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Techstream cable hardware

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by deis, Jan 9, 2024.

  1. deis

    deis Junior Member

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    Hi again,

    Just quickly, and I know it's been answered before, but it's 2024 now, so what's the latest and most accessible way for the enthusiast home mechanic to get Techstream working without buying expensive Toyota recommended hardware?

    Other than the free software download (called GlobalTechStream here in the EU) alongside the subscription-based licence key (from 'toyota-tech.eu' site), what specific cable/adapter do I need that would work with the above software on my windows 11 laptop?

    The website specifies this standard would work: CAN (capable of ISO 15765, GMLAN and iso 14229), J1850VPW, ISO9141, KWP2000, J2534 (there's also the scary disclaimer with a scary no guarantees if it doesn't work to make you feel obliged to buy their expensive kit, no thanks, I'm skint).

    I'm quite happy to pay for the subscription licence to use on the free download if I know there's a reliable interface that's known to work with the EU based (UK) Japanese assembled 2011 Gen 3 Prius and my Windows 11 (64 bit) laptop (including a straightforward driver of course). Am I asking too much?

    At the moment, all I have is this Veepeak BLE OBDCheck, it works fine with the Torque app from my phone over BLE. But I suspect this isn't the right interface to work with Techstream since it's a reader only? I don't think it has the J2534 protocol on it either.

    What are the current options to get Techstream working as if I'm at the dealer and to see cool stuff about my car, or even to help properly diagnose a possible misfire?
    How much will it cost, and how do I do it?

    Thanks again.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Now there are versions of scanners full screen like iPad things you know the ones that have been out for a little while now that can bleed the brakes and do pretty much everything tech can do like an autel ver 5 or 6 can be had now for say $200 something like that if you shop carefully My battery guy says he sees them all the time he's using an version 8 which he only paid like $399 for and I don't even know why he only messes with for the most part Prius.
     
  3. Seymour1

    Seymour1 Junior Member

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    Does this mean that I need to turn on my Wi-fi and download something from Toyota? Nice try, Toyota. I thought that I had all software and should be ready to go from the ih8mud website. IMG_2766.JPG
    see image
     
  4. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    You do not need to turn on Wi-Fi. Just click on continue.
     
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    When you have the real Toyota software and you have a real Toyota account as a technician parts department person whatever this button you push and you will login to your TIS account and then when you scan this vehicle or whatever you're fixing to do it will find all the updates for your vehicle for all the computers and show you on a list your computer number firmware and the firmware that should be on the car or will be when you push continue when you don't have connection and access you'd click no or you don't continue with that You continue with the scan of your vehicle without getting all the updates from the web and TIS unless you've bought an rights to use for two or three days or something then maybe it will allow you to get all the updates for what you're scanning for the two or three days you've paid for I'm not sure about that but more than likely that would be the case
     
  6. Seymour1

    Seymour1 Junior Member

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    O K Thanks
    My real issue is trying to do an ABS air bleed after replacing the master cylinder and booster pump. A message reads "Lost communications with the vehicle" when doing a stroke simulator bleed. Tomorrow, I will work with 2 vendors that I bought cables from. If they can't help, I can send the cables back to them. The Creader Elite Toyota tool will be my next try. IMG_2772.JPG IMG_2772.JPG
     
  7. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    If the VCI cables that you bought do not work with Techstream, your next best option is to buy the Autel AP200 scan tool. It is about $60 on Amazon. You can read more in these threads:
    https://priuschat.com/index.php?posts/3290690
    https://priuschat.com/index.php?posts/3248209
     
    #7 Brian1954, Jul 7, 2024
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2024
  8. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    What happens when you run a health check in Techstream? Do you get any communication errors?
     
  9. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    This seems to be a normal thing with the pirated copy of techstream.
    And/or with the cable... It's a risk everyone takes....

    I'm very happy with my Xtools D8. It does everything I've asked it, and it works
    with multible other vehicles....

     
  10. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Most of this tablet scanners now are coming around and getting to the point where the capability of the Prius is not a huge issue like the X tools d8 and there's a bunch of a u t e l setups that are right at $300 things like that what you have to be careful of with some of these scanners is they will give you one car model for life when you buy the scanner but anything you're trying to do to other cars that's anything worth a darn you may have to pay a subscription to deal with that vehicle That's the only way they've been able to make money in this game at all is by antics like this and of course the snap-on and all those tools are the same thing they're even worse so here it doesn't make any difference to us because we predominantly only own Toyotas so when I buy one of these scanners and I select Toyota That's what it's going to work on pretty much all its life The only thing nice about the tablet scanners and whatnot as they are extremely extremely well built by directional scanners so scanning other vehicles that are not in your subscription list is not a problem when you try to do TPMS work or bleed the brakes is when you will not have those tools without having a subscription so there's always that with things like the AP200 you could just afford to buy one of those for each vehicle you have at 50 something dollars versus 399 for the tablet and stuck to one model of car or one make of car rather. It's just a choice you have to make with limited funds I would go with the AP200 and then if I was to get a Subaru outback or something I would just buy an AP200 for it when time came or I could use the AP200 with the Toyota software that I use for my Prius as a very good scanner to scan my Subaru but it may not have all the fancy features to bleed the electric brakes and so on and so forth for the Subaru because I haven't what? Paid money it's all about the buck. All of this stuff is only about money nothing else
     
