Easy Way to Display Temperature, Boost, etc.

Bassoonytoon

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Hi all,

I know that a lot of us have OBDLink Bluetooth modules for Bimmercode, but just in case you didn't know, these devices also have an app that can display a variety of real-time gauges and sensor readouts.

Obdlink® App

I wanted to share my setup and how to easily create gauges that match the Supra's gauges and lighting somewhat closely. Even if you don't use my settings, hopefully this write-up will help some people with creating displays which are helpful to them.

This is my "Dashboard" for reference:
e68f291d-6876-4e8a-b991-13a373304fec-jpeg.jpg


By the way, this app also has a performance mode for 0-60, 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile, 60 foot, etc. readings. I don't know how accurate these are but they can be fun to try out :) This was my first attempt at using the app for this purpose in -1' C (30F). Not bad for a very cold run on stock tires... I think?

d22c15eb-9f96-4a36-8346-e9ecd1a6e2f9-jpeg.jpg


To mount my phone I used this Scosche magnetic mount. It mounts to the cover above the wireless charger and holds the phone securely with no vibrations or rattles (note I'm using an iPhone 11 Pro Max with a case).

MagicMount Car Vent Phone Holder MAGVM2 (scosche.com)

This is an older picture of what the setup looks like - I will try to update this post with a newer picture (using the dashboard I posted above which has colors that better match the Supra's lighting).
65eabfee-9a7a-426c-ad5e-40635658e3e6-jpeg.jpg


I'm sorry for what is about to be a very lengthy post. Although it's long, if you do this with the app open it should be a fairly quick process to navigate.

One tip that I didn't realize until after a few days of using the app, when you change the color of a display, you can click on the label of letters/numbers (for example: FFFB7200) then manually edit them. This makes color matching much simpler.

Step 1: Create the dashboard and begin adding displays
  • In the Dashboards area of the app, click on "Menu" then "Add Dashboard"
    • You should automatically be brought into your new dashboard. If not, swipe the screen to the left until you reach your blank dashboard
  • Click "Menu" and then "Add Display"
Below I will explain how I created my dashboard. After you select your gauge type, the "PID" area of "Display Configuration" is where you will select what sensor information you are trying to display (RPM, Boost, Temperatures, etc.). Depending on what you are displaying, you may want to change the "Number of Decimals" (for example: boost is good with one decimal, temperature/RPM are probably best with Zero).

All of this can be edited after you have created a display in the "Display Configuration" tab so you don't have to go through the whole process of adding a display if you decide to change from one PID to another.

After you edit the settings in each gauge type but while still in the editing screen, go back into the "Style" tab, click "Menu" and then "Save Template." The next time you create a digital gauge, finish creating it (in any of the default styles), then you can go to the menu and load the template and all the settings should transfer to this new gauge. You will need to this for three different gauges which I have listed below.

1: Inside digital gauges (boost, speed, rpm, etc.)

Display type:
Digital Gauge

In the "Size and Location" tab:
  • Height 55
  • Width 33

In the "Style" tab:

In the "frame" sub-tab:


Background color:
  • Inner Color: ff660000
  • Outer Color: ff030303
  • Gradient Radius: 0.55
  • Inner Color: 00000000
  • Outer Color: 00000000
  • Back Gradient Radius: 0.55
Bevel:
  • Width: 0
  • Flatness: 0
  • Color 1/2: these won't matter
Title label:
  • Color: FFFB7200
  • Font scale: 0.085
  • Position: 0.698
Value Label:
  • Value Color: FFFB7200
  • Font Scale: 0.34
  • Position: 0.423
Units Label:
  • Font Scale: 0.02 (all the way down) but if you would rather see the units, use the same color from the previous values (FFFB7200) as this matches the interior lighting fairly well (although keep in mind I am pretty colorblind)
Glass Effect:
  • Disabled
I used this template for the all of the inside gauges. For the smaller gauges (RPM and IAT) I change the size to 50 height and changed the Title Label Color and Value Label Color to FFA7ABFF. I may change them back to FFFB7200 to keep them all the same.

2: Outside Arc Gauges (there are actually two separate things happening for these gauges):

2a - First the main gauge:


Add an Arc Gauge:
Position Left

In the "Size and Location" tab:
  • Height: 90
  • Width: 33
  • Top: 5
  • Left: 3.895089

In the "Display Configuration" tab:
If you are using these gauges for engine and coolant temperatures, I changed the "Range" values to:
  • Min: 20
  • Max: 200

In the "Style" tab:

In the "Frame" sub-tab:

Location: Left (after you create another template for this gauge, all you should need to do is change this to right for the gauge on the right side)

Background Color
  • Inner Color: FFDF0000
  • Outer Color: FF0A0000
  • Gradient Radius: 0.675
Bevel
  • Width: 0 (this should be the only setting that matters here)
Title Label:
  • Title Color: FFFB7200
  • Font Scale: 0.032
  • Position: -0.026
  • Horizontal Position: 0.04
Value Label:
  • Value Visible: disabled
Units Label:
  • Color: FFFB7200
  • Font Scale: 0.035
  • Vertical Position: 0.075
  • Horizontal Position: 0

