V1 Thoughts on OBD2 digital gauges via tablet?

[Classy]

In my search for alternative gauge solutions, I stumbled upon these systems that essentially plug into the OBD2 and are either bluetooth connected or wired (I would want wired) Does anyone have any experience with these?

 

[Fozda]

I used a bluetooth OBD2 adapter and a Samsung tablet with the Torque Pro app in my other car for track days. You can customize the screen to display whatever gauges you want, size, color, and just about anything else you can think of. It was pretty cheap to do and worked well on track so I've considered doing something like this in the Goblin as well.

 

[Classy]

I really like the idea, with an antiglare screen protector and a water resistant case, I would even build a cover for it to block the sun from being directly on it. Would only cost a few hundred with the cost of the tablet worked in.

 

[Fozda]

It's definitely the cheapest and easiest way to get a bunch of gauges displayed. I just haven't looked into figuring out how to mount it yet.

 

[k.rollin]

It's definitely the cheapest and easiest way to get a bunch of gauges displayed. I just haven't looking into figuring out how to mount it yet.

Waterdriver had designed a printable solution for a Samsung Tab A iirc

 

[Classy]

My son has a tab A that he hasn't touched since he got a phone, this is getting cheaper by the second!

So, the Torque Pro app, you can customize it to whatever you need and change the colors, display and style?

 

[Fozda]

So, the Torque Pro app, you can customize it to whatever you need and change the colors, display and style?

You can change just about everything you can think of! You have have round, square, full sweep, half sweep, digital, set min/max parameters, size, color, background, you name it.

 

[Classy]

Awesome, sure beats running 4-5 separate gauges, wiring them all up and making a cluster for them

 

[Fozda]

This was the original cluster layout I setup. I refined it as time went on but this might give you a small taste of what you can do with it.

 

[Gtstorey]

Can you get oil pressure through the OBD2 on a TC Cobalt? I run an Ultragauge in my 2010 Camaro and it doesn't report oil pressure through the OBD2. And the stock gauges are so low in the car, you can't really watch them while driving.

 

[Fozda]

Can you get oil pressure through the OBD2 on a TC Cobalt? I run an Ultragauge in my 2010 Camaro and it doesn't report oil pressure through the OBD2. And the stock gauges are so low in the car, you can't really watch them while driving.

If the PCM can read it, the tablet can display it. Sometimes you have to add a PID but that's all you need to do to get it to work. I would assume there's an oil pressure sensor on the Cobalt but I really don't know.

 

[Anks329]

If my gauge panel doesn't work after all my testing, I'll be switching over to an tablet based dashboard. Does anyone know if we can read the odometer from the OBD port?

View attachment 17241

Is there a way to share the layout? Or is there a way to edit layouts on a computer and then transfer over to the tablet?

 

[Fozda]

I believe you can export a layout but it's super easy to do on the tablet and everyone probably wants a different layout.

 

[Ross]

The odometer is stored in the BCM, and sent to the instrument cluster using the low speed GM LAN, which also runs to the OBD II port.
So yes there is a way to see that data from the OBD port.
Does your tablet's software know how to interpret the data, is now the question.

 

[Anks329]

torque pro has a bunch of additional pids for gm cars. One of which includes the odometer reading. Unfortunately, my reader doesn’t seem to support ELM327 interface. So I’ve ordered another reader off Amazon and hopefully that can read these extra PIDs correctly.

 

[Brian74]

Can you get oil pressure through the OBD2 on a TC Cobalt? I run an Ultragauge in my 2010 Camaro and it doesn't report oil pressure through the OBD2. And the stock gauges are so low in the car, you can't really watch them while driving.

Unfortunately, no.

All the LNF ECM sees is an oil pressure switch. To get analog oil pressure, you will need to install an oil pressure transducer and feed a gauge directly. Pegasus Racing sells a decent VDO transducer and has a great guide on which parts you will need to install it.

 

[Gtstorey]

Unfortunately, no.

All the LNF ECM sees is an oil pressure switch. To get analog oil pressure, you will need to install an oil pressure transducer and feed a gauge directly. Pegasus Racing sells a decent VDO transducer and has a great guide on which parts you will need to install it.

Thanks, that's sort of what I though might be the case.

 

[Waterdriver]

Mount and various guage configs.

With the gear ratios configured in Torque, the gear indicator feature is surprisingly very accurate.

 

[Fozda]

I love the mount! The only problem is that I don't have those big black panels on there like you have. Are you able to print a backplatefor it that has some mounts built in?

 

[Waterdriver]

I love the mount! The only problem is that I don't have those big black panels on there like you have. Are you able to print a backplatefor it that has some mounts built in?

I don't have a printed backplate for it. In thinking about it, the same 1/4in ABS I used for my dash panels, could be cut out/trimmed as backplate. Then mount that backplate to something.
What would you mount it to?
Have something in mind?