  11. Seymour1

    Seymour1 Junior Member

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    Creader Elite
    My $122 Creader Elite came today. I did the ABS air bleed procedure as instructed. The steps seem to be the same as for a Techstream.
    There were clicking noises, the pump ran several times, but in the end, my brake light, ABS light and VSC lights were still on. The brake-related codes were C1202, C1203, C1336 and C1345 before the AIR bleed procedure. After the procedure, only C1345 remained (for brake stuff). (My brake petal is firm and brakes work well). My only "shortcut" was that I did not bleed the rear brakes today, but I did a few days ago. I did let the fluid level go below the lower limit, but not by far. What will make the 3 lights be on? Will C1345 cause that? I cleared the codes after the air bleed. Maybe I have a bad parking brake switch.
    The Creader sent a report to my email. Cool. But, it listed vehicle mileage as 329,000 miles instead of the actual 229,000 miles. The report listed 5. Driver side seat position sensor. ??? What? The seat adjustment is done manually. 6. Seat belt buckle switch. The seat belt light flashes if not buckled and does not if buckled. The report did not send the code number for these faults, only the description. I will do more checking tomorrow. I did not update the software, so maybe it will work better later. The image below was the issues before the air bleed.
    report 2024-07-12_19-11-08.jpg
     
  12. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    You have the battery isolation fault as mentioned in the first sentence in red That's putting high voltage DC volts to the frame of your car which is the ground point for your 12 volt system I would think that DC voltage 40 50 70 volts whatever it is which is measurable would be wreaking havoc on the 12 volt ground system which is your car chassis which is probably causing a lot of the communication issues you see in red down below the first line mentioning the battery so I think once you figure out how to isolation fault is happening and correct it. The communication errors may go away so when you bled your brakes you did the part where you have to pump the brakes 30 times and 30 seconds and the line goes across the screen of the device you're doing this with? Linear valve offset seems to be performed? You may have to query the scanner to see if it can even do linear valve offset
     
  13. Eric Allen

    Eric Allen New Member

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    I am a new member with a 2010 Prius. I have been reading and watching a lot and will attempt to replace the brake booster/actuator piece in an attempt to stop the booster pump from running every 10 seconds. I think I can “rent” techstream for 2 days so I can properly bleed the system, but it is not clear to me whether I need techstream, a scanner, or both. I would greatly appreciate some advice!
     
  14. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    With a 2010 see if you can put your hands on an autel app 200. If you can snatch it up make sure your phone is not running Android 14 or newer ideally 11 or 12 is perfect for this machine and it will bleed your brakes Just wonderfully and do a few other service thing Best $63 you'll ever spend but it's been discontinued and probably going to lose support and all that very quickly but if you get one download the proper software and the business will work great You won't need to worry about their support and or updates You won't need them everything is in the software already I use mine now but you can't have any newer Android versions in 12 11 is ideal I'm running it under 12 right now and bled the brakes day before yesterday and the generation 3 window pops up does all the nonsense looks just like it does in tech or you can sign up for the tech but you got to have an approved VCI cable and all that business and that's going to cost you way more than the $63
     
  15. MAX2

    MAX2 Member

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    In addition to a laptop with the Techstream program, you also need a cable to connect the machine to the laptop using the J2534 protocol. The convenience is that this is a program used by the manufacturer and the parameters can always be checked, as well as information on problematic error codes can be found.
     
  16. Eric Allen

    Eric Allen New Member

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    This was a very helpful reply! Thanks so much for helping me go forward on this project. I am really thinking I will use Techstream for this project w my eye towards purchasing a scanner in the future. I know this is a fast changing topic. Do you have a favorite scanner?
     
  17. Eric Allen

    Eric Allen New Member

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  18. Eric Allen

    Eric Allen New Member

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    As a low tech new member I am struggling w reply’s and conversations. I much appreciate your reply to my post but I think I will try Techstream for this first project and get a scanner ( a bit latter ). I looked for the one you spoke about but could not find. The closest one, and it is compatible w my iPhone is Autel Maxi AP AP200. OBD2 w Bluetooth. Any thoughts on that one?
     
  19. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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  20. Eric Allen

    Eric Allen New Member

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