CarDash transforms your Android device into a powerful automotive dashboard, connecting to your vehicle's OBD-II port to provide real-time metrics and basic diagnostics. Whether you're a car enthusiast wanting to monitor your engine's vital statistics or a DIY mechanic diagnosing issues, CarDash offers an intuitive interface for viewing your vehicle's data.
CarDash is built with privacy as a core principle:
- No Account Required - Use the app without creating any account or signing up
- No Data Collection - We don't track, collect, or transmit your vehicle data
- No Analytics - No usage tracking or analytics frameworks
- No Advertisements - Zero ads or third-party tracking
- 100% Local Storage - All your data stays on your device
- No Internet Required - Works completely offline after installation
Your vehicle data belongs to you alone. Period.
| Real-time Metrics Dashboard | Settings & Configuration |
|---|---|
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- Real-time Engine Stats: RPM, speed, engine load, and throttle position
- Temperature Monitoring: Coolant and intake air temperature
- System Status: Fuel level, fuel pressure, barometric pressure, and battery voltage
- Customizable Layout: Arrange metrics in your preferred dashboard configuration
- Basic Graphs: View trends of your vehicle's parameters
- Historical Data: See how metrics change over time
- OBD-II Error Codes: Read diagnostic trouble codes
- Log Viewer: View basic communication logs with your vehicle's ECU
- Data Recording: Save session data for later analysis
- Material Design: Clean, intuitive interface
- Jetpack Compose UI: Responsive layouts for various screen sizes
- Tab-based Navigation: Easy access to different functionality
- Android 8.0 (API level 26) or higher
- Bluetooth-enabled Android device
- OBD-II compatible vehicle (generally all cars made after 1996 in the US, 2001 in the EU, and 2008 globally)
- ELM327-based Bluetooth OBD-II adapter (widely available for $10-30)
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Connect your OBD-II adapter
- Plug the adapter into your vehicle's OBD-II port (typically under the dashboard)
- Turn on vehicle ignition (engine doesn't need to be running)
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Pair with Bluetooth
- Pair your Android device with the OBD-II adapter in your Bluetooth settings
- Default PIN is often
0000or1234
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Launch CarDash
- Open the app and tap the connection button in the top right
- Select your paired OBD-II adapter
- Accept the requested permissions
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Start monitoring
- Once connected, your vehicle's metrics will appear on the dashboard
- Customize your view using the settings menu
CarDash is available for internal testing via Google Play:
- Join the internal test group: Join here
- Download the app: Direct Play Store link
Note: You must join the internal test group before you can download or update the app from the Play Store.
✅ Bluetooth connection to most standard ELM327 OBD-II adapters
✅ Real-time display of vehicle metrics with customizable dashboard
✅ Basic graph visualization of metrics over time
✅ Basic diagnostic logging and session history
✅ Multiple tabs for different functionality (Metrics, Trends, Diagnostics, History)
✅ Settings customization for tab visibility and data collection frequency
✅ Android Auto Integration (Beta): View your vehicle metrics on your car's infotainment display (currently as a simple list; more features and improved UI coming soon)
✅ Available on Play Store internal test (see above)
🔄 Gemini AI Integration - Advanced diagnostics and predictive maintenance using Google's Gemini AI
🔄 Enhanced diagnostic trouble code (DTC) interpretation
🔄 Trip logging and analysis
🔄 Fuel economy calculations
🔄 Expanded vehicle compatibility testing
Note: Android Auto UI may look different from the phone UI. See in-app for the latest appearance.
For developers looking to work on or understand the Android Auto integration for CarDash, the following manifest configurations are crucial for the app to be recognized and run correctly on an Android Auto unit (including the Desktop Head Unit - DHU):
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AndroidManifest.xmlCore Components:-
Uses Library: Declare that the app uses the
androidx.car.applibrary. It's recommended to setandroid:required="false"to allow installation on devices without the Android Auto framework, which simplifies development and testing of the phone app components.<application ...> <uses-library android:name="androidx.car.app" android:required="false"/> ... </application>
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Car App Service: This service is the entry point for Android Auto.
- It must be exported.
- It needs an intent filter for the
androidx.car.app.CarAppServiceaction. - It requires a category declaration (e.g.,
androidx.car.app.category.IOTfor an Internet of Things type app, which suits CarDash).
<service android:name="com.fuseforge.cardash.services.auto.CarDashCarAppService" android:exported="true" android:label="@string/app_name"> <intent-filter> <action android:name="androidx.car.app.CarAppService" /> <category android:name="androidx.car.app.category.IOT" /> </intent-filter> </service>
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Application-Level Meta-Data:
- Automotive App Description: This links to an XML file (typically
res/xml/automotive_app_desc.xml) that declares the app uses automotive templates.<application ...> ... <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.car.application" android:resource="@xml/automotive_app_desc" /> ... </application>
- Minimum Car API Level: This declares the minimum version of the Car App Library the app is compatible with.
<application ...> ... <meta-data android:name="androidx.car.app.minCarApiLevel" android:value="1" /> ... </application>
- Automotive App Description: This links to an XML file (typically
-
-
res/xml/automotive_app_desc.xml: This file is referenced by thecom.google.android.gms.car.applicationmeta-data in the manifest. It must declare that the app uses templates.<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <automotiveApp> <uses name="template" /> </automotiveApp>
Ensuring these elements are correctly configured is the first step to getting your Android Auto app recognized by the system and appearing in the launcher on the head unit.
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Enabling Developer Mode for Android Auto (On Phone): To test your app, including on the Desktop Head Unit (DHU), you need to enable developer mode in the Android Auto application on your phone:
- Open the Android Auto app on your phone.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to the Version number and tap it repeatedly (usually 7-10 times) until you see a toast message saying "Developer mode enabled" or a dialog asking to enable developer settings.
- Once enabled, you can access developer settings via the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the Android Auto settings screen. This is where you can enable "Unknown sources" to run development builds from Android Studio and start the Head Unit Server for DHU.
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Testing with the Desktop Head Unit (DHU): The DHU allows you to simulate an Android Auto head unit on your development machine.
- Install DHU: If you haven't already, download the DHU from the Android Studio SDK Manager. It's typically found under "SDK Tools" -> "Android Auto Desktop Head Unit emulator".
- Enable Head Unit Server: In the Android Auto app's developer settings on your phone (see step 3), enable "Start head unit server".
- Connect Phone: Connect your phone to your computer via USB.
- Start DHU:
- On macOS/Linux, navigate to
~/Library/Android/sdk/extras/google/auto/(macOS) or~/Android/Sdk/extras/google/auto/(Linux) in your terminal and rundesktop-head-unit. - On Windows, navigate to
C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\extras\google\auto\in Command Prompt or PowerShell and rundesktop-head-unit.exe.
- On macOS/Linux, navigate to
- The DHU should launch and connect to your phone, allowing you to see and test your CarDash app as it would appear on a car screen.
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
- ELM327 Documentation for protocol specifications
- OBD-II PIDs Reference for parameter definitions
- Android Jetpack libraries for modern Android development
Use of this application is at your own risk and discretion.