Carbyte™ Frequently Asked Questions

You can check if your vehicle is compatible using the compatibility list on our website. 

Carbyte supports certain diesel vehicles up to early 2022 model years. Please contact our support team to confirm compatibility with your diesel vehicle. 

Carbyte will not void your dealership warranty. Carbyte does not make any permanent changes or leave any evidence of disabling features on your vehicle. We recommend that you remove Carbyte before any dealership service because the dealership will access your OBD-II port while servicing your vehicle.

Carbyte is SEMA certified, meaning it meets industry standards for quality and safety. It won’t affect your vehicle’s emissions testing or compliance. We recommend that you remove Carbyte before getting your emissions tested because the emissions facilities will need access to your OBD-II port while testing your vehicle.

Carbyte includes a 180-day money-back guarantee and a 3 year warranty. 

Carbyte is installed by plugging the adapter into the OBD-II port of your vehicle, typically located under the dashboard on the driver’s side. You can see set up instructions using the Quick Start Guide on our website.

No, Carbyte won’t drain your battery. It uses our Battery Saver™ technology, which makes the adapter go into sleep mode when your vehicle does. Carbyte draws less than 1mA of power in this mode, making it safe to leave plugged in even for extended periods of time.

Our support team can help you troubleshoot the reason for Carbyte not entering sleep mode.

Note:
Opening, closing, locking/unlocking doors, or walking in proximity of the vehicle with the key fob will awaken your vehicle and reactivate Carbyte.

The first time you plug in your Carbyte adapter, it should take about a minute to sync with your vehicle.  On subsequent starts, it should connect within a few seconds.

Green LED - Status:

• Solid On: Carbyte is idle/off
• Slow Blink: Carbyte is syncing with the vehicle
• Fast Blink: Carbyte detected an error related to AFM/DFM
• Intermittent Blink Off: Carbyte is synced with the vehicle

Red LED - OBD:

• Solid On: Carbyte is connected to vehicle
• Intermittent Blink Off: A valid transmission/reception message is sent/received
• Off: Carbyte is not connected to vehicle

Blue LED - LNK:

• Solid On: Carbyte has established a Bluetooth connection with a phone/tablet 
• Slow Blink: Carbyte does not have an active Bluetooth connection with a phone/tablet 
• Fast Blink: Carbyte is in pairing mode. This remains active for 5 minutes on initial power-up or until after pairing has established. After 5 minutes, if pairing is needed with your phone/tablet,  you must unplug Carbyte and plug it back in.

When Carbyte disables AFM/DFM, the engine and transmission need some time to learn how to operate under the new conditions. During this time, you may notice temporary changes to your driving experience. The duration of the relearn process varies from vehicle to vehicle and also depends on the type of driving. To speed up the learning process, strive for a good mix of speeds and rates of acceleration/deceleration by doing a combination of city and highway driving.

Late 2022 and Newer Models

In late 2022, GM introduced a new management system into their trucks and SUVs that significantly differs from the earlier implementations. The new system prevents the complete deactivation of DFM until the vehicle speed exceeds 40 mph at least once.

The vehicle speed must reach 40+ mph for 3-5 seconds for Carbyte to fully disable the DFM system. The 40 mph requirement only needs to be met once, then the DFM system remains disabled at any speed, 0+ mph, until the engine is turned off.

Note:
Under certain conditions, the systems test might not start until the vehicle is traveling at a higher speed, such as when using larger tires. 

Early 2022 and Older Models

AFM/DFM is immediately disabled.

Yes, Carbyte will immediately disable Auto Start/Stop on your vehicle. 

Late 2022 and Newer Models

When DFM is active, you may occasionally see “99 mpg”  instantaneous fuel economy value displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard during deceleration. Once Carbyte fully disables DFM, you will not see the 99 mpg value during deceleration.

Early 2022 and Older Models

Carbyte is able to deactivate AFM immediately after engine start. The instantaneous fuel economy value is not a reliable AFM status indicator for these models. Instead, we recommend that you view cylinder mode (V4/V8) on the vehicle’s dashboard to monitor AFM status. When the mode is V8, it indicates that AFM is disabled.

Other Ways to Tell If AFM/DFM Is Active

On some vehicles, it’s easy to tell when AFM/DFM activates based on the characteristic change in engine sound and vibration.

No, when Carbyte is installed and connected to your vehicle, it disables both AFM/DFM and Auto Start/Stop. 

Both features can be re-enabled using the Carbyte app or by uninstalling the Carbyte adapter. You can’t manage AFM/DFM and Auto Start/Stop independently.

If Carbyte isn’t consistently disabling start/stop or AFM/DFM features, it’s likely that a hidden OBD tracker is installed in your vehicle. 

Occasionally, OBD trackers are installed during service or sale at the dealership. When active, the tracker can block access to vehicle systems—preventing Carbyte from disabling features like AFM/DFM and auto start/stop.

Our support team can help you identify OBD trackers and advise on appropriate next steps.

No, Carbyte has plug-and-play functionality so it can disable AFM/DFM and Auto Start/Stop without needing the app. The app is an optional feature to add more control over your Carbyte adapter. 

Carbyte functions as a multi-feature disabling adapter on its own, but when paired with an optional app on your iOS or Android phone/tablet, you unlock additional features and enhanced control. Carbyte is compatible with both the Carbyte app and the OBDLink app, which offer different features based on your needs.

Note: 

Carbyte will not disable AFM/DFM or Auto Start/Stop while using the OBDLink app. 

When setting Carbyte up with the OBDLink app, you must select “OBDLink CX” for the adapter.

You can update the Carbyte adapter firmware by following these steps: 

1. Connect to the Carbyte adapter from the Carbyte app.
2. Tap the “gear” icon and select “Firmware Updates”.
3. Select the latest version and install it.

Note:
You can see your adapter’s current firmware version on the Connect screen in the Event Log in the app. It is also viewable on the top of the Settings screen.

Carbyte will work when plugged into an OBD-II port splitter or an alternate OBD-II port as long as the other OBD connected device is not using it to communicate with the vehicle’s systems. 

Many OBD products, such as dash cams and powersteps, use the port simply as a power source and will work alongside Carbyte without issue. However OBD disablers, OBD scanners, OBD vehicle trackers, and other similar devices will interfere with Carbyte's functionality.

If you are experiencing issues with Carbyte or have questions not addressed in this FAQ, contact our support team.