I’m on the website (official) what version do I need?? typecastboy ? Will the free version do what I want .... or should I buy the registered version? What about multiplexed that’s quite expensive [emoji23] also I can’t see were to buy the leads ? Can you recommend what I need for my 500 [emoji120][emoji56]

found the cables via a link [emoji23]

Baglady1990 said:

View attachment 203343found the cables via a link [emoji23]

Click to expand...

Interface and leads for the same price
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Diagnostics-...BD2-cables-adapters-MULTIECUSCAN/281712496622

Download the free version of MES first and make sure it runs on your PC and connects OK. Then pay the 50 euro registration fee. You don't need the multiplexed version.

Robert G8RPI.

Done!! Working just waiting for my leads [emoji120]

Baglady1990 said:

Done!! Working just waiting for my leads [emoji120]

Click to expand...

That’s the leads I got. Much better quality than the eBay ones. Work every time.

Fab!!! I love this forum

Hi @Baglady1990 (or, indeed, anyone else...)

Did you get the leads linked to by g8rpi in the end? And do you get on with them OK running MultiECUscan?

I'd really like to hear if anyone has a good recommendation for a reliable OBD2 interface to use MES.

I've just had a failed crankshaft sensor (fault code P0335) on my Panda, now fixed. I wanted to see if I could diagnose it myself but failed miserably as the only interface I could get at short notice in rural Ireland was a useless cheapo eBay special Bluetooth ELM 327 like this one:

I saw some videos, including our very own PuntoHowTo where it works fine, but mine is basically a bluetooth device with a bulb that comes on. I spent a frustrating morning fiddling with settings & updating drivers, no diagnostic prorgrams or apps I tried would speak to it

I’ve got a good one and a cheap one and they both seem to work ok.

Baglady1990 said:

I’m on the website (official) what version do I need?? typecastboy ? Will the free version do what I want .... or should I buy the registered version? What about multiplexed that’s quite expensive [emoji23] also I can’t see were to buy the leads ? Can you recommend what I need for my 500 [emoji120][emoji56]

Click to expand...

I'm a wee bit late to this particular party but can I just say to anyone thinking of buying into Multiecuscan to not forget Gendan? Here's their lead set : https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FESCBL.html Pretty good price although you'll still need the interface. The big thing with them though is the backup which seems to be accessible indefinitely.

Bought VCDS (VAG-COM when I bought it) for "talking" to my VAG vehicles and it connects with just one interface. So I got used to simply plugging in and doing a whole vehicle scan before starting work on servicing etc and it scans all available modules in one go. I like doing this because it gives me a "known" staring point but also because if a fault code gets posted when I rescan on completion I can be fairly sure it's been something I've been "fiddling" with which has set it.

So when I started considering MES for my Fiats I was a little put off by the multiplicity of leads required to do a whole vehicle scan. However then I discovered the multiplexed interface and, although quite expensive, decided to go with it. My pocket is a little lighter but I love the versatility of it and the fact i can quickly access anything that MES is capable of looking at.

I bought the VCDS from Ilexa down in Truro but he doesn't do the MES so I had to look for another source and saw a lot of good reports about Gendan. I must have rung them at least half a dozen times with "silly" questions and was always met with informative and enthusiastic responses. In the end I bought from them and then had problems getting the interface to "speak" to the MES program in my laptop. Lots of help from both forum members and Grant at Gendan soon had me firing on all cylinders though.

I like hard wired connections for security of the link and speed - Here are my two interfaces



The VCDS is quite old now and I suspect I might benefit from a newer version but I'm concerned about all this manufacturer security gateway nonsense that's on the go just now so I'm putting off any expensive updating until i see how it's all going to pan out for "driveway grease monkeys" like us.

Baglady (sorry for the poor memory, I think it's Chris? but maybe I'm wrong) How are you getting on with the MES? Have you been doing much with it, and if so what?

rmjbn1 said:

Hi @Baglady1990 (or, indeed, anyone else...)

Did you get the leads linked to by g8rpi in the end? And do you get on with them OK running MultiECUscan?

I'd really like to hear if anyone has a good recommendation for a reliable OBD2 interface to use MES.

I've just had a failed crankshaft sensor (fault code P0335) on my Panda, now fixed. I wanted to see if I could diagnose it myself but failed miserably as the only interface I could get at short notice in rural Ireland was a useless cheapo eBay special Bluetooth ELM 327 like this one:
View attachment 220024
I saw some videos, including our very own PuntoHowTo where it works fine, but mine is basically a bluetooth device with a bulb that comes on. I spent a frustrating morning fiddling with settings & updating drivers, no diagnostic prorgrams or apps I tried would speak to it

Click to expand...

I did get those leads as suggested & a cheap set on eBay and both sets work fine! I do only use the yellow adapter the engine doesn’t use an adapter but no issues thus far!

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

I'm a wee bit late to this particular party but can I just say to anyone thinking of buying into Multiecuscan to not forget Gendan? Here's their lead set : https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FESCBL.html Pretty good price although you'll still need the interface. The big thing with them though is the backup which seems to be accessible indefinitely.

