Member Since: 09 Aug 2006
Location: East Manchester
Posts: 4030
Wiggs, keep up the good work...pleased to see you get Martin's approval
I too would be mainly interested in the electronic side of things (as stated previously - TV, 4x4 info & rear cam).
I wonder how many of us in the 80's or 90's replaced the stereo in our car for a better one, or added more speakers so that the user experience was a more pleasurable one?
As far is I see it, times have moved on from that, and systems such as this are the modern way of achieving (through software modification) the enhancements that have previously been done, without a second thought through hardware modification. I understand some o the concerns, but cannot believe how negative some people are getting on this. It's the same as anything else, if you don't think it's for you, nobody is forcing you to buy it
I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.
Buzz Aldrin (1930 -
Don't bother with the TMC module Wiggs - got one on my HSE but the bloody thing rarely works.
It's for ever losing the TMC message channel (Classic FM). I then have to do a 'manual' search for a TMC station and despite the fact that there is only the one in the UK, the search takes for ever. Eventually it'll find Classic FM and I can select it as the TMC channel but you can guarantee it'll lose it again sometime. Might be after a week or two, might be after only a minute or two but it will loose it and I have to start the whole rigmarole again.
The TMC module has recently been updated too - 2 weeks ago in fact when I had the satnav entry on the move enabledNow an ex-D3 owner after 7 happy years. Miss the car but not the big bills
25th Mar 2009 1:35 pm
wiggs
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14368
Thanks for the info ..unless i can pick up a cheapy ..i wont bother wasting my cash on a new one then G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
25th Mar 2009 1:42 pm
zebadee
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 1392
Keep up the good work wiggs
Looking forward to more updates on what you can do with the system, as you delve deeper 8)
25th Mar 2009 1:44 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
I appreciate that most readers will not have even heard of us until recently, however we are by no means new, inexperienced or fly by night. In fact i personally have been developing Land Rover diagnostic equipment since 1996 and in 1999, It was me who created the first system for Land Rovers available outside of Land Rover Dealer franchise network. As if that were not enough, our system was instantly noted for being absolutely light years better than the dealers tool both physically and in respect of its capability.
In the 15 years that me and my team havespent doing nothing but poking around and doing all manner of things on these vehicle systems, writing and testing software, including about four years on CAN bus stuff, we have never ever toasted anything and have only ever had one experience that could possibly be deemed undesirable.
This was a very slight corruption of supposedly read only contents (VIN) in the Air Bag ECU of my own FFRR. It happened when we were using the dealers own TestBook equipment on the car, and i have spent hours trying unsuccessfully to get it to happen again, as it would be quite valuable to me to learn how the hell it managed it
Quote:
BBS Spy,
With a system such as yours, upgrades are inevitable. Are they provided free, or is there a cost associated with them?
I can understand why you might think that, especially when you read things like this, http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic31890-15.html
However all our software upgrades have always been provided totally free of charge, so when this latest update is released, every single one of our existing owners of Disco 3 systems / software will get the benefit of it.
Last edited by BBS SPY on 25th Mar 2009 3:29 pm. Edited 1 time in total
25th Mar 2009 3:01 pm
blue meanie D3 Decade
Member Since: 04 Aug 2005
Location: Newbury
Posts: 6861
so in realistic terms can you suggest when there will be an 'off the shelf' tried and tested version of what Wiggs is field testing for you available as a package and are you running any similar trials anywhere else?and theeeeennn......???
25th Mar 2009 3:08 pm
Disco3newbie
Member Since: 26 Oct 2008
Location: Scottish Borders
Posts: 600
As other folk have said keep up the good work Wiggs, always been interested in your posts cos electronic gadgetry baffles me . interesting to know that the sat nav thingy in SE (and I assume XS) is an all singing dancing version but not enabled so it's one 'upgrade' I would consider if you had a multi use whatever it is when tried and tested.
Same for TfC...watched your posts with interest and positive comments so once my D3 is a little older then you could be the way to go for spanner/maintainance things I can't do.
It's a big world out there with room for everyone
Last edited by Disco3newbie on 25th Mar 2009 4:03 pm. Edited 1 time in total
25th Mar 2009 3:58 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
I never like to make such promises Blue Meanie, not that i would not love to be able to plan ahead, but unfortunately what we do is very "unknown territory" and the oddest of problems might crop up at any time or it might go real well. By example, I have one of my most experienced programmers working absolute 100% full time on a related project that i would have estimated would take about a month or two at most, he has been on it since 5th Jan 2008
Also as many here are now starting to realize, we are leaders in this stuff, as in we don't copy anyone else, however obviously the reverse happens all the time, so you can appreciate that typically i prefer to keep a lot of our stuff and on going projects very hush hush. And we have an awful lot of stuff going on that i just dare not mention.
