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Since summer is in full swing and we are all aware of the catastrophic consequences of even brief overheating on these engines, I have been researching some ways to get a visual and audible warning once the coolant temp gets past an early danger zone (>220F/104C).
I first experimented with a Veepeak BT OBD2 scan tool and various apps like Torque and OnTrack, which do have visual alerts for user-defined coolant and oil temps but require looking at the phone or a dedicated tablet for a flashing alert. Also BT connection was not always 100% reliable and leaving the OBD2 tool plugged in while parked might trigger a battery drain condition.
and can confirm it gives both a visual and audible alert. I have mine set to 220F. The wires route cleanly behind the steering panel. I don't have to worry about BT or WiFi pairing and messing with my phone to start an app after starting the car.
It shuts down right away after the ignition is turned off, and the red hazard triangle shuts off as it normally does. I have not had a battery drain leaving it connected when parked, but I can't say that that will be the case for earlier models.
Because you drive the F-Type, you care about aesthetics: It is surprisingly small and looks good compared to several other fugly options out there. This is where I have mine mounted:
this little gauge is great…plugs right in, gives accurate readings, installs easy, looks good
unfortunately i had to return it after finding out my jaguar f-type does not play well with things in its OBDII port. no fault of the gauge at all
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RATS!! I really wanted to see that this worked
Last edited by Valerie Stabenow; Jul 4, 2024 at 01:57 PM.
Sadly I've yet to find any obd device that doesn't trigger the battery drain in my '16 V6S.
Disappointment followed excitement on my latest attempt with the obdlink mx+, which had looked very promising.
I've kept the unit, in hopes that I might someday be able to get a software update that will allow me to use it.
I'll be upgrading the cooling system soon to give myself some peace of mind in the meantime.
Last edited by Luc Lapierre; Jul 4, 2024 at 04:33 PM.
@Luc Lapierre If you want to use your OBDLink MX+ and avoid the battery drain consider using an extension switch like this:
This is the route I was going to take if the Shadow device triggered a battery drain. Leave this permanently plugged in with the OBDLink MX+ and turn on and off with the ignition then open your app (Torque, etc). Extra steps but still worth it to keep an eye on temp.
@Luc Lapierre If you want to use your OBDLink MX+ and avoid the battery drain consider using an extension switch like this:
This is the route I was going to take if the Shadow device triggered a battery drain. Leave this permanently plugged in with the OBDLink MX+ and turn on and off with the ignition then open your app (Torque, etc). Extra steps but still worth it to keep an eye on temp.
. Very similar to the switch JagCode3 posted but all black. I should receive it tomorrow. I will report back once I have a chance to try it out with my OBDLink MX+.
. Perfect length. It works great with my Veepeak OBD2 scanner. The reasons for using this setup is 3-fold:
I found that the scanner broadcasts its BT signal for several hours after the ignition is turned off in several different model cars.
The physical act of plugging and unplugging the OBD2 scanner is eliminated to prevent damage to the OBD2 port and surrounding panel. Some of these scanners fit very tightly and require two hands to carefully remove.
Switching the electric current to the scanner off may obviate the OBD2 drain issue in the F-Type.
@Gearhead01 Let us know how the setup works for you and which app you use.
@Valerie Stabenow Would you be willing to test the Shadow out in your earlier model? If the red hazard light turns off a few minutes after locking your car you should be OK. I checked several times and mine went off and there was no drain. As I mentioned before, I was going to return it if there was a problem, and it repackages easily. This might be more scientific than the one cryptic review on AMZ.
@Luc Lapierre If you want to use your OBDLink MX+ and avoid the battery drain consider using an extension switch like this:
This is the route I was going to take if the Shadow device triggered a battery drain. Leave this permanently plugged in with the OBDLink MX+ and turn on and off with the ignition then open your app (Torque, etc). Extra steps but still worth it to keep an eye on temp.
Thank you for the suggestion, but I don't see how this would have a different effect than simply unplugging the Bluetooth dongle before (or after) shutting the car off?
My issue is that, even if I unplug the dongle, either before or after shutting off the car, the car remains "awake" indefinitely, which has only been curable by disconnecting the battery.
