So I have a small Bluetooth OBD II Code reader/transmitter that I have used for several years with a few applications for my Android phone. The primary one I use is Torque, and while it does a lot of cool things like providing gauges for parameters like coolant temp, oil pressure, even throttle position, the main thing I use it for it grabbing codes and resetting CELs on my cars.

I attached it to my 06 XJ8L in the hope that maybe the ASF (Air Suspension Fault) was an OBD II parameter, even though I was skeptical. I believe OBD II is a common set of items that are capable of setting the check engine light, such as misfires and such, so a vehicle specific code such as an ASF would not apply. Since I had nothing to lose, I gave it a whirl. What came back both surprised and concerned me.

The software stated something to the effect that "Some manufacturers BLOCK the ECU from providing codes. You may not get any useful information. Of course I DIDN'T get anything back, but then again, there WAS NO active errors at the time. There was no ASF even though I have had a couple in the last week. Also no Check Engine Light.

So all of this is inconclusive since a negative outcome cannot prove or disprove a darn thing. It's that message about blocking codes that concerns me. Has anyone in the forums seen this or a similar message when trying to read OBD II codes from an X350 car? Any insight would be welcome!

- John

 

Jaguar DO NOT block generic OBD-II codes (the powertrain P-XXXX ones). Everything else is not an ODB-II standard codes and can't be read with generic reader.

 

MoscowLeaper is correct. You need the SDD software and cable to pull Jaguar codes. I use British Diagnostics. Bought on ebay for $145 and works great. Programmed my mirrors this week and diagnosed a bad wheel speed sensor. One code pulled on my own paid for the unit. Jaguar would have charged that just to plug up.

 

Hi John,

Yes, OBDII DTCs are all emissions-related and by law a generic OBDII-compliant scanner is supposed to be able to read them. They are Powertrain codes with a "P" prefix.

Like you, I also have a small bluetooth ELM327 type device that I use with Torque Pro on my Android and it reads all the engine parameters, sensors, etc., but I haven't tried it for scanning for DTCs since I also have a Mongoose and JLR SDD.

In my experience ASF will typically trigger one or more DTCs, but they are Chassis or "C" prefix codes, so a generic OBDII scanner can't read them. I've never seen that message about blocked codes - that's weird!

If you haven't downloaded the X350 Workshop Manual, the DTCs and dash warnings are fully explained with possible causes in the various sections. P codes in the Powertrain section, B in the Body section, C in the Chassis section and U, or "Undefined," in the Electrical section (U codes nearly all have to do with network communications such as CAN, D2B, ISO etc.). Here are the links to the downloads:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/md...f+contents.pdf
http://www.mediafire.com/download/aa...nformation.pdf
http://www.mediafire.com/download/n3...2.+Chassis.pdf
http://www.mediafire.com/download/9b...Powertrain.pdf
http://www.mediafire.com/download/0i...Electrical.pdf
http://www.mediafire.com/download/4j...+and+Paint.pdf


Cheers,

Don

 

Thanks guys - Yes, Don, I have grabbed the workshop manuals (and everything else I can get my hands on.) I actually have a huge assortment of stuff and my own database of issues and things I am researching.

The car I just purchased is a nice X350, as nice as I could hope for in my price range. It is looking reasonably sorted out. I will be doing rear brake pads & rotors in the near future, just the looks of those rotors give me the creeps! Too much rust and the pad wear area is uneven and has a nice "lip" of rust. Sigh, at least the rotors are not unreasonable. I plan to put Akebono or EBC Redstuff Pads on there as well as new rotors.

I agree that the message I got was weird, and made no sense to me either as OBD is a federally mandated interface. Perhaps its was a fluke, or related to the fact that I had no codes at present.

In any event I will try it again after setting a proper "profile" for the XJ8L - I still had another profile on there, but that alone shouldn't affect the interface.

If I continue to see it I will just grab another ELM327 interface/Bluetooth device off Amazon. They are cheap enough, and perhaps the one I have has some incompatibility with the Jag. Strange indeed...

 

Since only a few (expensive) non-Jaguar systems will read the proprietary Jaguar codes (e.g. AutoEnginuity with the extra Enhanced Interface for Jaguar), you might want to consider equipping yourself with a Mongoose cable and JLR SDD software, since many members are using it successfully. You just need a laptop on which you can install Windows XP 32-bit either as the main OS or in a virtual machine (not hard - I learned how to do it in an evening). Search the forum for the most affordable options on a Mongoose/SDD package.

