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Elm327 Usage Tips


Harry Spillett
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Hello,

I have just bought a ELM327 interface (eBay, nothing fancy) that I plan to use with ELMconfig to talk to my MK2 Focus.

The intraface came with a driver disk, do I need to instal this or does ELMconfing have all of the drivers included within it?

I have noticed that there are a couple of code reader type programs on this disc, has anyone used any of these or would you think that ELMconfig is the best thing to read codes and make changes to the car?

I think I may have a "notchy" throttle position sensor and I am hoping this may throw up a code if it is faulty.

Regards,

Harrty

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Hi

I've recently had 2 ELM327 readers off eBay.

A £5 bluetooth one that connected with the Android app (Torque lite)that was recommended, but wouldn't connect to my 2003 Mk1.5 Focus, but which would connect to my Skoda Fabia. I sent it back.

A £13 USB one, claiming to work with Fords from 2001 onwards. It connected to my PC fine with the software supplied, and a variety of others I found on the internet (EasyOBDII, PCMSCAN, FORScan and others), but the reader wouldn't connect to my Focus, it did all connect to my Skoda. I'm sending it back

I took the car to a garage yesterday and their fancy dancy reader connected to my car and told me the codes and wiped them all clear and ran some tests. Trust Ford quoted me £65 to read the codes, the local garage did it for £20.

What pins are used on your OBD2 port? For comparison mine uses: 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16 and instead of being a proper trapezium shaped moulding, it's like a rectangle with two ears sticking out at the corners where the widest side of the trapezium would be.

I'm pretty sure that the 2003 Mk1.5 Focus that I've got is not OBD2 compliant or that Ford used some obscure protocol, and for that reason doesn't connect to the readers I bought. If anyone reading this does know what works with a 2003 Focus I'd be glad to find out.

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Matthew,

It looks as though the crucial pins are 6 and 14 for the hi and low Can busses respectively. I plan to modify this interface using a DPDT switch so I can switch between busses as shown in a number of online guides. However I want to try it unmodified first to make sure it actually works first!

Did you try elmconfig with your interfaces?

Regards,

Harry

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All petrols are OBD2 compliant since 2001, so the Mk1.5 Focus above will be.

On topic though, FORScan is better for fault reading than ELMConfig I find. ELMConfig is better for altering settings (switching on auto locking or activating cruise control as examples) although it does also fault read.

You are welcome to try the generic OBD programmes, they may even come in handy for other cars as well, but for the Focus you'll get the most detail and accuracy from the specific ones.

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Thanks,

I will give it a try this weekend and see how I get on. I have fitted a washer fluid level sensor and I want to enable it and check for power train fault codes, there is definitely something "odd" about how it accelerates and pulls through the gears.

H

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"It looks as though the crucial pins are 6 and 14 for the hi and low Can busses respectively. I plan to modify this interface using a DPDT switch so I can switch between busses as shown in a number of online guides. However I want to try it unmodified first to make sure it actually works first!

Did you try elmconfig with your interfaces?"

No, I didn't try ELMconfig. Is that to configure the reader/interface so that it can communicate with the car, or is it to configure the car using an interface that is working?

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Elmconfig is an application that uses the elm327 interface to talk to the car. You can use it as reader to check for fault codes like FORScan but also access all the modules on the car to enable certain features using tick boxes such as DDS (Deflation Detection System) and adjust different parameters such as the fade time of the interior lights. In order to be able to access all the modules on the car you need to make a modification to the interface itself. By adding a toggle switch you can select both of the data busses used on the car, not just one that the unmodified interface uses.

This is what I have learned from everyone else, I have yet to try it for myself. At the moment I am in a "work interfering with life" situation! Hopefully I will get opertunity to plug the laptop into the car on Sunday...

H

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The modified ELM cables are cheap enough to not need to DIY mod your own if you're not into electronic (like myself!).

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Thanks all. I did see the modified cables for sale, and I read a guide on how to modify the cable myself, but the mod ended up using pin positions that are unused on the socket on my Focus, which is why I though mine must be a different protocol.

If I figure out how to upload a photo, I'll show you what's on my car.

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I hope this is a sufficiently clear photo of my 2003 Focus' port. Does it use the same contact pins as other people's.

post-43770-0-07625600-1430638566_thumb.j

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