Want to read honest reviews of Carly OBD2 Bluetooth Adapter? Then you’ve landed on the right page.
You know that your shop will charge you a whopping amount of money to hook up your car.
This could potentially be expensive if you run diagnostic checks regularly. This is the niche that Carly sought to take advantage of.
What’s more, you can easily code your car, using the app to your suitability. You could have autonomous control of some functions of your car by using the app.
For the app to run, you need to have an adapter. The adapters are made by the company and work well with the app. The app can run a comprehensive diagnostics check on your car.
Read on to see if this is what you’re looking for.
Read more: BMW dashboard symbols: What are they telling you?
Table of Contents
Carly detailed review
Carly Scanner + Carly Diagnostic App
Price range: $69-$139
Carly is compatible with a wide range of vehicles
Carly is made explicitly for any OBD2-compliant vehicle. The device works on most OBD2 car models that were manufactured after the year 1996.
Take BMW as an example. For these particular supported models, all functions are entirely accessible once you unlock them. The models include:
- For BMW 1 series, the supported models are E81, E82, E87, E88.
- It Supports models: E90, E91, E92, E93 for BMW 3 series.
- For the BMW 5 series, the supported models are E60, E61, E63, E64.
- For the seven series, the supported models are the E65 and E66.
- The adapter is compatible with vehicles in the X series. These are X1, X3, X5, and X6, specifically the E84, E70, E71, E72 models.
- The BMW Z4 model E89.
- Mini’s above the model R56.
- All the F models.
The particular Carly adapter is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones/tablets.
Perfect display
The display, albeit functional, is a bit bland. It shows you all that you need to know about your car. However, it is not colorful or bright, just a dull orange color.
The question is, how much this appearance matters to the user of the application.
To a car owner who only cares about the app’s degree of functionality, this application is ideal for them.
But if you care more about the application’s appearance, then this app might put you off. Everything you need, though, is on the screen.
Carly Scanner + Carly Diagnostic App
Price range: $69-$139
An excellent choice for any car owner looking for a reliable scan tool
Features
- Performance of diagnostics
- Enables coding
- Gauges the parameters
- Used car check
Diagnostics
The software performs a comprehensive diagnostics check. Carly connected car for car conducts a thorough check of the electronics in your car.
It checks them to make sure they are performing at their optimum.
In addition to this, Carly informs you which electronics are likely to malfunction based on specific algorithms.
Coding
This is perhaps the best feature of Carly. The application gives you a comprehensive capability to code.
Coding will not only help you to customize your car electronics to your suitability, but you can also change the code in about 100 different things.
Among the aspects you can change are the warning beep for not wearing seatbelts.
The first thing that most people do is change the coding for the side mirrors so that the side mirrors fold after you switch off the car.
As you get more familiar with the application, you begin to tweak more with your electronics.
You could even change the display to play your videos directly from a USB flash drive.
However, Carly makes the service cheaper for you.
Carly Scanner + Carly Diagnostic App
Price range: $69-$139
Parameters gauge
The system analyzes all of the gauges in the engine just like an expert would. This gives you a clearer picture of how the electric parts of your engine are doing.
Used car check
It is essential that you thoroughly check any used car that you are buying.
The best way to do so is by bringing a certified mechanic to the transaction.
However, there are electrical lines that a mechanic could easily miss.
This is where the Carly scanner comes in handy.
Carly performs a proper diagnostics check on any vehicle within the compatible models.
The check makes sure you do not get a bad deal on a second-hand car. In addition to this, Carly informs you of the actual state of the vehicle.
Pros
- Coding is relatively easy to understand.
- You can alter several electrical aspects of your car. Services could cost you a lot of money.
- Saves you the money you would have otherwise spent on diagnostic checks.
- Having the ability to diagnose your car at the convenience of your palm means you will perform the checks more regularly. The result is that you will be aware of any issues beforehand, and you can take corrective measures. The result is a healthier car.
Cons
- The adapter only works with specific enlisted models.
- The app has several critical in-app purchases that could make the app expensive to run.
- The adapter of Carly is hard to remove because of the soft head.
Carly Scanner + Carly Diagnostic App
Price range: $69-$139
Carly vs. Foxwell NT510 Elite vs. Carista
 Carly Scanner Plus |  FOXWELL NT510 Elite |  Creator C310+ |
|
| Customer Rating |  |  |  |
| Price range |  |  | |
| Product Dimensions | 3" x 1.8" x 0.9" | 7.9" x 1.5" x 3.9" | 9.6" x 6.2" x 2.7" |
| Item Weight | 1.76oz | 1.35lbs | 1.1lbs |
| OBD2 functions | 10/10* | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| System diagnostics | 10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Advanced service functions | 8/10 | 8/10 | 5/10 |
| Customizations/ Coding | 7/10 | 6/10 | 1/10 |
Final Thoughts
Carly gives you the convenience of diagnostics checks at any time from the convenience of your phone.
The application, Carly Scanner, is designed for car enthusiasts. The application is specifically designed for any owners with iOS or Android phones.
The owner should be versed in the various components of the car. So that when a particular warning comes on, they will understand what it means.
READ MORE:
I had purchased this service for approximately $130.00 from their website. In about a month it stopped recognizing my subscription. After starting a ticket on the issue I provided them a copy of the invoice that I indeed did pay them. The customer service dope Mahir wanted me to to provide yet more documentation for proof of purchase. To make a long story short Im out $130.00 and still do not have the service. Apparently record keeping is not this companys strong suit and I don’t have time to argue with them. I bet you don’t either.
There are much cheaper OBD set ups available. I would recommend Bimmercode if you drive a BMW. Its a simple one time purchase and works great. DON’T OVER PAY FOR THIS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE.
I’m so sorry to hear about your bad experiences with Carly.
I think they should improve their customer service.
Please keep me posted if you have any updates from them.
Yes. Bimmercode is a good choice for BMW drivers.
You can read my comparison here – Carly Vs. BimmerCode Vs. BimmerLink: Which app is the best for BMW?
The app provides lots of information, some useful, lots of it not, and lots does not even apply to the make/model of your vehicle. Up to you to decide who of the many alerts are worth following up on. In the end, you still need to take you car to a trusted mechanic, which sort of defeats the purpose of the app. Also be wary of the automated subscription renewal, which renews annually without notice (and complete refusal to refund). If you do choose to purchase, best bet is to cancel the service immediately upon purchasing, and then make the choice to renew the following year after realizing the app doesn’t help you at all.