How to Use OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner – 6 Quick Hack

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Written By Nicklaus Frost

Last Updated on: 5th October 2022, 04:51 am

The OBD2 Scanner is a must-have scanning tool if you own a car made after 1996. This tool will end up saving you thousands of dollars by doing a quick scan and giving you diagnosis reports with error codes like the P1101 Chevy Cruze code. While OBD2 scanners have been around for quite a long time now, the Bluetooth OBD2 scanner is a more recent development.

Your life will be made even more accessible with the Bluetooth version. If you’re interested in this tool, you must be thinking about using an OBD2 Bluetooth scanner. Well, that’s exactly what we’re here for today!

What is an OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner?

Use OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner
image source: https://kingbolentool.com/products/kingbolen-obd2-scanner-bluetooth-check-engine-light

As we have said, an OBD2 scanning tool is necessary, and of all these tools, we think the OBD2 scanner tool is truly the best. You connect it with your car and then connect it to your phone using Bluetooth, and then you can run all the tests right from your fingertips.

Using the smartphone applications for the OBD2 Scanner, you’ll also be able to tell how severe the issues detected are. Unlike regular OBD2 scan tools, this Bluetooth scanner has features like Smart Mechanic to help you learn things only a mechanic would do after checking your car.

What’s more about OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner

Besides diagnostics tests, you can also use coding through this advanced Scanner to customize the setting in your car. You will be able to adjust your car’s headlights and turn your car’s automatic on/off the system.

You will also get a bunch of guidance on the meaning of the error codes that have popped up and how to clear them. Furthermore, you’ll also get useful advice for the regular maintenance of your vehicle from the app of Bluetooth scanner.

One of the best features has to be that this app can check live parameters such as pressure values and temperature, which is very useful when diagnosing error codes.

How to Use OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner

Amongst all the scanning tools, the OBD2 Bluetooth scanner has to be one of the easiest tools to use, and they are highly convenient for their portability. Using this device should be very easy if you know how to reset the transmission control module. These devices provide quick scans of your car through the OBD2 system and are reliable. Below, we have written out a step-by-step guide on using the OBD2 Scanner! 

Step 1: Locate the OBD2 Port

The OBD2 port is also known as the Diagnostic Link Connector and is straightforward to find. It is on the underside of the driver’s side dashboard. To be exact, it is on the left side of the dashboard and right below the steering column.

Most of the time, this port will be covered with something like a flap.

Step 2: Insert the OBD2 Scanner into the Port

Once you have found the OBD2 port, you will just have to plug the Bluetooth scanner into the port. Make sure you plug it in properly by pushing it inside with slight pressure, or else the Scanner will not be receiving any signals.

Step 3: Start Your Engine or Keep Your Car in Idle Mode

Read the user manual of your Scanner to find out whether you have to start your car on or keep it in idle mode when using the Scanner. This will vary depending on the brand of the Scanner. Make sure you take the proper step; if you keep the car in idle mode whereas the Scanner calls for it to be in idle mode or vice versa, the tool may get damaged.

Step 4: Download the App for the Scanner, and Connect it To your Phone

After you have connected the OBD2 Scanner and it starts receiving the signal, you need to open the application of the Scanner on your phone. By reading the user manual, you should be able to tell which application you have to install on your phone since it varies depending on the brand.

Install the scanner app, and turn on your phone’s Bluetooth. The application for connecting your phone with the Scanner should be compatible with both iOS and Android devices, so don’t worry.

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Open the application on your phone, and you should see a button that says ‘connect.’ After you click on that, you will have to wait a few seconds, and then the connection with the OBD2 Scanner should be established.

Step 5: Run the Scan Using the App

After the connection has been established, you will be able to run the OBD2 scans from your phone. Each application’s user interface will be slightly different, but all of them will be very simple, so navigating through the app will be a breeze.

Step 6: Learn What the OBD Error Codes Mean

Upon completing the scan, OBD2 error codes will be displayed on your phone, and you need to know what they mean to diagnose any issues. Error codes begin with one of four letters P, B, C, or U, each indicating issues in different parts of the car.

A P at the start of the code means there’s a problem with the powertrain, B for Body, C for Chasis, and U means undefined. 

Read also: What Is the Most Common Reason for Check Engine Light

Final Words on OBD2 Bluetooth Scanner

The Bluetooth OBD2 is an almost flawless tool, and it will give you the utility that no other scanning tool will even come close to. As you can see in our article on how to use the OBD2 Bluetooth scanner, it’s a very user-friendly tool, and setting it up only takes a few minutes.

Follow all the steps that we have mentioned above, and you will be detecting and clearing codes in no time with the help of the OBD2 Bluetooth scanner!

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