving). This program is sold with the adapter.

Disadvantages:

“Torque” (free / 4.95 Pro, Android).

The Torque application, which means “torque” in Russian refers to professional diagnostic programs. This application provides you with the opportunity to learn about the operation of the engine of the car quite a lot of different information. Another thing is curious that these free and paid versions have different intenses (naturally paid version looks better). Nevertheless, the free version is quite functional.

Advantages:

Using this program, you can find out full information about how the engine works.

With this program, you can use the ESUD blocks “YANYANAR 7.2/7.2 “,” Bosch 1.5.4″.

The program does not have branded adapters. In this regard, a large amount of energy can be required both from the car and from the phone.