Low Cost ELM Scantool
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 30
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ok this is what the guys at bfax products said to my questions.i asked this
i'm interested in the obdII scanner will it work with the chromebook and the andriod tablets? and what warranty doe it have just in case i get it and it does not work for my cars? or 6 months down the road it fails? thanks.
they answered this.
Hi there -
The device will not work with Chromebooks simply because there are no apps available for the Chromebook that will work with our OBD reader due to the limited app store available for these devices.
The device will however work with any Android based tablet that is bluetooth enabled and has OBD apps offered in it's store (which are the vast majority of Android devices including most Amazon Kindles). If you have a particular tablet you have that you would like us to double check the specs for you to ensure it is properly enabled please let us know.
The warranty is for a period of 1 year. The device will work on any consumer vehicles that are located in the USA and are model year 1996 or newer (except for heavy diesel trucks pre-2004, if you have one of these please let us know and we will explain further).
Should the device not work with any vehicle that meets these criteria we will be glad to assist you in getting it working or getting you one that does work properly should that be needed. Should the device fail within 60 days of purchase we will replace the device at no cost and cover return shipping charges as well. Should the device fail more than 60 days from purchase it is simply mailed back to us (about $2-3) and we replace it at no further cost. Our defect rate is so low that should something happen more than a 1 from purchase please do still contact us and we will still be happy to work something out with you to get it replaced.
Kevin B
BAFX Products
BAFX Products
BAFX Products - Making The World Easier
so i'm going with pawpaw in that they will help with after the sale. thanks for the information pawpaw.
i'm interested in the obdII scanner will it work with the chromebook and the andriod tablets? and what warranty doe it have just in case i get it and it does not work for my cars? or 6 months down the road it fails? thanks.
they answered this.
Hi there -
The device will not work with Chromebooks simply because there are no apps available for the Chromebook that will work with our OBD reader due to the limited app store available for these devices.
The device will however work with any Android based tablet that is bluetooth enabled and has OBD apps offered in it's store (which are the vast majority of Android devices including most Amazon Kindles). If you have a particular tablet you have that you would like us to double check the specs for you to ensure it is properly enabled please let us know.
The warranty is for a period of 1 year. The device will work on any consumer vehicles that are located in the USA and are model year 1996 or newer (except for heavy diesel trucks pre-2004, if you have one of these please let us know and we will explain further).
Should the device not work with any vehicle that meets these criteria we will be glad to assist you in getting it working or getting you one that does work properly should that be needed. Should the device fail within 60 days of purchase we will replace the device at no cost and cover return shipping charges as well. Should the device fail more than 60 days from purchase it is simply mailed back to us (about $2-3) and we replace it at no further cost. Our defect rate is so low that should something happen more than a 1 from purchase please do still contact us and we will still be happy to work something out with you to get it replaced.
Kevin B
BAFX Products
BAFX Products
BAFX Products - Making The World Easier
so i'm going with pawpaw in that they will help with after the sale. thanks for the information pawpaw.
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
I'm using WiFi through my laptop & wireless router to access my ELM with the vehicle 40 feet away with no problems.
The fact that your desk top is hard wired to the router shouldn't be a problem, hard wiring to my router was just another option I chose not to use with my laptop. You'd just access the ELM with your desktop through the router WiFi as long as the signal strength is high enough.
FORSCan says that WiFi data through put is faster than Bluetooth, so that might be an advantage for fast changing things we want to monitor. If we're just interested in looking at stored trouble codes, or looking at data in table form, speed wouldn't matter as much.
As I understand it, WiFi also transmits over greater distances. I can receive my neighbors WiFi router with a strong signal & he is about 300 ft away.
I've heard of some folks say they use "Torque" software on their phone or pad, but I know nothing about it at present, as FORScan on my laptop using WiFi ELM at present does all I need, but I can see where having info displayed on other viewing devices while on the road could be more convient & interesting to have, as we could monitor things like tranny fluid temp, ect, ect while underway, without the bulk of a laptop.
The fact that your desk top is hard wired to the router shouldn't be a problem, hard wiring to my router was just another option I chose not to use with my laptop. You'd just access the ELM with your desktop through the router WiFi as long as the signal strength is high enough.
FORSCan says that WiFi data through put is faster than Bluetooth, so that might be an advantage for fast changing things we want to monitor. If we're just interested in looking at stored trouble codes, or looking at data in table form, speed wouldn't matter as much.
