How To Connect Your Laptop To The Obd Socket

[Xophe]

Hi all,

I would like to share with you my little experience about communication with the IQ calculators.

I just bought an inexpensive USB cable with the interface for any OBD socket.

you can find it almost everywhere, if you search for "mini VCI for Toyota"

I bought mine on eBay in Hong-Kong for about 22 euros, freight included ! 3 weeks delivery.

This cable is delivered with a freeware called Techstream, to be installed on your PC (my laptop is running Windows 7).

Probably a chinese clone of the real Toyota software.

After connecting to the car, the software lets you change many settings on the car, like:

timers duration, sound for safety belts, buzzer volume, calibration of the AC temperature display, new keys programming (up to a total of 4), clear error codes, display of all parameters, diagnostic, etc...

You can see few screenshots of the software on the following link:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34502

For the low cost of this system, I have been surprised of its power, and I am extremely satisfied.

That is why I am sharing this experience with you...

Christophe

[Xophe]

Just one more thing: the "miniVCI" is not the only one.

Competition can be found, for example, by searching "Toyota K+Can Commander 2.0"

Advanced features, such as reprogramming the ECU or erasing all existing keys, cannot be easily used because they are protected by a code.

There are freewares to compute the code by entering the seed code of the connection, but I never tried.

[Raistlin]

I use this one:

Features:

Work with all OBD2 compliant vehicles.

Enable to read diagnostic trouble codes.

Support different kinds of devices to use this scan tool: Android system phones, Symbian system phones, Windows XP and WIN7 32bite computers.

Functions:

Read diagnostic trouble codes, both generic and manufacturer-specific, and display their meaning (over 3000 generic code definitions in the database).

Display current sensor data, including:

1.Engine RPM

2.Calculated Load Value

3.Coolant Temperature

4.Fuel System Status

5.Vehicle Speed

6.Short Term Fuel Trim

7.Long Term Fuel Trim

8.Intake Manifold Pressure

9.Timing Advance

10.Intake Air Temperature

11.Air Flow Rate

12.Absolute Throttle Position

13.Oxygen sensor voltages/associated short term fuel trims

14.Fuel System status

15.Fuel Pressure

Specifications:

Type: code readers & scan tools

Output protocol: bluetooth

Color: blue

Material : plastic

Voltage: 12V

Current: 45mA

Wave frequency: 38400Hz

Applicable scope: 5-10m/ 16.4-32.8ft

Item size: 4.7 * 2.3 * 3.1cm/ 1.8 * 0.9 * 1.2in

Item weight: 21g/ 0.7oz

Total weight: 34g/ 1.2oz

Packing List:

1 * OBD2 bluetooth scanner interface

1 * CD-ROM

£ 8.48 + Free Delivery

http://www.amazon.co.uk/TIMETOP-Bluetooth-Interface-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B00DY3EZSI/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ce_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1AH1NYB4A7QPCE8PV74H

[Kepilla]

Great!

Maybe, I'll be able to configure the 'Passenger Airbag Warning Light'

Thanks again.

[Xophe]

Hi Raistlin,

I also have a bluetooth dongle similar to yours. I use it with my phone running the Torque app.

Can we use it with Techstream software, so that you can change the car settings, instead of just reading infos?

I never tried...

[Raistlin]

Me neither, PM Parts King he will know...

[tarquin]

I have a wireless version as well with the torque app

Have also seen a start your car remotely version as well

David

[Kepilla]

I have a wireless version as well with the torque app

Have also seen a start your car remotely version as well

David

Please, do you know if you can use the Techstream with the bluetooth, or do you need the usb cable?

Thanks

(Starts... sounds dangerous. And stop more even!)

[tarquin]

Had a good search and tools like the mini interfaces with the correct protocol are USB only

Have ordered a copy of techstream

David

[Kepilla]

Just teasted my OBD connector

I wanted to modify same configurations (in fact, I only wanted it to remove the 'airbag passenger on' light; I'm sorry to admit it, but i hate that light). And I've just found I can not turn it off.

