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BlueDriver turns your smartphone into an engine scan tool (pictures)

With its Bluetooth-connected OBD-II scanner and smartphone app, the BlueDriver shows an engine's running data and error codes.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
1 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

BlueDriver plugs into a car's OBD-II port, reading diagnostic data from the engine and sending over Bluetooth to your phone.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
2 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

The QR code helps you find the associated BlueDriver app.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
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The OBD-II port was mandated for cars from model year 1996 and later.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
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The finger grip at the top of the BlueDriver OBD-II scanner makes it easy to pull out of a port.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
5 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

At $99.95, BlueDriver offers a lot of capabilities and help for the DIY auto mechanic.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
6 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

The BlueDriver app opens with a menu screen, using icons for its various functions.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
7 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

The Live data stream lets you see what's happening in your engine while it is running.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
8 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

BlueDriver even shows OBD-II Mode 6 diagnostics, which tend to be unique to different makes but can warn of potential engine problems.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
9 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

The Smog Check feature does not guarantee your car will pass a smog test, but will likely tell you if it won't, and possibly point you to why it will fail.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
10 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

BlueDriver stores any error codes thrown by the engine.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
11 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

BlueDriver shows how long, and for how many miles, a check-engine light has been on, if the OBD-II in that car supports it.

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Lemur Monitors BlueDriver
12 of 12 Wayne Cunningham/CNET

Lemur Monitors offers five repair reports for free, then more at a rate of five for 99 cents, an excellent value considering each report shows potential causes for error codes along with fixes.

Read the BlueDriver review.

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