Are you looking for a way to monitor your car’s vital signs like coolant and transmission temperatures directly on your Android Auto display, without needing extra gauges? It turns out there’s a clever solution using an OBD2 app and a simple Bluetooth adapter. The OBD Fusion app seamlessly integrates with Android Auto, allowing you to display custom sensor data right on your infotainment screen.
This is a fantastic alternative to dedicated devices like ScanGauge, offering a cost-effective and integrated way to keep an eye on your vehicle’s health. To make this work, you’ll need a generic OBD2 Bluetooth adapter that plugs into your car’s OBD2 port and the OBD Fusion app on your Android phone. The key is finding an adapter that allows your phone to simultaneously connect to both the adapter and your car’s Android Auto system.
One promising option is the Veepeak OBDCheck BLE Bluetooth adapter. This adapter utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to communicate with the OBD Fusion app. This is important because it should free up the standard Bluetooth connection for your phone to connect to Android Auto, avoiding connection conflicts. Available for under $30 on Amazon, the Veepeak OBDCheck BLE is an affordable option to explore this functionality.
It’s a missed opportunity that car manufacturers don’t natively display more sensor data on the infotainment screen, especially since modern head units are connected to the car’s data network anyway. However, with OBD2 apps and Android Auto, you can bridge this gap and gain valuable insights into your vehicle’s operation.
When choosing an adapter, you might encounter BLE and BLE+ versions. The BLE+ is a newer version offering access to ELM327 v2.2 commands compared to the BLE’s v1.4. While both provide basic functionality, the BLE+ unlocks additional features like real-time sensor graphs and customizable dashboards within the OBD Fusion app. For potentially enhanced features and future-proofing, the BLE+ version could be a worthwhile choice.
By combining an OBD2 app like OBD Fusion with a compatible Bluetooth adapter and Android Auto, you can easily bring a wealth of vehicle data directly to your car’s screen, enhancing your driving experience and vehicle monitoring capabilities.
