Are Bluetooth Code Readers Worth It for Early OBD2 Cars?
Автокөліктер мен көлік құралдары
Bluetooth OB2 Code Readers or Scanners are becoming more and more common. These OB2 dongles use Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone (either iPhone or Andriod) and with a compatible app, you can scan, read, and clear check engine codes.
On-board diagnostics (OBD) has been available since the 1980s, but it was standardized in 1996 for all cars sold in the US to OBD2. The first scanners were really expensive and only available through professional repair shops, then less expensive versions became available for consumers.
I've always been interested in trying the Bluetooth versions to see if they can do more than my basic code reader. One of the most popular versions is from a company called BlueDriver, but it retails for $119 so I checked Harbor Freight (Zurich ZBT1) and they had a similar one for less than half that.
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Links to all the parts mentioned in this video:
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▶ Autel Basic OBD2 Reader: amzn.to/3wfxJyA
▶ BlueDriver Bluetooth Pro OBDII Scan Tool for iPhone & Android: amzn.to/4biG3MK
▶ Harbor Freight Cen-Tec Basic OBD2 Reader: www.harborfreight.com/obd-ii-...
▶ Harbor Freight Zurich BT-1 Bluetooth OBD2 Dongle Code Reader: www.harborfreight.com/zr-bt1-...
This video is not sponsored, but product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I'll receive a small commission.
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Merchandise
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▶ Comprehensive Vehicle Maintenance Log Book: amzn.to/3wc2EMl
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Social Media Links:
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▶ Facebook: / kintsugimoto
▶ Instagram: / kintsugimoto
▶ Email List: kintsugimoto.ck.page/47f50ba6fa
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TIMESTAMPS
===========================00:00 Introduction
00:52 Harbor Freight Bluetooth OBD2 Code Reader Unboxing
04:27 BlueDriver Bluetooth OBD2 Code Reader Unboxing
06:00 Comparison of Basic OBD2 Code Reader and the Harbor Freight Bluetooth OBD2 Code Reader and BlueDriver OBD2 Code Reader
06:25 Scanning a 1999 Mercedes C280 with No Codes with a Basic OBD2 Code Reader
06:05 Scanning a 1999 Mercedes C280 with No Codes with Harbor Freight Bluetooth OBD2 Code Reader and Review of the Repair 2 Solutions iPhone App
12:05 Scanning a 1999 Mercedes C280 with No Codes with BlueDriver Bluetooth OBD2 Coder Reader and Review of the BlueDriver iPhone App
14:17 Scanning a 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo with a Check Engine Light On with Basic OBD2 Code Reader
16:40 Scanning a 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo with a Check Engine Light On with Harbor Freight Bluetooth OBD2 Coder Reader and Screen Capture of Results
17:56 Screen Capture of BlueDriver App with a sample report that has a check engine code
21:54 Screen Capture of BlueDriver Bluetooth OBD2 Code Reader recording live data on 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo
#obd2scanner #bluedriver #harborfreighttools
Пікірлер: 10
Thanks. I learned a lot.
@kintsugimoto
5 ай бұрын
Glad I could help!! Thanks for watching and commenting!!
Turning the light off is not the answer... Fixing the problem that turned the light on in the first place is the correct method..ONLY Then you can clear the code and turn the light off...
@kintsugimoto
2 ай бұрын
Thanks for clarifying ... for this video, I was just trying to determine if this style code reader was worth the upgrade for late 90's and early 2000 cars with very limited OBD-II data compared to newer cars which basically allow you to drive the thing through the OBD-II port!! lol
Funny thing is, bluetooth code readers have been out for probably 15 years, and started out as the poor man's option. There was nothing fancy about them.
@kintsugimoto
3 ай бұрын
So true. I think BlueDriver was the first one that was considered a premium code reader. Hoping they allow for bidirectional scanning soon :)
@billwhite5853
3 ай бұрын
@@kintsugimoto The X-Tools A30M has biderctional capabilities, as well as reset functions from what I have researched
@kintsugimoto
3 ай бұрын
@@billwhite5853 Thanks for tip !!! I just looked it up and it seems like it's a big upgrade over the two that I reviewed. I might pick one up to check it out. I'm not sure if the A30M will be able to do anything on these older cars. It seems like the A30M is better suited for newer cars that will take advantage of all the increased functionality, so we'll try it out and see :) Thanks again for sharing!!
@billwhite5853
3 ай бұрын
@@kintsugimoto I have been looking for a affordable scan tool and keep coming back to this. My only question is what tablet to get it to work, because these 60+ eyes would hate starring down a small smartphone screen
@kintsugimoto
3 ай бұрын
@@billwhite5853 It looks like it should work with any Apple or Android tablet. Personally I would get an iPad because that's what I'm used to, but the Samsung Galaxy tablet looks like it should work too. Maybe checkout Best Buy and see which tablet allows you to see the best?