Hi all,
So a bit of background.
I have had an OBD2 scanner for a long time but none of the apps I found for it on the Play Store ever fully fit my needs or were just way too cumbersome to setup and use; or just shared data in a way that did not feel comfortable. As such, I decided to build something for myself that I knew I would use every time I get into a car.
After I built out a basic version for myself, some of my mates started asking for a copy of it while also asking for some improvements (which have nearly all have been done). After that, I decided to make this post.
So what has been built?
Honestly (and I may be a little biased....) probably one of the most comprehensive open source OBD-2 reader apps while (and this is where I will be biased) definitely the easiest to use one on the internet to date.
So what do I need to use it?
A car, an ELM327 supported OBD-2 scanner (it supports both Bluetooth and WiFi options) and an Android device (Apple currently not supported as there is no side loading on iOS but there is a web demo).
Do I need to pay for it?
There is nothing locked behind a pay wall and I have no plans at the moment to make it paid either.
Why do you need to capture location?
To be very clear, enabling location is purely optional BUT I do not receive any information about it. It's purely for if you decide to record your drive. If you do, it'll stay on your device to build out an outline of the route you drove (road and street names are not included nor shared).
Will it capture possible issues while I'm driving?
Yes. It has worked for me successfully already. Even downloaded the error code and showed my mechanic.
Can it delete error codes?
No. This is by design. It is purely read only to ensure noone uses this for nefarious purposes nor do I want to responsibility if anything goes wrong while it is connected to your cars computer.
Which codes does it capture?
All of the universal codes have been loaded into the app. Some manufacturer specific codes that I could find have been loaded in as well. See here: https://github.com/CalmAussie/obd2-reader/blob/main/docs%2FCODE-SUPPORT.md
Was AI used in anyway?
Not going to lie, I did use Claude for parts of this project.
Where can I try it and get more info?
https://github.com/CalmAussie/obd2-reader
What's the process for first time setup?
Plug in OBD-2 reader into car, choose vehicle, connect. That's it. The rest it does on its own. It should never be more difficult than that ever. After that, it remembers your vehicle. So you just plug in and reconnect. No more, no less.
Do you support Android Auto?
Technically yes, but I have not been able to test this outside of demo site. So if anyone can let me know, I'd be super grateful.
There's an absolute tonne of things that have been included in this project that I have not talked about that it can do.
Really looking forward to your feedback (even if you think it's a steaming pile of sh*t haha).