Hi guys,

I bought the Torque Pro app to test it on my car and it works brilliantly, until I found a few issues.

I drive a 2011 Toyota Passo which uses the CAN protocol. My dongle is a vGate iCar2, an ELM327 china clone. I can read the standard Mode01 PIDs just fine without issues but when I combine a Mode21 PID (or Toyota’s proprietary PIDs) with the standard PIDs in the real-time display only the proprietary IDs get updated – the other Mode01 PIDs freeze.

Interestingly, I have discovered a workaround – if I start the real-time page only with Mode01 PIDs, then add displays for the Mode21 PIDs, all of them get updated as they should. But when I close and reopen Torque and return back to the real-time information screen, the Mode01 PIDs freeze all over again. Another oddity I found is that after the standard PIDs are stuck; I remove the Mode21 PIDs from the realtime screen, 10 seconds later the standard PIDs starts responding again.

I have tested this with other China-made dongles that I own and it’s the same result, but I am pretty sure it is due to the app as I could monitor both Mode01 and Mode21 PIDs before at one point.

Anyone come across this issue before?

I tried looking at the Error Count at the Adapter Status screen, it’s reporting an ‘other error’ which slowly increments once every 4-5 seconds. Disabling Faster Communcations does not improve the situation other than slowing down the PID reading.

Anything else I can provide to diagnose this?

My comments on your kind suggestions below:

* A faulty adapter (this is the most common, by far)
I have another vGate iCar adapter (the one used previously was an iCar2 model) and I can replicate the same issues. It’s probably more of a clone compatibility issue than the adapter being faulty in the first place.

* Another adapter with the same MAC address in range and interfering with yours (this is due to vendors using the same MAC address – a bluetooth identifier – which should always be unique for each adapter) – this will happen if you have 2 adapters of the same type powered up in range of each other
Checked the MAC addresses and tried to replicate the problem at different areas, so this is a non-issue.

* An issue on Samsung handsets where an active WiFi(sending/rx data) connection will intefere with Bluetooth communications (turn wifi off to rule this out). It’s a hardware/driver bug in the handset and is present in their current-gen handset, right back to the S4.
I’m using an Xperia Z3, and I know how terrible Samsung can get at times when it comes to their drivers.

* An issue with the android handsets bluetooth stack causing resets. Typically on older handsets, and caused by multiple active bluetooth connetcions like handsfree, music streaming,etc). Fairly uncommon, fixed on newer handsets. Disable temporarily other bluetooth connetions to rule it out.
I disabled mine on my car, but still a no-go.

As it can actually work correctly (remove Mode21 PIDs, re-add them back in), would it be possible for you to take a deeper look?

Thanks!

Before I discovered this problem, I’ve been using the standard Mode01 PIDs even before I managed to obtain the Mode21 ones – I have driven with only the Mode01 PIDs for more than half an hour without the freezing issues, but I’ll check at the adapter status to see if any errors are reported once I’m able.

Here are the two examples of two Mode21 PIDs I added from Techstream (a dash represents a blank):

OBD2 Mode and PID: 21f3
Long name: Injector pulse
Short name: Injector pulse
Minimum value: 0.0
Maximum value: 33.0
Scale factor: x1
Unit type: ms
Equation: A / 255 * 32.64
OBD Header: Auto
Diagnostic start command: –
Diagnostic stop command: –

OBD2 Mode and PID: 21fb
Long name: Air fuel ratio
Short name: AFR
Minimum value: 11.0
Maximum value: 17.0
Scale factor: x1
Unit type: lambda
Equation: (0.5 / 255) * A + 0.75
OBD Header: Auto
Diagnostic start command: –
Diagnostic stop command: –

Also, I’ve discovered another workaround today to get the Mode21 PIDs working as below.

