bluspikez Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 So as we all know, the Fusion's dash isn't graced by a boost gauge, even when it has a turbocharged powertrain. Also, the dash isn't all that helpful when it comes to reading out some of the values that I've come to expect. For instance, nowhere on the dash can you get the voltage of the battery or oil pressure (you'll get warning lights when things head south, but not the actual values). Instead of living in the dark and not knowing these values, I did a bit of DIY to put to use the bluetooth OBDII adapter I have, an old Android phone, and an incredible Android app called Torque. The final product looks something like this: Not bad for having less than $55 total into this ($20 OBDII adapter, $15 right-angle OBDII cable, $5 right-angle USB cable, $13 adjustable phone mount/charger)! The Torque Android app is awesome. It lets you access any realtime data the car provides over the OBDII interface. As you can see in the photo, I went with battery voltage, coolant temp, fuel percentage, vacuum/boost, throttle percentage, and intake air temperature. These are only 6 of the possible 50 or so data sensors that the Fusion provides, all of which can be set up with a gauge reading in the app. You can also use the app to poll for more data that wasn't preprogrammed into it if you have the information needed to decode the numbers on the CAN bus. Here are a couple other photos showing how I routed the OBDII adapter out of harm's way (there was a convenient channel in the trim panel where other wires were run) and how the phone mount looks from behind. The Fusion's OBDII port stuck the adapter into a spot where it could easily be kicked or bumped. The mount I bought for the phone is surprisingly stable for only friction mounting into the power point. I have the edge of the phone rested against the pillar, so I'm sure that helps with the stability. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKershaw Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I ordered a OBDII adapter from Amazon a week or so ago (I should get it in a couple of weeks). I intend to use Torque on my phone. I don't think I will leave it on all the time. But I like the fact that I will be able to connect my phone at anytime to get the data I need. I'm interested to see what is available on the hybrid. I wonder if it displays more information about the electric drive and the main power cell etc. Something to look forward too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogs Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 (edited) Very cool! I was wondering how much boost we were getting on a stock motor. Now I know! Or at least, have a general idea. Edited January 31, 2013 by boogs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expresspotato Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I ordered a OBDII adapter from Amazon a week or so ago (I should get it in a couple of weeks). I intend to use Torque on my phone. I don't think I will leave it on all the time. But I like the fact that I will be able to connect my phone at anytime to get the data I need. I'm interested to see what is available on the hybrid. I wonder if it displays more information about the electric drive and the main power cell etc. Something to look forward too. The great think about the bluetooth one is - no wires! The bad thing is if you leave it plugged in it will slowly drain your battery as the ODB II port doesn't shutdown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcelu Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Is there a particular adapter that everyone is ordering? I see several on Amazon ranging from $20 to over $150, and am curious if you guys are having good luck with any particular model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neod192 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Is there a particular adapter that everyone is ordering? I see several on Amazon ranging from $20 to over $150, and am curious if you guys are having good luck with any particular model. Same question here. I've been considering getting one of these for a couple months and I'm ready to pull the trigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSKershaw Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 This is the one I ordered. I will update the forum as soon as I get my car and get this installed. http://www.amazon.ca/Brainydeal-Bluetooth-CAN-BUS-Diagnostic-Interface/dp/B0051DUVK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359657566&sr=8-1 I'm sure most of them will work fine. The build quality might be different between the different models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluspikez Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 (edited) I ordered a OBDII adapter from Amazon a week or so ago (I should get it in a couple of weeks). I intend to use Torque on my phone. I don't think I will leave it on all the time. But I like the fact that I will be able to connect my phone at anytime to get the data I need. I'm interested to see what is available on the hybrid. I wonder if it displays more information about the electric drive and the main power cell etc. Something to look forward too. I didn't see any hybrid specific values in the app by default, but that may be something you could put