My 'new' 2004 TD6 has some faults. For the things I am too infirm to do myself (most)I will have to have them attended to by my local one-man band who does a lot of D1's and D2's but few L322's, if any. There is a local indy that is well regarded and has all the test gear but, I suspect will cost more of the money I haven't got.

I am used to using laptop PC's and Android phones to read diagnostics via usb or, preferably, bluetooth.

So, I made a list of tools that I might invest in. I didn't get very far. (also didn't get far with tabs in the list below!)


iCarsoft ????
Hawkeye £250 No EAS
IID £400/531
RSW All Comms £200
Faultmate Extreme MSV 2 ????
Britpart Lynx DA6430 £250

The choice for me seems to be between the RSW, the Lynx and the IID.

I might be able to have the RSW delivered to an office in the USA and have someone bring it over here when they next come, which might help with the cost. It does look like a one-man-band, though.
The IID seems highly recommended, but I think I would go for the BT version as one of the faults is very dim dash illumination. I also can't afford an iPad and can't seem to find what version of BT my cheap Android 6 phones are.
The Lynx seems rarely mentioned.

I know this subject is done to death, but it all seems very complex and I haven't found any decent definitive comparisons anywhere.

I'm still not clear how much the different systems provide live data. If I bought the RSW, it seems to be locked to one machine at a time. I would use a laptop or a tablet. How onerous is the activation transfer to and fro?

I am tempted to get the RSW and rely on the local indy for anything it won't do. Any comments would be really appreciated.

IID. Nothing else

I have icarsoft lr2

Does what I need it too, but if you have the spare cash iid.  2003 Range Rover 4.4 Litre V8 - Adriatic blue

2003 Range Rover 4.4 Litre V8 -Maintenance History Click Here = http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic39687.html

I bought the original Lynx with the intention of sharing it between herladyships 2003 TD6 and my P38. Had sufficient issues on the P38 that I never dared unlock the Lynx for the TD6.

Interface is at best pedestrian and not exactly clear. Not the easiest thing to use even after you have figured out how the controls work which is rather different from the way you expect in the modern smartphone friendly world. On the P38 it does pretty much what it says on the tin. Usually rather less than what is implied or you expected but it is what it said. Not quite twigging how to drive it usually only gets you slightly unexpected results which can be worked though. However on the P38 the big crash landing was to lock the suspension down in transport mode with no way of unlocking things from the Lynx. After that there was no way on earth I would dare hook up to the immensely more complex TD6 with so many other ways to potentially get it irrecoverably wrong. The Lynx instruction book pretty much re-defines useless. How to install, silly over-complex process, and a few pages of menu listings. Possibly acceptable if there were an on-line reference to back it up. Which there isn't. Very much the air of a two guys in the garage product. Not something produced by a main line maker for a large distributor.

No after sales support, well none that I could track down, from Britpart or Omitec (who made it) so you are on your own if you hit trouble. Its abandonware now after only one minor upgrade cycle which failed to cover most of the items promised for a later update at time of purchase. Generally didn't give me that warm cuddly feeling of being cared about. Now sits on the shelf next to the Nanocom I've since bought which does work pretty well. Nanocom has its issues and limitations but Colin at BlackBox is up front about them. Its mostly about what can, and cannot, be done within the context of an affordable device with integral screen. Insides of a Nanocom are a generation or two behind those of a IID which probably makes a difference. Pity the Nanocom won't do the early L322.

Obviously thats only my experience. My opinion may be unfairly jaundiced by hitting the one and only really bad thing. But no way of knowing there aren't more really bad things in there. Uncommunicative supplier gives no confidence that if there were other issues they have been resolved. It might work perfectly on the L322. If so the interface / control issues can be lived with. But I just don't know. Currently debating whether its ethical to E-Bay the Lynx or whether to follow my initial inclinations and put it straight to landfill!

I'd follow the majority and get a IID. Even if its only for your local one man band guy to use. Fast, reliable and accurate diagnostic devices are essential for working on these cars. Simple code output devices are so last century and really only suitable for owner pre-screening. I'n my view comprehensive BITE should have been built in to the car as a factory fit.

Clive

You can use the non BT IIDTool (cheaper!) with the interface provided on a laptop. It is called "Controller" and gets installed when you install the IIDTool Updater software.

