Lol I agree still a steal of a deal. That was a problem I saw with ForScan was the inability to use on other makes of vehicles. I've used my Torque on my dad's Ram and my mom's Equinox.

 

Torque Pro has a very limited set of 'off the shelf' PIDs it can read. I haven't gotten very far with updates etc. To me it is much better at displaying data (has a lot of different gauge types) but doesn't read a lot of PIDs.

FORScan reads a ton of Ford PIDs but the display is MEH. And without the paid version you only get one pid to monitor.

I use both to test on my phone (Galaxy S4) and android head unit (Eincar Android 5.1).

One issue I see is that Torque pro shows my engine is at 30% load at idle... and near 80-90% load when at 70mph... that's just not right.

 

"FORScan is a software scanner for Ford, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles," Mercury died about 10 years ago, and Mazda really doesn't have a truck any more.

If works great for Fords, but that's it.

 

@F150Torqued can tell you almost an endless list of custom PIDs you can build yourself.


Exactly I imagine it works great for Fords but wouldn't have helped me sole problems with my families Chevy's and Dodges. Should those two words be censored on this forum? LOL

 

Having invested an enormous amount of time researching and basically hacking the OBDII system, I can tell you for certain that one of the most important features in a scanner is the ability to enter or add Parameter IDs (PIDs) and sensor gauges. Simple 'code readers' - do just that, read codes and reset them.


The auto manufacturers are the problem. Sensor / PID assignments are NOT standardized, even within a given manufacturer. Much of that makes sense when you consider DIESEL vehicles obviously need completely different sensors from gas (or hybrid or electric). But PID assignments are even different within the Ford line between the 5.4 / Ecoboost / focus, etc. That even makes sense to a degree considering the 5.4 2v uses an EGR vlave / sensors / controls and the 3v does not but has a bunch of Sensors / PIDs related to the variable valve timing. THEN - there is equal variations in GM & DODGE - of which none use a standard set beyond the basic 20 or so that are government mandated for emissions control. And the Manufacturers are going to protect their intellectual property to use in THEIR service departments and charge for it.


So, if you have a scanner that permits adding sensors / PIDs it is the most usable without respect to vehicle type or model. Torque Pro provides this feature in a fairly 'intuitive' format for a lay person, if you can find the PID for a specific sensor or parameter - Torque Pro can read it - and you can assign a gauge type and add it to a display. I have dug up and largely identified over five hundred parameters that my 2004 5.4L responds to --- such as those PIDs listed and described related to the variable valve timing system discussed in this post: https://www.f150forum.com/f4/final-r...4/#post5133357


Torque Pro even allows 'importing' additional PIDs via a 'CSV' file (such as the one attached at the end of the above link that contains all the custom PIDs needed to build the VVT gages in the picture).


@MilosF150 says:

I do not know if FORScan contains all 500 or so of the Ford Pids. Such as the VVT system, or the IMRC controls, or Transmission temperature, or CHT, or Transmission GEAR - or Torque Converter Slip --- and on and on. OR if it permits inputting custom PIDS which are not supported, but this is the power of Torque and the feature that I believe is a MUST. Who knows - one of us might wind up with a non-Ford vehicle someday. Lol. If we do, one thing for almost certain is all those will be located at a different port address, and with Torque you can just edit the PID number.

 

So I can pretty much get what ever head unit with Bluetooth, then download whatever I app I want with it?

 

No, that is not how it works. Apps depend on what operating system the head unit runs. Most head units run their own custom OS with no apps.

 

"just not right"? Why do you say that?

Are you aware that engine LOAD is one of the mandated, standardized elements of the OBDII system. It is "CALCULATED" by the PCM. What Torque Pro is reading is the same that is (or could) be read by any scanner at PID # 0004. The PCM makes its own determination of engine LOAD and presents it in a one byte response between 1 and 255 representing 1 to 100% load.


All Torque Pro is doing is dividing the number presented on that port by 2.55 to get percent from 0 to 100.


Engine LOAD is calculated again (by the PCM) from different information sources (I believe involving KW at the wheels - But IDK), and presents that results in a two byte response (with finer resolution) at PID # 115A, quiet appropriately called calculated engine load - CELD. Formula for reading that PID is (A*256+B)*(128/32767) OR (A*256+B)*0.0039063692129276.