Yeah my truck has obd1, you check the engine codes by sticking a paper clip in the eec iv connector and seeing how many times the check engine light blinks then go look up what the code means. It's great.
try "1320 electronics" device.... works on my OBD1 99' VT Commodore... Using "ALDLdroid" as the connecting app on the phone...... the app is a little glitchy, but better than no data at all.
OBD2 readers should be standard equipment with new cars. Maybe pair with the dashboard displays or fancy infotainment systems. Either way no reason you should not own one for your own use.
Andrew Delashaw all cars since 1996 (in the USA) are federally required to have an obd2 port for diagnostics. Just buy a reader like this one for $70 and done deal for any car you own.
@@FSXflyermaster OBDII is not a new thing dude most cars from the late 90's have it this is a 20 year old design of diagnostic wow :D where have you been all this time
I made something like this in hardware class with a cell phone as IP camera, PyOBD to connect to Bluetooth and read the codes, then drawing on screen overlaying the video with Kivy. The code ran on Raspberry Pi and you could connect via WiFi with any laptop as the screen. I got an A.
@@wagonkit I don't think you need that specific camera - at least with the Garmin cycling software you don't. The sensors create a data file and then you use the Virb video software to sync up with your video to create the overlays. The video can be from any any camera, it doesn't have to be Garmin. And like he said, the Virb software is free.
The difference between OBDLink MX and other similar tools is mainly speed and protocols. This thing is almost instant, while cheap generic ODB scan tool will be like 10x-100x times slower and so there will be NOTICABLE delay in your Torque graphs. It also supports additional protocols and so you will see more car subsystems and error codes than with generic OBD scan tool. Worth it definitely, if that's what you want. I still highly recommend to try with $5 scanner first, which I did years ago.
Yep, I did the exact same before buying this one. Bought a cheaper one, sample rate was super slow and I couldn't graph what I wanted to with it. This made it significantly easier.
On my hybrid toyota, this obd readers are like opening my eyes. With hybrid monitor app, i can get battery info, health of the battery, efficiency of driving, brake efficiency, engines rpm( 3 engines...), all in nice graphs, and overlayed on a map. Super useful, and highly recommended for a hybrid car!
I briefly owned a MX+. Quality piece of hardware that does what it advertises, but it didn't support anything on my Benz or my Hyundai that a $10 no-name code reader doesn't, so it ended up being an over-priced performance monitor for vehicles which frankly do not need performance monitoring. Nice to see it being used with a more supported platform. Some cool applications there.
This tool is F’ing awesome!! I use it with ForScan software to diagnose a fleet of 7.3 Powerstrokes and the OBDLinkMX+ never disappoints. I also use it to force regens and reset DPF ash accumulation on a few 6.7 Powerstrokes I also wrench on. My only regret is not knowing about this tool when it was first released. I’m a little late to the party.
After a long trip in the Kingswood, all these birds would descend on my vehicle to eat all the squashed insects in my grill, geeze it was embarrasing. I now push a wire insect screen in front of the radiator as it was expensive to re-core the radiator (when the temperature goes up)
Annnnnd I just dropped $400 on a VIRB and OBDLink. Thanks for spending my money. Should be fun on the Hot Rod Power Tour coming up next month when I make some laps at Bristol. Keep up the good work and cool vids.
I totally love your videos and trust your personal & professional opinion. I've been wanting one of these, but there are so many out there and some are cheap, some aren't and I wasn't sure what brand & price range was trustworthy. Since I trust you and this one has a great price and functionality, I bought one.
As an automotive tech, that is an amazing piece of useful technology for a very reasonable price. Oil temp is a hard parameter to find on basic scanners and for $80, thats awesome!
I’ll probably pick one of these up. My vehicle has instant read “eco level” and instant read fuel economy, but I want to find the most efficient way to accelerate with its V6. A graph with actual fuel consumption rate would finally provide the exact answers I’m looking for. Thanks, Jason.
3:47 - *NOTE* - you will only get a high sampling rate if your vehicle's ECU can support it. I use ScanTool/OBDLink products as well, and my 2004 Forester can only output 1 - 3 refreshes per second, whereas a newer vehicle can output 10+ refreshes per second. Just something to keep in mind, don't expect an older vehicle to pump out 100+ refreshes/sec from its ECU.
@@EngineeringExplained Indeed interesting. When you spit out a raw CSV log logging the basics, no smoothing on, you see better rates than 1 to 3 Hz? Maybe not just Honda's engines, but ECUs too, can wind up that fast? :D
You've whet my appetite for not only the OBD2 tool, but the Garmin camera as well. I have several GoPros, but the idea of integration of the data overlay and possibly even route map really appeals to the gizmo-lover in me. It would be great if you would consider doing a detailed 'how-to' for creating those videos.
