What you need:


SAFETY WARNING: Never start and run your engine inside of a closed garage. Always make sure there is good ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide fumes are produced by your engine’s exhaust gases.



1. Locate your car’s OBDII diagnostic port and plug in your scanner. The location will vary on each car, but it’s usually found within arm’s reach under the driver’s side dashboard, under the steering wheel. (Go here if you need help locating your OBDII Port)


2. Turn on your ignition by turning your key to the 2nd turn. The engine will be off, but this provides power to your dash lights, radio and also the OBDII diagnostic port.


3. From your Android Smartphone or tablet, go to your SETTINGS, then WIRELESS & NETWORKS, then BLUETOOTH SETTINGS. Turn on Bluetooth, scan for the nearby devices and pair your phone with the scanner. 

The name of the scanner will vary depending on the model: Examples would be OBDII, OBD-II, VLink, ELM327, OBD2, 

The default password is 1234.


4. Open your preferred app. I will use the Torque app as an example. Go to the Settings page by pressing the Menu button on your device. Then go to “OBD2 Adapter Settings”, then “Choose Bluetooth Device”, and then select the paired Scanner. This step is critical because the App won't know to detect the ELM327 Scanner and it won't connect to the ECU!


5. Go back to the App’s main menu and it will begin establishing a connection with the scanner. All 4 icons will be solid blue when it’s connected (Torque).




Tips for Bluetooth Pairing Issues:

  • Make sure the scanner is plugged into the OBDII Port and ignition is on
  • Unpair any existing Bluetooth devices such as a headset or speaker
  • If the password 1234 doesn’t work, try 12345 or 0000
  • Turn off Bluetooth, turn it back on and re-scan for Bluetooth devices
  • Unplug and plug in the Scanner from the OBDII port, then re-scan for Bluetooth devices

App Connection Issues:

  • Make sure the paired OBD2 scanner is selected within the app’s settings if it won’t connect (see step 3)
  • Restart the Application
  • Unpair the Bluetooth device and pair it again