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CarSense works with most ELM327-compatible Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) OBD2 adapters. We've hardware-tested several ELM327 BLE adapters — the Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+ (~$40 on Amazon, our recommended adapter), the Veepeak OBDCheck BLE, the Vgate iCar Pro, and the LELink2. Most other common ELM327 BLE dongles are designed to work too, and the Veepeak OBDCheck BLE+ remains the one we recommend.

CarSense connects to adapters over Bluetooth Low Energy only, on both iPhone and Android. Classic Bluetooth (older non-BLE) and Wi-Fi OBD2 adapters are not supported.

A few things to check on either platform:

• Ignition must be in the "Run" position (or engine running) for the adapter to power on and communicate with the ECU.
• Make sure Bluetooth is turned on on your phone.
• Connect from inside CarSense, not from your phone's Bluetooth settings. CarSense connects to the adapter directly. If you previously paired the adapter in your phone's Bluetooth settings, remove it there first (steps below).
• Close and reopen CarSense if scanning hangs, and power-cycle the adapter (unplug it, wait 10 seconds, plug it back in).

iPhone:

• If the adapter is listed in Settings → Bluetooth, tap the info button next to it and choose "Forget This Device."
• Grant the Bluetooth permission when iOS prompts. If you denied it, turn it on in Settings → CarSense → Bluetooth.

Android:

• If the adapter is listed under Settings → Connected devices, open it and choose "Forget" or "Unpair."
• On Android 12 or later, CarSense needs the Nearby devices permission. If you denied it, turn it on in Settings → Apps → CarSense → Permissions → Nearby devices.
• On Android 11 or earlier, Android requires the Location permission to scan for Bluetooth LE devices. Allow it for CarSense in Settings → Apps → CarSense → Permissions → Location, and make sure Location is turned on.

For each trouble code, the AI explanation includes:

• A plain-English description of what's likely happening on your specific year, make, and model
• Likely causes ranked by probability, each with an industry-aligned cost range
• A severity rating (Safe / Monitor / Urgent / Critical) and driveability guidance
• Any documented manufacturer Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that match the code
• Whether the repair is DIY-friendly or shop-recommended
• An overall estimated total cost range

Cost estimates are based on aggregated industry repair data covering 48 of the most common DTCs across 24 popular vehicles, with year-specific anchors where available. They reflect typical US-market pricing and are best understood as ranges, not exact quotes. Independent shops are often 20–30% cheaper than dealer-tier pricing, and rural areas can be lower still. Always get a written quote before authorizing major repairs.

Free includes unlimited OBD2 code reading, the live vehicle dashboard, diagnosis history, 1 AI diagnosis per month, and read-aloud of your AI diagnoses. Most occasional CEL users will be fine on Free.

Pro ($5.99/month or $49.99/year) unlocks 10 AI diagnoses per month, 50 AI chat messages per month, and 2 Pre-Purchase Inspections per month. Quotas reset on the 1st of each month.

Yes. A single Pre-Purchase Inspection is a $9.99 one-time purchase (US price; the app shows the price in your local currency). It is not a subscription and doesn't renew. Each purchase covers one inspection: plug an adapter into the used car you're considering and CarSense scans it and gives you a Buy with Confidence / Caution / Walk Away verdict with likely repair costs and negotiation points.

Buy it from the Pre-Purchase Inspector screen or from Profile → Subscription ("Buy a single inspection"). Pro includes 2 inspections per month; once those are used, Pro members can buy more at $9.99 each.

If you subscribed on iOS: open Settings → [Your Name] → Subscriptions on your iPhone, find CarSense, and tap Cancel Subscription. Apple manages all StoreKit subscriptions; we cannot cancel them on your behalf.

If you subscribed on Android: open Google Play → your profile → Payments and subscriptions → Subscriptions, find CarSense, and tap Cancel.

Yes. Open CarSense → Profile → Delete Account. This permanently removes your account, vehicles, scan history, AI conversations, quotes, and reviews from our servers. Note: if you have an active Apple or Google subscription, you must cancel it separately in the platform's subscription settings — deleting your account does not stop the recurring charge.

Code reading and the live dashboard work offline once you're connected to the adapter. The AI diagnosis requires a network connection (Wi-Fi or cellular) because the analysis runs on our servers. If you're somewhere with no signal, run the scan, then re-open the diagnosis later when you have coverage.

Vehicle records (VIN, make/model/year/mileage), DTC scans, and AI conversations are stored on our servers tied to your account so they're available across devices and form the diagnostic history. We do not sell your data, share it with advertisers, or include any third-party tracking SDKs. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Refunds for App Store purchases (subscriptions and single inspections) are handled by Apple — visit reportaproblem.apple.com within 90 days of purchase to request one. For Google Play purchases, request a refund from Google Play or contact Google Play support. We're happy to advocate on your behalf if a refund request is denied — email us.