check out TMART, they are a vendor/sponsor here. I got an obd2 cable from them and it works great and was very cheap.

 

Dear all who got their mini with the PLX kiwi wifi worked in their ride:
Lucky you! I got the PLX awhile ago with my ipad and it just didnt work on my 2008 R52, i took a pic of my OBD port and sent to PLX, they said my port got pins missing and they refunded the thingy.
Anyone here with a PLX and R52 2008 or older?
Cheers

 

I use the Edge CTS you have the ability to set up any gauges you want for everyday use It will also read and clear codes It has a great screen and fits in nice in the space in back of the cup holders. I have a 2011 clubman S and have been usind it for about 1 year
The web site http://edgeproducts.com
Maybe its something you would like

 

Nice looking, but that is an expensive unit considering it doesn't have any custom settings for MINI Specifically.

 

I have one of the ones with a small blue transparent case permanently sitting in my 2007 MCS.

Here's a link on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-Mini-E...c5a538&vxp=mtr

It works well, but connecting it to an iPod touch with roqybt and dash command on the jailbroken iPod is not always working flawlessly. That's the drawback of iOS devices that you can not really use any Bluetooth devices you want as on Android.

The nice thing with this one is that it does't have any wires and is very compact and I haven't seen any functional drawbacks to the ones with useless cables, antennas, etc.

 

I have an ELM327 Bluetooth-OBDII adapter that I use with my Android phone and my Xoom tablet regularly. It only fails when you run it for a couple hours straight, then you just have to unplug and plug it back in. It reads a ton of data and it was like $33 shipped on eBay. The app you use on Android is called Torque and is available from Google Play for a few bucks. ($4.99 IIRC) .. It has a HUD mode which is cool as hell at night with a 10.1" tablet on the dash. Only thing negative I can say about it is the refresh rate is a little slow for my taste when you're running 15 or so gauges.

 

I was wondering too if there are any other mounting options or a better place to buy the mounting kits. They seem pretty pricey for plastic parts.

 

I used this (PLX Kiwi bluetooth) on my Mini Cooper to check and reset a check engine light, it worked fine. The light came on a few weeks later, I was going to reset the light and I couldn't find the button on my phone app ( free torque) to reset the check engine light. Where is it? On my other car, a Chevy HHR, I had a check engine light come on. I plugged the PLX in to read the codes and got the code, but could not reset it, no option. How do you distinguish between vehicles? How do you setup for different vehicles? Is there a detailed owners manual? Thanks for any help.

 

within torque application, there is a vehicle profile. go in there and create each vehicle profile. Click on Menu, Vehicle profile and you should have a button to create new profile. Hope that help.

 

When I touch bottom left button on my Galaxy S-3, I have 6 buttons appear. Actions, add display, toggle logging, email logs, clear logs, and the more button. When I tap the more button, I get a drop down menu with Reset trip counters, toggle HUD mode, calibrate accelerometers, reset dial to default, settings, OBD adapter info, and quit. This is all I can access. Can't find anything about adding a vehicle I have torque lite now, but will upgrade to the pro.

 

It might be a pro-specific feature. Or a feature you can only use once in the free version.

 

i have the paid version using on galaxy s4. I launch the application and within the application, i press the menu capacitive button. When i press that, i have three option; Setting, Vehicle Profile and quit. I select Vehicle profile and that is where it allow you to create a new profile.

 

Just a quick heads up...because it'll probably be for a limited time only but right now the app for iPhones: DashCommand – OBD-II gauge dashboards, scan tool, and vehicle diagnostics is 'on sale' for just $9.99 vs. $49.99 usually.

iTunes: http://appshopper.com/link/dashcommand

Keep in mind it also needs a way to communicate with the OBD II (wired or via Bluetooth)

 

It will need to be wifi to work with an iOS device. We have them, if you need one.

 

Watch out
I left mine in overnight and yup! Dead battery, dead dead

 

I never unplug mine. Leave it overnight, over weekends, even for a10 day trip to the UK. Car starts right up every time.

 

Leaving any thing plugged in the OBD port will draw power.

It should be unplugged when the vehicle is off

 

My PLX Kiwi specifically states it doesn't draw power when the car is off.

I've done voltage tests on my battery drain with and without the Kiwi, and the Kiwi is definitely slowly leaching power.

If you drive long enough, often enough, then your battery will be recharged. But if you have an older battery and take short trips and then go a couple days without starting it, your battery might be in trouble.

Either way, it's something to be mindful of, to see how one if these adapters reacts to your car.

 

I ordered a couple of these extension cables for OBDII. 1 meter length should work. (I hope!)


I found mounting an ELM327 in my vehicle wasn't very convenient -- I was bumping into it with my foot from time to time. This should enable me to easily plug/unplug the ELM327.

I paid around $13 on eBay or Amazon for the ELM327 and it has worked every time.

I also have a Nissan LEAF and there's a nifty app for Android to monitor battery usage and calculate just how much "good battery" you have in the vehicle...a concern over time. With two of these cables installed, it should be very easy to swap the single ELM327 device between the two cars, much like I do my garage door opener! ;-)

Now, I'm looking for some way to mount my Samsung Galaxy Tab (full sized 10" tablet) so I can move that, too. Must say, it's a huge distraction to be looking at that while driving. Be careful!

 

Found posts on this thread helpful and thought I would share my experiences. I did get a system with the Torque app up and running. I continue learning all the guages and measurement systems.





Before reading all the warnings on this thread about low priced OBDs, I purchased a Mini ELM327 from Amazon for $14. It fits in the socket with about a 1/4 showing under the dash panel. Just enough to see the indicator lights and not enough to catch my 11 1/2 shoe. After reading the warnings about it draining the battery, I left it plugged in for a week without starting the car. The battery was still fully charged. And, the ELM has communicated with the phone every time (after many tries in learing how to pair the phone and Torque app).

I downloaded the Torque app on my Droid X and began to learn how to match the phone and the OBD. Tried some of the guages and set up of screens in the Torque app. Since things were working, I purchased a used Droid X from an Amazon vendor to use as a dedicated instrument in the car. A smart phone without phone services is just a small tablet. This was a $50 investment.

Then, had to find a way to mount the phone so it would be easy to read. This wound up being the most expensive component of the system. But, the CravenSpeed scissors mount is a nice piece of equipment and worked well. Only problem was fitting it into the scissors mount in a way that the little arm was not pressing on the volume button on the side.

So, thanks to many who have posted about the Torque app and OBD2's with bluetooth, I have a system that provides data on many engine systems and measures performance.

It also functions as a navigation system. I use the Navigation app that comes standard on Android phones. So, one system with multiple uses.