What do you USE torque for? I know it can display SPEED, RPM, but most vehicles already have gauges for that. I know you can display throttle position %. But what does that really do for you?

I’m not faulting the APP at all. I love it, I’m just trying to get a thread going with examples for how TORQUE is USEFUL for you.

I use it for Fault scanning of course. I also use it to monitor AVG and Instant MPG occasionally, just to see where I’m at.

When I thought my transmission was acting up, I used it to monitor the trans temp, incase I could pin point the issue to when it got up in temperature or something.

I would have liked to use it to monitor individual cylinder misfires, but it wouldn’t read those, even when I had a fault code of a misfire on Cylinder 3. The CEL light doesn’t react to misfires unless it gets bad. So when I thought it was misfiring, I had to push it until the light blinked, then I’d scan it.

So what USEFULL information have you gotten from your TORQUE or what service does it provide?

I got it for data logging specifically. I’m still trying to work out the custom pids for all of the parameters I’m trying to pull, but it’s been great to see Throttle vs. commanded AFR vs. timing vs. MAF vs. MAP with intake air temps to boot.

Great for an aftermarket tuner, and MUCH less expensive than other methods of pulling the same data that were previously available.

A couple negatives though. When looking at the .csv files, I can tell that the data is only being updated about once a second, even though I have it set to update every .1 second. 10 or 11 straight rows of “4360 RPM” when I was reving from 4000 to 5000 for example.

I don’t have equations in the excel file yet to make the graphs so I can look at all the data in detail. I’m bout to spend a couple of hours making the graph sheet.

The presentation of the data from the realtime upload is nowhere near usable when viewed on flash, and not able to be zoomed or exported.

That said, I think it’s a great app. Very usefull and fun. My thanks to the developer for his time and effort.

I’m pondering my new timing curve, and a cold air box as we type…

B50

1998 Chevy K1500
5.7L Auto Z71

I use Torque also to log data, for my college PhD. Using a 40quid Android phone and bluetooth dongle I can log a massive amount of data, and discover what sort of driving people do, things like their average speed, average rpm etc etc, which all feeds into an emissions model I am using to work out the total vehicle emissions from Ireland. The previous methods used to log the data cost about 1000euros per car, now the system is only about 100euros, and with an active developer like Ian, Any issues I have can be fixed with little hassle!

i’m using it mainly to log and learn how to get the best mpg out of the car.

other features are nice, but this is my main concern

I use torque for my College Master’s work on collecting temperature information from automobiles during winter time events and seeing how the vehicles sensors react to the cold weather. Then applying quality checks to the data I collect based on other vehicles and stationary temperature observations. I also us it daily for watching vehicle performance and studying my driving.

Road_Wx

Duane,

I use the PLX Kiwi Bluetooth which has been working great for me for over a year now.

Regards,

Road_Wx

Just got mine yesterday so I havent been able to use it much, but I bought mine to actually diagnose cars..

Already…

My daughters car is sitting in the back yard with either a blown head gasket or a cracked head..

Now, I know that NO software is going to tell you that you have either, but but trouble codes did show me that I had a misfire on #3 and #5, so its a pretty safe bet that the problem is between these two adjacent cylinders..

Im already saving money from this setup. I already know where the problem is, so I dont have to pull BOTH heads, and I dont have to pay a mechanic a service call to bring his computer out to my house either..

I now have a second Vehicle that supports OBDII. Unfortunately it’s a 98 Dodge Ram and it looks like not much is available in the way of sensors like in my Ford. But I did use it to monitor my coolant temp. The guage isn’t very precise and it seemed like it was running way colder than my old truck did, so I wanted to make sure it was actually getting to operating temp.

It’s been a few years on this thread. Is anybody doing anything new? I’d like to know how those that are using the APP to help Tune their vehicle are doing so.

I was using another scanner at the time. Torque & that one have the same perimeters. to monitor engine functions.

Did some work on my car I think it was spark plugs. the next day i was going threw an unusually large amount of fuel. It was running pig rich. the scanner showed me what what going on and a code popped up. I eventually found a vacuum leak. with out the scanner I would have been throwing parts at it (all not needed) All I needed was a .50 cent vacuum line that had cracked.

djturnz, my first reaction to your post was “if you have to ask, you probably don’t need it.” But on further reading I noticed something you said that changed my mind. Did you know that when your CEL “blinks”, the ECM is trying to tell you that a potentially catalytic converter damaging condition exists. I had a similar situation with one of my vehicles.

I’m with Jeebers. My Torque App has saved me literally hundreds and hundreds of dollars in stupid garage mechanic charges on both family vehicles. It is often necessary to watch several OBDII readings over a period of time to correctly diagnose a problem with these modern intelligent vehicles. In the mechanic’s defense, a garage must often take a trouble code and take his best shot at what’s causing it. But almost every fault code can be caused by more than one thing, even another seemingly unrelated sensor failing.

I use my Torque App in an effort to reduce costly throwing parts at a problem. Example: A dealer told me my wife’s car needed new catalytic converters – definitely on Bank 1. BUT, based on OBDII sensor readings and other inspections I was able to determine Cyl 3 injector was occasionally sticking partly open. The Cats and O2 sensors are FINE.

Like in your post, I had misfires on Cyl 1,3,5 but more on Cyl 3. However fuel trim on bank 1 was very very negative, and the bank 1 O2 sensors read ‘rich’, and the exhaust pipe on Bank 1 was black – indicating rich fuel mixture!!! I removed the spark plugs and found Cyl 3 plug black and 1,5 chalky white. Misfires on 1 & 5 was caused by overly lean condition from CEL shortening fuel trim on bank 1 and Cyl 3 misfires was from rich condition. It was Cyl 3 injector not closing at times —- and it would cause the CEL to flash!!!!!

The Torque APP is a fantastic ‘TOOL’. But it can’t do all the work for us. I have found it helps to find creative ways to “Challenge” various sensors and watch the changing result on the Torque App readings. Ie. Watch “short term fuel trim” and cause an intentional vacuum leak. Or watch “short term fuel trim” and spray ether (starting fluid) into the air intake. Or watch “O2 sensor(s)” and spray carburetor cleaner or Seafoam or Ether into the engine intake. Or spray compressed air through the Mass Air Flo sensor. Or spray computer keyboard cleaner on the Intake Air Temperature sensor. Or place cardboard over the radiator and watch Coolant temperature reading.

These examples (and many others) can help isolate what is happening and what the ECM is trying to do about a certain changing condition. Many times, it is as simple as a bad sensor – and nothing else is wrong with your car.

HAPPY TORQUEING

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