Code Reading 54 Plate C5 ....

[Doo]

Hi chaps. Haven't used the Lex for a good few months so dug it out and put on charge... Only to find the charger was duff

Panic as had a chap coming round for a reading at 6pm

Battery was flatter than a witches tit and the car "charger" pack was not cutting the mustard (it's great for topping up while doing a reading, but didn't have the amps to jump the battery into taking a charge.

Anyway, wife dug out a spare charger and after hours of charging we got 100% But that's besides the point.

So chap comes round and I plugged in. Found his VIN and went from there, but something was glitching. I couldn't get any codes or even into the ECU ot would seem!!!

I tried shutting down, but it wouldn't so I restarted the computer "just" to be able to start over

I tried Lexia and Scantool, but neither were really helpful.

It told me to switch off ignition and switch back on, which I did, but it wouldn't progress from there (it also told me to plug into the OBD, but duh! I was in already, otherwise how could it have got the VIN

So, I know it's highly likely operator error. But what am I missing?

Any advice gladly accepted.

Oh and he was sold a dud. Lights on and fuel filter bypassed as some clown had broken off a pipe connector. So they chopped off the ends of a couple of pipes to the pump and the injector rail and popped on a bypass rubber hose and jubilee clips

He needs a filter housing (easy) but finding pipework in this post apocalypse is less easy....

Car starts, runs beautifully and revs all the way. Few minutes go by and it's in limp mode at 3000 which makes for a fun time pulling up hills and the like. Hence the desperate need for a code reading.

[Hell Razor5543]

Something that can happen is the software fails to 'find' the hardware. One trick that can help with this is to plug the Lexia equipment into each USB port and leave it there for a few minutes each time (it does not need to be connected to a vehicle). That way Windows can get 'used' to 'seeing' the Lexia hardware on any USB port.

[Doo]

Something that can happen is the software fails to 'find' the hardware. One trick that can help with this is to plug the Lexia equipment into each USB port and leave it there for a few minutes each time (it does not need to be connected to a vehicle). That way Windows can get 'used' to 'seeing' the Lexia hardware on any USB port.

I was also thinking along those lines as I took the whole lot in to try. The laptop is an old Toshiba Satellite Pro L300. Worked beautifully on my wife's C4 so I know it's "good" enough to cope.

Wifi switched off and updates denied.

[Hell Razor5543]

This problem can occur because people do not realise that each USB port is assigned resources (such as an address range). If you initially installed the software with the Lexia connected to USB port 1 then there would be some background configuration going on. If (next time you used the system) you connected the hardware to USB port 2 Windows has to set it up for usage there; meanwhile the Lexia software is trying to find the hardware over at USB 1 (and not succeeding).

This problem is far more likely to occur when there is specialised equipment involved. For example the Beetle EPoS equipment has a specialised powered USB hub that HAS to be connected to USB port 3. If it is connected to any other USB port it will not work, and neither will any device connected to that hub (even though Windows will detect and show the device in Device Manager). This is because the software drivers are configured to utilise (and share) the hub through the resources assigned to USB port 3 (and will not look elsewhere for the device), to allow a far greater degree of control of these resources. I recall (when working one year at Royal Ascot) one of the senior guys swearing at several tills he was setting up, as none of them were 'driving' the printer (even though it was being detected within Windows). He was going to send them all back when I asked him what the problem was (and he then explained). I took a look at one, and the hub cable was connected to USB port 4. I moved it to USB port 3 and the printer then kicked in, with numerous test pages. Greg asked what I had done, and I explained. He was very surprised, not having been aware of this issue. We checked all of the 'faulty' tills, swapped the cable over, and they all worked. Once he was able to do so he updated the knowledge database, and there were then very few calls for this issue.

[Doo]

This problem can occur because people do not realise that each USB port is assigned resources (such as an address range). If you initially installed the software with the Lexia connected to USB port 1 then there would be some background configuration going on. If (next time you used the system) you connected the hardware to USB port 2 Windows has to set it up for usage there; meanwhile the Lexia software is trying to find the hardware over at USB 1 (and not succeeding).

This problem is far more likely to occur when there is specialised equipment involved. For example the Beetle EPoS equipment has a specialised powered USB hub that HAS to be connected to USB port 3. If it is connected to any other USB port it will not work, and neither will any device connected to that hub (even though Windows will detect and show the device in Device Manager). This is because the software drivers are configured to utilise (and share) the hub through the resources assigned to USB port 3 (and will not look elsewhere for the device), to allow a far greater degree of control of these resources. I recall (when working one year at Royal Ascot) one of the senior guys swearing at several tills he was setting up, as none of them were 'driving' the printer (even though it was being detected within Windows). He was going to send them all back when I asked him what the problem was (and he then explained). I took a look at one, and the hub cable was connected to USB port 4. I moved it to USB port 3 and the printer then kicked in, with numerous test pages. Greg asked what I had done, and I explained. He was very surprised, not having been aware of this issue. We checked all of the 'faulty' tills, swapped the cable over, and they all worked. Once he was able to do so he updated the knowledge database, and there were then very few calls for this issue.

