Ignition must be "on"

 

the only thing better about the foxwell (vs thinkdiag) is the fact that you own the software. I dont know how often Foxwell updates their firmware but its not as robust as the thinkdiag.

also, the thinkdiag saves all of your scan sessions on your log-in and will also email a full report to you...
The thinkdiag has to run Android 8 or better. i dont own any Apple products, so i cant speak to that.

If my Thinkdiag device didnt have a free lifetime subscription ( for Aston Martin ) i could easily make do with a Foxwell

 

Great post, thank you!

I am considering having my local independent install the Velocity AP clutch for me on my 2009 Vantage V8 Sportshift. Do you know if the AM dealer has to get involved to do any programming? I hear the dealer can refuse if they didn't install the parts, or if their programming doesnt work, they just send back to the independent and blame them for messing up the install, so would rather keep the dealer out of it if possible.

Would love to know if you simply had to clear the clutch statistics using the Foxwell, or if other programming or involvement from the dealer was required?

Thanks!

 

have you asked your dealer to install?

 

My local dealer would not install a non-Aston OEM clutch, but would do programming if you had VelocityAP installed at an independent, but would not accept responsibility if it didn't work. Dont like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. I've since found out from VelocityAP that you dont need AMDS just a regular code reader to clear configuration, and battery disconnect on my 2009 sportshift, then followed by the coasting 70mph to 30mph procedure. Also found out that VelocityAP can do the install at a great price, and as they have done so many of them it makes sense to do a 9hr drive from Calgary to them, so I think I'll end up with a better job and it costs less than standard OEM clutch installed at dealer. Sounds like a win-win to me. Another VeclocityAP fan made.

 

Hello
does the Foxwell allow the valves of the ABS block to be opened for a total bleeding of the brakes?
Thanks

 

You can bleed the brakes without opening the ABS block. I just did it using a Motive Power Bleeder, taking ~250ml of brake fluid from each corner to make sure the line was clean with new fluid. Just make sure you bleed from both sides of each caliper.

 

Hello
Thanks - i know that but i need to open the ABS valve block like the dealer does for perfect bleeding !

 

Does anyone know of a way of plotting cylinder misfires by cylinder number in real time on the Foxwell unit? I know the AM software has a bar chart listing misfire count on the left and cylinder number on the bottom. It would be very handy to have this for an intermittent problem I am having.

All I have found is a misfire freeze frame event log with rpm, speed, and run time. It does not even appear to list which cylinder the freeze frame relates to. Am I missing something?

Thanks

Philip

 

Hello @Ashman_E , thanks for taking the time to write that very informative and interesting review. What you're talking about there is called a "CCF" (Car Configuration File). I used to write some of these files, so if you or anyone else is interested, I'll give a very, very brief overview of what they are and what they do:
• CCF is a Volvo software technology that was used by Aston when both Aston and Volvo where part of the Ford PAG (Premier Automotive Group). It's written in C# language and is flash-programmed into the PJA (Power Junction Box A) side of the CEM-P1 (Central Electronics Module - Platform 1) during production. As you can see, it contains a plethora of information about the car and it's specification. Some of the information isn't used by the car itself and is purely to allow the AMDS system (or the engineering software programmes that we used at Gaydon) to see the cars specifications, but a lot of it is used internally by the cars electronic systems. When the car is running, the CCF is periodically broadcast over the cars internal networks and is used by various electronic control modules to "self-configure" in real time. Each CCF is unique to each car and thus, if the CCF is incorrect, then the car cannot self-configure properly and faults occur. Once the CCF has been flash-programmed into the CEM-P1, it cannot be modified and if changes are made to the car, then a new CCF needs to be written and flash-programmed in again. Each option within the CCF is called a "Global Parameter" and is assigned a unique two digit number, along with a two digit letter and a description. So for example:

22-CF-ENGINE=
• 0x00: Undefined
• 0x06: Default AML (No Longer Used)
• 0x0A: Visteon EEC-VI (Spanish Oak) [Single Master/Primary]
• 0x0B: Visteon EEC-VI (Spanish Oak) [Master/Primary and Slave/Secondary]
• 0x0C: Bosch ME17.8.31 [Master/Primary and Slave/Secondary]

As previously mentioned, if the CCF is incorrect, the car cannot self-configure properly and faults occur. A good example of this is when someone fits a second-hand CEM-P1 and the CCF is incorrect, and thus the car isn't happy at all! As you have probably guessed by now, if ThinkDiag wanted to add a function to allow users to edit there CCF, they would have to incorporate an editing system and also a flash-programming function. I can't see them ever doing that, in my humble personal opinion. Besides, with the greatest of respect to the end users of the ThinkDiag, it's really, really not a good idea to be messing around with the CCF on your car, because as previously mentioned, it's really important and not something that you want to be doing unless you have the knowledge.
I'm no expert with regards to the ThinkDiag, but when I was still at Gaydon, I purchased an early version of the Foxwell NT520 with the additional Aston Martin software and took it into work to do some research and comparison. Software tools such as AMDS and the engineering software programmes that we used at Gaydon can read out and print the CCF, but I'm not sure why ThinkDiag didn't incorporate that feature. Obviously the Foxwell can't read the CCF. From what I could see on that early Foxwell unit, it looked as if they had reverse engineered an old version of AMDS. The Foxwell I had couldn't communicate with the later Bosch engine management systems or the ASK audio amplifier on later Rapide's (although I don't know if Foxwell have since resolved that problem?).
I hope that makes sense and helps in some way?

 

That's awesome information, Dean. Please keep these kinds of insights (and insider information) coming!

 

You're welcome! I could probably write a very thick book about the electronics on the VH-platform and AM-platform cars, and I'm happy to get as "in-depth and technical" as members want, but I'm worried that most people will be bored to the point of tears by it all...
🤣👍

 

What a great write-up and resource. Perfect timing too as I am in the market for another reader. I have a basic reader that can read most codes. I was looking for something with a little more to offer and more PIDS. A couple of basic questions:

1) My friend just let me borrow his NT530 and one thing I could not seem to find (maybe user error...actually it probably is user error) is the "misfire correction profile learned" area to see if I need to do the coast down procedure.

2) Also from the review above, it seems like it can store/log data. I read the online manual and it seems like the device can store metrics and even overlay graphs of live data. Does this device have a HD built-in or store it on the SD card (or any SD card)? I would like to data log (short-term fuel trims, long-term fuel trims, rpm over time) and be able to drop the data into excel and graph any fields I was interested in. Has anyone been able to do this? It wasnt very clear from the online manual of transferring the data to excel.

Thanks!

 

Thank you for this helpful information and great write-up!

 

You are an incredible resource Dean! Thank you for taking the time and effort to help us.