A better dashboard?

[sludgeguts]

I saw a youtube review a while back for a head-up display, thought it was a bit pricey but really loved the idea of a digital dashboard seeing as how the speedo on my doblo is hard to read (markers at 20,40,60,80mph etc and only tiny marks inbetween), so difficult to determine when you're within the speed limit without taking your eyes off the road for too long.

My eldest has just been sent a speeding ticket - 33mph in a 30 zone.
Bit of a damned cheek really seeing as how his dash is just as hard to read.

So, with all this in mind, just wondering about installing a bluetooth OBD-II plug

Around £13 on ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...694&pid=100010&prg=1013&rk=2&sd=261019607924&
And work with a £3 android app.


Not really interested in all the bells and whisltes but a large dial on my mobile giving live speed readout would be the mutts nuts.

Any thoughts?

(just need to locate the OBD port on my doblo)

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

TBH I've a free speedo app on my iPhone which does headup display via GPS.

Saves money and faffing with OBD that way.

 

[Didge3]

This looks interesting, I don't understand how it works though, shed any light?

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

This looks interesting, I don't understand how it works though, shed any light?

OBD2 unit bluetooths speed to phone, phone screen displays it backwards with phone facing upwards on dash. Speed in then visible on the screen, as the phone will reflect from it

 

[Didge3]

OBD2 unit bluetooths speed to phone, phone screen displays it backwards with phone facing upwards on dash. Speed in then visible on the screen, as the phone will reflect from it

Oh I see, how does the OBD unit get the speed though? I don't know what it is

 

[Ziggy122]

Oh I see, how does the OBD unit get the speed though? I don't know what it is

The OBD (on board Diagnostic) can see pretty much everything is the right protocol is used
The OBD bluetooth device would then send the Speed from the vehicle (special thanks to the Can-bus system) So that the phone can display the speed

ziggy

 

[Didge3]

It's sad that I want to buy this just because I'm a massive nerd and am interested
For £13 (plus app) it's not exactly a killer purchase, I'm just not sure on the cheapness of it, after having a quick Google they seem to go from £50+

 

[sludgeguts]

OBD2 unit bluetooths speed to phone, phone screen displays it backwards with phone facing upwards on dash. Speed in then visible on the screen, as the phone will reflect from it

MEP, this one isn't for a heads up unit.
Once this is connected you simply mount your phone as you would always do, open the special app & it's all there.
Every sensor in the car that is relaying information to the car's computer can be displayed in real time on your android. Not gone into detail but I guess all those error codes can be displayed (and maybe cleared?).

Didge3, click on the youtube link.

Edit: seems that it does read & clear codes...
"Read diagnostic trouble codes, both generic and manufacturer-specific, and display their meaning (over 3000 generic code definitions in the database).

Clear trouble codes and turn off the MIL ("Check Engine" light)

Display current sensor data, including; Engine RPM, Calculated Load Value, Coolant Temperature, Fuel System Status, Vehicle Speed, Short Term Fuel Trim, Long Term Fuel Trim, Intake Manifold Pressure, Timing Advance, Intake Air Temperature, Air Flow Rate, Absolute Throttle Position, Oxygen sensor voltages/associated short term fuel trims, Fuel System status 1, Fuel Pressure & much, much more."

I suppose if you really wanted, all this info could be stored and saved to compare with readings down the line - maybe useful for preventing something bad happening? "my O2 sensor readings aren't normally this high...", "The coolant is 3 deg hotter than normal, better keep an eye on it..."
etc etc


Heck, if this thing works as it says, for £16, I'd be glad of a decent digital readout of my speed - if that was all it did.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Now I've actually watched the video it seems interesting.

Think I'd be more interested in it more for torque / bhp figures tbh.

 

[AndyRKett]

Did I not read the other day sludgeguts that you use your satnav a lot? does this not display a GPS speed?

somthing on your phone which uses GPS would be more beneficial than a bluetooth dongle that could drain the battery of the car when parked up OBD protocols state the port has to be permanently powered

 

[sludgeguts]

Now I've actually watched the video it seems interesting.

Think I'd be more interested in it more for torque / bhp figures tbh.

TBH, I would probably have a shufty at all the readouts just for the heck of it but my only real interest is for the speed.

BTW, earlier you mentioned an app that does a HUD based on GPS, I've never known GPS to be accurate & certainly the faster you are going, the further adrift the numbers are from the car's speedo.
I would far sooner be caught speeding when my dash says 30 than when my satnav says 30 (in a 30 zone).