Thank you. I am aware of this issue as I own a 2000 Range Rover P38 with air suspension (EAS). I have WinEASUnlock software which also "has" to be plugged into the assigned port AND then you get 12 different Comms hubs to click. Worked wonders with my Windows 7 laptop. Plugged into USB (port 3) and clicked Comms 6 and away it went so I could reconfigure the suspension bit settings, heights and all manner of fun.

Plugged into Windows 10 and Comms 1 was apparently the hub of choice....except it wasn't! It would Tx but not Rx so I scratched body parts and eventually discovered it wanted hub 7

I'm not great with computers unless I use the same software a lot, then I remember.

I honestly cant recall which USB port I used when doing wife's car, but since there are only 2 on the Tosh, I can't go far wrong But I hope I was using the lower one as it was my 1st choice.

I'll test it on her car later and get back to you.

But thank you for reminding me of the ports.

[GiveMeABreak]

I doubt it is a USB issue - once it has been used once, the driver is there and no matter what port you plug it into, it will only take a few seconds to recognise the device (PnP), no need to wait minutes.

But, I suspect your issue may be more to do with the VCI hardware of your unit, the vehicle you are trying to connect it to or a faulty board connection / pin.

What vehicle (model and year) are you trying to read - this will help me me troubleshoot.

[Hell Razor5543]

Marc, I have personally seen professional equipment (not normally used by the general public) take a few minutes to configure itself if there was a change of device status (even if it was the same device plugged into a different port), and the Lexia equipment was never meant for release to the general public. If Windows has to make changes (and is doing so when the device software is triggered) the device will not work until Windows has completed those changes.

[GiveMeABreak]

I don'e want this going off topic talking about PCs, suffice it to say, once the drivers are installed on plug & play detection, the drivers are installed once. Any subsequent attachment of the same device on another port is just simple configuration - so Windows knows where the device is located. It rarely takes minutes, just seconds as it is just a few configuration changes in the registry.

As I suggested already, I suspect it is another issue entirely.

[Doo]

It's a 54 plate C5 hdi 2.0.

I suspect it may be me rather than the vehicle because it found the VIN quickly which suggests it's done a quick interrogation of the cars system....

But the fact I couldn't get the diag to close some windows (pressing the X) was making me think it could be a PC problem!?

[GiveMeABreak]

Quite possibly, if you have ‘other things’ going on, like virus checkers, scans and worst of all Windows update then that is enough to hog resources to the point the Diagbox / Lexia will crawl at a snails pace.

It’s why it’s a good idea to have a Diagnostic laptop that has no bloatware, virus checkers or the like on it (as long as you don’t connect it to the internet of course or plug in memory sticks from potentially infected sources). Keep it solely for diagnostics and
Uninstall all unnecessary programmes and features, whilst ensuring you lit it out with the maximum memory you can for the operating system installed but usually 4 Mb for 32 bit versions of Windows XP or Windows 7. Although these Operating Systems won’t see more than about the first 3072 Mb of memory, the chips usually have to be installed in pairs.

[Paul-R]

If it's a 54 plate wouldn't it be Lexia that gets launched? And that in turn requires the RPO number to be entered?

[Doo]

Quite possibly, if you have ‘other things’ going on, like virus checkers, scans and worst of all Windows update then that is enough to hog resources to the point the Diagbox / Lexia will crawl at a snails pace.

It’s why it’s a good idea to have a Diagnostic laptop that has no bloatware, virus checkers or the like on it (as long as you don’t connect it to the internet of course or plug in memory sticks from potentially infected sources). Keep it solely for diagnostics and
Uninstall all unnecessary programmes and features, whilst ensuring you lit it out with the maximum memory you can for the operating system installed but usually 4 Mb for 32 bit versions of Windows XP or Windows 7. Although these Operating Systems won’t see more than about the first 3072 Mb of memory, the chips usually have to be installed in pairs.

Hi Marc, thought I'd already made clear this laptop is only for diag. Nothing on it BUT diagbox and AVG (although it's looking for an update so perhaps time to remove it). It hasn't been on the net since it got wiped and reset specifically for diagbox...

Paul R, I launched Lex and inserted the RPO which I assume to be the last 5 digits of the VIN

Or am I wrong here?

[Hell Razor5543]

No, the RPO is not part of the VIN. There will be a label in the driver door area with several items of information. The RPO will be typically 7 digits long; 5 numbers and 2 letters. For example, on my C5 it is 10045CJ.

You can use the RPO calculator to work out when you car was made using the RPO calculator;

http://www.citroen-ds-id.com/gen/Gen_Organr.html

The VIN is the serial number while the RPO is the date of manufacture.

[myglaren]

Bin AVG! Anti-malware programs have been known to interfere with Lexia installations. If you don't go online with the laptop the antivirus is redundant anyway

[Paul-R]

I launched Lex and inserted the RPO which I assume to be the last 5 digits of the VIN

Or am I wrong here?

Aha! The simple question reveals a basic error. As Hell Razor says it's on a label on the car body visible when you open the door, usually driver's.