Lexus diagnostic tool

[Ragzv6]

Hi guys so I’m looking to purchase a diagnostic tool to read and clear faults etc and was wondering if anyone has got one that they can recommend works well with Lexus. If there’s something that can tell me about the hybrid system then that would be perfect.

thanks

[Herbie]

OBD2 is an industry standard so any code reader/scanner from eBay for about £20 should do the job.

If you have a laptop then a miniVCI cable from eBay will come with a copy of Techstream, which is the diagnostic software that Toyota/Lexus techs use in the dealer workshops. Of course, this is a pirated copy so it's a matter for your own conscience to use it or not but you can download the same software free of charge from Toyota/Lexus officially and pay for a block of time to use it. Either way, you'll still need the cable anyway.

[Ragzv6]

I was looking into the techstream but I thought there might be another alternative as I heard it’s a bit hit and miss with these software copies and certain computer systems. I think it will be worth a try seeing as it has very good capabilities. There is so many on eBay how do I know which is the real deal and what’s the latest or best version?

[Herbie]

10 hours ago, Ragzv6 said:

I was looking into the techstream but I thought there might be another alternative as I heard it’s a bit hit and miss with these software copies and certain computer systems. I think it will be worth a try seeing as it has very good capabilities. There is so many on eBay how do I know which is the real deal and what’s the latest or best version?

It's not the Techstream software that's the problem but the drivers for the miniVCI cable, but you need the cable if you want to use Techstream - legitimately or otherwise.

[Britprius]

OBD2 may be an industry standard, but it is only standard for engine, and emissions systems.

Each manufacturer is free to use whatever coding they wish for such things as transmission, security, and safety systems to name but a few. Also the actual connector used is not standard manufacturers such as BMW, and Mercedes use there own sockets requiring adapter leads to connect.

It is about time manufacturers let vehicle owners have free or affordable access to the systems built into there cars. In the USA some states are now pushing to put this into law allowing owners to have the ability to fully service there own vehicles.

The practice of locking down systems has spread to heavy goods, farming equipment, forestry equipment, mobile cranes, and much more. This can mean that large pieces of equipment such as a combine harvester broken down in a field will need loading onto an articulated vehicle to be transported to a manufacturers repair agent costing hundreds if not thousands of pounds in remote areas to transport for some perhaps easily fixed item once the codes are retrieved. The time taken for this at harvest could be critical to that crop. Surely we should have the ability to work on our own vehicles without the extortionate prices charged for the ability to read codes.

My son in law has a Buell motorbike. This has the ability to read, and clear any fault codes on the dash board something that would cost pennies to be available on the Toyota/Lexus displays, but we have to pay circa £120 at the dealers to have the diagnostics read before they will carry out any work even if you supply them with the codes from your own equipment. Even then there seems to be a policy of throwing expensive parts at the problem until it goes away. 

It is no wonder there is a thriving industry in so called pirated software, and I am happy to use what is available to access information stored in my own vehicles about my own vehicles without being held to ransom. Gone are the days when if our car had a misfire we could say to the local garage fit a new distributor cap leads, and plugs. We now have to have the codes read, and an ignition coil replaced probably taking the bill to over £250. Maybe i'm just getting old, but if that's progress count me out. 

Rant over.

John.

[Britprius]

Just as an addition to the above even my electric mobility scooter needs the software, and interface to be able to adjust parameters such as acceleration rate, start delay, speed settings, and more. Or to access fault codes. On trying to obtain the required equipment from the manufacturer I was told the price was £1200+VAT, and only available if I was a retailer of there products. 
The scooter new was not much more than this.

John. 

[Ziggy1024]

On 2/3/2019 at 1:10 AM, Herbie said:

If you have a laptop then a miniVCI cable from eBay will come with a copy of Techstream, which is the diagnostic software that Toyota/Lexus techs use in the dealer workshops. Of course, this is a pirated copy so it's a matter for your own conscience to use it or not but you can download the same software free of charge from Toyota/Lexus officially and pay for a block of time to use it. Either way, you'll still need the cable anyway.

Any recommendation on which one to go for? None of the ones I had a quick look at actually stated that they come with Techstream, but that might just be for the obvious reason!

[Herbie]

This is the one that I've got and I can confirm that it does work very well.

[Ziggy1024]

6 hours ago, Herbie said:

This is the one that I've got and I can confirm that it does work very well.

Thanks - that'll do nicely!

[Chris JJ]

It looks good value.

Do you run it on a PC or MAC?

[Britprius]

7 minutes ago, Chris JJ said:

It looks good value.

Do you run it on a PC or MAC?

The Mini VCI with Techstream only runs on Windows. Some versions only run on XP 32 bit or earlier windows systems. If you are using Windows 7/8/10 64 bit make sure the version you are buying supports this. It is the drivers that are the problem.

John.

[Chris JJ]

Cheers, I will contact the seller and see what I need.

Have a good day

Chris

[rich1068]

I've used that seller. He can supply you with downloadable drivers and software that should run on a Windows 10 64 bit machine.

Make the most of this thread before the mods make it disappear!