Bought VCDS (VAG-COM when I bought it) for "talking" to my VAG vehicles and it connects with just one interface. So I got used to simply plugging in and doing a whole vehicle scan before starting work on servicing etc and it scans all available modules in one go. I like doing this because it gives me a "known" staring point but also because if a fault code gets posted when I rescan on completion I can be fairly sure it's been something I've been "fiddling" with which has set it.

So when I started considering MES for my Fiats I was a little put off by the multiplicity of leads required to do a whole vehicle scan. However then I discovered the multiplexed interface and, although quite expensive, decided to go with it. My pocket is a little lighter but I love the versatility of it and the fact i can quickly access anything that MES is capable of looking at.

I bought the VCDS from Ilexa down in Truro but he doesn't do the MES so I had to look for another source and saw a lot of good reports about Gendan. I must have rung them at least half a dozen times with "silly" questions and was always met with informative and enthusiastic responses. In the end I bought from them and then had problems getting the interface to "speak" to the MES program in my laptop. Lots of help from both forum members and Grant at Gendan soon had me firing on all cylinders though.

I like hard wired connections for security of the link and speed - Here are my two interfaces

View attachment 220045

The VCDS is quite old now and I suspect I might benefit from a newer version but I'm concerned about all this manufacturer security gateway nonsense that's on the go just now so I'm putting off any expensive updating until i see how it's all going to pan out for "driveway grease monkeys" like us.

Baglady (sorry for the poor memory, I think it's Chris? but maybe I'm wrong) How are you getting on with the MES? Have you been doing much with it, and if so what?

Click to expand...

Hi jock … yes it’s Chris you remembered correctly!
MES ?? I’d be lost without it ? I do use it now and again just to calm my nerves and check all is ok (although no lights on dash) I like to see NO ERRORS I’ve used it to re set my service due I had to do a re learn after changing the crankshaft pulley & again after my timing belt was done

Also when I swapped my gear linkage cables I had an error come up and it identified the SS sensor behind the gear stick housing

It’s an essential tool when looking after your beloved 500!
Anyway hope your keeping well! Red hot in Yorkshire today!

Thank you all for your feedback

typecastboy said:

I’ve got a good one and a cheap one and they both seem to work ok.

Click to expand...

Baglady1990 said:

I did get those leads as suggested & a cheap set on eBay and both sets work fine!

Click to expand...

Huh. Interesting. Maybe it's a bit of a lottery with the cheap ones then. And I lost

Of course, I can't rule out user error. But I spent aaages installing different drivers at ftdichip.com, adjusting the COM5 bit rate and buffer settings.

My ELM 327 is discoverable as a bluetooth device on my Win10 laptop and android phone, but won't connect to ECU As well as MES I've tried the Car Scanner and Torque (Lite) apps. I also prefer hard wired connections. Maybe cables are the way to go.

rmjbn1 said:

Thank you all for your feedback



Huh. Interesting. Maybe it's a bit of a lottery with the cheap ones then. And I lost

Of course, I can't rule out user error. But I spent aaages installing different drivers at ftdichip.com, adjusting the COM5 bit rate and buffer settings.

My ELM 327 is discoverable as a bluetooth device on my Win10 laptop and android phone, but won't connect to ECU As well as MES I've tried the Car Scanner and Torque (Lite) apps. I also prefer hard wired connections. Maybe cables are the way to go.

Click to expand...

Don’t bother with anything other than MES get the cables off eBay as long as you have the registered version of mes you should be good to go!
Other diagnostics have led a few people up the garden path and they have replaced perfectly good sensors ect! I’ve seen a few YouTube videos of people using other brands and pulling their hair out as the car still has errors after replacing what they thought was the issue

Thanks Baglady1990 Good to know you've had such a positive experience using MES. I'm a complete novice at this sort of thing, but I'd like to be able to read fault codes. I'll go for those ones posted by g8rpi.

I only tried the apps on my phone because I couldn't get MES to read the ECU with my OBD2 interface, and I wanted to check if it was a software or hardware issue. I'll stick to MES if I can get it working.

I don't know what software was used to diagnose my faulty crankshaft sensor, but it was the second mechanic I'd been to. The first mechanic scanned a whole load of old codes, cleared them, they came back & he said I needed a new ECU

I'm used to throwing spanners around under cars, but I've never had a car with an OBD2 port before. On my mx5 you just use a bent paperclip to scan for errors! Not off to a very good start, but I'm sure I'll get there eventually

Hi,
The bluetooth unit is unlikely to use a FTDI chip.
What device are you using it with?

Do you have the bluetooth switched on on the computer or phone?
You need to go into the computer settings and pair the bluetooth device.

Robert G8RPI.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

In the end I bought from them and then had problems getting the interface to "speak" to the MES program in my laptop. Lots of help from both forum members and Grant at Gendan soon had me firing on all cylinders though.

Click to expand...

Thank you Jock. Interesting that even the good quality Gendan OBD2 interface was still reluctant to connect with MultiECUscan. I've read a few threads on here describing fiddly & inconsistent connection.

