User Manual

1. Safety First

  • Do not use the app while driving. Set up before driving, or let a passenger use the app.
  • Use acceleration timing only on a closed course/track.
  • MINI DASH is an additional display. It does not replace your car's factory warning systems.
  • Keep oil and coolant warning limits enabled and realistic.

2. What You Need

Before first setup, make sure you have:

  • MINI DASH powered on
  • VEEPEAK BLE+ OBD adapter connected to the vehicle OBD port
  • Vehicle ignition on
  • iPhone or Android phone with MINI DASH app installed
  • Bluetooth enabled
  • App permissions allowed

Notes:

  • Android may require Location permission for Bluetooth scanning.
  • Keep your phone close to MINI DASH during first connection.

3. First-Time Setup (Quick Start)

  1. Plug in the VEEPEAK adapter.
  2. Turn ignition on and power MINI DASH.
  3. Open the MINI DASH app.
  4. Allow requested permissions.
  5. Tap Connect.
  6. Wait for Connected.
  7. Navigate to About and switch to correct region. EU (bar, kmh, celsius), UK (psi, mph, celsius), US (psi, mph, fahrenheit).

If connection fails:

  • Please enable Bluetooth: turn on Bluetooth.
  • Authorize Bluetooth: allow app permission in phone settings.
  • MINI DASH not found: check power, distance, and adapter connection, then tap Retry.

Important:

  • Connect from inside the app. Do not manually pair MINI DASH in the phone Bluetooth menu.
  • After setup and applying your settings, MINI DASH runs with those saved settings even when the app is closed.

4. After Setup (Standalone Use)

For normal driving, you do not need to open the app each time.

Typical flow:

  1. Start the car and MINI DASH.
  2. Drive normally while MINI DASH shows your saved setup.

Use the app only when you want to:

  • Change MINI DASH settings
  • Update profiles/sensors/ranges/shift light
  • Start/stop logging and download logs

If Bluetooth drops while using the app, the app will try to reconnect automatically.

5. App Tabs

Tab What it does
Brightness Adjusts display brightness
Screen Changes display mode and orientation
Setup Configures profiles, sensors, ranges, and advanced options
Logging Records and downloads drive logs
About Shows firmware/device information and lets you change units by switching the region (EU / US / UK)

Brightness

  • Slider range: 1 to 100.
  • Quick presets: Sun = 70%, Moon = 10%.

Screen

  • Modes: Boost, Vitals, Accel.
  • Orientation: 0° 90° 180° or 270°.
  • While logging is active, screen changes are locked.

Accel notes:

  • Depending on region its either 0-100 and 100-200 (EU) or 0-60 and 60-130 (US/UK) timing.
  • Accuracy can vary due to OBD delay (about +/- 0.2 s).
  • Use only in legal, safe, closed environments.
  • Use Accel mode only briefly; temperature warning popups are designed for normal monitoring screens.

Setup

  • Main configuration area for profiles and sensor behavior.

Profiles:

  • Built-in: Street, Track
  • Create custom profiles
  • Use Save and Apply to send settings to MINI DASH
  • Reset to Defaults is for built-in profiles
  • Delete Profile is for custom profiles

Sensor Layout:

  • Set Top, Middle, Bottom sensor slots.
  • Available sensors: engine oil temp, coolant temp, intake air temp, ambient temp, catalyst temp, turbo boost, vehicle speed, engine RPM, throttle position, calculated engine load, absolute load value, actual engine percent torque, fuel tank level, battery voltage, ignition timing advance, air-fuel ratio (lambda) and mass air flow (MAF).

Temperature Ranges:

  • Configure color zones for oil, coolant, intake, catalyst.
  • Oil and coolant also have warning limits.
  • If oil/coolant reaches warning limit, MINI DASH shows an overheat warning screen.

Shift Light:

  • A shift light is a visual RPM indicator that helps you shift near your target engine speed without looking away for long.
  • Enable/disable in Setup.
  • Configure start RPM, shift RPM, strobe speed, and strobe brightness factor.

Boost Display:

  • Show Boost Digit ON: numeric boost value is shown.
  • Show Boost Digit OFF but Shift Light ON: Shift Light shown on Boost screen.
  • Show Boost Digit OFF and Shift Light OFF: top and bottom sensor values are shown on Boost screen.

