Any recommended obd2 handhelds for 2021 K9?

[uk_friendly_fire]

How sophisticated need it be to read DTC's & code towbar, ecu, keyfobs, wind back brake calipers and other general servicing items e.g. DPF. Any recommended units?

[cancunia]

How sophisticated need it be to read DTC's & code towbar, ecu, keyfobs, wind back brake calipers and other general servicing items e.g. DPF. Any recommended units?

That's an interesting question. I read somewhere else on here that some of these functions are now only possible via an online connection to Citroen.

[uk_friendly_fire]

That's worrying I was hoping to do a lot of my own servicing and all diagnostic trouble shooting to save a small fortune and get to know the car inside out so to speak

[Elgreco]

Anyone recently purchased an obd2 for his Citroën? Any feedback?

[Sol]

Not for a K9, there are none which work. Even DiagBox is severely limited on the K9, and is next to useless. Since the late B9 it has been the same. Nothing works on mine except in a very basic way and I have a wide selection of diagnostic kits.

Android apps have a limited use, with a vGate iCar Bluetooth adaptor and that's about it. Also needs to be Android and use the FAP Citroen software from Amazon App Store. Might work on the K9 but no guarantee.

No handhelds are of any use after 2016 models.

[AJP]

Not for a K9, there are none which work. Even DiagBox is severely limited on the K9, and is next to useless. Since the late B9 it has been the same. Nothing works on mine except in a very basic way and I have a wide selection of diagnostic kits.

Android apps have a limited use, with a vGate iCar Bluetooth adaptor and that's about it. Also needs to be Android and use the FAP Citroen software from Amazon App Store. Might work on the K9 but no guarantee.

No handhelds are of any use after 2016 models.

If I want to be able to read fault codes etc on my 2018 van, Will a basic obd reader do the job?

Thinking standard £20 type reader from the motor factors. It seems investing time & money in greater sophistication might be pointless?

Hoping that should I get a problem I can at least identify and fix it even if I then have to pay a dealer to code it. 

Thanks for any advice!

[hubber]

According to some videos on youtube Launch appliances support many functions.
But they are way too expensive.
Does anyone have any experiance with cheaper AliExpress gadgets? I see they also offer Launch, but they are probably ripoffs.

[Sol]

The expensive versions of Launch, TopDon and Autel 808 work for diagnostics but none of the cheap handhelds work at all.

A mate of mine just bought the Aldi one and wanted me to try it, so in the B9, nothing at all. It did not even realise it was connected to a car.

I have explained before, the Citroen vehicles use 5 different CAN buses at different speeds, with various protocols. Low cost hand helds can not accommodate this complexity.

If you want to try, go ahead but 9/10 you will end up trying to return the one you bought.

I spent £200 on a Foxwell NT530 and it only works up to 2016, as I found when I bought the current van. I complained, they said "later vehicles not possible to support, many thanks dear friend"

It's now in the loft. Waste of money. worked on the old vans but not in anything from 2016 onwards.

Even DiagBox 7.83 does not work, and that's Citroen software! You have to go up to v 9.68 and it can only do a small amount of limited stuff including code reading. All functionality was moved to online Citroen systems only in 2016.

The later ECUs from 2016 onward are encrypted Tri-core units (EDC17C60 as in mine) and they are hard to communicate with unless you have the Citroen CAN bus frame IDs and bit codes to do so, cheap OBD reader manufacturers don't.

It's true they have to be supported by EU law. But that doesn't extend to the public or all OBD scanner vendors either. There's a protocol which can be bought from PSA for manufacturers who want to do PSA diagnosis and coding but it's eye watering costs to get involved, hence the Chinese makers of cheaper stuff don't bother trying.

[AJP]

The expensive versions of Launch, TopDon and Autel 808 work for diagnostics but none of the cheap handhelds work at all.

A mate of mine just bought the Aldi one and wanted me to try it, so in the B9, nothing at all. It did not even realise it was connected to a car.

I have explained before, the Citroen vehicles use 5 different CAN buses at different speeds, with various protocols. Low cost hand helds can not accommodate this complexity.

If you want to try, go ahead but 9/10 you will end up trying to return the one you bought.

I spent £200 on a Foxwell NT530 and it only works up to 2016, as I found when I bought the current van. I complained, they said "later vehicles not possible to support, many thanks dear friend"

It's now in the loft. Waste of money. worked on the old vans but not in anything from 2016 onwards.

Even DiagBox 7.83 does not work, and that's Citroen software! You have to go up to v 9.68 and it can only do a small amount of limited stuff including code reading. All functionality was moved to online Citroen systems only in 2016.

The later ECUs from 2016 onward are encrypted Tri-core units (EDC17C60 as in mine) and they are hard to communicate with unless you have the Citroen CAN bus frame IDs and bit codes to do so, cheap OBD reader manufacturers don't.

It's true they have to be supported by EU law. But that doesn't extend to the public or all OBD scanner vendors either. There's a protocol which can be bought from PSA for manufacturers who want to do PSA diagnosis and coding but it's eye watering costs to get involved, hence the Chinese makers of cheaper stuff don't bother trying.

Much appreciate your insight & experience Zion, although the answer is disappointing!?

Progress, huh? Love it.

[Sol]

I have found a potential laptop version of software and interface, which could be good and an alternative to Diagbox for folk.

I just received mine from China, its a hacked version of another software with an interface for PSA so will try it out and report back. if it works, then it could be what you need. Again it could be that it fails to talk to a 2017 van, if so then it was a waste of £36 but if it works, it's worth a try for all to use.

I will update here when I have tried it out.