I went looking for a reasonably priced OBD tool some years ago. I found the internet flooded with devices like this that only cost $10 to $20. I ended up buying quite a few and found them all to be completely useless based on the smartphone software not working (at all). I couldn't understand why someone could go after this market with a $100 solution and spend the extra profit ensuring that the software actually worked. In frustration I ended up spending several hundred dollars buying an OBD tool with a built in user interface on the basis that at least I had some degree of confidence that the product should work. This solution looks to be exactly what I went looking for - I wish I could of found this product earlier.
Torque (an app) has been around for ages and is\was quite good, it worked with any number of bluetooth obd2 readers just fine. It doesn't work with ALL of the cheap chinese knockoffs, but the two i've owned worked fine.
Oh hey I have this one. I went through 3 or 4 OBD scanners and did some digging into how they're made. A lot of the cheap ones use counterfeit knockoffs of an old protocol chip. OBDLink and its competitors can get more PIDs/second by finding bottlenecks and eliminating them (this requires not using the older protocol chips and not anyone can properly design a protocol chip). Unfortunately even the MX+ only gets about 30 PIDs/second on an iPhone 6S plus, but the device and the app are amazing. If you spend a few hours on the dashboard you can put together some good stuff. I made one page a mimic of my GTI's dashboard. I also like the csv logging and dropbox support a lot. It's now trivial to build up a data set that can later be analyzed to see how the car runs over a long periods of time.
Just got a new car (hint: VIN 1G1YY2D...) and I have been looking for which OBD2 scanner to get. I just figured out which one to get! Thanks for all your to the point videos. I've learned a lot and will keep watching.
Garmin should probably pay you too, that Virb looks pretty cool, I didn't even know something like that was around. I love your videos Jason, keep up the great work!
Bought one last week after seeing your Instagram post about it. The device is impressive and I'm really excited to use it to analyze how cars work, record some videos, etc. Their app however could be improved a bit. It took me a few tries to set up logging of the parameters I actually cared about. Their visualization tool doesn't allow anything non-trivial. The firmware update procedure bricked my first obd dongle, so I ended up ordering another one...
I have 4 different OBD tools: VAG-COM to program Subaru ECUs, 2 bluetooth scanner including a OBDLink MX, and a Subaru SSM3 and SSM4. I use them religiously.
The LX version is $50 and it says this about it vs the MX+. What is the MS-CAN and SW-CAN info? Other then that it offers everything else. Consider purchasing MX if you need access to the proprietary Ford & GM vehicle networks (MS-CAN and SW-CAN) in addition to the standard OBD-II protocols. The MX+ only is needed if you have a GM or Ford and want the MSCAN and SWCAN info.
This is a great tip. Although my car is not listed, it would probably be supported. But now that Jason mentioned it I just had to take a look on aliexpress and the most popular OBD scanner costs less than 9 bucks with shipping and people say good things about it in the feedback section so I'm getting that one instead.
Jason, at your suggestion, I bought one of these. Now I'd like to see you make a video that describes some of the OBDII stuff in more detail. I have a 2019 Subaru Outback and I'd like to know how to create custom PIDs (what's a PID?) to access more than the default OBDII spec defines. I retired from mechanic-ing around 1994, before OBDII and I find you to be a good teacher. I could not find a comprehensive manual for the device, only a user forum. I like to read a manual. Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with it. It has nice logging capabilities. It would be nice if it worked with android auto so I could display the gauges on my large console display.
Have been using a bargain bin bluetooth scanner myself. Have been considering ordering the ODBLink you showed. Even the bargain bin ones are fantastic and a big step up from traditional ODB scanners. But on the cheaper end you'll find weird quirks and inconsistent ability to read certain components. For example my knockoff scanner wont connect to PCM unless the PCM has a trouble code stored and refuses to connect to anything in a Chrysler unless the engine is turned off or stalled out. If all ya want is extra gauges that's fine but if your solving more than than common failures a better scan tool is needed.
I got my mx+ 2 days ago and I love it! Quick question, I’m trying to do the camera overlay with my GoPro Hero7 and I can’t seem to sync it up. Is it possible to do it with a gopro?
Great video Jason! Makes me want one! But I already have the Blue Driver scanner that you've also recommended. Do you have a preference between the MX+ and the Blue Driver? Could you do a video comparing the two? The Blue Driver doesn't show me everything you're showing from the MX+, but I'm not sure if that's due to the scan tool/app, or because I have a 2001 Tacoma that doesn't scan that much information.
Replace it with the beast Ford Ranger and you're good to go. I've ordered BlueDriver based on all positive reviews, OBDLink MX+ is more expensive (20-40 bucks), so it's reasonable to show more data.
I would go as far as saying not only does everyone need a cheap basic OBD2 scanner but also a manufacturer specific/programmed cheap one for $200 approx. Some modern cars can go into limp home mode for something as basic as a brake light switch that literally a 5 year old could replace and yet without a scanner you would never know what is wrong. Imagine paying for a $300 tow to a shop only to find out its a $15 part and 1 min of time to install but cause they charge an hourly rate of $150 the entire thing cost you $465... My scanner has saved me around $4000 in non required labour/parts in around 4 years and cost me $180.
