In my continuing games with my ZF 6-speed auto, I have been looking at various bi-directional (i.e., more than just look up the DTC) scan tools. I stumbled upon a XTOOL D7 28-minute video review by my favorite on-line professional Toyota mechanic:


I was blown away how this hand-held scan tool was able to replicate the full range of Toyota-dealer-level diagnostic/service operations. If the D7 can do a fraction of this kind of diagnostic support for our increasingly ancient X100s, this could be a game changer for us.

Has anyone had the experience of using the D7 on a X100?

In continuing searches, I have found a host of other bi-directional scan tools that seem to have same/similar functionality as the D7. Has anyone had success with those alternatives. The recent availability of $400-$500 bi-directional scan tools seems revolutionary to this old coot!

I am awaiting a response from the XTOOL technical staff to a series of specifically X100 support questions that I emailed to them. We will see.....

 

The supported features list doesn't seem to contain anything my iCarsoft can't do in theory, although I've seen modules the icarsoft cant read in spite of it being supposedly able to. Adaptive dampers being one notable one. I've heard tell that an obd2 breakout box is necessary for some modules, although ive never had success using one. iCarsoft can do live data on most systems, I note that the D7 does not.

I'm not aware of any write-back stuff that the X100 needs that you'd need a bidirectional tool to do. The D7 supported functions list from their website doesn't indicate that it can do circuit diagnostic tests for example that are described in some of the Jaguar diagnostic procedures using their own proprietary system. This would probably be a lot more useful on a much more modern car with more systems. Could have used something like this when my partner's prius was throwing us a bunch of errors.

Mind you, as its on Amazon, you could always buy it, give it a try to find out what it does, and then return it. I'm not inclined to do that myself cos we just had christmas, my dog just had surgery, and my credit card is creaking with the weight of both.

 

@Throwback Many thanks for your most helpful reply. It does look like poor old Jaguar is poorly supported by the D7 (OK. OK, I got overly excited). XTOOL did send me a link to their functionality database, where your helpful table came from:
The general supported features of D7: https://www.xtooltech.com/english/FunctionQuery.html

The weird thing is that I can go into that D7 FunctionQuery for a 2006 BMW E46, which has the same ZF 6HP26 transmission as the X100, and find 13 Special Functions (the right-most column in the table) for the BMW's Transmission Control Module that will virtually make the BMW's TCM sing and dance. I guess the X100 market is too small to make the comparable D7 software development effort.

What flavor of iCarsoft scan tool do you have? Will it clear the adaptive settings on the X100 transmission? I have the simple iCarsoft LRV1.0 for Jaguar/Land Rover and don't see that it can clear the adaptive settings (maybe I'm lost in the menus?).

I have also seen other postings that the Foxwell NT530 *might* be able to clear the adaptive settings. Has anyone actually used the NT530 to accomplish that task?

 

IIRc there's a procedure you can follow to reset the adaptive transmission (although a quick google suggests the common turn ignition on, hold accelerator in kickdown position for 30 seconds and then release/power off procedure is in fact for reseting the gas pedal limits on an s-type and nothing to do with our cars so I am skeptical about that - and I see nothing of the sort described in JTIS for the mercedes trans), or just disconnect the battery and connect the +ve and -ve wires together to discharge everything. Or just disconnect the battery for a significant period of time (enough to clear DTCs which tend to be stored on battery disconnect).

So far I'm not even convinced Jaguar enabled any of the learning features of the Merc transmission, I haven't seen anything really authoritatively sourced supporting that. Happy to be proven wrong. I work in cybersecurity and it has made me very cynical and skeptical of just about anything to do with a computer I can't verify myself. One of the reasons I like older cars actually.

I have an iCarsoft i930, it can read the various modules on the car and present live data, but only provides reset/clear DTCs functionality. I don't particularly recommend it. Firmware upgrade was a pain in the bum. It always fails to read the ABS module and the adaptive damping module, don't know why, thus my prior statement about using a breakout box but those can be dangerous and again I can't find an authoritative source on how to use one correctly with my car. I've followed a couple of directions on breakout boxes from posts on this forum that pertain to the iCarsoft, none of them have worked. I have not needed to mess with those systems yet (touch wood, light incense, cross fingers) so chose to leave it. Some day ill work out what I need to do to get a working Jaguar IDS going.

 

thinkdiag\launch has it

 

I sent the same enquiry to tech support at both Foxwell (for the NT530 Landrover/Jaguar) and XTOOL (for the D7): will your scan tool do transmission adaptions for my 2006 Jaguar XKR? Both responded quickly (good customer support!). Here were their responses:

XTOOL D7:
"Our engineers found that D7 may perform Powertrain - Transmission control module adaption clear on your 2006 Jaguar XKR.
But they cannot give a confirmed answer because it can only be confirmed after real test."

Foxwell NT530:
"If you want to do transmission adaptations, please refer to the following path: Jaguar ->Smart VIN ->After locating the vehicle model ->More Functions ->Special Functions ->Transmission Adaptation,
We suggest that you update the software to the latest version and upload relevant pictures and information to us if there are any issues."

