Vauxhall Astra K Forum banner

dtc reader

7K views 28 replies 8 participants last post by  gmprog 
#1 ·
hi what fault code reader do you all use
 
#3 ·
I have a d900, not tried it on a K yet mind, seems to work well on most cars for basic code reads. I've also retro prog in stuff on a previous H using Opcom, that was very good. Maybe a modified version of this would work better on a K? Although modern cars are becoming far harder to diagnose, due to needing live codes.
 
#4 ·
Boroboy said:
I've also retro prog in stuff on a previous H using Opcom, that was very good. Maybe a modified version of this would work better on a K? Although modern cars are becoming far harder to diagnose, due to needing live codes.
I know that the latest SW version of the Opcom/Vauxcom won't read a lot of the modules in the K. I've only kept mine for doing odd-jobs for other people who have older cars. Not 100% certain but I think from about 2014 Vaux introduced the VCI system which started the death for Opcom.

Real shame coz I did loads of stuff with mine, on my own and other's cars/vans.

I use a GDS2 now with a Mongoose Pro as was recommended to me by Valer. Good piece of kit which at least I know is 100% compatible with the K, if a little pricey.
 
#5 ·
Shaky said:
Boroboy said:
I've also retro prog in stuff on a previous H using Opcom, that was very good. Maybe a modified version of this would work better on a K? Although modern cars are becoming far harder to diagnose, due to needing live codes.
I know that the latest SW version of the Opcom/Vauxcom won't read a lot of the modules in the K. I've only kept mine for doing odd-jobs for other people who have older cars. Not 100% certain but I think from about 2014 Vaux introduced the VCI system which started the death for Opcom.

Real shame coz I did loads of stuff with mine, on my own and other's cars/vans.

I use a GDS2 now with a Mongoose Pro as was recommended to me by Valer. Good piece of kit which at least I know is 100% compatible with the K, if a little pricey.
I prog in a sports button and c/c using Opcom within my previous Astra H 1.6vvt sxi.
I've took out a 3 year extended warranty with the K, as you can tell I have total faith with vaux new car technology over the longer term🤣
Yes Valer knows his stuff.
 
#7 ·
Both Shaky and myself bought on ebay a while ago now from the USA,i bought new but Shaky was lucky and got a good used one,
like this
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mongoose-GM-CAN-Supports-General-Motors-TIS2-including-single-wire-CAN/201002990642?hash=item2eccb63c32:g:70kAAMXQVERSqQ88

i got stung for a good whack of import tax as well, ouch
As for what i'm using,
i have the Mongoose,a couple of late opcoms,plus a think obd2 stored in the car which does connect to the car Ok but which will be limited in the codes it can read,it should however be good for erasing any powertrain codes should the need ever arise when on the road.
 
#11 ·
Redman said:
Thanks for info Valer.
How much import tax?
Hi Redman. I bought mine used for £210 in Feb. 2019. I got stung as well (I knew it was coming of course) for £77 duty on top of that but thanks to Valer telling me about his crap Mongoose copy, I decided to shell-out for the genuine article.

In my experience, the biggest part of the duty charge is normally the vat coz the cheeky tw**s work out the vat on top of the duty AND any extra "handling" charges by the UK Carrier (usually RM) If you have any contacts in the US (like I used to have when I was buying bike bits) you could always ask them to get it for you and send it over to you marked as a gift, also not valued at any more than £36 (was about $50) and you won't pay any duty.

Alternatively, you could ask the seller if he'd be willing to do that ? Another option is to see if the package will be sent using the "eBay Global Shipping Program" as Duty costs will be calculated at point of sale so there'll be no surprises when they try to deliver it. That's why the washer jets I bought cost nearly three times as much as the items themselves in postage :shock:
 
#14 ·
Valer said:
If you got stung for £77, mine must have been a lot more,
i'm feeling depressed all over again now lol
Think I might be as well now Valer coz if I've picked the right customs code for an obd reader (think I have) the duty is rated at 0% so the only extra is VAT. On that Mongoose you've linked to, it comes to £78.43 on £390 total.

I paid £77 on mine that came to £210 :shock: Must be some hidden costs somewhere ?
 
#16 ·
Valer said:
The customs charges scales are a complete mystery to me Shaky,i wonder if brexit made any difference ?
I reckon I've made a complete balls-up of my figures so the best way to give anybody who wants to go this route any ideas is to give you the actual figures.

I paid:-
$279 for the unit.
$22.98 shipping.
$79.39 import charges (was on the Global shipping Programme I mentioned earlier)
So total of $381.37

Dunno what the exchange rate was at the time but I paid for it using my no foreign fee CC and it came to £287.50

Hope that helps........it certainly hasn't for me - lol.
 
#18 ·
Redman said:
When all said and done you both got a good price when comparing it to the price in the link.
Well mine was used, hence the lower price but I don't know what Valer paid for his.
 
#24 ·
Redman said:
So if you pay the subscription to allow user programming, at what point is the carpass code required? we simply don't have them to hand like previous astras.
My understanding of the current way of doing it is that after getting a subscription, (which is bloody expensive btw - think it's about £40 for a couple of hours up to about 2 grand forra year :shock: ) you then download & pay for Global TIS software which allows you to access the SPS programming function. If you want to use it for older cars, you need Tech2Win software and of course there's GDS2 for general code reading and resetting.

Then if you're adding modules or features, this is where the dreaded VCI codes come into it. Apparently Vauxhall/PSA won't always release one either ! I don't actually know if the carpass is required anymore for the latest breed of cars ?

They've really locked it down now :evil: :evil:
 
#25 ·
Shaky said:
Redman said:
So if you pay the subscription to allow user programming, at what point is the carpass code required? we simply don't have them to hand like previous astras.
My understanding of the current way of doing it is that after getting a subscription, (which is bloody expensive btw - think it's about £40 for a couple of hours up to about 2 grand forra year :shock: ) you then download & pay for Global TIS software which allows you to access the SPS programming function. If you want to use it for older cars, you need Tech2Win software and of course there's GDS2 for general code reading and resetting.

Then if you're adding modules or features, this is where the dreaded VCI codes come into it. Apparently Vauxhall/PSA won't always release one either ! I don't actually know if the carpass is required anymore for the latest breed of cars ?

They've really locked it down now :evil: :evil:
Thanks for the info.
Seems a bit hit and miss for newer gm cars then with regards to say replacing a water damaged bcm.
 
#26 ·
Shaky said:
Then if you're adding modules or features, this is where the dreaded VCI codes come into it. Apparently Vauxhall/PSA won't always release one either ! I don't actually know if the carpass is required anymore for the latest breed of cars ?

They've really locked it down now :evil: :evil:
From what i have read, carpass is not a thing anymore.

The VCI codes are requested directly from their server and is function and VIN number dependent.

Meaning that the "secret carpass" code is unique for a function and a VIN.

Probably a code that is unique so that the function and VIN are seeds for some algorithm that spits out the code.

Assymetric i bet....They have a secret key for encrypting the key, and your public key on the ECU decrypts the key and only accepts that function if the code checks out.

Officially for theft prevention offcourse, but in reality to force people to have their car fixed at vauxhall or atleast by someone paying vauxhall for the privilege.

Also eliminates the used parts marked, as the ECU must probably be divorced using some secret code,before it will accept any VIN change and therefor it will not work on another car.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top