Does anyone use 'Torque pro' , and a bluetooth dongle

[liviococcia]

Hello Members

I posted this here rather than on the 'OBD diagnostics' section, as I thought it might draw more relevance to my car.

I have a 'Vw Golf TDi SE 1.9 Estate Auto (Diesel) year of registration 2002 (I think that makes it a Mk4).

I have 'Torque Pro' on my Android phone, and a ELM 327 'bluetooth' dongle, I have used this android app and hardware on both my previous Vw Polo 1.4 petrol(2001), and my family's VW's (Vw Gti Golf 2.0 2006 & Golf 1.6 2005).

I'm finding that the Torque Pro app can't connect(communicate) with the Golf TDi 's ECU.

So I'm woundering if any members who have the same VW car model, and who successfully use the' Torque Pro' android app, have got it working?

If it is working for them, are they using a specific type/make of 'bluetooth' dongle, (what's the make please?

Or, are they connecting to the cars ECU by doing a specific sequence routine when using the Android app and there ELM 327.

If the TDi's ECU can never communicate using Torque Pro or the ELM 327 dongle, is there a good Handheld Diagnostic reader that works with this car, and that can also do live readings
for around the £100 to £200 price range.

Thanks for any members help.

Kind regards
Livio

 

[Lensdude_com]

Have you already emailed the Torque Pro App developers? I know there is a list of known working dongles and where to buy them but if the same ELM 327 dongle worked properly on your VW petrol cars then it must be damaged or the App hasn't been properly setup on your Android device...

 

[liviococcia]

Hello Lensdude_com, yes I've emailed the app developers, and seen the Torque pro's hardware recommendation list, it just I don't want to purchase something that might not work for my TDi model.

As far as the apps setup is concerned, as I mention in it's default setup it does work without issues on the other cars I've mentioned, I did make some settings changes in the 'OBD settings' section of Torque Pro but it didn't make any difference, I changed them back again.

I've also read somewhere that maybe the OBDll system didn't start on VW Diesel's until 2004, but I also read how some TDi owners get the Torque Pro/ELM 327 dongle working for them?


What I can't get my head around is that it works no problem with some VW models, but not this 2002 TDi what's the different about the cars ECU, I don't think there's a problem with it as the cars gone to service at VW and it's never been mentioned that there's a ECU fault.

Thanks

 

[Lensdude_com]

If you saved all of the TDI vehicle specs in a new profile then pair your ELM327 with your android device and checked that your Golf's OBD2 port doesn't have any bent pins then it should work. I've noticed a check box at the bottom of the settings screen that reads: Advanced- select the option below if you get no connection or data back from your vehicle (some GM/Nissans/Mazda and extended PIDs (eg: knock)(Requires restart)
[check box] Use Alternate OBD Header
Preferred OBD2 Protocol
Automatic- Thorough protocol scan

take a look at that in your app

 

[liviococcia]

If you saved all of the TDI vehicle specs in a new profile then pair your ELM327 with your android device and checked that your Golf's OBD2 port doesn't have any bent pins then it should work. I've noticed a check box at the bottom of the settings screen that reads: Advanced- select the option below if you get no connection or data back from your vehicle (some GM/Nissans/Mazda and extended PIDs (eg: knock)(Requires restart)
[check box] Use Alternate OBD Header
Preferred OBD2 Protocol
Automatic- Thorough protocol scan

take a look at that in your app

Thanks again, but I don't see those settings(or written in that terminology) in the Torque Pro app version that I have (there are settings to getting the adapter to read from the ECU quicker, or slower, but nothing like what you indicated above.

I did give it a go changing these fast/slow adapter settings, with no luck, and my Torque Pro is the latest version.

Maybe it's just the ELM 327 adapter is incompatible with this year of manufacture/model, or type of ECU, I am prepared to buy another Bluetooth adapter, but I'd like to get one that's known to work with this particular VW TDi and it's computer.

I know my existing ELM 327 does work correctly though, and that it does pull up real-time data, and fault codes from the family's other VW cars, and that I don't think there are bent pins or problems with the cars ECU, I'm thinking it's just an incompatibility issue between my ELM 327 and the ECU somehow.

Cheers

 

[Lensdude_com]

scroll to the bottom of the settings screen... I didn't make it up

 

[liviococcia]

scroll to the bottom of the settings screen... I didn't make it up

Sorry Lensdude_com, i didn't mean they way my reply came across, it's just I couldn't find the 'Advanced options' in the 'Torque settings' screen, I've email screenshot images to your email address, as I couldn't work out how to attach images from my phone to the forum post.

