OBD Engine Scanners

[Linas.P]

You can as well get cheap Bluetooth ODB2 reader and connect it to your smartphone (see below). I personally found that much better than USB or Standalone option for problems identifications and code clearing. Admittedly, USB/PC option and cracked techsream gives extra options for personalisation.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/282351853320?chn=ps&dispItem=1&adgroupid=13585920426&rlsatarget=pla-142405577586&abcId=&adtype=pla&merchantid=9603544&poi=&googleloc=1006886&device=c&campaignid=207297426&crdt=0

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torquefree&hl=en_GB

[C Andrew Green]

On 7/28/2017 at 1:30 PM, C Andrew Green said:

Hi Arqum,

My initial optimism appears to have been dashed! Installed the program, drivers and registry hack, Techstream now has 'X Horse - MVCI available' as VIM.

But after 'Initialising USB connection' I get 'Unable to connect to VIM'.

So I'm not sure if my Mini VCI dongle is not working or if my installation is not working?

Currently trying it on a Windows 10 64 Bit Laptop, also tried it on an older Windows 7 64 Bit Laptop.

Does anyone have a working copy of the 'X Horse Firmwware Update Tool'? Most online sources refer to using it to verify that the dongle is working and not to update the firmware.

Anyone within striking distance of Oxford/Reading that I can meet up with and do some swap tests with? @Arqum ? @Shahpor ?

Andrew

Ha! after reinstalling Windows 8 on a borrowed (64 Bit) laptop twice and quite a lot of fiddling about with drivers I worked out what was wrong. It appears that the Mini VCI drivers install OK but when I install the TechStream software it installs 'windriver as the default VIM driver, disabled 'windriver' and bingo, connection has been achieved! Now all that remains is to learn how to use TechStream to add a new key.....

Andrew

[The-Acre]

I think this is something I'll look at for my LS.  I've recently installed Volvo Vida/Dice which requires 3gb of memory and only installs on Windows 7 Professional.  It cost £66 and is brilliant. It not only gives great detail re problems but comes up with an image of the part required/causing issues.  It took someone with far greater computer skills than me to work out how to install it, but it's all working fine.

[C Andrew Green]

23 hours ago, C Andrew Green said:

Ha! after reinstalling Windows 8 on a borrowed (64 Bit) laptop twice and quite a lot of fiddling about with drivers I worked out what was wrong. It appears that the Mini VCI drivers install OK but when I install the TechStream software it installs 'windriver as the default VIM driver, disabled 'windriver' and bingo, connection has been achieved! Now all that remains is to learn how to use TechStream to add a new key.....

Andrew

And in todays news I successfully added my secondhand eBay key to my IS, and while I was at it I disabled the option to open the windows on long pressing the remote unlock button..................... (and did the same disable windows option on my brothers IS)

I should point out that the key I bought had been erased.

I asked the seller and he wasn't initially aware of the requirement to erase a Lexus key to make it usable, he enquired of his programmer colleague who confirmed it. He then had it erased which increased the cost slightly and was clearly the correct choice.

Happy, Andrew

[C Andrew Green]

I'll try and remember to write up my experiences and installation sequence while it's fresh in my mind.

Andrew

[dougie175]

This is revolutionary news! I can see the price of second hand credit card keys for Lexus going up in value very soon!

[C Andrew Green]

Mine was however only a normal key......Hmmmm should I take an £80 punt on a credit card key......Hmmmm!

Andrew

[dougie175]

Just now, C Andrew Green said:

Mine was however only a normal key......Hmmmm should I take an £80 punt on a credit card key......Hmmmm!

Andrew

Definitely! You at least know it can be done with a normal key and how to do it, if you can boss this everyone can follow who wants to ideally!

[C Andrew Green]

7 hours ago, dougie175 said:

Definitely! You at least know it can be done with a normal key and how to do it, if you can boss this everyone can follow who wants to ideally!

'Definitely' Hmmmm... maybe I should crowd fund it as an experiment? Lol!

Amused!

Andrew

[dougie175]

Hehe you could certainly offer the service to others I'm sure! Most on here seem terrified to touch their car but would like a credit card key in the UK!

