Manufactured and supplied by WGSoft of Germany, the UniCarScan UCSI-2100 works on petrol engine vehicles from 2001 onwards and diesels from 2004. It’s an OBD2 scanner can communicate with a range of third-party apps for Android phones, iPhones, iPads and even Windows-operated PCs and laptops. Some of these apps are dedicated to specific makes of car, such as BMW, whereas others are more generic.
I had a 2005 Audi A3 and 2006 Ford Focus ready and waiting to communicate with the UniCarScan UCSI-2100. Would I be able to look for faults, read live data and test equipment?
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Using the UniCarScan UCSI-2100
What’s in the box?
The UniCarScan UCSI-2100 comes in a small, durable box that’s approximately four inches wide long, less than three inches wide and a little over one inch deep. The device is quite small, being the width of the OBDII port and a little over two inches deep. Fortunately, the sides of it are ribbed, which makes it easier to pull out of the OBDII port.
An informative user manual is included, which helps with downloading and installing the app on to a phone, tablet or PC/laptop.
Downloading the app
The user manual states that one of the Android apps that can be used is called UniCarScan, but this cannot be found in the Google Play Store. Luckily, six other apps are also recommended, and I chose ScanMaster. It took a matter of minutes to download and install.
Connecting app and UniCarScan UCSI-211 scanner
After inserting the device into a car’s OBDII port, switching on the ignition and launching the app, the user manual provides some guidance. However, it’s all very straightforward. There’s a four-digit password to enter, which is listed in the user manual. Pairing the device to the phone is then straightforward for anyone used to doing this with other Bluetooth-enabled equipment.
Using the app
This device works with several BMW-dedicated apps (Android and iOS). There are recommended apps for other makes of vehicle. Although these are generic apps, the one I tested, ScanMaster, is WGSoft’s own and worked on the Audi A3 test car. It retrieved the car’s VIN and looked for stored fault codes, but didn’t test any equipment. This car had a known parking sensor fault, but this wasn’t identified.
Other features in the ScanMaster app that proved useful included live data. This can help to show values such as vehicle speed, engine rpm and temperatures to help identify an overheating issue, for instance. Typical of a free app, some values are only available with a paid version.
UniCarScan UCSI-211 verdict
As an entry-level Bluetooth scanner, buying the UniCarScan UCSI-2100 and using the free version of ScanMaster is all you need to check for logged fault codes. In my case, it failed to identify an existing parking sensor fault. However, perhaps another app or a paid extra would have helped with more diagnostics.
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