Thought this looked quite cool, for the home auto enthusiast...

[Thrush]

Stole this from another forum; As I posted this on my car forum, I thought I share it here as well as it might be of interest for some of you who like their car gadgets and information... There have been a number of questions regarding this topic, so I thought I will bring together a few points You need: Apple iPhone, it doesn't matter which model as long as it has Wifi so the Apple Touch and Apple iPad should work as well. I'm actually looking forward to specific iPad software as the bigger screen could provide so much more control and information as the same time You know where you can buy those devices so I won't link to them. Then you need something with an OBDII connector to connect to your vehicle. I've been using a PLX Kiwi Wifi, this device is great. It connects to your OBDII socket (which is underneath your steering wheel) and is powered off that socket. It then creates a wireless access point to which you can connect your iPhone/iPod/iPad to establish a connection. Very easy, all automatic no further settings to enter. Here is mine connected to the car. And here it is connected to the car and the iPhone, notice the little green link symbol? This is the official PLX video on Youtube. You can get it cheaper when buying direct from the US, but it can get stuck in transit and you should add VAT and possibly Import Duty to the final price when comparing. I got mine of eBay and had a good experience with this seller Mitch170_0 who provided quick delivery and has them available. There are a number of software packages that are available for the iPhone (Touch and iPad), you can see some of them installed on my iPhone. Rev from DevToaster - This is graphically the best looking, but very subjective ofcourse. It doesn't seem to have the large number of OBDII parameters that can be choosen, but hey the Navara doesn't expose many sensors anyway iTunes link is here. DashCommand by Palmer Performance - Not my cup of tea graphically, but definitely supports all the OBDII parameters and has good logging. Unfortunately it still has not provided a way to get the logs of the iPhone to your PC for detail analysis. Once that is done, this is the best in my opinion. iTunes links is here. FUZZYCar by FUZZYLuke - Don't really like this app, the UI just doesn't make sense and goes into too much detail for connections, there is no need to know the IP address etc. Anyway this app is free so it gets a mention, and provides the basic code reading and some parameter reading but not all. So a free app to get you started. iTunes link is here. Now please note that most of the software, especially with comprehensive PID support like DashCommand, is only as good as the data your car provides. Unfortunately a lot of diesels especially and even more so the Navara don't provide many parameters. But I had really good results on our Murano, an Astra, BMW etc... Is it worth it? You decide, is it for boyracers as some have commented, come on don't be daft and offensive. It is a very good diagnostic tool that can read the codes and live engine parameters of your car. Most dealers charge you 40/50 at least for the pleasure of plugging in their computer... If you want me to, I'll scan yours for £15 inc VAT and can provide a proper invoice so you can expense it on your company. Or you can invest and do it yourself. I hope this little write-up has helped...

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[Thrush]

Note, thats a quote from SOMEONE ELSE, NOT ME. I haven't installed any of this, nor tried any of it on my iPhone or other device. Don't ask me any question lol

[Westy]

I'm confused Thrush lol.

Does it act as a wifi point? As when driving the most you'll see is 3G I would have thought...

[dojj]

it's telling you that you can turn your iphone into a diagnostic computer by plugging it into your cars computer

[PhilM]

I had the Plx Kiwi Wifi and Rev for a while (I recently sold the Plx tho).

They are a great combination if you have a newer OBD car, Rev uses the iphone's accelerometers and can plot a track if you are driving one, showing you acceleration, braking and corners.

Also great for cool looking gauges (like boost, EGT etc), and has the ability to datalog and graph the information too. About a month ago the upgrade to Rev2 came out, which is nicer looking, but also shows calculated Torque and Horsepower figures .

It's a nice bit of kit to have for both the novelty, but also the function, I've cleared a few mates Check Engine Lights now with it

Sold it in the end as I wasn't using it all that often (still have the app on my phone, but not the Plx OBD plug in), and was thinking of buying a genuine VAGCOM lead instead.

[rsmat]

looks a cool gadget.

[Conor Harrington]

how much does the whole kit cost then??
and would it fit to a renault megane
?