Forscan software was able to; disabled my seat belt/door open chimes, added double press for panic on key fob, added climate control with heated seats, added color to touch screen, radio on/off always Link to available changes; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...#gid=815852466

 

Wow. There's a lot of stuff in there! It would take me a week to go through all that stuff.

 

At the risk of asking a dumb question......what is the Forscan Program and the correct OBII Reader....where can I get more info?

Thanks!

 

Forscan is a free program;What's new
Get windows 2.3.7 latest version, lots of help there
I got the recommend bt ob2 reader; ScanTool 426101 OBDLink MX Bluetooth: Professional OBD-II Scan Tool for Android & Window

 

I'm intrigued about using Forscan with my truck, but the number and variety of OBDII tools is almost bewildering.

It appears that basic OBDII devices provide a USB connection, but that there are also some that connect via Bluetooth and/or WiFi. Not sure I'd want a WiFi hotspot in my truck, but on the other hand, I'm thinking that you really only need to connect when the vehicle is parked. That means the USB device is really all you need.

Conversely, if you used one with Bluetooth, it's theoretically possible to run the scanner with your phone; maybe even while rolling down the road?

The OBDII device I'm currently looking at is the ScanTool 426101 OBDLink MX:
( ).

 

I don't use Forscan (yet), but I run Torque Pro a lot via my Android phone while driving. I just use one of the cheaper OBD interfaces and have no problems. AFAIK they're a lot like HDMI cables - you can get one for five bucks or fifty bucks, but they both work the same.

 

That's not true with the programmer named forscan, a lot of users are having trouble delivering the new program into the trucks computer through the cheap Bluetooth adapters. I have a couple of the cheap ones and didn't want the data stream broken while i'm modifying/downloading into the trucks software...

 

Good point. Torque Pro is mostly monitoring and code clearing. Actually if I was doing programming, I might lean more towards USB than any kind of wireless connection.

Also, to be clear, the "$5 vs $50" was HDMI cables - I'm not sure I'd trust a $5 OBD to do anything.

 

After poking around quite a lot, I decided on the ScanTool 426101 OBDLink MX (bluetooth). It connects via Bluetooth, and while that may be a bit "sketchy" versus the USB cable, it will also allow me to use my Nexus to view things with Torque and/or Dash Command.

And I chose the MX over the LX because the MX handles Ford's proprietary MS CAN protocol in addition to all the rest. I found the LX for as little as $49, and I ended up paying $79 for the MX.

I think I ended up looking at at least a dozen different OBD2 readers. There are lots of cheap Chinese ones for $10-$15, but based on what I read/reviewed, they are bare-bones readers that occasionally have issues of one kind or another. Once you get up to the $30-$50 range, there seems to be an actual company standing behind the product. Also the MX that I got is purported to be among the fastest, and reliable. You can also leave either the LX or the MX plugged in without worrying about it draiing your battery, or allowing anyone walking by on the street from connecting to it.