I'm amazed by the utility of this product at such a low price. Set up on a 2017 Rav4, pairing was a little difficult at first so you may need to reset your phone's bluetooth and make sure your car has ignition set to ON position before trying to pair. Once paired it seems to work fine and even connects automatically next time I drive the car.
The veepeak mini is small so it doesn't get in the way when you leave it in the obd port while driving. Some cars have an awkward obd location and an obd reader will get in the way of your leg.
The free version of Car Scanner App works great. Tip: I was able to add some readings like car battery voltage by going to the dashboard view and then adding a new sensor. For some reason I could not find battery voltage in the sensors list within settings.
I was unable to connect to any Android tire pressure apps, but surprisingly Car Scanner had tire pressure sensors available which worked. I found that there is a glitch when shutting off the car, the tires pressures will jump up 20psi and it takes a couple minutes for each tire to show the correct reading. Remember also that when you shut the car off, you have to turn the ignition back to the ON position for the Veepeak to communicate with your phone. Other than this, the tire pressures seem very accurate compared to my tire pump gauge and change in realtime while driving. Annoying, most cars only give you a low tire pressure warning so it's great to have actual pressure readings for each tire (see picture).
Some more advanced readings like transmission temperature may have to be added manually in the app through a PID. Google instructions for your car and search something like "transmission temperature PID" I was able to find instructions for my car through rav4world.com and toyotanation.com to add the transmission temp readout in Car Scanner.
One thing that could be improved by getting a more expensive obd reader is the ability to turn the unit off. This one stays on while plugged in so it might drain your car battery after a few days. There are also more expensive units that can use wifi or bluetooth, and are compatible with iphone and android.
| Manufacturer | Veepeak |
|---|---|
| Brand | Veepeak |
| Item Weight | 1.12 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 1.89 x 0.98 x 1.26 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | VP11 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | VP11 |
| Special Features | Compatible with 1996+ cars and light trucks; works with Android Apps like Torque, Car Scanner ELM OBD2, OBD Fusion and Dr Prius; Read and Clear Diagnostic Trouble Codes, Read Sensor Data, and More. |