As I understand it, WiFi also transmits over greater distances. I can receive my neighbors WiFi router with a strong signal & he is about 300 ft away.
I've heard of some folks say they use "Torque" software on their phone or pad, but I know nothing about it at present, as FORScan on my laptop using WiFi ELM at present does all I need, but I can see where having info displayed on other viewing devices while on the road could be more convient & interesting to have, as we could monitor things like tranny fluid temp, ect, ect while underway, without the bulk of a laptop.
say pawpaw do you happen to know or maybe anyone else if this forscan software will work on a tablet using android os? and will this app work with other cars thanks
New User
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
I am kind of computer ignorant but once you load Forscan on your laptop why do you need to connect to the internet since you can read your codes and PIDs or is there more on the net--I bought a second ELM327 that's USB but the cd with it won't read and appears blank--this China stuff is kind of garbage but I want to get to the point where I can use a lot more of what the ELM chip offers and Forscan seems to come up short on part of it--Any help appreciated
New User
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
FORScan
I would like to clear the codes after reading them and the PIDs--also I would like to read the trans oil temperature because I got a trans overheating error
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
There is a tab at the lower left in the FORScan DTC window that allows us to reset the trouble code.
If there isn't a tranny temp sensor available outputting a temp PID, then FORScan can't read it. Scroll through the parameter list it finds of things we can monitor & click on what you want the dashboard to display & it'll put it up there. Then we have several choices on how we can have that data presented.
If there isn't a tranny temp sensor available outputting a temp PID, then FORScan can't read it. Scroll through the parameter list it finds of things we can monitor & click on what you want the dashboard to display & it'll put it up there. Then we have several choices on how we can have that data presented.
Thread Starter
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 13,851
Likes: 111
From: SW Va
I am kind of computer ignorant but once you load Forscan on your laptop why do you need to connect to the internet since you can read your codes and PIDs or is there more on the net--I bought a second ELM327 that's USB but the cd with it won't read and appears blank--this China stuff is kind of garbage but I want to get to the point where I can use a lot more of what the ELM chip offers and Forscan seems to come up short on part of it--Any help appreciated
On the USB connected ELM, you have to tell the program which port the USB cable is plugged into, so it can find & hook up with & read the ELM output.
New User
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 18
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My History
I saw the Elm327 on YouTube and decided to get one off Amazon --BUT I did not know enough to know that wifi and Bluetooth were totally different and the set-up procedure I saw on You-- didn't tell me there were several different types of Elm237 devices so I bought from a dealer that had several--and I am the guy that doesn't even use a smart phone-just the old flip phone--If I want gps I use my Garmin not a phone like my kids--
I looked at the selection of Elms and didn't really understand any differences-only that some connected by wires and I decided wireless was easier--so I bought the most expensive which was $27 --which happened to be WIFI- NOT BLUETOOTH--because I also bought a LG tablet to read it with--AND I spent a morning with my truck pulled up close to my window where the tablet could reach the internet while I sat trying to connect to the Elm--and I could see the Bluetooth and the Wifi and my house network but couldn't connect together--This Elm said IT came with a CD but arrived without one--I had loaded one of the apps recommended by the seller onto the tablet--so my kids told me I couldn't connect Bluetooth to wifi--NOW I have a Toshiba small laptop-net thing with plenty of memory but NO CD reader--I found your thread here --got FORScan and connected and read my codes and got the PIDS but I wanted more so I ordered the USB Elm which arrived with the cd which couldn't be read by my laptop--I put it into my desktop which basically can't find ANYTHING on the cd and I ordered it from Newegg which lets a seller from China sell on their service but the seller has no phone number or web site--I haven't yet just plugged in the Elm and connected it to my laptop to see if FORScan will just connect with it even though it is direct wired instead of wifi
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
Ok, lets back up to the part about downloading FORScan on your laptop & using the WiFi ELM to successfully connect to your vehicle, scan & read its trouble codes.
What do you want to do next while using the WiFi ELM & FORScan that you haven't been able to do????
What do you want to do next while using the WiFi ELM & FORScan that you haven't been able to do????
Thread Starter
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Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: SW Va
WiFi ELM327 Performance Fix
If your WiFi ELM performance is wimpy/slow/drops out/won't connect, or stay connected, ect, review & try the fixes discussed here. FORScan forum ? View topic - Performance fix of china ELM327 WiFi adapter