If I had a experience like that I would be looking at a different brand of car in the future. A brake light switch should not be tripping limp mode. Limp mode should only be used to protect the engine\transmission or some significant safety hazard (if a car could tell it's pads were dangerously low, that would be a acceptable reason)
On the OBDLink website, for the MX+ it says if you don't need Ford/GM, check out the LX. And the LX does not support iOS devices! For iOS users it looks like the choice is between the MX+ and the WiFi. For either of these, what happens if you are on a road trip using the scan tool and 1) a phone call comes in or 2) you want to play audio from your smartphone? If you want to use your Bluetooth for phone calls and/or want to play audio through any interface, which of the MX+ and WiFi is preferable?
The MX2 OBD2 driver is probably the best one for what the author is doing, screen overlays of guages for videos. For anyone wanting to FIX or diagnose vehicles, the Bluedriver obd2 is better because somehow, the purchase price includes a direct link to the Intellifix database which automatically pulls all the recalls and tech service bulletins out for your specific vehicle. It also looks at fault codes and gives a list of the mfg recommended servicing solutions for the fault code. This is free for as many VINs as you want, for the life of the Bluedriver, this is what shops up until now pay a monthly subscription for. Bluedriver also can lookup enhanced oem-specific fault codes like ABS, crash sensors, lane keep radar, and airbag faults for virtually all US market vehicles including BMW, Mercedes and Audi. For vehicle service techs, theres notjing close to to price of bluedriver with the free subscription as of now bluedriver
John Filmore you sold me right here, thanksgiving. I do like the fact that the MX allows video over lay and all those live gauges feature, but I realized they don’t offer much OEM parameters for German made vehicles which to be honest it’s easier I get the Bluedriver and be able to get detail scans and just pick up a cheap OBD2 for video over lay in the future. Thanks
I have been using this device on my bmw E92 ever since I got the car. It really is nice to see what is going on in the car, see error codes, and even clear them if they needed repair or were just faulty. Its a real nice tool to have :D Also, thanks for showing the performance thing I didn't even know it did that haha, should def try it sometime!
I have a cheap ODB2 scanner connection to Torque in an ATOTO head unit. I've been happy with it, but I wonder if there is more data to be gleaned. To be honest, you can't watch the little screen while you drive, so I've really only used it to pull codes and fix things. But spinny dials on your dashboard are the best! 2001 Porsche Boxster S.
@UCL92_761znRpwjDx5mhiQMA I'm not familiar with this space. Thank you for the feedback. I did a few minutes of research and can't find what you are referring to. I get that Torque Pro is the software and the ELM327 is the OBD device? It looks like it's not as user friendly. Maybe it's easy to setup though. My fear is that unless it's _really_ easy, my dad wouldn't be able to use it. I'm going to continue researching, but based on Q&As and customer reviews, I'm happy with the offering.
What I like to know is if I can clear fault codes for Outback 2.4 turbo petrol with this thing as that is what is important for me right now. Your reply would be highly appreciated, Jason.
I know this is an older video.....the Garmin Virb connection is interesting. You show the camera connecting to the OBD directly.....is the recording of the car's data a function that is native to the camera????? Mike
They don't work on Tesla's; when the ecoboost 2JZ hits vtec, there is a 1.21GW surge that would fry not only the scanner, but the user as well; it won't kill you, but you will taste plaid for the next 6 months.
What are the odds? I just cancelled my order last night for Fixd obd2 scanner. Decided to hold out and research more.. This one's $20 more than Fixd if $80 is correct?... Then we also have blue driver to consider.... Decisions..... Thanks for the information, this is definitely higher on my list now.
I just started learning to become a mechanic and I feel like this would be a cost affective tool to buy and keep in my garage , thanks for your thoughts
WOW, Great video; extremely informative. Thanks for making it. I especially like the parts where you're showing us how you've been doing your video graphics and performance overlays. I always kind of wondered exactly how you were doing them and I usually assumed you were adding them in post production.
Hey Jason, I have a serious question... while you did an awesome job reviewing the OBD Link MX+ scanner, would you please do a review with the Lemur Bluedriver scanner and compare both? The ups and downs of both and which one would you recommend at the end?
For the fuel remaining gauge, can it read to 0.1 gal remaining; or distance to empty read to 1 mile remaining. I am running low on fuel and the car digital gauge can no longer provide a reading but display as "---" once the remaining mileage drop below 25 miles; will OBD2 still able to accurately tell if I still have x miles before my car goes dead?
Got it today and the update speed is painfully slow on my 13 Acura RDX. Not seeing the 100 samples per second. It tends to update one gauge several times for .25 seconds than hangs for about .75 seconds then repeats. The gauges that do no use obdII data does update quickly however that data I want to see like rpm, fuel trim etc does not.
I have the OBD Link MX+ and it's power light stays on after my car is off although it says it wont drain battery if left in. Anyone know why it stays on?
I have a dirt cheap unit from Amazon that cost me like $15. It's not the greatest unit by any means, but it does the job. I mostly use it for trouble codes, but the engine parameters and such can be useful.