I've invested hours struggling already, unwilling to face that again until I can be reasonably sure the issue isn't with the interface. Then I'll know it was user error after all!

rmjbn1 said:

Thank you Jock. Interesting that even the good quality Gendan OBD2 interface was still reluctant to connect with MultiECUscan. I've read a few threads on here describing fiddly & inconsistent connection.

I've invested hours struggling already, unwilling to face that again until I can be reasonably sure the issue isn't with the interface. Then I'll know it was user error after all!

Click to expand...

I uploaded the software first and had a good play with it in simulate mode. That experience together with stuff I'd read on our forum decided me to buy the interface and licence for the software. The multiplex interface arrived with a leaflet about connecting to the software which I didn't really understand because it talked about com ports and baud rates and a lot more which might as well have been in Martian as it, meant nothing to me. I got very depressed because I couldn't make it work but between Grant at Gendan and advice from the good people on here I finally got a com port assigned. The baud rate thing was sorted out by going into the settings menu on MES (bottom left of the home screen) and then selecting "Interfaces". The screen which comes up will show if it's talking to the interface - in my case the top box shows "CANtieCAR(USB/bluetooth) and allows you to test. Underneath is the box, labeled "Serial Port" where you select the baud rate (speed). It was defaulted to a setting which I didn't realize would not allow it to work but if you click the wee down arrow on the right of the box it will display the list of speeds available. I just worked my way through them until I found a speed that seemed to make it work - In my case, with the multiplex interface, that turned out to be 115200. All done and dusted, the interface now connected to the ECUs and I was able to do my first whole system scan and the great adventure began.

To my horror this brought up a load of DTCs! including one about the power steering and another about the body module which frightened me somewhat. I know this car had been serviced by a wee garage for a number of years because I found their stamp in the service book so rang them up to ask about the car's recent history and I doubt very much if they'd put even a generic scanner anywhere near the OBD port so I took a note of the codes and descriptions then cleared them all and drove the car around for a couple of days before scanning it again with MES. Not one of the codes had returned and to this day there are no fault codes displayed - Happy days! Probably shouldn't have said that should I? Hope she doesn't throw a few now just to take the smug grin off my face!

So I suppose my message is don't despair, you'll get there in the end, and when you do it all becomes a lot of fun - there's so much to explore. Graphing sensor outputs and trying to decide if what you are seeing is "right" or not is one of my favourite entertainments.

rmjbn1 said:

Thank you Jock. Interesting that even the good quality Gendan OBD2 interface was still reluctant to connect with MultiECUscan. I've read a few threads on here describing fiddly & inconsistent connection.

I've invested hours struggling already, unwilling to face that again until I can be reasonably sure the issue isn't with the interface. Then I'll know it was user error after all!

Click to expand...

I think it would be wrong to say the Gendan supplied CANtieCAR interface was "reluctant" to connect with MES. The problem was with me and my pathetic computer skills - or lack thereof!

It quite caught me out because the VCDS (or VAG-COM as it was called when I bought it) all came in a box with a disc to load the program. Installation was childishly simple and the interface communication (USB) was selected on a simple sub screen of the program which you selected and then "tested" and it then worked "plug and play" as they say (anyone know who "they" are by the way?) All I can say is to read the installation instructions very carefully (I found that, on rereading, I'd not actually done some of the "stuff" right) My Gendan purchase had a couple of pretty good sheets of installation instructions which I skimmed through in my excitement and that gave me problems but, as I've said before, between Grant at Gendan and the good folks on here, I had the whole sorry, largely self made, mess sorted out within about 24 hours and it's worked perfectly ever since.

Thank you again, Jock. I've had a play with MES in simulation mode, and I'm hopeful I'll get to grips with the software OK once I get over these teething issues.

I trawled through the MES user guide, MES forum and on here to try and find an answer. The drivers I tried seemed to be assigning the COM ports OK, I checked they matched, tried all the bit rates & buffer settings available, uninstalled & reinstalled new drivers & repeated a few times.


The only setting mentioned in the user guide I couldn't find to adjust was the Latency Timer. I'm starting to feel like I've missed something somewhere during set-up. My computer seemed to recognise the interface, but the software would not connect to the ECU.

You've given me hope that with perseverance I'll get there. I'll see if I can dig up some of your relevant posts on here for some inspiration!

rmjbn1 said:

Thank you again, Jock. I've had a play with MES in simulation mode, and I'm hopeful I'll get to grips with the software OK once I get over these teething issues.

I trawled through the MES user guide, MES forum and on here to try and find an answer. The drivers I tried seemed to be assigning the COM ports OK, I checked they matched, tried all the bit rates & buffer settings available, uninstalled & reinstalled new drivers & repeated a few times.


The only setting mentioned in the user guide I couldn't find to adjust was the Latency Timer. I'm starting to feel like I've missed something somewhere during set-up. My computer seemed to recognise the interface, but the software would not connect to the ECU.

You've given me hope that with perseverance I'll get there. I'll see if I can dig up some of your relevant posts on here for some inspiration!

Click to expand...

Try attaching a screenshot of your settings page prehaps it will help somebody find out what up