[CrimsonXion]

Has any one tried using this (or something similar)
OBDII Bluetooth Car Diagnostic Cable - Black + Blue + Orange (DC 12V) - Free Shipping - DealExtreme
to get all the wonderful information to be displayed on the tablet Mazda so lovingly placed on the dash?

My biggest roadblock about getting this car is the fact it has so many "Dummy" lights. I like to know BEFORE its to late to pull over and save my engine....

I have heard this "Torque" app is wonderful but most people use it on their cell phone. I figure the Mazda 3 has a nice tablet, can be connected to the internet and has a android based system, so theoretically you -should- be able to get Torque on the Mazda, connect this BT dongle and get data to display on the tablet, right?

 

[CrimsonXion]

I have already spoken with my Mazda rep here, he does not know if this is possible and wouldn't let me try it >.>

 

[TheBobmanNH]

I figure the Mazda 3 has a nice tablet, can be connected to the internet and has a android based system, so theoretically you -should- be able to get Torque on the Mazda, connect this BT dongle and get data to display on the tablet, right?

You can't install normal Android apps on the Mazda infotainment system, and the Torque app is no different. Sorry. I know it would be nice but it's EXTREMELY unlikely to ever happen.

 

[Airfleet]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but "Torque" is an app and there would be no way to install an outside app, into the Mazda infotainment system, even through the internet. It doesn't allow downloading of apps. It was primarily installed and used for the, now gone (in NA), connected services.

 

[Zealotnic]

The infotainment system is essentially a laptop with a heavily modified Linux operating system. Installing or changing anything on the system is proving to be near impossible. See infotainment project thread, their biggest achievements so far have been turning off speed restrictions on controls and maybe self update.

 

[tenf00t]

You're in luck, my odb2 adapter just arrived yesterday at the post office. I will be picking it up tonight. Will let you know if it works with my Mazda 3 2014.

2014 New Super MINI Bluetooth ELM 327 V1.5 OBD2 / OBDII ELM327 for Android Torque Car Code Scanner FREE SHIPPING-in Code Readers & Scan Tools from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com

This has nothing to do with the infotainment system. It is a bluetooth adapter that you plug in to your ODBII connector and it reads data directly from your cars computer and sends the data to your phone or tablet. Works on pretty much any car that has an ODBII connector.

Will let you know once I get the adapter and test torque.

 

[TheBobmanNH]

You're in luck, my odb2 adapter just arrived yesterday at the post office. I will be picking it up tonight. Will let you know if it works with my Mazda 3 2014.

2014 New Super MINI Bluetooth ELM 327 V1.5 OBD2 / OBDII ELM327 for Android Torque Car Code Scanner FREE SHIPPING-in Code Readers & Scan Tools from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com

This has nothing to do with the infotainment system. It is a bluetooth adapter that you plug in to your ODBII connector and it reads data directly from your cars computer and sends the data to your phone or tablet. Works on pretty much any car that has an ODBII connector.

Will let you know once I get the adapter and test torque.

I have pretty much the same adapter, it works fine.

 

[revacc]

I have pretty much the same adapter, it works fine.

These are cheap Chinese clones though. So whether they will work fine or mess with your car will depend a lot on how lucky you are.

 

[Airfleet]

These are cheap Chinese clones though. So whether they will work fine or mess with your car will depend a lot on how lucky you are.

I've read mixed reviews about the reliability and longevity of the Chinese clones. Seems like a luck of the draw. For that reason, I've been considering this model. I've never had much luck with clone anything. Haha

 

[TheBobmanNH]

I've read mixed reviews about the reliability and longevity of the Chinese clones. Seems like a luck of the draw. For that reason, I've been considering this model. I've never had much luck with clone anything. Haha

ScanTool

Look, I"m with you on the reliability concern, but for under ten bucks, you could buy 8 of them for the cost of that thing. If you can find a more reputable one for half that, it might be worth it, but 70 dollars is ridonk.

 

[Airfleet]

Look, I"m with you on the reliability concern, but for under ten bucks, you could buy 8 of them for the cost of that thing. If you can find a more reputable one for half that, it might be worth it, but 70 dollars is ridonk.

I agree and is why I didn't pull the trigger on it. For me, it's just something I'd play with a few times and forget about it. What little bit of extra info it would tell me, that the car doesn't already supply, isn't worth messing with and doesn't cause me any concerns. I have testing equipment and computer programs, if I suspect any problems. But, I can see why some people install them.