Yep, there are cheaper ones, they just don’t have quite as much functionality or features. Also many of the cheaper ones will drain your battery while they’re plugged in. This will go into sleep mode to try to prevent that.
I have a random Bluetooth obd2 scanner on my 96. Latency is around 800ms when I have a few guages setup. Would upgrading to this unit solve that problem? Or is it a Bluetooth bandwidth issue or ecu CPU limitation?
I dont know if you have used Torque Pro app but if you have is this better or the same. I know you can Record video in 4k with the gauges showing on it right from your phone (if your phone records in 4k) with out having to use other software like you did with this app. I have a 2000 passat wagon and use Torque Pro app because it shows all the stuff you talked about in this videos and more so i just wanted to know if you have used it to see how you feel about it and if I should give this one a try. Thank you for your time and hard work on making awesome videos for us. Keep them coming.
I have one a 2018 Crosstrek with 6 speed manual, and using the same app, I recorded a 0-60 time of 8.5 seconds. I'm really surprised the 0-60 times are that different from the 1st gen 5 speeds to the 2nd gen 6 speeds.
One other reason to get one is if you buy used cars - you can do a preliminary check on a cars engine very quickly and if it checks out then maybe get a mechanic to give the rest of the car a once over before you buy, but if it fails here then you just saved yourself time and money.
I love the OBDLink! I use it when observing various data (mostly oil temps since my oil temp gauge has a broad gap between 190F - 270F). It's also super helpful for any sort of CEL codes that need to be read.
Yeah my truck has obd1, you check the engine codes by sticking a paper clip in the eec iv connector and seeing how many times the check engine light blinks then go look up what the code means. It's great.
Sounds like my C124 with the Blinky Box code reader >_>
Toyota T100 crew yeah! yeah!
@@AndrewBrowner The package he had said 2002+ Japan
@@jjack6896 what are you talking about??
try "1320 electronics" device.... works on my OBD1 99' VT Commodore... Using "ALDLdroid" as the connecting app on the phone...... the app is a little glitchy, but better than no data at all.
OBD2 readers should be standard equipment with new cars. Maybe pair with the dashboard displays or fancy infotainment systems. Either way no reason you should not own one for your own use.
Yeah, would be great if they just built the OBD features in with the infotainment system.
Andrew Delashaw all cars since 1996 (in the USA) are federally required to have an obd2 port for diagnostics. Just buy a reader like this one for $70 and done deal for any car you own.
@@FSXflyermaster OBDII is not a new thing dude most cars from the late 90's have it this is a 20 year old design of diagnostic wow :D where have you been all this time
Ege Ayvala that’s literally what I just said
I'm waiting for that obd3 to drop, its gonna be sick!
As it turns out flooring the S2000 is bad for its fuel economy.
We all learned today. 🙏
Yes, but it's Smiles Per Gallon is quite high.
Gotta make sure VTEC doesnt kick in, yo
Does the OBD show you how much Fun factor you have as you floor it?....😉😃
@@psychoticcherry6038 Until you have to replace all the seals and gaskets you blew. Cha-Ching.
Wow, I didn’t expect it to work with a camera. That’s impressive
I think it might just be THAT camera... not sure all cameras can connect with bluetooth
I made something like this in hardware class with a cell phone as IP camera, PyOBD to connect to Bluetooth and read the codes, then drawing on screen overlaying the video with Kivy. The code ran on Raspberry Pi and you could connect via WiFi with any laptop as the screen. I got an A.
@@wagonkit I don't think you need that specific camera - at least with the Garmin cycling software you don't. The sensors create a data file and then you use the Virb video software to sync up with your video to create the overlays. The video can be from any any camera, it doesn't have to be Garmin. And like he said, the Virb software is free.
@@Fungii001 wow... incredible
@@Fungii001 could u explain how to get the data file of camera in order to sync with video
The difference between OBDLink MX and other similar tools is mainly speed and protocols. This thing is almost instant, while cheap generic ODB scan tool will be like 10x-100x times slower and so there will be NOTICABLE delay in your Torque graphs. It also supports additional protocols and so you will see more car subsystems and error codes than with generic OBD scan tool. Worth it definitely, if that's what you want. I still highly recommend to try with $5 scanner first, which I did years ago.
Yep, I did the exact same before buying this one. Bought a cheaper one, sample rate was super slow and I couldn't graph what I wanted to with it. This made it significantly easier.
Do u know one that can read abs on honda/Acura
Too bad you didn't say "Available for $19.99" and include a set of free steak knives.
😂😂😂
Available for only 4 easy payments of $19.99!!! No steak knives for you!
Steak knives sold separately, watch for their stunning performance in a future video.
our operators are waiting for your call.
But wait there's more! order now to get a second one free! just pay the shipping and handling.
I've never had an OBD scan tool. Your video has SOLD me on this. Just ordered it. Love your vids, keep it up.
This is an "advertising" we'll never complain about.. It's extremely useful information, as all your videos, man.. Thanks!!