in yourself. I remember reading that Ford and GM were pretty good about releasing the decoding information for OBDII data, which is all you'll need to decode the hex addresses into something useful in the app. Also, as you mentioned, I am happy to have this on an "as needed" basis. I can easily remove my mount and dedicated phone and unplug the OBDII adapter when I don't want to use it. Very cool! I was wondering how much boost we were getting on a stock motor. Now I know! Or at least, have a general idea. Keep in mind what you're seeing in the screencapture above is actually vacuum pressure. At idle any engine is sucking in air and this value will tend to be around 19-20 in/Hg (8-10psi). Writing it as a positive in/Hg value is a convention in the US, but in reality it is a negative pressure. On a normally aspirated engine, this value will blip toward zero as you blip the throttle, but can never go above zero. On a forced induction engine, like our EcoBoost cars, the pressure can go above zero, and this is when the turbo is providing boost and forcing more air into the engine than atmospheric pressure could. The highest I've seen on my car was around 10psi (and that was about 3/4 throttle). I haven't done any WOT to see how high it'll peak, but I remember reading it would be around 14-15psi. (sorry if you already understood what I mentioned here, I just figured I should clarify for anyone who may not be familiar with how vacuum/boost readings work) The great think about the bluetooth one is - no wires! The bad thing is if you leave it plugged in it will slowly drain your battery as the ODB II port doesn't shutdown. Very true - I always unplug mine when it's not in use. Is there a particular adapter that everyone is ordering? I see several on Amazon ranging from $20 to over $150, and am curious if you guys are having good luck with any particular model. The adapter I got was $15 or so on amazon. It's very similar to this one: linky. The one JSKershaw posted is from the seller that I was trying to find, as I've heard good things about them (Brainydeal). I've heard that it's basically hit or miss for whether you'll get something that works properly when buying these cheap ones, as they are essentially cheap knockoffs of the more expensive ones. That being said, I haven't had any problems with mine, and I have a couple buddies that have bought the cheap ones as well and they haven't had issues either. Edited January 31, 2013 by bluspikez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neod192 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks! I just bought 2 from "Sain Store" for $15.80 each with free Prime shipping One for me and one for my co-worker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sterlinggray Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Is there any adapter that would not use the bluetooth and thus drain the battery if left plugged in, ei some type of hard line from the fusion's port to your phone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy62 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 While not a real time monitor the Davis carchip Pro can be left connected to the ODBII port all of the time. http://www.davisnet.com/drive/products/drive_product.asp?pnum=08226 It will record speed and 4 other parameters that you choose during setup while connected to a computer. It can also be set to give a warning tone if a set speed is exceeded. I have had one connected to my 2010 Fusion Hybrid for four years. I remove it on the last day of every month and download the data to my computer. Then I clear its memory and reinstall on the 1st of the month. I have never tried connecting the USB cable to it while it was in the car so I don't know if that gives any useful information. I also have to remove it and connect it to the computer when daylight saving time begins and ends to adjust its internal clock. I did have trouble selecting a profile that worked with the Hybrid. They appear to have stopped updating it so I would buy from Amazon so it can easily be returned if it doesn't work with current models. If my Fusion Energi Titanium ever gets built I will be able to report if any profile works with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucky919 Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Is there any adapter that would not use the bluetooth and thus drain the battery if left plugged in, ei some type of hard line from the fusion's port to your phone? Ya you can get one with USB instead of bluetooth there on Amazon also, but Ive left my bluetooth one plugged in and haven't had any battery drain issues. But not all phones support USB Host, other option would be to get a scan gauge. My boost numbers seem off when using the torque program but I haven't had much time to mess with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheesyRider Posted February 15, 2013 Share Posted February 15, 2013 Another option is an UltraGauge. It costs only $60.95. It has dozens of gauges available including boost when used with a turbo engine. I have one hooked up in my van, but I haven't tried it in the Fusion yet. I leave it plugged in all the time and haven't had any problems with the battery draining even if it sits for a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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