In the "Axis" sub-tab:
Major Ticks
  • Width 0
  • Length 0
Minor Ticks
  • Width 0
  • Length 0
Labels
  • Visible: yes
  • Rotate: no
  • Color: FF24402
  • Font Scale: 0.038
  • Offset From Tickline: -0.025
Baseline
  • Position: 1
  • Width: 0.573
  • Color: FFF50404

In the "Range" sub-tab:
Fill:
  • Enabled: yes
  • Inner Position: 0.632
  • Outer Position: 0.664
  • Color: FFFB7200
  • Border Width: 0
Range Appearance:
  • Inner Position: 0.67
  • Outer Position: 0.72
  • Border Width: 0
2b - Now temperature gauge to match the inner gauges:

Add a digital gauge

In the "Size and Location" tab:
  • Height: 28
  • Width: 33
  • Top: 35
  • Left: 0.9737723

In the "Display Configuration" tab:
  • Delete the title

In the "Style" tab:
Background color:
  • Inner Color: 00000000
  • Outer Color: 00000000
  • Gradient Radius: 0
  • Inner Color: FF000000
  • Outer Color: FF000000
  • Back Gradient Radius: 0
Bevel:
  • Width: 0
Title Label
  • n/a
Value Label
  • Value Color: FFFB7200
  • Font Scale: 0.34
  • Position: 0.42
Units Label
  • Value Color: FFFB7200
  • Font Scale: 0.085
  • Position: 0.8
Glass Effect:
  • Disabled

After all of this is done, you will have to move the gauges to where you would like them. To do this, tap and hold a display for a couple of seconds. A menu will pop up - scroll down to "Drag and Move." This will allow you to place the displays where you would like them.

If you forgot to save a template, tap and hold the display, click on "Style" then click on "Menu" and you can save the template at any time. This is also helpful if you decided to change a display to something that better fits your preferences. You can then click and hold any previously made display, open the "Menu" in the "Style" tab and then load the template into the old gauge so it matches your changes.

I hope this was helpful! Good luck and I would love to see what kinds of "dashboards" anyone may create with this app!
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Patina

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What is the PID for acceleration G and lateral G? Can't seem to find them unless I'm dumb.
 
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Bassoonytoon

Bassoonytoon

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What is the PID for acceleration G and lateral G? Can't seem to find them unless I'm dumb.
Because I mount my phone horizontally (landscape), the Accel G is “Accel Z” and Lateral G is “Accel Y”

If you have your phone mounted normally (portrait), then lateral g would use “Accel X”

On this topic, these G-force gauges as I have them are not particularly useful as it displays the values in real time - so when you’re driving hard, you’d have to take your eyes off the road to see how many G’s you are pushing. Changing these to a graph is much more helpful as it will hold the values longer within the display so you can review them when it is safe to do so.
 

Patina

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Because I mount my phone horizontally (landscape), the Accel G is “Accel Z” and Lateral G is “Accel Y”

If you have your phone mounted normally (portrait), then lateral g would use “Accel X”

On this topic, these G-force gauges as I have them are not particularly useful as it displays the values in real time - so when you’re driving hard, you’d have to take your eyes off the road to see how many G’s you are pushing. Changing these to a graph is much more helpful as it will hold the values longer within the display so you can review them when it is safe to do so.
I had a feeling that the lateral and acceleration data was coming from the phone rather than from the car itself, darn. I also used your landscape dashboard as a template for me to create a portrait one as well since I am more likely to leave the phone in portrait, while trimming down the data to showing boost and IAT for now.
 

B58_ hwAyaq

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Thanks for the write up. I built a little dashboard based on your style that I’ll likely refine (style and PIDs) over time. I went with white metrics to match the white in the dash.

I went with:
  • Boost
  • AFR
  • IAT
  • Coolant Temp
  • Oil Temp
  • Fuel remaining and distance to empty (only because the reading in the dash always seems to revert to the odometer)
I would have liked to have knock values/average, but I couldn’t seem to find it. I may see if there’s an exhaust gas temp sensor somewhere pre cat as I’ll have a catted downpipe, and someone said to be mindful of that as I move up in power levels.
 

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Bassoonytoon

Bassoonytoon

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Thanks for the write up. I built a little dashboard based on your style that I’ll likely refine (style and PIDs) over time. I went with white metrics to match the white in the dash.

I went with:
  • Boost
  • AFR
  • IAT
  • Coolant Temp
  • Oil Temp
  • Fuel remaining and distance to empty (only because the reading in the dash always seems to revert to the odometer)
I would have liked to have knock values/average, but I couldn’t seem to find it. I may see if there’s an exhaust gas temp sensor somewhere pre cat as I’ll have a catted downpipe, and someone said to be mindful of that as I move up in power levels.
Nice - I love the boost gauge at the top!

Looks awesome!
 

B58_ hwAyaq

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Does anyone know if “alcohol fuel percentage” in the OBDLink app is equal to ethanol content?
 

Probaholic1

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I would love this. I should probably get a obd splitter as the jb4 takes it up currently
 

Drnick

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Obdlink makes several modules, which one is recommended for the Supra!!!
 

32bitsofGil

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When can we just take over the heads up display and hack in these values
 

B58_ hwAyaq

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Update: I found the refresh rate on these gauges to be incredibly slow. I'm sure it's fine for things like temps, but it was unusable for me for anything that required real time feedback like boost and AFR.

Anybody else have a similar or different experience?

It was refreshing <= 1 time a second.
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