Tech Stream Lite

https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInf...Q!2025041592?_pageLabel=ti_ts_lite&_nfpb=true

 

Outstanding, it will also work with my FJ

 

I would like to know what exactly it wont do compared to the expensive one.

I seen where it wont do the old cars but what cant it do for the Prius?

 

I think it's exactly the same software as the dealers use. The licensing is tied to a professional TIS subscription, which costs a minimum of $55 for 2 days. Plus you have to purchase an adapter to connect a PC to the car (the DrewTech Mongoose lists at about $495).

The thing with the older cars is that they use a different connector. I suspect that an adapter cable that connects between the Mongoose and a DLC-1 or DLC-2 connector would be adequate to support the older cars. Maybe DrewTech could comment on this idea.

There seem to be three grades of capability with TechStream. The first is obviously dealer usage. The next is security professional, which I guess allows a no-keys reset of the locking system. And then there's the rest of us, who aren't provided with the means to reset the locking system without a key. I suspect that dealers also have access to add-on modules for things like reading the black box data after a crash. And the factory people have the ability to initialize the odometer to any mileage (to allow replacement of a bad odometer with another set to the same value).

 

I was under the impression that for $1,400, you also had a one year subscription to TIS

 

There are a number of ways to get TechStream Lite. The $1400 package from Toyota is an attractive way to get it with a full year's subscription to TIS. The cheapest way would seem to be to buy a Mongoose MFC interface on eBay (hopefully less than $495), and then subscribe to TIS as needed (minimum of $55 for 2 days). DrewTech sells the interface directly, and there are a number of other vendors.

 

If you buy the interface and do the minimum subscription, does that give you access to the software to run the routines? (e.g. the routine to bleed the brake system) Is the software only usable when linked to TIS?

At $1400, its still a little too rich for DIY, but a couple of hundred might be doable if I ever find gainful employment again.

 

From what I read on the TIS site, yes. You get the subscription and then download the software and install. So doing it this was would be a much cheaper route.

 

Is this system really geared to the DIY consumer, or small auto repair shops?

I think from a consumer standpoint it is still a lot to pay for routine maintenance. Maybe if you had a big expensive job to do it would be worth the price.

 

I totally agree!!! For that kind of money, I can get the work done, especially since it's still under warranty.

 

You have to link to TIS to download/update the software, and to set the expiration date on it. Once you've got all that, you can disconnect from the net and run the software until the expiration time. Actually, the expiration time is probably only checked at startup, so if you leave the program running it might work until you quit it or the computer crashes. Not something a shop would do, but if your project runs longer than you expected, I'd just be sure to leave the computer turned on until I was done with TechStream.

The $495 is a real chunk of change, but the $55 is cheaper than going to a dealer to get a new keyfob set up. Seems like the interface is something that a group of people could share, or maybe rent out to others. Now that the TechStream software is available for general use, maybe other companies will bring out cheaper interfaces for it. Seems to me that a $30 ELM interface from Hong Kong would meet the hardware requirements. The $495 price is really for the software support between TechStream and the hardware interface.

 

So the software has a time limit? Is it the same as the TIS subscription? If I have the software for longer than a year would I have to resubscribe to use the software? Could I subscribe for 1 day and use the software for that 1 day?

If the software is tied to the subscription time I know I would not get one if thats how it works. If I did get it the first thing I would do is find some way around that "feature".

 

I assume that TechStream calls home whenever the net is available. It then sets the expiration time to whatever TIS says it is. The minimum subscription time to TIS is 2 days.

If you want to get around the time limit, then you get a cracked copy of TechStream just like you'd get a cracked copy of any other commercial software. It's illegal, but just try Googling "techstream 4.12". Given that TechStream knows how to call home to update its license, it wouldn't be too surprising if it also calls home even if its not licensed.

 

Cool. Did not know this was in the pirate world. I just downloaded and installed a copy of 4.12. Cant do anything since I dont have an adapter but it looks like it will work once its "registered". I was reading one forum and a user posted that everything is available including programming keys.

Looks like there is also version 4.20.018 but I cant really understand the thread. Dont know if its cracked or if you have to ask for a key in the forum.

If I ever get the money I may just buy this TechStream Lite. And if needed rely on the pirate community to keep the software going.

If all the software is doing is creating an ID and using a formula to check and see if the entered key is correct it should be easy to decompile the code to see the formula for the key. I did it once on an old piece of software I needed to use. Worked great.

I think we should leave the pirate talk to another forum.

 

To get some flavor of the data that Techstream shows, here's a link to their current known bugs list: https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInf...chinfo/html/prelogin/tsrss/ts_known_bugs.html

Wish they'd provide the same level of information in the sales literature as they do in the bug list LOL!

 

Well, it will probably be a year or two before I will need a scan tool. I would like to bleed and replace the brake fluid at about 5 yr or 60k, same with the coolant. Yes, I realize that its not needed (coolant supposed to be good for 100k) but its my damn car and I should be able to do it if I want to. Hope something is available at a reasonable [not more than a couple hundred bucks] price by then.

I bought a aftermarket scan software package for my Ford a few years ago. The software and interface was $280 and I picked up a reman Palm pilot to use with the software. Paid for itself when it allowed me to diagnose an intermittent misfire at load. I was able to determine that the coil pack was the culprit. I also used it on a friend's Ford to help him find the codes from a CEL .

 

This is a reasonable assumption, but have anyone actually been able to confirm this? The Toyota FAQ, available from https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/appmanager/t3/ti?_pageLabel=ti_ts_lite&_nfpb=true , says that "A persistent internet connection is not required but a weekly
connection to TIS is necessary". However, it doesn't actually say that the software will stop working. Also, Drewtech is sending out commercial emails and highlightning that "Toyota Techsteam is now certified for use with an inexpensive Mongoose MFC and the software has now been made available for short term subscription." I certainly got the impression that you should be able to use a short term subscription to get the software and that you could then continue to use it. But perhaps I was just fooled.

Perhaps it calls home, but from what I've learned, at least the 4.12 version will continue to work.

 

I love this one from the bug list:

 

Take a look at the data available about the tire pressure monitoring. (This is an error report - just ignore that part). The data includes current tire pressure, tire temperature, pressure at which the warning light comes on, something about the TPMS battery condition, data for 5 tires (that must be for a Lexus, but is the ECU really different?).

Now how do we make a Scangauge show these values?

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