Advanced -> Speed Scaling:

  • Range: 0.80 to 1.20
  • Use when MINI DASH speed does not match GPS speed.
  • Formula: Scale = GPS speed / MINI DASH speed
  • Example: MINI DASH 100 km/h, GPS 98 km/h -> scale 0.98
  • Speed scaling is global (applies across profiles).

Logging

  • Start Logging / Stop Logging
  • Download logs
  • Log History

Logging behavior:

  • Logs the 3 sensors selected in Setup.
  • Starting logging switches MINI DASH to Vitals screen.
  • Setup and Screen changes are locked during logging.
  • Approximate recording time after each download: ~3.5 hours.
  • If an old undownloaded log exists, app warns before overwriting.

Download behavior:

  • Download saves sessions as CSV files on your phone.
  • After a successful download, the device log is cleared automatically.
  • Always download logs before cutting vehicle/MINI DASH power to avoid log loss.

Offline history:

  • If CSV logs already exist on your phone, View Log History is available from the connection screen even when not connected.

Log History and Graph

  • Open a session to view charts.
  • Resolution options: Raw, 10s, 1m, 5m, 10m
  • Filter by sensor or show all.
  • View stats: Min, Median, Average, Max
  • Share/export CSV from the graph screen.
  • Swipe left on a session in Log History to delete it.

6. Sensor Quick Guide

Sensor Why monitor it
Engine oil temperature Helps protect the engine from wear and overheating, especially during hard driving.
Coolant temperature Early warning for overheating and cooling-system issues.
Intake air temperature High intake temps can reduce performance and increase heat stress.
Ambient air temperature Provides context for engine and intake temperatures and helps assess overall thermal conditions.
Catalyst temperature Helps avoid excessive exhaust heat that can damage catalyst components.
Turbo boost Shows how hard the turbo is working and helps spot unusual boost behavior.
Vehicle speed Useful for normal driving awareness and for comparing with GPS when calibrating speed scale.
Engine RPM Key for shift timing and keeping the engine in a safe, effective range.
Throttle position Useful to understand driver input and whether power demand matches behavior.
Calculated Engine load Helps explain temperature rise and overall engine stress.
Absolute load value Indicates real engine demand relative to its maximum capacity, useful for understanding true load under boost.
Actual engine percent torque Shows how much torque the engine is currently producing relative to its maximum, helpful for performance analysis.
Fuel Tank level Helps plan stops and avoid running low during longer drives.
Battery voltage Can reveal charging-system problems early (battery/alternator).
Ignition timing advance Useful performance/health indicator when comparing normal vs. unusual engine behavior.
Air-fuel ratio (lambda) Helps identify combustion issues that affect performance, efficiency, and engine safety.
MAF (mass air flow) Measures the amount of air entering the engine, essential for diagnosing fueling and performance issues.

7. Troubleshooting

Problem What to check What to do
MINI DASH not found Power, ignition, distance, adapter Check all three, then tap Retry
Permission denied / authorize prompt App permissions Enable Bluetooth permission (and Location on Android), reconnect
Stuck on reconnecting Temporary BLE drop Wait a few seconds; if needed, reopen the app
Cannot change Screen or Setup Logging active Stop logging first
Download says no new logs No data recorded yet Start logging, drive, stop, download again
Log history is empty Nothing downloaded yet Download logs in Logging tab
Speed differs from GPS Scale not calibrated Adjust Setup -> Advanced -> Speed Scaling
Strange values Temporary OBD read issue Keep driving briefly, check adapter connection, reconnect
Screen shows dashes Ignition is off, OBD response is invalid, or selected sensor is not available Turn ignition on, check adapter connection, and choose a supported sensor
Accel timing not starting Start conditions not met Begin from low speed and do one continuous run in a safe closed area

8. Good Practices

  • Start with the Street profile.
  • Change one setting at a time, then test.
  • Keep oil/coolant warning limits conservative.
  • Download logs after each session.
  • Keep MINI DASH near the VEEPEAK for best Bluetooth stability.

9. Software Updates

Keep your MINI DASH up to date to benefit from new features, improvements, and bug fixes.

  • Visit: mini-dash.de/update
  • Follow the instructions on the website to install the latest firmware.
  • Do not disconnect power during the update process.