Cheers,

Don

 

Just a clarification.

The stipulation that it be Windows XP is a myth spread by those who failed and have subsequently proclaimed the "requirement" as fact.

I know from personal experience that the SDD+Mongoose combination installs and functions perfectly on Windows 7 Professional 32 bit installed as a user application.

It also does not require anything more than an Intel Atom processor. I have the system installed on a HP Slate 2 tablet.

Both of the above facts have been posted in the long running Mongoose thread to no avail.

There are certain members who take the news as an affront to their abilities with a computer. Thus, they insist that it is both impossible and unsupported. Neither is true.

JLR cannot insist on limiting the software to Windows XP as Windows XP is no longer available to the end user market. Thus, it would be an untenable requirement.

 

The message you got is a "disclaimer" from the software vendor.

To test the hardware, just download some other elm327 compatible software and try to connect.

You can also find the AT command set used by the elm327 and issue direct commands using hyperterminal or putty.

Only expect powertrain obd-ii codes to be readable because that is what the standard stipulates.

 

Jaguars don't block anything. I've never met a car from any maker that does so frankly I think that statement is false.

However, as has been in effect posted, it's up to the software to ask the elm to request the car for data and much of the software just asks for generic OBD II data - as you'd expect.

The elm327 can do far more (see detailed doc available on their site) but only if asked. Hardly any software does

I gather Torque Pro can be taught to do it but haven't tried. I'd get SDD/IDS + Mongoose and then you don't have to go teaching...

 

I confirm that SDD works like a charm on a Win 7. Actually a new Panasonic CF laptops (which are a part of an SDD combo for a dealers) comes with Win 7 and they can't be downgraded to a Win XP.
As for a cpu/memory - mine SDD is running on a IBM X61 tablet, with 1.4Ghz core2duo and 3Gb of memory (the more memory you have, the faster SDD works).
With a little bit of tricks it is still possible to run an SDD on a x64 OS or to have a two or more versions of SDD installed at a same time (i have 3 of them - v.124, v.128, v.135)

 

The ELM327 itself can read almost everything, but, indeed, the software limits it's capabilities.
Even if you know a correct PID, for a Jaguar/LandRover ECUs you need to correctly initialise (send init string, like on a dialup modems) a chip.

 

And then there is that mysterious ROSCOE protocol which I presume the ELM knows nothing about.

 

I didn't try installing JLR SDD in Win 7 64-bit, but I did try installing the Mongoose driver in that OS and received an error message that the driver would only run in 32-bit. I can't recall if the message stated that Win XP was also a requirement, but it's the only 32-bit OS I had on hand.

 

ELM is just a hardware interface. It can work with whatever protocol if the software supports it.
Speaking about a hardware interfaces, the Jaguar is absolutely standard, there's not so much non-standard vehicles (i can remeber only Porsche ones, with propietary OBD-II socket pinout and propietary h/w interfce for all the systems, except engine).

 

There's a way to fool a driver.

 

I think ROSCOE is a software thing. The elm can likely do it if you know what the protocol is. Anyone?

Is this a challenge-response thing?

There again, with cheap Mongoose clones who cares...

 

Both Jaguar and Porsche are "standard" if you consider that the standard defines certain pins as being available for undefined use. That is the escape clause. Roscoe uses one of those undefined pins. The obd-ii standard only defines a subset of the pins and the relationship with the pcm. All else is open within certain limits.

The ELM does not connect that pin. Nor does the generic J2534 version of the Mongoose. Only the JLR part number. Thus, the JLR Mongoose is a superset of the generic version.

 

Roscoe is an industrial device control protocol.

 

Missed that one! Got any links? google is failing for it

Which of the models use it?

 

Drew Technologies : Introduction

I forgot what terms I used the first time.

The way I twigged on it was that when comparing the JLR specific model to the generic model, ROSCO capability was one of the differences. If you look at some of the other manufacturer specific models there are other differences. The generic/vanilla model is always the cheapest. That implies the manufacturer specific models have additional circuitry. As noted earlier, not every pin is defined in the obd-ii standard, except for being unassigned and available for manufacturer specific functions. It's defined as undefined

Apparently, Hyundai also uses it based upon searches a few minutes ago.