I've held off for a long time buying one of those scanners that cost more than $60 but recently my 2001 VDP SC went into limp mode and I have misplaced the last scanner I bought about 4 years ago so I am in the marker for a new one.

I plan to keep the car for a while and wonder if there is an affordable scanner on the market that reads all of the additional systems and sensors etc. on the 308 cars as good as a dealer scanner from back in the day. I have heard that some of the scanner brands have focused on the newer cars and cannot read the older cars as well as they did even a few years ago.

Is there a new style wired or wireless scanner out there that works well with the my older 2001 Jag? This time around I am OK spending well over the $60 mark if I an find the right scanner.

 

There are some that pop up in The Marketplace, saw 2 recently. There were a couple of threads a couple yrs ago on deep scan units that Ford had...I'd be danged if I can't recall the unit. I know they were on eBay.

 

S type had been throwing some typical codes due to loose vac hose so bought the BlueDriver online to diagnose. Terrific scanner for around $70. Bluetooth direct to your Android or iPhone. Works with older OBD port equipped vehicles. Very happy with it plus compact enough to toss in the cubby box.

 

iCarsoft i930

 

I came across something called the JLR SDD software that runs with some special cable and may be more compatible with the older modern cars like the 308s. This doesn't seem to have the compact convenience of the newer OBDII tools like the slick ones mentioned above. Is there any value in investing the time to get this older JLR SDD software/hardware to work?

 

SDD does not work with older cars, you need IDS.

 

Take a look on Foxwell NT624 .

 

What is IDS? Is this a system that is still supported or older software that can still be found out there for those who know how to use it?

I will follow up with Foxwell on their support of the 308 cars.

Thanks.

 

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/g...-%2A%2A-33347/

 

Some web searches will help you

 

So, I decided I might save a little and try to set up and older IDS system on an old Windows XP tablet I've been keeping in a stack of old devices -- it still works fine.

From what I have read, the V131 or V130 of the IDS system will be perfect for my 308 XJ8.

Only thing I am not sure about is the cable that works with my car and the IDS software. I know it should have an OBD2 port on one side and USB on the other. However I don't know which to get. There seems to be many out there.

Anyone on the board have a working IDS system? Wondering where you sourced your cable from?

 

I have one of the Innova's that was previously recommended, but I discovered that when it clears the codes, it also clears all the emissions monitors too (you don't want to do that if you are due for inspection anytime in the next two months). Given what a pain it is to go through the whole drive cycle to reset the monitors and the near impossibility of ever being able to complete the drive cycle uninterrupted in city traffic (hence the many posts about having to attempt it five or ten times before getting it right), I wish I had a scanner that I could clear individual codes one at a time or at least could clear the DTCs without clearing the IMs. Does such a scanner exist or is that a limitation within the onboard computer?

 

It is not that simple. The main part is the VCM (not VCM2) unit with two cables:

The genuine ones are mainly available as used and the new ones are the clones from China (~$250) but many had trouble using the clones.

As for the software IDS v118 and v125 are easier to use. There are a few important things about the software installation:

Use Windows XP Pro or Windows 7 Pro, must be 32-bit

You will need IE8 and Java version 6.26, it may not run on newer versions

Keep the laptop date set to Aug 1 2012