Hope this was OK to do thanks

 

[Lensdude_com]

My apologies for misleading you... the icon is actually the 'Menu' that brings up "Settings...Vehicle Profile...Quit" so tap Vehicle Profile then choose to either Edit or Create New Profile and at the bottom of that screen is the Advanced Options.

 

[liviococcia]

If you saved all of the TDI vehicle specs in a new profile then pair your ELM327 with your android device and checked that your Golf's OBD2 port doesn't have any bent pins then it should work. I've noticed a check box at the bottom of the settings screen that reads: Advanced- select the option below if you get no connection or data back from your vehicle (some GM/Nissans/Mazda and extended PIDs (eg: knock)(Requires restart)
[check box] Use Alternate OBD Header
Preferred OBD2 Protocol
Automatic- Thorough protocol scan

take a look at that in your app

Thanks again Lensdude_com, no luck though.

I created a vehicle profile, ticked the box as you stated above but it still didn't connect to the ECU, I did restart the car.

I then though I'd give the other 'baud' rates a go under the 'Automatic - Thorough protocol scan' listings, but again none of the other choices in the listings worked for me.

So, is it possible that somehow the ECU is of different standard(not OBD ll) or that the adapter just isn't compatible, or that Torque Pro just isn't compatible?

Regards

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

I connect fine w/Torque Pro and generic ELM BT adapter. You should be able to talk to your car, even if TDI. Seems like you'd get some error message pointing to either the adapter or communications over OBDII. I doubt your car is just not compatible.

 

[liviococcia]

I connect fine w/Torque Pro and generic ELM BT adapter. You should be able to talk to your car, even if TDI. Seems like you'd get some error message pointing to either the adapter or communications over OBDII. I doubt your car is just not compatible.

There's always the possibility that it's sharing a MAC address between the other 'bluetooth' items, like the 'PIONEER bluetooth CD car stereo, or Sony Smartwatch, but I don' t have any pairing problems with the ELM327 adapter, just it's communication to the VW TDi estate.

Maybe I'll see if it connects to my brothers VW Golf TDi estate, it's the same Mk 4 version and a diesel, only it's not an Auto and has the standard VW stock CD radio player (not a bluetooth one).

Cheers everyone

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Have you ever read your car using any other scanner before? Like VCDS aka VagCOM? Aftermarket radio(s) and proper handling of the K-Line comes to mind.

 

[liviococcia]

Have you ever read your car using any other scanner before? Like VCDS aka VagCOM? Aftermarket radio(s) and proper handling of the K-Line comes to mind.

Hello FlyTDI, no, not this VW, iI've only had In for a few months so I didn't have the need to access it's ECU until this weekend.

But as you've just pointed out that was going to be my next thing to try, as I do have a budget version Autel handheld Vag diagnostic scanner, so if I connect that up and it reads, at least it means the ECU is OK, and that it's something else.

I wanted Torque Pro to work for me though as it has more options, and things are always being updated to the application.

Regards

 

[nexus665]

Hi,

Torque will work fine with an ELM327 adapter - however, an ELM327 adapter will NOT WORK with older, non-fully-OBD2-capable VAG vehicles! Has nothing to do with K-Line troubles.

Reason being, those only speak KWP1281, not KWP2000 oder other "dialects". To use Torque with such a car you need THIS Bluetooth dongle. It works beautifully on my car where the ELM327 also fails.

In fact, I was the one who wrote to Ian (torque developer) about this adapter and got him to include support for it because I was so miffed it wouldn't work on my car, and he was nice enough to oblige

When you get this dongle, you will need to select the experimental VAG dedicated dongle from the list - you'll find it. Then all starts working

However, a caveat - you will need to find out what measuring blocks your desired values live at - Torque now shows you a list of PIDs, unnamed but numbered. So it has all measuring blocks and all sub-values, but YOU have to figure out what they mean

If you have VCDS, this is very simple.

Regards

 

[liviococcia]

Hi,

Torque will work fine with an ELM327 adapter - however, an ELM327 adapter will NOT WORK with older, non-fully-OBD2-capable VAG vehicles! Has nothing to do with K-Line troubles.

Reason being, those only speak KWP1281, not KWP2000 oder other "dialects". To use Torque with such a car you need THIS Bluetooth dongle. It works beautifully on my car where the ELM327 also fails.