Just picked one up to make sure my car was ready for emissions. I had to remove the tune to get it tested. works great. now back to VTEC at 4350 rpm!
On my hybrid toyota, this obd readers are like opening my eyes. With hybrid monitor app, i can get battery info, health of the battery, efficiency of driving, brake efficiency, engines rpm( 3 engines...), all in nice graphs, and overlayed on a map. Super useful, and highly recommended for a hybrid car!
I briefly owned a MX+. Quality piece of hardware that does what it advertises, but it didn't support anything on my Benz or my Hyundai that a $10 no-name code reader doesn't, so it ended up being an over-priced performance monitor for vehicles which frankly do not need performance monitoring.
Nice to see it being used with a more supported platform. Some cool applications there.
I dont believe you about the hyundai
@@Iahusha777Iahuah is your disbelief informed by actual information or first-hand experience, or nah?
This tool is F’ing awesome!!
I use it with ForScan software to diagnose a fleet of 7.3 Powerstrokes and the OBDLinkMX+ never disappoints. I also use it to force regens and reset DPF ash accumulation on a few 6.7 Powerstrokes I also wrench on.
My only regret is not knowing about this tool when it was first released. I’m a little late to the party.
How is your engine bay so clean.
*It's like super duper clean*
Or cleaning like ChrisFix!
NothingXemnas Car Cleaning Guru >
he's only had it for three weeks? (After that, I lose interest :) )
NothingXemnas soapy wooder
After a long trip in the Kingswood, all these birds would descend on my vehicle to eat all the squashed insects in my grill, geeze it was embarrasing.
I now push a wire insect screen in front of the radiator as it was expensive to re-core the radiator (when the temperature goes up)
Annnnnd I just dropped $400 on a VIRB and OBDLink. Thanks for spending my money. Should be fun on the Hot Rod Power Tour coming up next month when I make some laps at Bristol. Keep up the good work and cool vids.
7:24 "the speed limit, obviously" I don't know what I expected.
Subtle haha. ;)
Your engine bay is so clean, I'm jealous. Some would say Super clean.
I totally love your videos and trust your personal & professional opinion. I've been wanting one of these, but there are so many out there and some are cheap, some aren't and I wasn't sure what brand & price range was trustworthy. Since I trust you and this one has a great price and functionality, I bought one.
As an automotive tech, that is an amazing piece of useful technology for a very reasonable price. Oil temp is a hard parameter to find on basic scanners and for $80, thats awesome!
I’ll probably pick one of these up. My vehicle has instant read “eco level” and instant read fuel economy, but I want to find the most efficient way to accelerate with its V6. A graph with actual fuel consumption rate would finally provide the exact answers I’m looking for. Thanks, Jason.
3:47 - *NOTE* - you will only get a high sampling rate if your vehicle's ECU can support it. I use ScanTool/OBDLink products as well, and my 2004 Forester can only output 1 - 3 refreshes per second, whereas a newer vehicle can output 10+ refreshes per second. Just something to keep in mind, don't expect an older vehicle to pump out 100+ refreshes/sec from its ECU.
Interesting, it doesn't seem to struggle with sample rate on my S2000, but I'm not sure if there's any interpolation going on.
@@EngineeringExplained Indeed interesting. When you spit out a raw CSV log logging the basics, no smoothing on, you see better rates than 1 to 3 Hz? Maybe not just Honda's engines, but ECUs too, can wind up that fast? :D
You've whet my appetite for not only the OBD2 tool, but the Garmin camera as well. I have several GoPros, but the idea of integration of the data overlay and possibly even route map really appeals to the gizmo-lover in me. It would be great if you would consider doing a detailed 'how-to' for creating those videos.
Garmin Virb Ultra is 400-500 USD, isn't it expensive ?
I use that on my Ram 2500 with Cummins 6.7 to monitor regeneration of DPF, love it. Love the video thanks.
I went looking for a reasonably priced OBD tool some years ago. I found the internet flooded with devices like this that only cost $10 to $20. I ended up buying quite a few and found them all to be completely useless based on the smartphone software not working (at all).
I couldn't understand why someone could go after this market with a $100 solution and spend the extra profit ensuring that the software actually worked.
In frustration I ended up spending several hundred dollars buying an OBD tool with a built in user interface on the basis that at least I had some degree of confidence that the product should work.
This solution looks to be exactly what I went looking for - I wish I could of found this product earlier.
Torque (an app) has been around for ages and is\was quite good, it worked with any number of bluetooth obd2 readers just fine. It doesn't work with ALL of the cheap chinese knockoffs, but the two i've owned worked fine.
Oh hey I have this one. I went through 3 or 4 OBD scanners and did some digging into how they're made. A lot of the cheap ones use counterfeit knockoffs of an old protocol chip. OBDLink and its competitors can get more PIDs/second by finding bottlenecks and eliminating them (this requires not using the older protocol chips and not anyone can properly design a protocol chip). Unfortunately even the MX+ only gets about 30 PIDs/second on an iPhone 6S plus, but the device and the app are amazing. If you spend a few hours on the dashboard you can put together some good stuff. I made one page a mimic of my GTI's dashboard. I also like the csv logging and dropbox support a lot. It's now trivial to build up a data set that can later be analyzed to see how the car runs over a long periods of time.