My youngest just got a ticket, he'd returned a customer's car & was driving the courtesy car back to base when he was clocked doing 33 in a 30 zone!
"not fair, my mates all said they allow 10%", not he has to do the speed awareness course PLUS a multi-part thing online over the following weeks (because of his age). Best of it is, it was 'rush hour' and he was simply going with the flow & I've driven that same road many times & had all the nobjocks overtaking me doing stupid mph.
With my doblo's dash, it isn't easy to tell if you are doing 28, 30 or 32 at a glance so hoping this would solve that one.

 

[sludgeguts]

Did I not read the other day @sludgeguts that you use your satnav a lot? does this not display a GPS speed?

somthing on your phone which uses GPS would be more beneficial than a bluetooth dongle that could drain the battery of the car when parked up OBD protocols state the port has to be permanently powered

Cross posted there.
I have Waze switched on all the time I'm driving, just got a new satnav for Chrimbo. The satnav flashed red around the speed display if you go over the limit on file for that section.
Interestingly, the constant readout on my phone's app is even further adrift from the dash reading than the tomtom & the tomtom can be as much as 5mph under the dash (according to my tacho).
And as far as my licence is concerned, I HAVE to keep to the tacho.

BTW "OBD protocols state the port has to be permanently powered"
Might have to go on ebay and ASQ, see what the guy says.


Edit: Ok, I've ASQ the seller, I'll let you know what they say in due course.

I notice there are other devices on ebay specifically designed as dash readouts via a direct link to the OBD port, these tend to be limited to showing a few guages, sometimes over a couple of screens. I guess these have some circuitry to turn off the display when it detects a shutdown - maybe this device does the same?

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

BTW, earlier you mentioned an app that does a HUD based on GPS, I've never known GPS to be accurate & certainly the faster you are going, the further adrift the numbers are from the car's speedo.
I would far sooner be caught speeding when my dash says 30 than when my satnav says 30 (in a 30 zone).

The faster you go the same difference you see, percentage wise, just the faster you car the bigger the difference even though the percentage stays the same.

At a constant speed GPS is incredibly accurate, regardless of speed, its speed (velocity) changes which a GPS readout isn't so good with.

The speed difference of the GPS is often a lower readout than the car, as the car is software programmed (modern canbus speedo readouts) to over read. With Fiats it's about 10%. If you drive by a OBD speedo readout without this 10% added on it'll be about spot on with GPS 9/10 times.

 

[Didge3]

Now I've actually watched the video it seems interesting.

Think I'd be more interested in it more for torque / bhp figures tbh.

This is what interests me, not too bothered about the speed thing, my GP's dash is easy enough to read, but I'd just find it interesting looking at the bhp/torque figures, for such a small amount of money it seems worth it.

At a constant speed GPS is incredibly accurate, regardless of speed, its speed (velocity) changes which a GPS readout isn't so good with.

Agree. I used to use my phone as a GPS speedo sometimes and on motorway journey's it seems incredibly accurate but when accelerating/decelerating quickly (not even that quickly) the rate that it updates is sluggish so you can glance at it and it won't have updated to your current speed so is often several mph behind.

 

[sludgeguts]

The seller has got back to me, it doesn't have the capacity to automatically shut off.
What a shame.
Seems strange, though, that it cannot shut down when it detects, for example, zero revs over a short time (20 seconds?)

Wonder if I could use an OBD extension lead, remove the power pin & pick up a live from the fusebox?

 

[AndyRKett]

the ELM device is in effect a translator it changes the language of Canbus into a code a computer can understand, the device its self does not understand or do anything with that data just passes it on.

you might need to look up the data sheet for an ELM327 i'm pretty sure it doesn't run on 12v, you could probably switch the device with a micro relay or transistor otherwise you would have to design your own power supply to it

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Does the OBD port it self not power down after 15-20min like the rest of the canbus system does

 

[sludgeguts]

Does the OBD port it self not power down after 15-20min like the rest of the canbus system does

Watches with anticipation...

 

[Didge3]

After some research it seems most OBD devices will draw power when the car is switched off because pin 15 is directly connected to the battery (something like that). It also seems they run off 5v and can be powered via USB if you rewire the plug a bit.

 

[sludgeguts]

I asked my youngest if he knew - he phoned his mentor & explained.
The guy said that Toyotas need to have the ignition on for the code readers to connect to the ecu ***.

What I can't understand, though, is why the need for pin 15 to be permanent live?
The OBD port is only used for diagnostic machines?
I also assume that when you plug anything into the OBD port, you generally want to look at fault codes or sensors giving out dodgy readings etc? Presumably, the body computer isn't also drawing a constant live - so would only send a signal to the OBD port when the ignition is on OR has recently been turned off (like the canbus which takes a while to power down - noting my LEDs stay lit for a few mins after the car is locked or auto windows still work for a minute or two ) ?


***He came back and said - but the bluetooth will probably still transmit - just be transmitting nothing!