1. Set Mode01 and Mode21 PIDs in real time screen.
2. Turn on car, allow Torque to connect to car.
3. Torque should report ‘Connected to ECU OK’, but the Mode01 PIDs should not be responding.
4. Turn off the car (key in leftmost position)
4. Here is the tricky part. It takes about 5 seconds for Torque to figure out that the connection has been cut off, and goes back to ‘Connecting to (protocol)’. The key here is to turn back on the car just before the ‘Connecting to (protocol)’ message is shown. If it is done too early, it will be in the same state as before where the Mode01 PIDs don’t respond. Also, Torque still reports ‘Connected to ECU OK’ without any change in message.
5. All Mode01 and Mode21 PIDs respond in Torque as it should, based on the green blinking light on each dial.

I hope this above is some help to you. Thanks!

Just sent the debug log a minute ago – thanks!

Also, if you could send another debug after you start getting the Mode 01 PIDs working again (when not using the alternate) setting, that would also be useful!

(edit: ta got that debug now too…)

Ok, hm there may be 2 problems here, one of which is fixed by using the alternate OBD2 header, however I’ve also seen from the log:

1445673198692 <  SH 7E0
1445673198709 >  OK
1445673198712 < 01051
1445673198750 >  CAN ERROR
1445673198751 < 010C1
1445673198805 >  CAN ERROR
1445673198806 < 010F1
1445673198878 >  CAN ERROR
1445673198880 < 01451
1445673198921 >  CAN ERROR
1445673198922 < 21FB
1445673198963 >  CAN ERROR
1445673198964 < 01051
1445673199008 >  CAN ERROR
1445673199009 < 010C1
1445673199080 >  410C0000
1445673199095 < 010F1

Which isn’t supposed to happen. The ‘CAN ERROR’ message is from the adapter itself when it or the ECU can’t talk properly to each other. From the documentation (at http://elmelectronics.com/DSheets/ELM327DS.pdf):

CAN ERROR
The CAN system had difficulty initializing, sending,
or receiving. Often this is simply from not being
connected to a CAN system when you attempt to send
a message, but it may be because you have set the
system to an incorrect protocol, or to a baud rate that
does not match the actual data rate. As with BUS
ERRORs, the CAN ERROR might also be the result of
a wiring problem, so if this is the first time using your
ELM327 circuit, review all of your CAN interface
circuitry before proceeding.

This means one of:

* That there is a either a bad connection between the vehicle ECU and adapter

* There is a lot of ‘noise’ on the data lines used to talk to the ECU (possible with systems that have issues with electrical noise or bad alternators)

* Or that the adapter is suspect (unfortunately this is fairly common with the clone adapters)

* Or, you stared the vehicle engine whilst connected to the vehicle and taking the debug (this can cause this issue as well, but CANBUS is designed so that this again shouldn’t happen)

I only see it once in the log, so if you started the vehicle whilst connected to the ECU then I’m going to put it down to that. If you didn’t, then it’s likely going to be the adapter that’s at fault or one of the other points above

Quote from HoTsHoT89 on October 24, 2015
Before I discovered this problem, I’ve been using the standard Mode01 PIDs even before I managed to obtain the Mode21 ones – I have driven with only the Mode01 PIDs for more than half an hour without the freezing issues, but I’ll check at the adapter status to see if any errors are reported once I’m able.

Here are the two examples of two Mode21 PIDs I added from Techstream (a dash represents a blank):

OBD2 Mode and PID: 21f3
Long name: Injector pulse
Short name: Injector pulse
Minimum value: 0.0
Maximum value: 33.0
Scale factor: x1
Unit type: ms
Equation: A / 255 * 32.64
OBD Header: Auto
Diagnostic start command: –
Diagnostic stop command: –

I hope this above is some help to you. Thanks!

Can you help me the NOx sensors at the moment:
OBD2 Mode and PID: 0183
?
?
…

Quote from HoTsHoT89 on October 26, 2015
The PID is dependent whether if the car supports it and Techstream displaying the PID. Mine doesn’t have that PID.

Many thanks. It is possible that the PID 83 not implemented in petrol cars. However, the NOx – PID 83 is of particular interest in diesel cars.