I have the RSW cable and software too, but rarely use it due to the convenience of the IIDTool. Storey Wilson updates the software on a regular basis, but it doesn't do all the things an IIDTool does. RSW does require installation on a specific machine (PC/laptop) for licensing. Good for EAS.

The two above work specifically for the L322 (yes, IID does do other models), whilst other tools are more generic. I could plug my VAGCOM VCDS into the Rangie, but wouldn't get all the features... .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

OP here again! I was going to try generic OBD2 software to see whether it did anything, but I've now spent two days searching for the "safe place" I put my known-working Bluetooth dongle when I emptied the last car.

I've now resigned myself to having reached the age where I spend about half my waking hours looking for things I've put away.

On the GAP site there is a chart titled "Vehicle coverage" which shows the BT and Pro ticked for 2002 to 2005, but there is no tick under IID Tool. If I put my 2004 year into the Functions pull-down chart above the coverage matrix, it does look as though many things are covered, but I'm not clear whether this applies to the basic IID or just the more expensive versions. Under EAS, it says Live Data is covered, but there is no tick under Configuration.
This is the sort of thing that makes me confused about all these units and what they actually do.

If I were convinced the basic IID would do everything through its PC interface, that would seem to be first choice. If not, the All Comms seems worth a punt. It does seem, though, that there is a need for a basic comparison chart of all these units

Of course Clive, if someone were looking for someone to take a Lynx to landfill on his behalf, I'm always up for a gamble.

You are right Billaboard, that functionality list is not very helpful or accurate.

The standard IIDTool can do all sorts of wonderful things to the suspension, I assure you. .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Hi Billaboard,

Have a quick look in the wiki, there you will find the manual for the IIDtool.

If it's not the current version then you can download one from Gap themselves. I'm not sure you can buy the non BT one anymore, but if you ask Dan from Duckworths on this forum he'll be able to tell you what's available and for how much.

Cheers Simon ______________________________
Simon
______________________________

Range Rover Classic 3.5 efi - Gone
Range Rover Classic 3.9 efi - Gone
Range Rover Classic 4.2 LSE - Sadly gone
Land Rover 110 3.5 - Gone
Range Rover P38a 4.0 SE - Pleased it's gone
Range Rover P38a 2.5 DHSE - Just sold
Range Rover L322 4.4 v8 Petrol - Current

Billaboard

I just looked up the cost of the unlock code cost to add an L322 to my Lynx. £180 plus VAT. Thats nearly as much as the thing was in the first place and makes the whole idea of passing it on completely uneconomic.

During the search I discovered that there is now an e-mail support line lynx.support@omitec.com which certainly wasn't publicised when I had problems.

Clive

Many thanks, Clive, and sorry the cost of change to the Lynx made it nonsense for me to think about making an offer for yours.

I've contacted Dan who tells me that Duckworths only sell the bluetooth IIDTool now. I still haven't discovered what Bluetooth version my Android phones support or whether they are good enough. I have an Android tablet, but it's one version too old and all the other laptops and tablets run Windows or Linux.

I've been looking at the RR display and it is definitely too dim to use for diagnostics. I know this will have to be fixed, but it's a question where in the spending cycle I can afford to put it.

If I did manage to find the basic IID tool, I understood from this thread that I could read all the data over USB into a PC, but the thread I'm ploughing through in the Technical forum appears to say only updating is possible from a PC, not display of diagnostic data.

What crucial things does the RSW kit not cover that are covered by the IID?

I have the Allcomms for my TD6 and have been very happy with it. RR History
1988 2.4td Classic 1999 to 2020
1992 3.9efi Westminster Classic 2004-2005
2005MY L322 3.0TD6 Vogue 2016 to current

I have had the Allcomms since I bought my RR and I think it's great. I managed to pick up the Faultmate extreme MSV2 at a very reasonable price and that is a league of its own

Hi,

I have just purchased IID BT and has really proved itself. If the cash allows this is the one i would go for.

Stuart. 2004 4.4 Vogue.
2003 Mini Cooper S
1998 Triumph Speed triple
1999 Honda Blackbird CBR1100XX.
1981 Yamaha XS1100.