In fact, I was the one who wrote to Ian (torque developer) about this adapter and got him to include support for it because I was so miffed it wouldn't work on my car, and he was nice enough to oblige

When you get this dongle, you will need to select the experimental VAG dedicated dongle from the list - you'll find it. Then all starts working

However, a caveat - you will need to find out what measuring blocks your desired values live at - Torque now shows you a list of PIDs, unnamed but numbered. So it has all measuring blocks and all sub-values, but YOU have to figure out what they mean

If you have VCDS, this is very simple.

Regards

Thanks nexus665 for the help, and the link.

Just showing my ignorance here, sorry, with regards to the measuring blocks, and VCDS software.

Using the Torque Pro software I understand I can find out, by viewing a listing of OBD PID's in Torque Pro, and then cross referencing there codes with the VCDS (Ross-tech) software.

The trouble is I don't have this software, or a PC, so is there an android equivalent app that can do the VCDS job.

Also, using the Bluetooth dongle in your link, is it that under my Vw Golf TDi profile, in the advanced section that I would need to pick the 'VAG experimental dongle' Baud rate?

Regards

 

[liviococcia]

Thanks nexus665 for the help, and the link.
Just showing my ignorance here, sorry, with regards to the measuring blocks, and VCDS software.
Using the Torque Pro software I understand I can find out, by viewing a listing of OBD PID's in Torque Pro, and then cross referencing there codes with the VCDS (Ross-tech) software.
The trouble is I don't have this software, or a PC, so is there an android equivalent app that can do the VCDS job.
Also, using the Bluetooth dongle in your link, is it that under my Vw Golf TDi profile, in the advanced section that I would need to pick the 'VAG experimental dongle' Baud rate?
Regards

Thanks everyone for your kind, great help


And to update, I've purchased the dongle from the link, so I'll update this posting when it arrives, hopefully it will work for me.

Also, when the Bluetooth dongle arrives and shows to be working for me, then I can think how to gather and translate the 'blocks' & PID's information for my TDi.


Kind regards
Livio

 

[nexus665]

Yes, exactly - inside your VW Golf TDI Profile in the Torque app, scroll down all the way and use the VAG experimental dongle as "Preferred OBD2 Protocol". You don't need to choose baud rate.

Then, use Ross-Tech docs to find out in what measuring blocks your desired values are and add those in Torque - if you don't have it, I'm sure we can help you out if you tell us what you'd like to see.

In fact, you can grab VCDS-Lite (it's free), install it and look at the label files inside its directory - the one you'll be interested in is the one for your ECU, it lists all measuring blocks and values. For my ECU, it's called 038-906-012-AGR.lbl - this is valid for all VEP TDIs, AFAIK.

Regards

 

[liviococcia]

Cheers again for the great help in trying to resolve my problem everyone, I'll come back to this thread when I get the new dongle.
Regards all

 

[nogassershere]

I have the TorquePro and a generic ELM327 Bluetooth adapter. I got the adapter from Amazon, I think it was only about $14.00 I did not have to make any changes to the default settings in the app. I have noticed some BT connectivity problems if I leave the adapter plugged in too long before I accept the pairing request. If this happens, I simply un plug the adapter and reinsert it, then authorize the pairing request. Looking at the settings, no alternate OBD header, Automatic- Thorough protocol scan. I have used it on several vehicles; Toyota, Honda, Ford, and of course a few VW TDIs. I love it.
Just my $.02

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Not sure of the OP's MY but it appears to be 2002. If so, then I'm sure he should be able to read all the things Torque would normally display. Unlike VCDS, Torque and others like it only have access to limited data using the OBDII protocol. A good deal of the info we're used to seeing in VCDS uses VAG's proprietary communication protocol and not available to SGII or Torque. Hope the new interface does the job.

 

[nexus665]

Yes,

that's exactly what it does - it gives the same measuring blocks and functionality as VCDS has, that's the point. Actually, it's an alternate implementation of the same protocol that VCDS uses by someone else (www.blafusel.de).

Regards

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

While that adapter looks really cool, it still doesn't answer why the OP can't communicate at all using his current adapter. He should be able to get some info unless his ECU is a lot older, as you suggest. Even then, seems like he should be able to read some rudimentary data. All this, assuming he is successfully communicating with his car, which he doesn't seem to be doing.

