Are you someone who loves having a full view of your vehicle’s performance data while driving? Many car enthusiasts desire built-in gauges for real-time monitoring. While true built-in gauges require significant modifications, there’s a clever workaround using your existing technology. Enter the android auto obd2 gauge app, a cost-effective solution to display a wealth of vehicle information directly on your Android Auto head unit. This article will guide you through setting up the OBD2AA app, turning your car’s infotainment screen into a dynamic performance dashboard.
To get started with this fantastic customization, you’ll need a few key components. The beauty of this setup is that it leverages technology you likely already own. Here’s what you need to create your Android Auto OBD2 gauge display:
- Android Phone with Android Auto: This is the core of the system, acting as the processing unit and interface.
- Torque Pro App: A powerful OBD2 diagnostic and performance tool. This app reads data from your car’s computer and makes it available for display.
- OBD2 Bluetooth Adapter: This adapter plugs into your car’s OBD2 port and wirelessly communicates with your Android phone, feeding data to Torque Pro. While budget-friendly adapters are available, investing in a quality adapter like the OBDLink MX Bluetooth can provide more reliable and faster data transfer, especially if you plan on advanced data logging or module programming in the future.
- OBD2AA App: The star of the show! This app acts as a bridge, taking the data from Torque Pro and displaying it beautifully on your Android Auto screen. It’s a paid app, but at a minimal cost, it unlocks significant functionality.
- USB Cable: Your standard USB charging/data cable to connect your Android phone to your car’s Android Auto compatible USB port.
Setting up this system requires a bit of initial patience, but once configured, it operates seamlessly. Follow these steps to transform your Android Auto display:
Setting Up Your Android Auto OBD2 Gauge System
1. Torque Pro and OBD2 Adapter Setup
First, ensure your Torque Pro app is correctly configured and communicating with your OBD2 adapter. Open Torque Pro on your Android phone and go through the adapter setup process. Confirm that you are receiving live data from your vehicle within the Torque Pro app. This verifies that the foundation of your gauge system is working correctly.
2. Android Auto Connection
Next, install and set up Android Auto on your phone and in your car, if you haven’t already. Connect your Android phone to your car via a USB cable and ensure Android Auto launches on your car’s head unit. Verify that standard Android Auto functionalities like navigation and music are working correctly.
3. Installing the OBD2AA App via XDA Labs
The OBD2AA app isn’t available directly on the Google Play Store. You’ll need to install it through XDA Labs, a platform for Android developers and enthusiasts. Follow the instructions provided on the XDA Developers forum to install XDA Labs and then purchase and download the OBD2AA app. The link below provides detailed steps:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/general/paid-software/app-obd2-plugin-android-auto-torque-t3657805
This trusted forum is a valuable resource for Android customization and ensures you’re getting the app from a reliable source.
4. OBD2AA App Configuration and Android Auto Integration
Once OBD2AA is installed, follow these steps for final configuration, adapted from the XDA Developers forum instructions:
- Close any other third-party Android Auto apps: Ensure no conflicting apps are running.
- Open the OBD2AA app on your phone: Familiarize yourself with the app’s settings. You can customize gauge colors, the number of gauges displayed, and other visual preferences.
- Enable Headunit Server in Android Auto Developer Settings: Open Android Auto on your phone, navigate to the “About” section in the settings menu. Repeatedly tap the “About Android Auto” header (approximately 10 times) to unlock developer options. Access the developer options from the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select “Start Headunit Server”. (Note: Rooted users may be able to skip this step, but for most users, this is necessary).
- Close Android Auto on your phone.
- Connect your phone to your car with the USB cable: Crucially, ensure your phone screen is unlocked before connecting. When prompted on your car’s head unit to choose an app, select “OBD2AA” and choose “always” to set it as the default for future connections. (If you are using HUR (Headunit Reloaded), select “Android Auto” and “always”). If you don’t see the prompt, clear defaults for Google Play Services in your phone’s app settings (Settings -> Apps -> All apps -> Google Play Services -> Clear Defaults) and try again.
- Select OBD2AA in Android Auto: Navigate to the last tab on the right of your Android Auto interface. Tapping this tab again should reveal an app selector. Choose “OBD2AA” from the list.
- Allow Time for Data Acquisition: Give the system a few moments to pull data from Torque Pro. The gauges should begin to populate with real-time vehicle information.
5. Gauge Customization within OBD2AA
The final step is to customize the gauges displayed on your Android Auto screen within the OBD2AA app on your phone. You can select the types of gauges you want (e.g., tachometer, speedometer, coolant temperature, boost pressure), choose gauge styles, and configure which specific PIDs (Parameter IDs) to monitor. Experiment with different layouts and gauge types to create a dashboard that perfectly suits your needs and preferences.
Once you’ve completed these steps and configured your gauges, you should have a fully functional, customized OBD2 gauge dashboard displayed on your Android Auto screen every time you connect your phone to your car!
Example of a customized Android Auto OBD2 gauge dashboard displaying various vehicle parameters. The gauges are clearly visible and provide real-time data to the driver.
Enjoy the enhanced driving experience with your new Android Auto OBD2 gauge display. If you encounter any questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to seek help from the online communities dedicated to Torque Pro and OBD2AA, or consult the XDA Developers forum thread for troubleshooting tips and community support.