That being said, if this is the thing that FINALLY works I'll be overjoyed!
@JgaXkr The one I have is the Autool. Perfect length. It works great with my Veepeak OBD2 scanner. The reasons for using this setup is 3-fold:
I found that the scanner broadcasts its BT signal for several hours after the ignition is turned off in several different model cars.
The physical act of plugging and unplugging the OBD2 scanner is eliminated to prevent damage to the OBD2 port and surrounding panel. Some of these scanners fit very tightly and require two hands to carefully remove.
Switching the electric current to the scanner off may obviate the OBD2 drain issue in the F-Type.
@Gearhead01 Let us know how the setup works for you and which app you use.
@Valerie Stabenow Would you be willing to test the Shadow out in your earlier model? If the red hazard light turns off a few minutes after locking your car you should be OK. I checked several times and mine went off and there was no drain. As I mentioned before, I was going to return it if there was a problem, and it repackages easily. This might be more scientific than the one cryptic review on AMZ.
Uhhhh, I'm kinda a coward for doing stuff like this. I understand all the points made, about using Gearhead01s suggestion for an ON/Off switch and being able to get a head's up on the engine temp. I have to weigh that against screwing up my car. I agree about the 'cryptic review' on Amazon, I do always try to allow for the "idiot" component on reviews. I would ONLY use this temp sender unit as I have not yet got the funds together for the recommended F type OBD reader/software.
As a note, my red hazard light goes off after the requisite time whether the car is locked or not, and most often not (secure private attached garage).
Last edited by Valerie Stabenow; Jul 5, 2024 at 11:06 AM.
Reason: addition
@Luc Lapierre If you want to use your OBDLink MX+ and avoid the battery drain consider using an extension switch like this:
This is the route I was going to take if the Shadow device triggered a battery drain. Leave this permanently plugged in with the OBDLink MX+ and turn on and off with the ignition then open your app (Torque, etc). Extra steps but still worth it to keep an eye on temp.
Have it...does not help unfortunately. I believe having the dealer flash dash/gateway module is the only fix so far....
I use the OBD Link MX + with Torque. I noticed that if you don't quit Torque after your driving session is done the red triangle will stay lit indefinitely but if you quit it will go off after ~15 minutes. Also if your car is sleeping and you open Torque the red triangle will light - even if your phone is up to about 50 ft away. The bottom line is if you keep the OBD Link MX+ connected make sure you quit Torque on your display device or the car battery will drain.
BTW Torque works very well and you can set an alarm if the coolant temp goes above what you set - I use 225F. If it exceeds that temp the display will flash and it will have an audible alarm.
Based on recent posts, I have canceled my order for the OBD switch. I'm going to try again with Torque and my OBDLink MX+, but past experience has shown that the car won't properly shut down the OBD port even if I close the Torque app properly. Guessing I'll have to continue to rely on using my quick disconnect on the battery each time I want to run Torque, unfortunately.
Thanks for that @RGPV6S - Many of these BT and WiFi OBD2 scanners broadcast indefinitely after ignition is turned off. You can check with your smartphone. Do you leave your MX+ plugged in while parked? Do you have the switched cable? The other issue is someone could hack into your OBD2 via BT or WiFi as the passwords are generic.
@Valerie Stabenow I totally understand. @Luc Lapierre and @Doc Oc would you be willing to test the Shadow unit out on your vehicles since you both have the bona fide OBD2 battery drain issue?
Also, in your collective experience, does the red hazard triangle ever go off soon after locking (as it should) and the battery drain still happen?
I use the OBD Link MX + with Torque. I noticed that if you don't quit Torque after your driving session is done the red triangle will stay lit indefinitely but if you quit it will go off after ~15 minutes. Also if your car is sleeping and you open Torque the red triangle will light - even if your phone is up to about 50 ft away. The bottom line is if you keep the OBD Link MX+ connected make sure you quit Torque on your display device or the car battery will drain.
BTW Torque works very well and you can set an alarm if the coolant temp goes above what you set - I use 225F. If it exceeds that temp the display will flash and it will have an audible alarm.
I'll give this a try and report back 🙂
I can't remember whether or not I closed the app before shutting off the car when I first tested it out.
Overheating early warning detection
