Lexia2 limitations

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 16 Apr 2010, 15:41

Calling all Lexia2 owners. What are the limitations in respect of the newer cars. Can it interrogate OBDII-compliant cars at all, (presumably with restrictions) or does it simply not work with any of them?

Are there any limitations for pre-OBDII Citroens or does it fully work with all of them? ie Where is the cut-off point that Actia decided to move to Lexia3?

It would be helpful to know all the limitations, before I'm in a position to offer sessions to members (coming soon I hope).

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 17 Apr 2010, 10:55

After having booted the Diag2000 up again, I guess the answer is in the list of cars presented, which is, presumably down to the version of software loaded?

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 22 Apr 2010, 13:35

Then again....

Used on my Xantia, it wouldn't read my airbag/pretensioner ECU and this prompted me to check the dash airbag light but I couldn't see one so I'm at a loss on that score. The steering wheel says Airbag on it and if my MK1 had pretensioners, I would expect the MK2 does also so why No Dialogue and why no dash light?

Also, Toby kindly brought his 406 Coupe down and the Diag couldn't talk to anything because his engine code wasn't listed - until Toby decided to try selecting the 406 Nouvelle model then we got dialogue - but not with interior/comfort ECU's.

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 22 Apr 2010, 17:02

MikeT wrote:Then again....

Used on my Xantia, it wouldn't read my airbag/pretensioner ECU and this prompted me to check the dash airbag light but I couldn't see one so I'm at a loss on that score. The steering wheel says Airbag on it and if my MK1 had pretensioners, I would expect the MK2 does also so why No Dialogue and why no dash light?

If there is no light on the dash and no dialogue this suggests a problem elsewhere rather than with the diag tool. The airbag ECU may be missing a feed or earth, maybe even a faulty airbag ECU.
As far as lexia 2 goes the last available update is CD 39 (the latest version being 45), no more updates were released after that. Up until CD 39 Lexia 2 & 3 are both identical software wise, the difference is Lexia 2 is run off a chunky tablet thingy & Lexia 3 is laptop/tablet PC based. The only other thing with lexia 2 is it wont talk to full CAN cars without the different full CAN interface lead which i dont imagine many of them will come with. Full CAN cars being mk2 C5 onwards,C6,C4,C4 picasso, later C2's & C3's + anything made after these.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 22 Apr 2010, 17:40

Thanks for the details Wheeler, I think I can get a copy of the latest Lexia (and Diag2000) version and make it work.

Not seeing the airbag light was a surprise - surprised I hadn't noticed it's absence before now. Do you know where the ECU lives in a MK2?

Do you have any more details on the full CAN interface cable? I haven't seen them mentioned in any of the Actia cable listings.

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 22 Apr 2010, 18:38

MikeT wrote: Not seeing the airbag light was a surprise - surprised I hadn't noticed it's absence before now. Do you know where the ECU lives in a MK2?

The airbag ECU is under the centre console in front of the gear lever area.

Do you have any more details on the full CAN interface cable? I haven't seen them mentioned in any of the Actia cable listings.

Where can i find the cable listings & I'll have a look?

Toby_HDi · Post by **Toby_HDi** » 22 Apr 2010, 19:59

Just to add to this Mike,

As mentioned. It will read the Engine ECU, the ABS/ESP ECU and the Variable Power steering control unit on my Coupe. It will not interact with anything else.

I'm thinking is to do with MUX as I think all D9 Coupes had partial MUX...VANbus for the comfort ECUs etc.

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 22 Apr 2010, 20:15

Toby_HDi wrote:Just to add to this Mike,

As mentioned. It will read the Engine ECU, the ABS/ESP ECU and the Variable Power steering control unit on my Coupe. It will not interact with anything else.

I'm thinking is to do with MUX as I think all D9 Coupes had partial MUX...VANbus for the comfort ECUs etc.

Even a Lexia 2 with the normal lead should fully comunicate with all the ECUs' on comfort VAN & bi VAN/CAN multiplexed systems.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 22 Apr 2010, 20:54

Seems I do have an airbag light! The ECU is present under the cointray.

Lexia won't communicate with anything but the Engine. I don't have ABS but I do have Alarm, Air Con, Airbag (What's CPH by the way?) and Pretensioners but I cannot get dialogue with them neither on Global Test nor Equipment Test.

