Piston

With Piston, your car's diagnostic information is easily accessible, putting the power of an advanced car scanner right in your hands. If your Check Engine Light (MIL) is on, simply use Piston to transform your mobile device into a diagnostic tool, allowing you to read the Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) and the associated Freeze Frame data. This feature enables you to pinpoint and resolve issues swiftly and effectively.

To get started, you'll need an ELM327 based adapter, available in Bluetooth or WiFi versions, which you'll connect to your vehicle's OBD2 socket. Piston simplifies the setup process with clear instructions available on the Home page after your initial installation, or accessible at any time through the Settings menu.

Piston offers a comprehensive suite of diagnostic capabilities, including:

• Reading and clearing DTCs as defined by the OBD2 standard
• Viewing Freeze Frame data, which captures sensor data at the moment a malfunction is detected
• Real-time access to sensor data
• Checking the status of Readiness Monitors, crucial for monitoring emission control devices
• Storing DTCs in a local history for future reference
• Syncing DTCs to the cloud after logging in
• Viewing charts of sensor readouts for detailed analysis
• Exporting real-time sensor data to a file for further examination
• Verifying your car's VIN number
• Exploring ECU details, such as the OBD protocol or PIDs number

Some of these advanced features are part of our Premium package, available through a one-time in-app purchase that unlocks all premium functionalities without any recurring subscriptions.

To use Piston as a car scanner, you'll need a separate ELM327 based device, compatible with both Bluetooth and WiFi. Piston supports the OBD-II (also known as OBDII or OBD2) and EOBD standards, ensuring broad compatibility. In the USA, all vehicles sold since 1996 are required to support the OBD2 standard. In the European Union, EOBD has been mandatory for petrol vehicles since 2001 and for diesel vehicles since 2004. For Australia and New Zealand, OBD2 is required for petrol cars made from 2006 and diesel cars from 2007.

Please note that Piston can only access the data your vehicle supports and provides through the OBD2 standard.

For any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

What's New in the Latest Version 3.8.0

Last updated on Aug 2, 2024

• Support for Android 14
• Improved Sensor Selection Screen
• Support for additional sensors (availability may vary for different vehicles)