[NathObeaN]

Hello all,

First, let me say this post is in no way sponsored, and I have no connection to CANchecked. I simply stumbled upon this product and it's blown me away (as has the support I've received while owning it), so wanted to give my fellow bimmer nerds a heads-up!

Who/what is CANchecked? They are a german company (don't worry, their manuals/support etc. are also in English, they even have a translation option on their website ) that make "a wide range of car-specific display solutions" which, "support everything that Can Bus can transfer data - from standalone ECUs to OBD2, from OEM protocols like TP2.0, UDS and others to DBC file import. Even some serial connections via RS232 are supported." - https://www.canchecked.de/.

Why did I get one? Well, it's a bit of a controversial topic that I won't go into here but long story short - I had an aftermarket crank hub fix go bad which ended up with the oil sprocket spinning > oil pressure drop > engine destroyed. Unfortunately, BMW's Oil Pressure sensor apparently doesn't 'shout' at you until around 7psi, at which point, the engine is seconds from death. So, after getting an engine rebuild , I wanted something to a. monitor oil pressure and b. tell me when it drops below a defined point (not 7psi!). After a random Google search, I found CANchecked!

The funnny thing is, I set out to find an oil pressure sensor with a warning feature, and I ended up with a product that does SO much more, and I frickin' love it.

To note:

• Customisability - Everything, I mean everything, is customisable. You can define custom pages, sensors, graphics, colours, animations, layouts, pop-ups, buttons, you name it.
  
• Aesthetic integration - It almost looks OEM. I am writing this from the perspective of the F87, but they have mounting options for many different cars.
  
• Exhaust valve control - you can create your own button to open/close the exhaust valve at will. You can even use the "Res" button on your steering wheel to control open/close (note - you still need to configure a button on the screen to change valuve control from auto to manual, but it's easy).
  
• Ability to "Block OBD port" + protect with PIN - This means if you have a tuned/custom DME, you can prevent the dealer/garage from even reading it. Not only does this mean you can prevent unwanted DME updates, it also prevents ISTA from giving your car the "S0777 Tuning Detected" flag. Of course, if you want to give access, you can either disable the "panic mode" feature (don't ask why they called it that!) or give them your PIN.
  
• Sensor warnings - you can rest easy knowing if anything deviates outside of the 'normal', it will let you know immediately (you can set min and max pop-ups/overlay warnings for every sensor).
  
• Data logging - you can do it from the screen, and then easily export to a PC (using their DSS software to analyse).
  
• Error code reading/deletion - couple of taps and you can view any codes present. Very handy if your car throws a warning and you don't have an ODB reader etc.
  
• Change page with cruise control up/down - This gives 'hands-off' control so you can quickly flick between up to 10 pages. You can therefore, for example, use a 0-60 recorder one minute and then a generic sensor page the next.
  
• Automatic Dimming - Again, it's customisable, but you can have the screen automatically dim with your car's instruments so it doesn't blind you at night (it's also very bright during the day).
  
• Support - Last but not least, their support is fantastic. I have had near instant email responses on every query I've had. The documentation itself is also very helpful. I've even had one of their guys dial in remotely via Teamveiwer to fix a very specific issue I was having (and he didn't give up until it was completely fixed).

This is just my high-level summary of things I found useful, no doubt I am forgetting something (the product does a lot!) but they have is a full breakdown here: https://www.canchecked.de/bmw-f-serie-display-m2-m3-m4/.

If you want to get a deep-dive of how the thing works/configuration options, I found this video quite useful:

If I had to nit-pick:

1. The screen mount is clearly 3D-printed and mine had a little bit of gunk on it. Only took a few mins to clean though.
2. If you aren't technically-minded, you might find the more advanced features of their DSS application (the software used to configure the display) difficult to wrap your head around. Fortunately, I'm a nerd, so I love it.
3. It's not cheap. I paid around £425 for mine. It might sound steep, but given the capabilities and the support experience I've had, I don't regret it one bit (if you haven't guessed that already).
4. The install process 'can' be difficult. I personally found it relatively straight-forward, but it does require a degree of patience and (they do have car-specific installation guides). Failing that, just get someone else to install it for you!

All-in-all, it does what it says on the tin. Their website description tells you what you need to know, it isn't exaggerated BS, so if you like what you read, I fully encourage you to take a look.

Here is a picture of it running in my car (notice my oversized OilP gauge. Yes, I am paranoid about it now ).

[ThreeStripes]

Fantastic write up. Thanks for this.

I’ve been using the OnTrack app for a month now and love being able to monitor OBD data on road and track.



I use it to watch Oil/Coolant temps but while it supports fuel pressure, oil pressure isn’t currently available. I’ve made the request for oil pressure to the developers and it’s on their roadmap.

Free to use and with CarPlay it uses the factory display which is convenient. Surprised earlier posts about this didn’t get any traction.

[NathObeaN]

Originally Posted by ThreeStripes

Fantastic write up. Thanks for this.

I’ve been using the OnTrack app for a month now and love being able to monitor OBD data on road and track.



I use it to watch Oil/Coolant temps but while it supports fuel pressure, oil pressure isn’t currently available. I’ve made the request for oil pressure to the developers and it’s on their roadmap.

Free to use and with CarPlay it uses the factory display which is convenient. Surprised earlier posts about this didn’t get any traction.

That's pretty cool, I wasn't aware of that myself .

[MooMooM2]

Originally Posted by NathObeaN

That's pretty cool, I wasn't aware of that myself .

Its a pretty new app and for a long time apple did not allow many apps to be in car play but I think they allow more now. Its a great app, I have used it for a few months now as well.

Will have more options with canchecked of course, on track is limited to OBD2 stuff.

Canchecked looks great though and nice that it lets you kind of keep the vent unlike some other ones.

[NathObeaN]

Originally Posted by MooMooM2

Its a pretty new app and for a long time apple did not allow many apps to be in car play but I think they allow more now. Its a great app, I have used it for a few months now as well.

Will have more options with canchecked of course, on track is limited to OBD2 stuff.

Canchecked looks great though and nice that it lets you kind of keep the vent unlike some other ones.

Indeed, something I forgot to mention! Most units cover the air vent whereas this lets you use it still (albeit static). Not sure what would happen if you blasted it with hot air constantly… in that case, probabaly best to close the vent (the back shutters still operate).