Cheap ODBII bluetooth readers

A couple months ago I bought a ODBII bluetooth reader off Aliexpress for $5.   The product photos showed a mini reader (white), but what I received was a larger black one.  The size wasn't a problem, but the indicator LEDs face down when plugged into a Hyundai Elantra.  The glow of the power light is still visible, so it is still possible to tell it is powered up.

Along with the module, I received a CD with PC software.  Instead of using a laptop, I decided to use Torque Lite on my android phone.  It was a quick install, and after I paired with the ODB interface (code 1234), Torque Light automatically detected it.  If the banner ads in the app bother you, just turn off wifi to stop them from appearing.  Torque Light lets you modify the display, positioning dials and digital gauges as desired.

Torque lets you view and clear fault codes, and as seen in the screen shot above, will show things like acceleration if you phone has an accelerometer.  You can also display speed from your phone's GPS and compare it to the speed reported over ODBII.  The voltage reading might be off slightly; I read 14.42V with my multi-meter vs the 14.5V reported over ODBII.

If you do any amount of work with cars, $5 for a ODBII reader is well worth the money.