The Torque app is one of the first apps I ever paid for way back in the day. It looks a bit dated now, but it continues to work well.
Eric Ortiz :which obd2 device you are using??
Hahaha I love the "super clean" on the engine. I have this OBD2 sensor for my MINI
Just got a new car (hint: VIN 1G1YY2D...) and I have been looking for which OBD2 scanner to get. I just figured out which one to get! Thanks for all your to the point videos. I've learned a lot and will keep watching.
Garmin should probably pay you too, that Virb looks pretty cool, I didn't even know something like that was around.
I love your videos Jason, keep up the great work!
Bought one last week after seeing your Instagram post about it. The device is impressive and I'm really excited to use it to analyze how cars work, record some videos, etc.
Their app however could be improved a bit. It took me a few tries to set up logging of the parameters I actually cared about. Their visualization tool doesn't allow anything non-trivial. The firmware update procedure bricked my first obd dongle, so I ended up ordering another one...
I have 4 different OBD tools: VAG-COM to program Subaru ECUs, 2 bluetooth scanner including a OBDLink MX, and a Subaru SSM3 and SSM4. I use them religiously.
The LX version is $50 and it says this about it vs the MX+. What is the MS-CAN and SW-CAN info? Other then that it offers everything else.
Consider purchasing MX if you need access to the proprietary Ford & GM vehicle networks (MS-CAN and SW-CAN) in addition to the standard OBD-II protocols. The MX+ only is needed if you have a GM or Ford and want the MSCAN and SWCAN info.
I use a small tablet with Android torque pro + racing meter for torque pro. That's awesome setup.
Just wanted to say, watching this video convinced me to buy one. I tried to use your link however I am in Canada.
This is a great tip. Although my car is not listed, it would probably be supported. But now that Jason mentioned it I just had to take a look on aliexpress and the most popular OBD scanner costs less than 9 bucks with shipping and people say good things about it in the feedback section so I'm getting that one instead.
Jason, at your suggestion, I bought one of these. Now I'd like to see you make a video that describes some of the OBDII stuff in more detail. I have a 2019 Subaru Outback and I'd like to know how to create custom PIDs (what's a PID?) to access more than the default OBDII spec defines. I retired from mechanic-ing around 1994, before OBDII and I find you to be a good teacher. I could not find a comprehensive manual for the device, only a user forum. I like to read a manual.
Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with it. It has nice logging capabilities. It would be nice if it worked with android auto so I could display the gauges on my large console display.
Seriously useful device....One of those electronic items that seemingly delivers more than the sum of it's parts...
Have been using a bargain bin bluetooth scanner myself. Have been considering ordering the ODBLink you showed. Even the bargain bin ones are fantastic and a big step up from traditional ODB scanners. But on the cheaper end you'll find weird quirks and inconsistent ability to read certain components. For example my knockoff scanner wont connect to PCM unless the PCM has a trouble code stored and refuses to connect to anything in a Chrysler unless the engine is turned off or stalled out. If all ya want is extra gauges that's fine but if your solving more than than common failures a better scan tool is needed.
I got my mx+ 2 days ago and I love it! Quick question, I’m trying to do the camera overlay with my GoPro Hero7 and I can’t seem to sync it up. Is it possible to do it with a gopro?
Great video Jason! Makes me want one! But I already have the Blue Driver scanner that you've also recommended. Do you have a preference between the MX+ and the Blue Driver? Could you do a video comparing the two? The Blue Driver doesn't show me everything you're showing from the MX+, but I'm not sure if that's due to the scan tool/app, or because I have a 2001 Tacoma that doesn't scan that much information.
Replace it with the beast Ford Ranger and you're good to go. I've ordered BlueDriver based on all positive reviews, OBDLink MX+ is more expensive (20-40 bucks), so it's reasonable to show more data.
Jason, do you have a suggestion for one that reads secondary systems? ABS, SRS, etc?
I would go as far as saying not only does everyone need a cheap basic OBD2 scanner but also a manufacturer specific/programmed cheap one for $200 approx. Some modern cars can go into limp home mode for something as basic as a brake light switch that literally a 5 year old could replace and yet without a scanner you would never know what is wrong. Imagine paying for a $300 tow to a shop only to find out its a $15 part and 1 min of time to install but cause they charge an hourly rate of $150 the entire thing cost you $465... My scanner has saved me around $4000 in non required labour/parts in around 4 years and cost me $180.
If I had a experience like that I would be looking at a different brand of car in the future. A brake light switch should not be tripping limp mode. Limp mode should only be used to protect the engine\transmission or some significant safety hazard (if a car could tell it's pads were dangerously low, that would be a acceptable reason)
Hey Jason! Do you have an affiliate link for your Canadian friends? Thanks a bunch for the video, keep up the good work, your content is awesome!
