I just bought a Foxwell NT510 Elite code scanner, Landrover/Jaguar version, to diagnose the air suspension fault in my 2004 XJ8. Paid $165 on Amazon.

It worked, mostly, for the first day--sufficiently for me to realize I had an undercharged battery problem that was masking the other problems.

However, the implementation is terrible.

The instructions are incomplete. To update the NT510's data, I had to install and run FoxAssist. FoxAssist offered me menu options to "Download" the update and to "Activate" the NT510 by entering its serial number; but the "Download" wouldn't download anything, and typing in the serial and clicking "Activate" just gave me the message "You don't own this serial number". I eventually figured out that I was supposed to open the foxwelltech.us website, register there, wait for an activation email, click that, log into foxwelltech.us, and go to My Account > My Products > New Registration and type in the serial number there before going back to FoxAssist and typing the serial number again there, which enabled the "Download" button.

(If you start by going to https://www.foxwelltech.us to download FoxAssist, but go to Products > NT510 > Download instead of Support > Tools > NT510 > Download, you instead get FoxScanner, which is a different program with similar functionality to FoxAssist.)

That same level of ambiguity, inattention to detail, and a lack of instructions or feedback, applies to every operation of the NT510.

The NT510 is ridiculously slow and buggy. It often freezes, requiring you to restart a scan that you might have already waited an hour for. And it made my car consume an UNBELIEVABLE amount of power. I installed a brand new AGM battery, charged it up to 100%, then plugged in the NT510 and started it running a "Quick Scan" (which takes about an hour). When I came back 2 hours later, it still hadn't finished, and had drained my battery down to 34%. That means it was pulling about 380 watts from my battery.

I tried using the scanner while charging the car battery on a 15-amp charger, but the NT510 drains the battery faster than the 15A charger (180 watts) can charge it. It must be doing this by activating high-load engine components, because the NT510 would melt if it were drawing 15 amps itself.

I don't have time to describe all of the awful bugs and bad instructions that made it take 3 hours to get my first Quick Scan done, and then another 4 hours trying and failing to do a second scan (after installing the new battery). It took half an hour just to manually clear all of the codes from the previous scan (there is no automatic "clear all the codes" option). Every operation is tedious because the thing is so impossibly slow. Just pressing the "Back" button to go back to the previous menu can take 3 seconds.

The SD card slot is misaligned with the case, and the case's slot is much bigger than the SD card slot. I couldn't see that because there's a big rubber bumper around it, so when I tried to re-insert the SD card (after trying and failing to get the results of the second scan off the card), the SD card missed the plug and fell into the innards of the NT510. It took me 15 minutes to open the NT510 case non-destructively and get the SD card out.

There are 2 modules which always hang now when I try to read their codes. This means that (A) I can't read the codes from those modules anymore, one of which is the General Electronics Module; (B) I can't do a Quick Scan, ever, because it just hangs at the first of those modules until I give up and turn it off, and (C) I can't print out all the codes anymore using FoxAssist, because the only way to do that is to save the results of a Quick Scan AFTER doing a Quick Scan, which I can never do. There is no option to save all of the last codes read from all the modules to a file to export to FoxAssist to print.

I wasted a lot of time typing in the VIN over and over, because the automatic VIN-identify function would always fail and then prompt me to type in the entire VIN using controls like those you use to "type" on your TV remote. The NT510 can't save the VIN on the SD card; I guess 32G just isn't enough space for it. It was a long time before I discovered that I should have been using the "Manual entry" option, which doesn't actually mean manually entering the VIN, but selecting the year, model, and engine type from lists. But even then, my choice is "2002-2005 XJ8", which means "some of the X308 years and some of the X350 years", which is a bad sign.

TL;DR: I hate this code scanner and am returning it.

 

Buy an Autel

 

Hello Xeno,

Thanks for your post.

I've been interested in getting a scanner for some time though I have never heard of one that either works or works well.

If someone knows of a unit that reads all codes for the X350, please post the specifications of the scanner.

Regards,

James

 

Well, I've only been looking at ones under $200.

• The Foxwell NT510 Elite ($160) reads nearly all the codes there are to read, and has other functionalities, like reading and graphing live data, and helping you perform various service tests and functions. It did work entirely the first time I used it, though the interaction is slow. You can download the manual for it from foxwelltech.us before buying.
• The iCarsoft 930 seems to be the most-popular low-priced Jaguar scanner ($114) that reads all or most Jaguar codes, but you should never buy it, because the iCarsoft LR is the same price now, and strictly superior. The iCarsoft scanners also have live data graphing, and additional tests and functions.
  iCarsoft 930, LR V1, LR II compared
  This video compares the 930, the LR V1, and the LR II. The LR II is the only one of these 3 to consider, because it has all the features that the others do plus more, and is currently the least-expensive ($113).
• The other iCarsofts are the LR V2 ($146), which is, confusingly, the next model up from the LR II; and the LR V3 ($190). I looked into them. The V2 has a couple of extra functions, and 2 additional models of Jaguar (the XE and the F-Pace), and some extra Landrovers also. The V3 seems to be the same as the V2, but with more-recent years of Jaguar. I don't know if you get the more-recent Jaguar models on the V2 or the II just by updating the software. I ordered the LR II because the V2 and V3 didn't add anything that I wanted.
• There's also the NEXAS ($105), a new brand I think, with not many Amazon reviews yet. From the description, it sounds like all it does is read and clear codes, but it does read "Engine, Airbag, Transmission, Instrument Cluster, ABS, SRS, IHKA, IKE, A/C, Air Suspension, etc."

 

I bought the new Icarsoft Lr2. Love it , it seems to diagnose all the systems and faults, including the air suspension.I had the i930 and hated it. this one is far better

 

I have the NT510 also, and agree with everything in the first post. Including the quick scan always hanging when it reaches the General Electronics Module.

 

I used the Foxwell NT510 scanner a couple of times on my 2005 Jaguar XJ8L since I purchased it some 5 years ago, and it seemed to work well for me.

 

Agreed the quick scan is anything but quick.
Checking the individual modules is your best option.
You still get stuck, with the same modules, as before.
But you can go to the next module this way.

 

I've had a NT510 for several years now. Getting the initial JLR software loaded was agonizing as a result of the inadequate documentation but I eventually figured it out.

It has worked well on my 04 XJR and 07SV8, scanning modules for codes, Live data display, and EPB actuation. It DOES NOT allow for height sensor adjustment as some online documentation suggests. It works well enough I bought the VAG software to use on my son's VW. I used the Live Data feature last month to identify a bad air suspension height sensor (since replaced and all is good).

My indy mechanic has a much more advanced scan/service tool but he paid $$$ for it and has to fork out ~ $1500 annually for software upgrades. For the $ 150 I paid for the NT510 I have found it to be a very useful tool having paid for itself many times over.

Best Regards, William

 

Where did you purchase the LR II for $113? About 145 on Amazon.

Thanks

 

I purchased the Foxwell NT510 Elite to help locate a bad SRS sensor. Problem is...the Foxwell doesn't provide the actual location of the bad sensor, just read the code the SRS has a bad sensor. Plus, when i went to update it on their website it locks up. I haven't tried it again in months. Not a great first impression.

 

Yeah, the NT510 ain't perfect, by a long shot. I've contacted foxwell a couple times, and they've fixed a few things and sent updates

- The BMW foxwell package works much better (than the JLR package)

- What model/year jag is yours? (suggest put in your sig line)

- Complete scan should take 3 - 5 minutes, tops

- It ain't the scanner running your battery down - its having your ign on for a long period (draws a lot of current). Generally, scan with engine running