OBD 2 Reader

dbob62180 wrote:
Thank you all! Yes, I should have said our Ford truck is diesel. Love the idea of the app for my phone. Will it work for a diesel truck?

BlueDriver does not work for the 7.3 Powerstroke, otherwise it should be okay. I got that from the FAQ on the company website.

Get a USB or Bluetooth reader off of Amazon and the free app FORScan for your laptop. You can actually go in to the computer and change things on the truck. For example, if you want daytime running lights, or don't want them. Fog lights on with brights or not. Edit tire sizes and more.

You can get FORScan for your tablet or phone and you will need a bluetooth scan tool, but I'm not sure how much customization that route offers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZWM0R4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://forscan.org/

Thank you all! Yes, I should have said our Ford truck is diesel. Love the idea of the app for my phone. Will it work for a diesel truck?

I've been looking into getting a code reader as well. Here's a page which review some top OBD II readers costing below $100. It also lists their capabilities. The more inexpensive scanners will require purchasing an app for $5 - $10. Some only work with android phones, while others are cross-platform. Some readers require an additional purchase from the manufacturer to unlock codes for a specific make. There are generic codes and manufacturer specific codes. The more expensive ones can read the both, while the cheaper ones mostly read just the generic. There are some good reviews on YouTube as well if you search around. I'm considering Bluedriver since it works on most Diesel engines. I still need to look into it more.

Warning: most readers will not read Diesel engine error codes. You need one, not cheap, designed to do it.

Maybe like this one: Link

But I didn't see diesel engines mentioned in their description. This one for example warns it can only read some diesel truck codes: link 2

This is the one I've read that does work but you have to buy the correct manufacturers data pack when you buy the scanner

I have an IPhone and use Dash Command. works great and tells you more than you`ll need to know!

Gas or diesel? Those are two different animals when it comes to OBD readers. For diesel, Auto Enginuity is what I've used for my old 7.3. A bit pricey, but tells you about 10x more information than a regular OBD2 reader.

I bought a cheap one at AutoZone when they first came out, years ago. It's the one I still use. I have fixed a whole lot of broke cars and trucks using that thing to diagnose. Unless you need to toss out extra cash you don't need the one made for NORAD. Just go to Harbor Freight and get one. Even the very basic ones read and clear codes. The codes are universal to all vehicles so, for the average guy at home a basic code reader will probably do everything you ever need to do. An EGR code is an EGR code (etc..) be it Volvo or Chevrolet.

ib516 wrote:
Yes. An OBD2 bluetooth adapter from amazon, and an app for a smart phone. If you're an android guy, the torque app is the way to go. All in, under $20.

X3 for this one, it's what I use. You can read codes, clear them and do a lot of other things with it if you really wanted to get into it. But it's cheap and works with any modern vehicle.

I bought the BAFX Products OBD II reader for $21.99 and the Diageng extension cable for $7.90, both from Amazon. I can highly recommend this reader due to the great BAFX customer support.