On the OBDLink website, for the MX+ it says if you don't need Ford/GM, check out the LX. And the LX does not support iOS devices! For iOS users it looks like the choice is between the MX+ and the WiFi. For either of these, what happens if you are on a road trip using the scan tool and 1) a phone call comes in or 2) you want to play audio from your smartphone? If you want to use your Bluetooth for phone calls and/or want to play audio through any interface, which of the MX+ and WiFi is preferable?
The MX2 OBD2 driver is probably the best one for what the author is doing, screen overlays of guages for videos.
For anyone wanting to FIX or diagnose vehicles, the Bluedriver obd2 is better because somehow, the purchase price includes a direct link to the Intellifix database which automatically pulls all the recalls and tech service bulletins out for your specific vehicle.
It also looks at fault codes and gives a list of the mfg recommended servicing solutions for the fault code.
This is free for as many VINs as you want, for the life of the Bluedriver, this is what shops up until now pay a monthly subscription for.
Bluedriver also can lookup enhanced oem-specific fault codes like ABS, crash sensors, lane keep radar, and airbag faults for virtually all US market vehicles including BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
For vehicle service techs, theres notjing close to to price of bluedriver with the free subscription as of now bluedriver
John Filmore you sold me right here, thanksgiving. I do like the fact that the MX allows video over lay and all those live gauges feature, but I realized they don’t offer much OEM parameters for German made vehicles which to be honest it’s easier I get the Bluedriver and be able to get detail scans and just pick up a cheap OBD2 for video over lay in the future. Thanks
I have been using this device on my bmw E92 ever since I got the car. It really is nice to see what is going on in the car, see error codes, and even clear them if they needed repair or were just faulty. Its a real nice tool to have :D Also, thanks for showing the performance thing I didn't even know it did that haha, should def try it sometime!
I have a cheap ODB2 scanner connection to Torque in an ATOTO head unit. I've been happy with it, but I wonder if there is more data to be gleaned. To be honest, you can't watch the little screen while you drive, so I've really only used it to pull codes and fix things. But spinny dials on your dashboard are the best! 2001 Porsche Boxster S.
Sold. I just got 2. One for myself and one for upcoming Father's Day. :)
Dad’s gonna love it, very kind of you!
@UCL92_761znRpwjDx5mhiQMA I'm not familiar with this space. Thank you for the feedback. I did a few minutes of research and can't find what you are referring to. I get that Torque Pro is the software and the ELM327 is the OBD device? It looks like it's not as user friendly. Maybe it's easy to setup though. My fear is that unless it's _really_ easy, my dad wouldn't be able to use it.
I'm going to continue researching, but based on Q&As and customer reviews, I'm happy with the offering.
What I like to know is if I can clear fault codes for Outback 2.4 turbo petrol with this thing as that is what is important for me right now. Your reply would be highly appreciated, Jason.
This looks much better than the waylense horizon I was just about to buy. Thanks for the great info!
I picked up a cheap ($22) stand alone OBD-II scanner recently; one of those purchases that made me wonder why I didn't do it sooner.
Haha exactly, they're super useful!
Can you please do a video or series on interpreting the live data PIDs?
This sounds like a "Dynamite" tool for caring for a car. Thanks for a comprehensive report.!!
I know this is an older video.....the Garmin Virb connection is interesting. You show the camera connecting to the OBD directly.....is the recording of the car's data a function that is native to the camera?????
Mike
Garmin has discontinued this camera. What other camera connects to a obd scanner? Gopro?
you can also use those obd2 tools for programs like FORscan where you can modify software
Hi Jason, do you know if this OBD2 scanner has battery testing feature? Thanks.
Cant wait for an Install tutorial on the model 3 :)
Tsla plz hlp!
They don't work on Tesla's; when the ecoboost 2JZ hits vtec, there is a 1.21GW surge that would fry not only the scanner, but the user as well; it won't kill you, but you will taste plaid for the next 6 months.
@@jasonyoung6420 this is gold
What are the odds? I just cancelled my order last night for Fixd obd2 scanner. Decided to hold out and research more.. This one's $20 more than Fixd if $80 is correct?... Then we also have blue driver to consider.... Decisions..... Thanks for the information, this is definitely higher on my list now.
I just started learning to become a mechanic and I feel like this would be a cost affective tool to buy and keep in my garage , thanks for your thoughts
how is mechanic life goes?
So which would you prefer blue driver,or this one 🤔
WOW, Great video; extremely informative. Thanks for making it.
I especially like the parts where you're showing us how you've been doing your video graphics and performance overlays. I always kind of wondered exactly how you were doing them and I usually assumed you were adding them in post production.
I believe you can use this to do pcm pramater tuneing as well. Im still reasearching into how tho.
5:50 when he lets off the accelerator and it jumps from 9.8 mpg to 70 mpg 😂
What's the difference between OBDLink MX+ and OBDeleven PRO? Could you make a further video with in-depth analysis?
How does this compare to
BlueDriver LSB2 Bluetooth Pro OBDII?