 

[Farewell]

These ELM adapters are nice but only toys, you'll need a special mazda obd adapter for all parameters ot someone hacks the car CAN system.

 

[CrimsonXion]

I just wish the tablet that comes with the car could display all sensor data the car already keeps track of internally.

I have test driven other cars/trucks that do (or at least temps and tire pressures). Why Mazda did not include these basic readings is beyond me. They have always been a "toggle" option so people who don't care about said info never have to see said info.

The ODBII BT adapter sending info to a cell phone is fantastic, however I am not going to mount my cell phone when I already have a TABLET mounted in the middle of my dash >.>.... For any other car that has no such tablet or screen to display this info, I would definitely mount my phone some where but this is a 30k car we are talking about... I guess what throws me off the most is the fact the tablet has a "APPLICATIONS" menu... Can you even put anything on this car (application wise)?

 

[TheBobmanNH]

Just because you keep calling it a tablet doesn't change what it is. I know htat's technically what it is but that's not what it's designed to be used as. It's a closed system. It's like calling your local ATM a tablet and being mad that you can't play Candy Crush on it.

 

[TheBobmanNH]

I agree and is why I didn't pull the trigger on it. For me, it's just something I'd play with a few times and forget about it. What little bit of extra info it would tell me, that the car doesn't already supply, isn't worth messing with and doesn't cause me any concerns. I have testing equipment and computer programs, if I suspect any problems. But, I can see why some people install them.

Pretty much teh same here. I have one of the cheap ones, got Torque on an old cell phone, and had some fun with it, but for everyday use it's not worth worrying about (in that I have to keep the phone charged and take it down every time I park somewhere public blah blah). THe only thing I really wish I had constantly was a temp gauge. Drives me nuts, and it's not just Mazda that hasn't been including them. Stupid, stupid trend.

 

[CrimsonXion]

Pretty much teh same here. I have one of the cheap ones, got Torque on an old cell phone, and had some fun with it, but for everyday use it's not worth worrying about (in that I have to keep the phone charged and take it down every time I park somewhere public blah blah). THe only thing I really wish I had constantly was a temp gauge. Drives me nuts, and it's not just Mazda that hasn't been including them. Stupid, stupid trend.

Indeed, most new cars I have tested in this price range usually only have dummy lights, I really don't understand why....

 

[chris_top_her]

Look, I"m with you on the reliability concern, but for under ten bucks, you could buy 8 of them for the cost of that thing. If you can find a more reputable one for half that, it might be worth it, but 70 dollars is ridonk.

Agreed.. personally I haven't heard of anyone using a $10 adapter that has had issues.

 

[Airfleet]

Pretty much teh same here. I have one of the cheap ones, got Torque on an old cell phone, and had some fun with it, but for everyday use it's not worth worrying about (in that I have to keep the phone charged and take it down every time I park somewhere public blah blah). THe only thing I really wish I had constantly was a temp gauge. Drives me nuts, and it's not just Mazda that hasn't been including them. Stupid, stupid trend.

I agree. The only gauge I miss is the temp gauge. My last 2 or 3 new cars have not had temp gauges. I've gotten use to it, through the years, but still miss it. It is indeed a stupid, and unexplainable, trend.

 

[TheBobmanNH]

I agree. The only gauge I miss is the temp gauge. My last 2 or 3 new cars have not had temp gauges. I've gotten use to it, through the years, but still miss it. It is indeed a stupid, and unexplainable, trend.

So having used Torque for a few months, I have noticed that the temperature "floats" on this car quite a bit more than on my last few cars -- especially in traffic, it will go up by 20 degrees, the fan will kick on, it'll come back down. I wonder if automakers just know that if people saw a fluctuating gauge they would freak out, even though it's "normal," and rather than deal with the blowback they just took out the gauge?

 

[Airfleet]

So having used Torque for a few months, I have noticed that the temperature "floats" on this car quite a bit more than on my last few cars -- especially in traffic, it will go up by 20 degrees, the fan will kick on, it'll come back down. I wonder if automakers just know that if people saw a fluctuating gauge they would freak out, even though it's "normal," and rather than deal with the blowback they just took out the gauge?

Good point. You very well may be right. I can already hear some people, at the service desk, saying "My temp keeps fluctuating up and down and my '73 Pinto never did that. I think the engine's ready to blow. I demand a new engine!" LOL