I see these things ranging from $5 to well over $100 on Amazon. I figure you probably get what you pay for and as of now am most interested in interfacing with ForScan software on a Windows PC but would like to have compatibility with other platforms such as Android to be able to read/clear codes, etc. I also know that certain airbag and antilock brake codes can be hard to read with just any scanner. That wouldn’t be my primary focus but it would be nice to have these options as well. Most of the free parts store reads don’t capture those codes.
These two came up specifically as the best to use with ForScan and it looks like they will work with other apps and platforms. AI fed me this information and I am not a huge fan of blindly trusting a computer. Anyone have real world experiences with these things and what do you suggest?
I own a Vgate vLinker FD. It does work with other Android applications such as OBD Fusion or Torque Pro.
For the laptop I use an OBDLinkEX cable. It is an OBD to USB-1 direct cable link version of the ODBLinkMX+. I bought the cable for laptop use because I figured it had faster data transfer.
As far as an app that can actually read ABS and SRS codes and well as live data, the Autel AP2500 can do that for $59 and a free app download. The first car is free and others can be added. It has service tools and diagnostics although for a Ford or Mazda, ForScan gives you more functionality.
Get one with a real chip in it. The $8 ones all say ELM327 and almost none of them are.
For ForScan the adapter has to do two things: speak the ELM command set properly, and switch between HS-CAN and MS-CAN. On older Fords (roughly pre-2011) the airbag, ABS and body modules sit on MS-CAN, so a dongle with no switch or auto-switching reads engine codes and nothing else. That is why the cheap ones look fine right up until you need the module you actually came for.
What I would buy:
- OBDLink EX for the laptop. ForScan lists it, it auto-switches, and it stays connected through a long session.
- vLinker FS (USB) as the cheaper laptop option, same auto-switching.
- Keep a plain Bluetooth one for the phone. Engine codes and live data are all you get there anyway.
- The Autel AP2500 mentioned above is the honest way to get airbag/ABS on multiple makes without dragging a laptop out to the car.
One habit worth having: unplug the Bluetooth dongle when you are done. The cheap ones do not sleep properly and a week of sitting will cost you a battery. Ask me how I know.