My conclusions:
I was a bit concerned with the *may* in the XTOOL response, plus the *try it and see what happens* approach. On the other hand, Foxwell provided the detailed instruction path for doing the specific adaptation for my car. The NT530 at $160 on Amazon is significantly less than half the price of the D7. OTOH, the D7 will service a gazillion makes, while the particular NT350 model is supplied special-purposed only for the JLR brand. I decided that the D7 is over-kill for the very simple (by current tech standards) software controls of the X100, and probably *may* serve my current single-focused needs. But the NT530 has a specifically defined path to do the transmission adaptation for my X100. So the NT530 JLR is it.

I have decided to "take one for the home team" and order the NT530. At worst, if it does not pan out, I can always use the Amazon liberal return policy. I will come back with my evaluation after I use this scan tool.

 

As far as I know, the Mongoose JLR tool gives the most options, though I haven't dared to venture into the bidirectional option menu's.

 

Back for an update. I have purchased an NT530 and run it through its paces. Indeed the scanner SEEMS to do what Foxwell tech support said it would when I exercised it on the recommended path to clear adaptations:
Foxwell NT530:
"If you want to do transmission adaptations, please refer to the following path: Jaguar ->Smart VIN ->After locating the vehicle model ->More Functions ->Special Functions ->Transmission Adaptation,
We suggest that you update the software to the latest version and upload relevant pictures and information to us if there are any issues."

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if the NT530 accomplished anything. The scanner runs through several steps for clearing adaptations, with multiple instructions to turn the ignition off/on/off... During that process I got two messages saying "no calibrations for this variant", finally followed by the message "adaptation cleared successfully". BUT did it? Or is it just a placebo? I queried back to Foxwell tech, trying to get an explanation of what the "no calibrations..." messages meant. That was several days ago. Still no reply back.

A bit more disconcerting was my experience in comparing the DTCs identified by my new NT530 as compared to the DTCs from my more primitive old iCarsoft LR v1.0 scanner. The NT530 seemed to only analyze a lesser number of modules compared to the iCarsoft (the NT530 totally missed the adaptive suspension module). Both scanners identified the same major ECM and TCM DTCs, but the iCarsoft flagged a bunch more small "nuisance" DTCs (e.g. stuff with mirrors) than the NT530. So that leaves me doubly uncertain: that the iCarsoft is flagging spurious DTCs, while the NT530 is missing significant modules. Maybe the X100 is such a limited market that the scanner vendors have no incentive in fully developing the software for "our" application?

Anyway, the next step is to share my further adventures with all of the above tools, dealing with my "squawking" ZF transmission. I'll do that tomorrow on my other thread (coming attractions):
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...ission-275636/

 

I doubt that your ZF adaptations have actually been cleared and reset....

 

based on this topic I was interested in the NT530, but am a Apple products user. So I inquired of Foxwell if the NT530 could be upgraded on a Mac ( it can’t they say).

below is the reply I received.

Z

PS : However, so far I haven’t found the NT-710 advertised with the Jaguar - Land Rover module

***************

Dear Customer,

NT530 can only be upgraded via Windows computer. If you don’t have a Windows computer, I recommend you choose NT710, which can be upgraded via WiFi.
https://www.foxwelldiag.com/products/foxwell-nt710

Best regards,
Jerry
Mail: sales@foxwelldiag.com
Website: https://www.foxwelldiag.com

 

I tend to agree based on the two messages that were displayed during the adaptations clearing process, even though the final message suggested that the clearing process was successful. Also the fact that my complaint submitted to Foxwell got a zero response. I had considered returning the NT530 to Amazon (item does not perform advertised function), but then realized at minimal cost (about 50 bucks), I could load additional software on the NT530 to support my two (modern) Mazda daily drivers. So I’m keeping the scanner.

 

Status? Scan tool? Transmission? Life?

 

Tom,

Thanks for the gentle prod. I have been negligent in following up. Life? Yes, stuff gets much harder/takes longer when you become an official Jageezer. I did keep the Foxwell NT530 scan tool after all since it has turned out to be rather useful, even if it was a bit "ambiguous" in the transmission adaptations department. More recently, it did confirm a O2 sensor failure flagged by the car, so that specifically flagged sensor was replaced. Also, the NT530 allows me to play an amusing game with an occasionally failed rear parking sensor. I always listen after I have fired up the car, whereupon there may be a long warning beep (or not). When the former, the NT530 confirms that the rear inboard parking sensor has failed. When the latter, the NT530 confirms that the parking sensor system is working fine, and my approach to the shrubbery will initiate the expected shorter beeps. Wish the damn parking sensor would make up its mind.

On the transmission fault (the hellacious squawk with a harsh acceleration downshift, followed by the Gearbox Fault warning and limp-home mode) that initially sent me down this rabbit hole....maybe. Just for grins (and upon another JFer's advice), I added two tubes of Lubegard Instant Shudder Fixx to the transmission fluid. Maybe it was just a placebo/coincidence but after that, the gigantic squawks were replaced by minor squawks, and no more Gearbox Fault warnings. In April we took the XKR on an 8-hour road trip, and there was only one teeny squawk on an interstate entrance ramp, and no faults or warnings of any kind. So.....maybe. Perhaps I will wait a while and throw in two more tubes of Shudder Fixx for good luck. An X100 is never a boring drive.