You may have been aware that Wiggs, had his system some weeks ago now, and indeed has already specifically been asked to post his opinion report fashion, however you can appreciate that we don't normally agree to let our testers publically discuss their status or findings, however he is quite persuasive and i know that he genuinely has all members interests at heart first and foremost. He is therefore uniquely free to post exactly as he sees fit and he is under no obligation to us to what so ever.
All that being said, we are obviously in the final stages of debugging the CCF Edit, and the EAS features too, and we do have quite a bit of help, so i would be surprised if it were not released within a fortnight.
25th Mar 2009 5:04 pm
blue meanie D3 Decade
Member Since: 04 Aug 2005
Location: Newbury
Posts: 6861
sounds fair enough, will the CCF editor be a cost add-on to your existing package kits or will it be a stand alone software package?and theeeeennn......???
25th Mar 2009 5:09 pm
Martin Site Admin and Owner
Member Since: 06 Nov 2004
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 18456
Don't rush it - get it right
25th Mar 2009 5:10 pm
andychelt
Member Since: 24 Mar 2008
Location: Cheltenham
Posts: 344
wiggs wrote:
I never intended to "do "any body else's car ..but i can see that some people would want some things enabeling and would not want to spend all that money on a system .
Not to mention those of us who are crap with electrics etc
wiggs wrote:
If there was enough interest i would consider purchasing the full software ..with the aim of re-couping my money
I'd be happy enough driving up and donating just for the 4x4 info, TV activated and sat nav on the move enabled
Btw Wiggs, I assume just connecting a TV tuner to the rear green tv/dvd input is not enough to get it to work with the sat nav TV button and that you need the proper LR Tuner?
25th Mar 2009 5:15 pm
SJR
Member Since: 09 Aug 2006
Location: East Manchester
Posts: 4030
wiggs wrote:
Before i start messing with the ccf file i store the original .Thats there then if i fook up or something is not doing what it should. Heaven forbid should i loose this file ..it is also backed up on a couple of the cars ECU's .
Just having a think about this has prompted a question that BBS SPY might want to comment on!
With this system, what happens when a LR dealer plugs in their equipment and uploads any updates during servicing/warranty work, could this corrupt the other stuff that has been enabled and that is not standard, and therefore not part of what LR thinks your vehicle spec should have, and would you be better having a backup after LR last saw the vehicle, that you restored to each time it went back to them. Presumably once you had got the drop of using your equipment, re-enabling bits and pieces would be an easy job and not very time consuming, and might save lots of aggro later.
Is it it worth it or just overkill to backup and restore like this? I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises.
Buzz Aldrin (1930 -
25th Mar 2009 5:25 pm
BrumLee
Member Since: 07 Mar 2008
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 1360
i work on Mercedes Benz HGV and light commercials and use their STAR diagnostics. With this system you can reset everything seperately, such as "Engine Oil", "Transmission Oil", "Axle 1 Brake Pads", "Time Based Service", "General Service", etc.. the list is quite extensive and each item can be reset independently. You can also change the parameters to enable/disable any warning/reminder.
Each module has a memory and a mirror memory, plus there's a central memory (ZDS). You can see when the next service is due (both date and mileage) as well as past service history, which is useful. Of course this system also gives and clears fault codes, all with guided diagnostic and repair sequences.
Now I appreciate this system is funded by MB and costs a fortune to develop, I feel Colin (BBS) has done really well with what he has to offer at the moment.
Colin, does your system reset the service warning and can it enable/disable it?
25th Mar 2009 5:25 pm
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
Location: The Gaff
Posts: 50934
(Moderator mode) off
So let me get this right ...
Mr. Wiggs is testing the kit - Check
Mr Spy has just stated to Mr. Meanie that he doesn't know when a tried and tested version will be out - Check
Mr. Spy will hereby offer the following to all members of Disco3.co.uk registered for greater than 1 year or with 500 plus posts to their credit. A members only discount on any complete D3 system of 20% discount, valid from April 1st to midnight on the last day of April 2009. - Check
Mr. Spy how can you be offering site members a discount on 'any complete D3 system' when by you very own words it is not complete ? ...you are still testing it.
When I asked you in the original 4x4 screen thread if your kit could do this you said 'I think it could'. We now find out from Mr. Wiggs that it can. Surely as the manufacturer you should have known 100% that it could ...and if you don't know the whole story about the positives of your kit ...then how can you also know the negatives?
I know that I rib you about essays ...but FFS for the sake of those about to part with their cash lets have a bit of clarity here.
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