Dear all

I have been trying to connect my 500 to the free version of Multiscan via an ELM 327 but what ever I do it just tells me that it has timed out.

Any advice on how to actually get it to work would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Southern

Are you using the correct cable. Most ECUs on the 500 use the Yellow one. The engine doesn’t use any. Also check you have the comm port set up correctly.

Go into the options menu to the interface's tab make sure the adapter is correctly selected and shown
Then do a test on it make sure the laptop connects to the interface

Not sure Multiecuscan will really connect to a 500 as the free version.
It never worked on mine so took the plunge and the paid one worked fine

The timeout relates to the attempt at data transfer. This is usually caused by the computer and ELM trying to talk at different speeds.

Have a look at post 5 of this thread. Follow it and see if it fixes it.
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/352156-fiatecuscan.html

That post was the result of a lot of timeouts and much swearing.
Needs checking every time you use MES. Initially the computer would revert to default settings each reboot, but mine seems to have accepted the settings now.
Always use the same USB socket if applicable.

Thanks for the advice chaps.

I followed the steps in the linked thread still no joy.

Do you think that the problem might be that the drivers that came with the ELM were not accepted by windows as windows stated that the installed drivers are better than on the disk with the ELM?

Could any one recommend another interface/cable that might actually work?


Thanks again

Southern

Southern said:

Thanks for the advice chaps.

I followed the steps in the linked thread still no joy.

Do you think that the problem might be that the drivers that came with the ELM were not accepted by windows as windows stated that the installed drivers are better than on the disk with the ELM?

Could any one recommend another interface/cable that might actually work?


Thanks again

Southern

Click to expand...

Does the interface at least get detected by mes on the interface page?

No, when I scan for interfaces it comes up with nothing.


Southern

Open device manager within Windows does the interface show up within there?

Yep, it shows up as USB serial port and it's status is shown as working properly

The probably just be with your mes configuration then
Positive it doesn't show anything on the interface tab click on the serial port tab I think it is and select the correct port?

southern said:

no, when i scan for interfaces it comes up with nothing.


Southern

Click to expand...

f9 ?

Thanks for all the suggestions, I've tried everything about 5 times but just cant get it to work so I have now given up.

Regards

Southern

After setting the timeout in Device Manager, it usually requests a reboot. You need to check that after the reboot the settings are as you want them, and not reverted to default.

There are issues with some ELM units, well documented on here and on the MES site, so check you have a Fiat compatible one.

It took me a long time to get it working first time, then issues every time, until I found, and documented, a procedure that works for me, every time. Hence my link to my post earlier. Make sure you follow it precisely to avoid tears.

I had a stressful time getting mine to work (bought fully licensed version). I didn't understand about assigning com ports and speeds. Eventually I resolved the com port thing in windows (matched what showed in the interface screen on MES with the Com ports in windows) but the speed thing still eluded me as it wasn't what my package recommended. In the end I got it to work by changing the speed to 115200 - It's worked just great ever since - I still don't really understand what the com ports/speed thing is all about so I've just been looking to see if the package itself gives any prompts.

If I go into the interface part of the settings menu in MES and hover the cursor over the "interface type" field it comes up with quite a lengthy prompt to the effect that - With interface plugged into both computer and vehicle, clicking on "test" should come up all OK. A TIMEOUT error means an incorrect port speed has been selected. (that sounds like it might be relevant?) Then if I hover over the "serial port" field it comes up with - ELM interfaces mostly work on 38400 but some on 9600. OBD key interfaces work on 9600.

As I've said above mine wouldn't work on any of these but seems very happy on 115200 (it's a multiplexed interface supplied by Gendan). At the time I didn't know how helpful Gendan are. I've subsequently had a number of discussions with their Grant and I can't recommend them highly enough. At his time I'm having a discussion with him about accessing fuel trims using MES and the generic OBD code reader built into my VCDS (VAG-COM). For anyone like me who is a bit "creaky" when it comes to "computory things" support like this is invaluable and well worth the modest expense of bypassing the ebay offerings.

I'm very aware, having endured the same frustrations, how you feel like just binning the lot when you can't make it work, but I would encourage you to persevere. MES is undoubtedly the best tool for "talking" to our cars with and I use it nearly every time I go anywhere near either our Panda or my boy's Punto to establish a starting point.

Best wishes
Jock

Southern said:

Thanks for all the suggestions, I've tried everything about 5 times but just cant get it to work so I have now given up.

Regards

Southern

Click to expand...

As Jock says, settings are critical. The baud rate seems only to work on 115200, and the COM port number needs to be the same in Device Manager and MES. Always plug the ELM inot the same USB port, or it will assign a different COM port each time.

Update your profile with your location. There may be someone near you willing to help you make it work. At the very least share tears. I'm just outside Swindon, but frequently travel up to 30 miles in all directions, so if in that area, we can fight it together.

Thanks for the kind words, the only thing I think I haven't done is reboot after setting the speed.

Will try that this afternoon.

Best wishes

Southern

No, thats it. No more attempts.

Do you think there is any mileage in another cable?

Best wishes.

Southen

Southern said:

No, thats it. No more attempts.

Do you think there is any mileage in another cable?

Best wishes.

Southen

Click to expand...

Probably is the cable especially if you’ve bought an eBay job. I used to have one of those but bought a decent set from the one of the recommended sellers on the MES site and not had a problem since.

I think you are right.


Might try another cable.



Southern