unSOLVED 206 - OBD protocol?

[rzepek2pl]

Hi. My dad bought an OBD reader (for lack of a better word) which connects with a smartphone via bluetooth and is controlled by OBD Torque, for example. This reader was very cheap - Vgate iCar is the name. It works well with my dad's 2002 Seat Leon, but it's useless with my car. It won't find the right protocol and receive any data. Is there an unusual protocol when it comes to 206?

[Hell Razor5543]

Erm, the PSA group are infamous for not following the OBD protocols. You will need to have a look at a DiagBox system to read Citroens and Peugeot (this will have Lexia (for older Citroens) and Planet Peugeot (for Peugeots)).

[spider]

Some of the cheaper readers do have issues.

Bear in mind (I might have the dates wrong) its only legally required to comply with OBD standards around 2001 for petrol cars and something like 2006 for diesels.

A generic tool should (if its working) get basic generic codes out but it wont (for instance) tell you about a faulty ABS sensor (which one for example) and / or specific engine management issues, it will either not see them or say unknown code.

Diagbox is the way to go if you can although if funds are tight a generic plug in reader (the ones that connect to phones seem to have odd issues) may help but it won't get all the stuff out. I tried a £10 one on a Corolla of all things a few months ago it said odd things like "pending codes" and "unknown error" , a slightly better hand held reader got a bit more out of it.

[rzepek2pl]

Is there a way to use DiagBox software without buying the hardware? I think I know what the answer is, but maybe there are some mods which make 3rd party readers compatible with diagbox software.

[Hell Razor5543]

Unfortunately not. The DiagBox hardware is very complicated. Here is a photo of one of the more recent versions;

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Di ... ajaxhist=0

[rzepek2pl]

Nevermind. I just read into the iCar reader details, and it says it's compatible with diesel engines produced after 2004. Result - I need a new OBD2 reader compatible with my car. :/

[Hell Razor5543]

I will say this about the Diagbox systems. They can do a WHOLE lot more than the basic OBD scanners. You can (when you know what you are doing) get them to display a lot of live data from a running engine, add extra keys to the vehicle, and (as I did on my C5) add Cruise Control to a car (and considerable more than just this). If you get a good one (and Easy Diagnostics, while it is not the cheapest, is a very good unit) you can help others in your area with PSA cars to track down and overcome faults, and save them money (while earning a little for yourself).

In the UK it typically costs £50 for a diagnostics session at a dealership. My Easy Diagnostics DiagBox clone cost me £110. Since I have had it I have certainly made good use of it (not just for myself, but for others). I would not be without it.