EngineMon is a small device that plugs into your car's OBD-II port. It records what the engine is doing and sends it to the EngineMon app and website, where you get live gauges, drive logs, health checks and trouble codes. This page takes you from the box to your first synced drive.
Will it work with my car?
EngineMon gets the most out of these cars:
- Porsche 996 Carrera and GT3, and 986 Boxster (1999 to 2004)
- Porsche 987.1 Boxster and Cayman, and 997.1 Carrera (2005 to 2008)
- Porsche 981 Boxster and Cayman, and 991 Carrera (2012 to 2016)
- Honda Fit, second generation (2009 to 2014)
Other cars that speak standard OBD-II over CAN, which covers most cars sold in the US since 2008, get standard engine and transmission data.
If EngineMon finds an engine it doesn't recognize, the car's page on the web says ECU detected but not yet supported. We note the car for a future update.
What you need
- Your EngineMon device.
- The EngineMon app on an iPhone or Android phone. You need the phone app for setup, because the device is registered over Bluetooth. The website can't set up a device.
- A car with an OBD-II port. The port is under the dashboard, usually near the steering column.
- An internet connection on your phone while you set up.
Set up your device
Do this in the car, with your phone next to you.
1. Sign in
Install EngineMon from the App Store or Google Play and sign in. New here? Tap Register to create an account, or use Google or Apple under Or continue with. If we ask you to confirm your email, open the link we sent, then sign in. Trouble signing in? See Account and settings.
2. Allow Bluetooth
- iPhone: allow Bluetooth when iOS asks. If you said no, the app shows Bluetooth permission required. Tap Open Settings, turn Bluetooth on for EngineMon, and come back.
- Android: the app opens a Bluetooth permissions screen. Tap Grant permissions and allow each one. If you denied one for good, tap Open Settings and allow it there.
Bluetooth itself has to be on too. The app shows Bluetooth is off when it isn't. The app also asks to send notifications, so your alerts can reach your phone.
3. Plug it in
Plug the device into the OBD-II port, all the way in. Keep the app open on the Garage, which shows Let's set up your EngineMon while it searches.
A new device is ready to set up as soon as it has power, so you don't need to press anything. When the app finds exactly one, it starts setting it up by itself (Found your EngineMon). If it doesn't start, tap Set up your EngineMon. You might also see:
- Which EngineMon? It found more than one. Tap yours.
- Almost there: it can see an EngineMon that isn't in setup mode. Hold the device's button for 5 seconds until its power light blinks.
- Waiting for a connection: your phone is offline. Setup carries on once it's back online.
4. Register it
Registration runs in four quick steps. If a step fails, move your phone closer and tap Try again (it's greyed out while your phone is offline). Registration mode ended means setup mode timed out after 5 minutes: hold the button for 5 seconds, then try again.
When you see Registration complete:
- The app asks Enable background sync? Tap Enable if you want drives to sync while the app is closed. You can change this later; see Keep syncing with the app closed.
- On Android, the system may ask you to let EngineMon pair with the device. Allow it, so Android can start the app when the device is nearby.
5. Turn on your car
Turn the key to the ON position. You don't need to start the engine. The app says Reading your car's VIN while the device identifies the car. There's nothing to fill in, and there's no way to add a car by hand.
When it's done, you see You're all set, and your car is in the Garage and on the Cars page on the website. Tap Go to garage.
Stuck on Reading your car's VIN? Check that the device is pushed all the way in and the key is at ON. Troubleshooting has more to try.
If the car belongs to someone else on EngineMon, you see Pending access, and its owners are asked to let you in (what happens next). Bought the car? Claim it: see I bought a car that's still on the seller's account.
Take your first drive
Just drive. The device records on its own, and the drive shows up as a log once it reaches EngineMon. It gets there in one of two ways:
- Through your phone, over Bluetooth, while the app is open or background sync is on.
- Over Wi-Fi, sent by the device itself, once you've added a network to it.
If neither is around, the device keeps the drive until it can send it. How syncing works explains the details.
To see the drive, open the car in the Garage and look under Recent logs, or open Logs on the website.
Tip: Add your home Wi-Fi early. Then drives upload by themselves while the car is parked at home, whether or not your phone is nearby.
The button and lights
The device has one button. A short press marks the moment in your drive, and holding it for 5 seconds puts the device back in setup mode for 5 minutes. Of its two lights, the car light is the one to watch: solid means it's recording, and a fast blink means it's busy with an update or another job, so don't unplug it. Both lights are off while the device sleeps. The button and lights explains every pattern.
The app can't find my device
- Check that Bluetooth is on and that EngineMon is allowed to use it.
- Check that the device is pushed all the way into the port.
- If the lights are off, the device is asleep. Turn the key to ON to wake it.
- If you've set this device up before, hold its button for 5 seconds and register it within 5 minutes.
- Keep your phone in the car, close to the device.
Still stuck? Troubleshooting covers the error messages you might see during setup.
Got a used device?
If the previous owner transferred it to you from their app, hold the device's button for 5 seconds and register it: that makes it yours. If they didn't, you can claim it, and they get 7 days to answer. I bought a used EngineMon walks through both.
Adding another device later
Tap + Add a device at the bottom of the Garage. The app lists nearby devices, and you tap the one to register.
Where to go next
- Your cars: what's on your car's page.
- Health and trouble codes: when the check engine light comes on.
- Live data: live gauges while you drive.
- Drive logs: open, chart and download your drives.
- Sharing a car: give family or your mechanic access.
- Alerts and notifications: choose what reaches your phone and email.
- EngineMon AI: ask questions about your car and drives.