The Diag2000 and my modifications

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 10 May 2010, 16:39

FOREWORD

It's probably not of much interest to most of you but thought I'd make the effort of posting what I've achieved and why in the hope it might be useful to someone, somewhere out there and possibly bring me beneficial feedback too.

For those that don't know, the Diag2000 is a ruggedised and propriatory PC-based machine designed to provide diagnostic functions for the Peugeot vehicles. It's made by Actia who also make similar machines for Citroens (called the Lexia) and Multi-Diag machines for general vehicle use as well other specialist equipment, including products for commercial vehicles etc, etc.

This Diag2000 is a second generation machine, I believe the ELIT was the first and the XS Evolution being the third - Lexia 3, Proxia, Peugeot Planet etc.

Aside from some internal differences, the Diag2000 looks identical to the Lexia2 and can be seen here mounted on the bespoke trolley with accessories and options.... http://www.findtheneedle.co.uk/products ... -tools.asp

Externally, the most noticeable difference is that the Lexia is red and the Diag2000 blue, as seen here

http://www.bastaam.com/diag2000-Peugeot.htm

These machines are dealer-only and not sold to the general public and I'd imagine were very, very expensive to buy new. Even the most basic of cables are still priced at over £100 each, despite these machines being obsolete and superceded by the third generation models.

Ideally, I would have preferred a Lexia but once I'd learnt that the Diag2000 can be persuaded to run Lexia software, I took a gamble and bought one off ebay as the opportunity comes but once a blue moon apparently.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 10 May 2010, 17:21

MODIFICATIONS

I collected the machine from Birmingham and brought it back to citrojim for an appraisal and to fix the faulty hard drive. Unfortunately, despite coming with a fair few cables and breakout boxes, I was dismayed to learn the main ECU diagnostic cables were not present

The seller promised the earth to obtain them for me but nothing materialised and I was left with a lemon until I finally got the time to make my own cable.

Once made, we tested the Peugeot software on Toby's Coupe and got dialogue. Swapping the hard drive for the Lexia software and it will read my Xantia's ECU's too so I'm chuffed to bits now.

As citrojim and citronut will testify, removing the hard drive requires complete disassembly right down to the chassis. Not a job for the faint-hearted but being an ex-toshiba laptop engineer, I jumped straight in and eventually succeeded after a lot of tea-breaks and head scratching.

Being such a pain, I didn't fancy going through all that each time I wanted to swap from Diag to Lexia software so tried to come up with an easier solution.

Fortunately, there is a blanking plate inside with provision for mounting an internal CD drive.

The outside of this plate can be seen here, painted black apparently to contrast with the dark grey casing.

Click to enlarge

The hard drive cable is originally routed underneath the motherboard and although it had some spare length, there was not enough to allow the drive to be passed out the cutout for the CD drive hole, where the blanking plate lives. I thought about buying an extended cable but found that by pulling the original cable over the motherboard instead of under it, there was sufficient length after all.

With the blanking plate removed, I marked and drilled four hard drive mounting holes ...

... and mounted the hard drive thus...

The blanking plate can now be refitted in it's original position but to allow this plate, thus the hard drive, to be removed without opening the casing, the two left blanking plate mounting screws cannot be refitted. I don't see this being a problem though time will tell. The other two screws are easily accessible by removing the rechargeable battery cover and battery. (My battery was long-since dead so I discarded it as it was just a dead weight).

It has been suggested by citronut that a better idea might be to fit a removable drive enclosure and I agree so might take that suggestion at a later date but for now, I'm happy with it as is.

While the internals were exposed, I had a good look around to see what else could be "improved" and the first thing I noticed was the standard memory sim and slot. So, out came the original 64mb and in went a 128mb upgrade.

Unfortunately, the processor is soldered to the motherboard so upgrading that is a job too far for me and as it's been suggested this might upset the delicate timing of certain test functions etc I decided to leave it be.

Lastly, the one thing that got on my nerves was the noisy extraction fan and as I already had a new slimmer one lying around, decided to replace it. The old one was disconnected and I soldered the new one to the contacts on the top of the relevant circuit board.

Although it's quieter it hasn't made that much difference which slightly annoyed me but there's another fan on top of the CPU which I can replace and see if that quietens it down even more.

The last repair I've yet to accomplish involves the screen, as described in another thread I started ("Perspex Adhesive") yesterday in the French Car Chat section. The problem was poor visibility of the screen which is behind two layers of protective plastic. They had begun to part company and looked like poorly fitted window tint causing viewing problems, especially in bright sunlight.

So there it is, a Diag2000 and Lexia2 hybrid that I call my Diaxia.

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 10 May 2010, 20:50

good stuff Mike

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 11 May 2010, 20:53

Mike, that's excellent stuff. Great to know it's quite possible to make a Dyslexia that will both diagnose a Citroen and a Peugeot

When you change it from a Lexia to a Pug DIAG do you notice it doing a firmware re-write? I ask as when I converted Malcolm's DIAG to a Lexia using a ghost of my Lexia hard disk it spend an age doing a firmware update before it completed its boot.

Have you determined what OS the DIAG runs. I have a feeling it may be Windows NT3.51 whereas the Lexia Post-CD25 (I think) runs XP.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 11 May 2010, 22:13

Hi Jim

Dyslexia?!?!

Diaxia, I call it.

Yes, that firmware message occured (from Lexia, not Diag) on mine after we ghosted your image and it's sat nagging in the back in my mind ever since.

But, I've since seen it happening again and think I have a better understanding. You can try this yourself if you like...

Remove the communication card and fit it in the other ISA slot (I seem to recall you only have the one card?). When you run Lexia next, it will "update" the firmware to reflect the new slot settings.

No, I don't know for sure the OS hosting Diag 05B, though I suspect it's actually Win3.11 and yes, Lexia V34 is running an embedded XP. I tried Lexia V39 (the last to run on these 2nd generation machines) but it complains about my Diag communication card and won't load the diagnostics.

I still intend to see if I can make some sort of dual-boot or tandem system so both systems can live on the same disk but it's even less of a priority now so don't hold your breath! One obstruction I can't overcome is how to load anything non-proprietary to the Diag. It is pc-based after all but it's all down to the bios as to how "hackable" it is.

So much to do, so little time to do it.

ps Good luck on the MOT Friday, I'm sure it'll be a pass.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 21 May 2010, 13:21

Not so much a mod, more a repair as my Diaxia screen was peeling and allowing dust and dirt to stick in between the layers, causing poor viewing. Frustrated, I completely peeled the top layer (very thin plastic) from the thicker perspex protection sheet that was glued under it and set about cleaning off the residue but had no idea how to go about re-attaching them.

Myglaren kindly sent me some adhesive and solvent which has allowed me to re-stick the two parts back together and clean up my clumsy fingermarks and residue. Many thanks Steve, you're a star.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 21 May 2010, 16:47

Pleased it worked for you Mike as those adhesives and solvents were intended for use on glass.

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 21 May 2010, 17:10

Well it seems to be perfect for perspex too Steve. Proof of the pudding will be in direct sunlight but it's got to be an improvement to how it was!

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 22 May 2010, 14:23

I'd better add this revision - the #3 solvent is NOT good for the flimsy plastic top sheet. It dissolves it. Time to get the polishing methinks.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 22 May 2010, 15:29

Odd, #3 is relatively benign, #5 is much more aggressive!

MikeT · Unread post by **MikeT** » 22 May 2010, 18:57

<runs to check he got the right bottle> Yep was definiitely #3, daren't touch #5 if truth be told, #3 worked for my needs. Thanks again Steve.