[C Andrew Green]

I was certainly somewhat circumspect in my approach, I read the prompts rather more carefully than I would normally when playing with software! (In my day job I'm used to a rather more click it and see what happens approach, and we pay several grand a year for tech support for when I screw up SolidWorks @ £5k a seat)

TechStream is very specific, no mobile phones in the car, both keys outside the car, hit next, 30 seconds to place the original key on start button, beep, prompts to place key on passenger seat then 30 seconds to place new key on start button, beep, done..... whew, put original key out of range and functional test and all OK.

Andrew

[Texas]

Bigest problem might be getting seller of your potential second/third(is it possible to have more than two) key to confirm that it has been erased. 

Paul m.

[C Andrew Green]

9 hours ago, Texas said:

Bigest problem might be getting seller of your potential second/third(is it possible to have more than two) key to confirm that it has been erased. 

Paul m.

Wellll.... there are people advertising Smart key erasing / wiping on FleaBay, which I'm guessing is the process that was applied to my key before I bought it. I asked the seller of my key who he used and he pointed me to this eBay link for someone who does Lexus key unlocking. I've eMailed him back to ask if that was the actual person who did mine....

Number of keys allowed to be registered: When you go to the remote key part of Techstream it tells you how many keys are registered to the vehicle and the maximum number of keys allowed (5 in the case of my IS). I couldn't see any way of de-registereing the key I don't have in my posession. The only way seems to be to de-register ALL the keys and re-register them, which sounds horribly risky! I'm happy to just settle for two keys in my posession three keys registered......

Regards,

Andrew

[rich1068]

Sorry to go off at a slight tangent but this Techstream is I assume the Toyota/Lexus version the likes of Volvo Vida Dice/VAG-COM etc? New to all this Lexus malarky...

[The-Acre]

41 minutes ago, rich1068 said:

Sorry to go off at a slight tangent but this Techstream is I assume the Toyota/Lexus version the likes of Volvo Vida Dice/VAG-COM etc? New to all this Lexus malarky...

That's what I'm hoping to be enlightened on, and if so, do I need a laptop with loads of memory like I did with Volvo?

[Miłosz]

Cheapest way is using ELM 327 and ELMscan toyota (i have full version if you want let me know)

 

Torqe pro can only diagnose engine. ELMscan toyota have abs/vsc/trc , engine , cruise , immo, etc.

Techstream is a service program something like INPA , ISTA for bmw, but veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery poor and slow :o Works on win xp - 10 32&64 bit.

In my opion the best way for code , diagnose , other things is Launch X431 working on mobile phone. It is very big tool and i have always it with me, cuz program is on my moble phone. Working very fast , without any problems. Program is working with many brands.

 

 

[C Andrew Green]

2 hours ago, rich1068 said:

Sorry to go off at a slight tangent but this Techstream is I assume the Toyota/Lexus version the likes of Volvo Vida Dice/VAG-COM etc? New to all this Lexus malarky...

 

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

That's what I'm hoping to be enlightened on, and if so, do I need a laptop with loads of memory like I did with Volvo?

@ rich1068 & @The-Acre  TechStream is Toyotas' proprietary dealer fault code reading / servicing / programming software package. As far as I can tell it was originally written to run on 32 bit Windows XP So it doesn't seem to be too much of a resource hog, and as I discovered It can be persuaded to run OK on a 64 bit machine, the laptop I ended up using has Windows 8, 64 bit. There's some well documented (on the www) fixes to decompress and install the correct drivers and registry edits, but in my case having done these the software installation process appears to install an additional unneccesary 'windriver' that prevents the software seeing the non original OBD dongle. All I did was disable the windriver in device manager and all was good. There's also a bit of mInor mucking about with registration text strings and a replacement TechStream.exe file. 

I think knowing what I know now it would probably run OK on Win10 64 bit, I may try upgrading the Win8 machine to see now I've done what I needed to do. I'm also going to see if it will run on my Win7 64 bit laptop that I tried (and failed) on first.

Regards

Andrew

Edited August 23, 2017 by C Andrew Green
Someone show me how to do tags!

[Miłosz]

Ive instaled on couple devices with win 10 64 bit and working without any problems. Problem if i could name like this .. is with mvci drivers.

[The-Acre]

Great info, much appreciated!

[Miłosz]

If someone have problems i can help by teamviewer...

[rich1068]

41 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Great info, much appreciated!

Yes, thank you all.