Just to clarify what Toby says and the Peugeot side of this story, I'm actually using a Diag2000 and swapping hard drives to turn it into a Lexia.

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 23 Apr 2010, 10:22

MikeT wrote: Lexia won't communicate with anything but the Engine. I don't have ABS but I do have Alarm, Air Con, Airbag (What's CPH by the way?) and Pretensioners but I cannot get dialogue with them neither on Global Test nor Equipment Test.

The CPH stands for something in french that i cant remember but roughly translates into passanger compartment protection. Basically a body control unit that deals with the Alarm, imobiliser, c/locking, interrior lighting & its also the RF plip reciever. It's located behind the glovebox.
As far as airbags & pre-tensioners go. If the car has front airbag(s) it will also have pre tensioners & they are both controled by the same ECU, some cars like ZX's & early Xantias were available with pre-tensioners only & had their own little ECU. When pre-tensioners come up in a global test menu it's looking for a pre-tensioner only ECU so it will never find it on a car with airbags so dont worry about that. If your car has lateral airbags in the seats each side may have its own ECU depending on how old the car is.
If i remember right the engine needs to be running to get dialogue with the Air con, I think Lexia tells you this when you do the global test.

At the moment this could still be a fault with the car or the lexia lead, at the moment though i'd be more inclined to think a lead fault as its doing a very similar thing on a different car using different software. The engine management info comes down a different line to the other stuff at the diag plug. Ideally you want someone with a known working rig to try to talk to yours.

I'm actually using a Diag2000 and swapping hard drives to turn it into a Lexia.

Same should still apply, It should talk to everything on a 406 with just the normal lead.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 23 Apr 2010, 11:26

wheeler wrote:At the moment this could still be a fault with the car or the lexia lead, at the moment though i'd be more inclined to think a lead fault as its doing a very similar thing on a different car using different software.

It does seem that way at this point. I made my own cable (with the kind help of two forum members) and have been given two different sets of pinouts - both from genuine Acita Lexia2 trolley systems. The first set did not work for me at all while the second set got me some dialogue, as per my above posts.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 23 Apr 2010, 20:11

Update: It does communicate with the pretensioners. It'll display the equipment part number and then test it's "operational". This was achieved using the Test By Equipment, individual test.

Incidently, I was watching the live engine parameters and noticed the coolant temperature readout was a bit erratic or intermittent. It would occasionally show it dropping from what I guess was the correct temperature to much lower, as low as 10degrees when the dash gauge said it was toasty 90degrees (after ~30mins idling).

The ECU was responding to this by advancing the timing proportinately which is a little disconcerting so I'll have to look into that one - hopefully just poor connections.

Despite this Diag/Lexia (dialex?) not working as expected, I'm still pleased as it can highlight these problems - I'd never had known about the ECT sensor fault otherwise. Great stuff!

wheeler · Post by **wheeler** » 24 Apr 2010, 08:40

MikeT wrote:Update: It does communicate with the pretensioners. It'll display the equipment part number and then test it's "operational". This was achieved using the Test By Equipment, individual test.

Through airbag or just pre-tensioners alone ? can you comunicate with airbag ? You shouldnt be able to talk to the pre-tensioner ECU because there is'nt one, the pre-tensioners are managed by the airbag ECU.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 24 Apr 2010, 09:42

For Xantia RP 7859
Under Test by Function > Protection, there is a Pretension option and states at the bottom of the page "System not coupled to an airbag". If I chose that it shows Ecu PRETENPHASEIV validate to continue. When I continue, it says OPERATIONAL so there is dialogue there.

I cannot get any of the Airbag tests to work though.

As you say wheeler, I really need to find known-working cables/lexia to determine where my problem lies.

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 27 Apr 2010, 14:27

I've been trawling google etc which puts further doubt on my cable wiring. It suggests that OBD pin 5 (a signal ground?) and maybe pin 11 should be connected, whereas they're not wired on my cable. See below.

Additionally, the BOL, in it's limited diagrams also shows pins 6 (lighting) and 8 (door locking) are connected - again, my cable is not wired for these pins.

These are the OBD pins I have wired;

1,2, ,4, , ,7, ,9,10, ,12, ,14,15,16.

If anyone can shed some light on what's amiss, I'd be most grateful.