 

[nexus665]

Hi,

it was the exact same thing on my car - no way to get any comms AT ALL with an ELM327 adapter, as I wrote. Believe it or not

Regards

 

[liviococcia]

Hello nexsu665, I've received my WBH-BT4 dongle and via bluetooth connection (it appears as Serial adapter) paired in up to my Android phone.

Then under 'Vehicle Profile', put a tick in 'Use alternative OBD Header' I've picked 'VW/Audi Native non OBD2 '.

The result is that I am now showing that I'm connected to the ECU (all Blue icons are fix, and blue), although I only connect to the ECU when the car is started (engine on).

What I don't have is any real time data feed back, and the ECU can' t be scanned for any fault codes.

I have seen the WBH-BT4 notice stating that it needs a vehicle 'identity', and that an example file can be found in the SD Card '.torque/vw-identities' folder.

Where is this file located under the Android os (bear in mind, i am not rooted), and is this the reason why nothing is being read from the ECU (even the fault codes)?

So basically I've got a step closer to reading the ECU, in that at least Torque Pro is locking onto the unit but know just not getting any information off it.

Any help would be great please?

Kind regards

 

[nexus665]

Hi,

great, that means it works!

Now you need to connect it and go into realtime information. Take care the adapter is connected before you click on realtime info - it's sort of fickle that way, but works great once it's connected for me.

Then you can start adding values you want to see to one of the screens - you'll need to choose "add display" (whichever kind you prefer), then scroll down once the list of sensors appears until you find something like "Block 01(1) Value 01" and so on. These are the VAG measuring blocks from your ECU! What would you like to add, if you don't know what measuring block it's in, we can look it up for you or you can find a VCDS label file as indicated before on your own

As to error scans, not sure Torque does those with this adapter, but you can use other Windows software that's meant for the WBH-BT4 to do that with it, which works just fine.

Regards

 

[liviococcia]

Big thanks nexus665 for all of the help, yep I did as you suggested as a test.

First going to 'menu' icon then 'add display' the chose the first dial, then picking 'block 01(1) value01' and that dial seemed to be matching the ' RPM' rate on the cars consol.

But as you say, I have know way of knowing what measuring 'Block'/value' pertains to say 'Speed', 'Acceration', 'Revs', 'Boost', 'Coolant', 'Temperature', 'Throttle' and so on for my model car.

I haven't a PC to run the Ross Tech VCDS software so your help in ascertaining a least the basic 'blocks' above would be great.

nexus665, if you have a suggestion on any android OS software that will work with this WBH-BT4 dongle for scanning the faults codes, this would be a big help also.

Big thanks, and regards for this help.
Livio

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

There's a thread HERE showing common A4 blocks/groups. It's good for an ALH engine and may be helpful.

 

[Genesis]

I have used both an ELM interface and a WiFi one with Torque Pro and both have been able to talk to my ALH. It's not a replacement for VCDS, but it is fairly useful and can read and reset codes.

 

[nexus665]

Hi liviococcia,

all you need is a serial terminal, really - you can read/clear codes (albeit without explanation, just numerical codes) that way. Look into the adapter's manual, I think it's available in english as well, it describes how to access it via serial.

I'm not sure whether there is a dedicated Android app to do that with this adapter separately - if there isn't, there ought to be...

Regards

 

[liviococcia]

So it's looking as though there isn't a dedicated 'OBD android app fault code reader' that will work with the WBH-BT4 dongle ( by bluetooth connection).

The only possibility is, that 'Torque Pro' app could be fully developed in that it could use the WBH-BT4 dongle hardware, giving you all the features like a ELM 327 dongle does.

And this means I don't really have any way off reading 'faults' in the ECU without using a Windows/PC laptop, and using Ross Techs VAG-COM paid, or free version, or some other equivalent software.

Trouble is I only have my Android phone, I don't want to have to buy a computer.

What really is irritating is that some are having no problems using Torque Pro with the ELM327 while having the same VW TDi model and year of car, what has caused mine to need special hardware in order to read the ECU.

Also, if the Torque Pro developers know these issues exists, why having they modified, or adapted the software to address these ECU differences, and to work seamlessly with the WBH-BT4 dongle.

I think I'll either have to get a dedicated Diagnostic reader (that isn't £300 +), or just wait for either Torque Pro to be fully functional with the WBH-BT4 dongle, or for another Android app to address the issue and work with my VW car.

Thanks for all the forum members help.