Modern cars have MASSIVE digital displays, loads of computers systems monitoring every subsystem and internal diagnostics running to the OBDII ports.
Why the hell can’t we get diagnostic feeds on our console or infotainment center?
I’m not aware of any car manufacturers selling their own diagnostic ASICs, so it’s not an extra margin to squeeze afaik…
What gives? Any insight into this beyond the usual muh corporate profits conjecture?
There is a standard connector which existed before big screens landed in cars, the OBD2 connector. Dongles are cheap and you can read the output from your phone or computer. Some dongles support bluetooth. The connector is mandated in some markets and I guess that makes it less interesting to add a redundant interface inside of the car. It’s fun to try if you’re interested. Manufacturers can extend the error codes IIRC.
Tesla has a service mode on the display through which you can scan the car for faults, run a battery test, … It is password protected but the password is publicly available.
Bingo! You can get a BT adapter for $7 on eBay. Torque is the absolute killer app. I’m stunned something so complete and customizable is free, a few bucks for the full version. I suck at mechanics, but that has saved my butt a time or two.
If you own a car that was made in the last several decades, it has the OBDII connector under the steering wheel and openly accessible. You just plug the adapter in and connect to your phone. The adapter and app are every bit as important to me as a jack, lug wrench and tire pump. No one should be without for a measly $20.
My wife’s car occasionally throws an error that kills the cruise control. She can clear the error code while I’m driving! If you have ever had a mysterious check engine light, you can see exactly what it means.
Usually I wouldn’t be that guy, but it’s OBD2, not ODB2.
OBD - On Board Diagnostics
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Updated my comment to reflect this. Thanks for clearing out the confusion.
Once it may have been called ALDL instead. My '95 Commodore has one. Assembly Line Diagnostic Link. Same physical connector.
ALDL was proprietary to GM kind of like apple and their connector tomfoolery. In 1990-something CARB probably didn’t want to buy all the different diagnostic tools so they said if you want to drive in California your car needs OBD-II. Now, I can check and clear codes on any modern car with a $35 tool.
This is totally it. Car is already required to support OBDII, adding the ability to display diagnostic info to the screen costs more.