I've turned off the passenger seat.belt 'beeps' (I love seat belt, but I do not need to have it beeping if it's just for one second. And I found myself stupid having the cable and all the stuff and no modifications at all, so I choosed this one)

So it's fun, but IMHO the torque+bluetooth is enought. ANyway, thanks for the hint!!

Regards

[tarquin]

If your very desperate its very easy to get to the display and it pops apart easily and snip a leg of the LED. I should know as i have changed all of my LED's to blue

David

[Soeley]

Surely that would be a future MOT failure?

Maybe a little switch on the wire feeding the LED?

[tarquin]

Assuming the Mot tester knows every light on all cars. My iq just had a full service. They didnt notice i turned the driver seatbelt alarm off

A couple of skinny wires and a hidden switch if your worried or just use some neatly cut black insulation tape and replace it when you have an MOT

David

[Ben Davy]

It wont be part of the MOT test.

[korat102]

I only wanted it to remove the 'airbag passenger on' light; I'm sorry to admit it, but i hate that light

I still don't understand the reasoning behind that indicator. Why do we need a light to tell us that the airbag is operating normally?

Dear Toyota: Just give me an indicator if it's turned OFF or something is wrong.

[Andy Kay]

I'm having a nightmare with this Techstream stuff. I ordered the cable and disk from China and it turned up but wouldn't load. Turns out that the software doesn't work with 64 bit systems so I had to acquire an old laptop running Win XP and the software loads okay on that.

The problem then was that when I tried to connect to the car, the software asks me for a key (even though I did run the TISKEY file after I'd loaded the MCVI driver). I tried putting any old string in there but it was having none of it, so I hit the "evaluate" key and it ran.

The problem now is that the iQ doesn't appear in the drop-down menu model selection. I'm guessing that the software needs updating.

Has anybody else with this gear had all this trouble?

[tarquin]

Andy

After you press "connect", do you see the picture in the middle of the screen showing the car connecting to the interface and Techstream? It then should show a boxed list with Toyota's model name and underneath the word select.. choose this and choose the first set of numbers. you then get to choose whether you have smart entry or not then your in

David

[Andy Kay]

Andy

After you press "connect", do you see the picture in the middle of the screen showing the car connecting to the interface and Techstream? It then should show a boxed list with Toyota's model name and underneath the word select.. choose this and choose the first set of numbers. you then get to choose whether you have smart entry or not then your in

David

Thanks for your interest David. When I click on "connect" it opens up a box telling me that it's initializing, then another telling me it's connecting, then it opens up a dialog box with "Division" filled as "Toyota" (the other options are "Lexus" and "Scion"). The "Model" field asks me to select from the drop-down menu, but the iQ doesn't appear in that menu so I get no further.

[tarquin]

Mine auto detects the model and is displayed in bold txt so you cant change it but you can input your vin number

Mine doesnt show any other variants like Lexus

Maybe you have an older version of the software pre 2008. Chech the ver

David

[Andy Kay]

Mine auto detects the model and is displayed in bold txt so you cant change it but you can input your vin number

Mine doesnt show any other variants like Lexus

Maybe you have an older version of the software pre 2008. Chech the ver

David

Ver is 8.00.034 straight off the supplied mini-disk. Did you find a way of updating it? I tried to update from the software but it just gives me the message that "Techstream was unable to connect to TIS" even when the cable is connected to the laptop -- does it need to be connected to the car to update?

[tarquin]

Mine the same as yours and at the bottom it says sub expires in 2848 days

You have to have the ignition on for the ECU's to be active

I can only assume it isn't installed properly with the files that came with it

David

[tarquin]

Andy PM me a private email address

David

[Andy Kay]

Andy PM me a private email address

David

Done.

[Andy Kay]

Mine the same as yours and at the bottom it says sub expires in 2848 days

You have to have the ignition on for the ECU's to be active

I can only assume it isn't installed properly with the files that came with it

David

David,

I can't thank you enough for the trouble you've gone to helping me to get this techstream interface up and running.

I really was ready to put it in the bin.

Top man.

[tarquin]

Simples

David