Automotive → Re: [Help] OBDii Bluetooth Dongle...

I thought all sensors send data to the main computer, and OBDii is the protocol that communicates thru the dongle, to the Torque app. So by process-of-association, all data would be available? (this is just me doing my best to apply logic...) It would be great if a Bluetooth Dongle owner could confirm / deny this.

No, in a lot of modern vehicles there can be upwards of 20 different modules that handle specific functions and areas of the vehicle. Most of them have no need to communicate with the ECU/PCM.

Being the ELMs and clones just let you access the communications network, the limitation is mostly in software. I use a bluetooth ELM-compatible 'dongle' to read Ford keyless entry codes, for example. Not in the PCM, but still accessible over the network.

There are multiple interfaces on the OBDII connector:

J1850 PWM
J1850 VPW
ISO9141
ISO14230 (also known as Keyword Protocol 2000)
CAN (ISO15765/SAEJ2480)

Any may or not be present.

The first two are the main ones on US cars. That is what most apps use to talk to the ECU and read codes.

There are other computers in the vehicle, ABS, suspension and transmission. They may be on the CAN interface.

With the appropriate software, it can read all the info but Torque mainly supports the ECU codes but it does list ABS. That is why I wanted to try other apps to access additional info.