Hey Jason, I have a serious question... while you did an awesome job reviewing the OBD Link MX+ scanner, would you please do a review with the Lemur Bluedriver scanner and compare both? The ups and downs of both and which one would you recommend at the end?
Whats better bluedriver or this?
Could a Bluetooth enabled touch screen stereo display the output of the scanner? ik ik probably not but it would be sweet.
Thats a great idea. Maybe the Android Car decks can do it.
if it's based on android and can run the app and can connect to other bluetooth accessories, i don't see why not
Me or my family will never be ripped off by the dealer or a mechanic again, yes I'm buying this!
Spare tire change kit, scan tool, mini air compressor, couple reflective triangles. Musts for any car.
How did you get the temperature gauges page I dont have it
EDIT:Driving acura rsx 02 s
For the fuel remaining gauge, can it read to 0.1 gal remaining; or distance to empty read to 1 mile remaining. I am running low on fuel and the car digital gauge can no longer provide a reading but display as "---" once the remaining mileage drop below 25 miles; will OBD2 still able to accurately tell if I still have x miles before my car goes dead?
Does it give you indications of knock (pulled timings). Would be useful to see if a tune is too aggressive for the engine.
Where do i find the “normals” for air fuel ratio, engine temp, etc for my car???
You can import them into Torque app. I think they're part of the OEM PIDs which may be included or you can find them on forums.
That Crosstrek is mad fast bro... scanner is slick too.
So fast. Makes my Model 3 Performance seem lame haha.
"The speed limit, obviously" brilliant!
What do I need to perform functions, such as abs bleed, and not just reading data? Tnx
So what about the advanced scanner like the Bluedriver ? Which one should one get? Which has the most tools?
How does this compare to the bluedriver?
Got it today and the update speed is painfully slow on my 13 Acura RDX. Not seeing the 100 samples per second. It tends to update one gauge several times for .25 seconds than hangs for about .75 seconds then repeats. The gauges that do no use obdII data does update quickly however that data I want to see like rpm, fuel trim etc does not.
Awesome review. i had just downloaded the torque app on my iphone yesterday and ordered an elm 327 adapter today off amazon for my LS4 GXP . cant wait
I have the OBD Link MX+ and it's power light stays on after my car is off although it says it wont drain battery if left in. Anyone know why it stays on?
Great video you saved me about $30 I was going to get the blue drive $99 version but this does the same thing for less.
Would this work to monitor oil pressure? I've seen some people use a separate adapter plugged into the engine.
Does it affect the ecu like burn out, power drain or etc? If it is plug permanently for daily usage without removing it.
What is about Driveblue OBO2
I have a dirt cheap unit from Amazon that cost me like $15.
It's not the greatest unit by any means, but it does the job. I mostly use it for trouble codes, but the engine parameters and such can be useful.
Yep, there are cheaper ones, they just don’t have quite as much functionality or features. Also many of the cheaper ones will drain your battery while they’re plugged in. This will go into sleep mode to try to prevent that.
You make it sound great, but I went for the Bluedriver code reader. We’ll see!!
Your engine bay is super clean
Why are the stats so laggy in this video but no the S2000 video?
I have a random Bluetooth obd2 scanner on my 96. Latency is around 800ms when I have a few guages setup. Would upgrading to this unit solve that problem? Or is it a Bluetooth bandwidth issue or ecu CPU limitation?
I dont know if you have used Torque Pro app but if you have is this better or the same. I know you can Record video in 4k with the gauges showing on it right from your phone (if your phone records in 4k) with out having to use other software like you did with this app. I have a 2000 passat wagon and use Torque Pro app because it shows all the stuff you talked about in this videos and more so i just wanted to know if you have used it to see how you feel about it and if I should give this one a try. Thank you for your time and hard work on making awesome videos for us. Keep them coming.
Hi, witch one do you recomended for bmw x5 (f15) 2015 ? OBD MX+ or OBD CX ? And what's the difference between them ? Thank you.
Can you leave it plugged in all the time ?
I have one a 2018 Crosstrek with 6 speed manual, and using the same app, I recorded a 0-60 time of 8.5 seconds. I'm really surprised the 0-60 times are that different from the 1st gen 5 speeds to the 2nd gen 6 speeds.
One other reason to get one is if you buy used cars - you can do a preliminary check on a cars engine very quickly and if it checks out then maybe get a mechanic to give the rest of the car a once over before you buy, but if it fails here then you just saved yourself time and money.
Great Video bro!!! I have a 2015 Ram 1500 and I wanted to know if it displays Transmission temps? Which is required when doing a trans service.
Can you use the OBDLink MX+ for TPMS. If yes, how? My vehicle is a Mitsubishi Montero Sport 2016.
Are you able to use any camera to do speed/rpm overlays, or are you just limited to the Garmin camera?
I love the OBDLink! I use it when observing various data (mostly oil temps since my oil temp gauge has a broad gap between 190F - 270F). It's also super helpful for any sort of CEL codes that need to be read.