Breakout box...How to....

[jpflip]

Just received a breakout box with some leads to complete my set of 996 vintage tool 😉 I've been using a PST2 since 2008 with a lot of success. Especially for friends that are looking to buy a use 996 turbo or simple troubleshooting and keys reprogramming.... But I never used a breakout box before and it is difficult to found information about how to use this tool especially on Porsche. Would like to test the internal voltmeter/ohmeter (URI) of the Bosch KTS500....OBDII pinout, 16 ports on the breakout box ? 6 leads, + ground (black) red and blue wires etc....Is there, somewhere, printed info that I can get? Pins assignment would be nice!!! Thanks for your help, J.P.

Edited September 20, 2020 by jpflip

[Silver_TT]

My friend...long time no see!  That is a TOP NOTCH diagnostics set!

 

I see someone is selling the entire kit on eBay and it includes the breakout box.  I wonder if you contacted the seller if they have any documentation for it?  I assume the complete kit must come with documentation.

 

Porsche System Tester PST2

WWW.EBAY.COM

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The tester and all accessories were lightly used and in top conditon. - 1 USED BOSCH Protective Case with Keys. - 1 Used BOSCH Rubber Case. - 1 New 19-Pin OBD Adapter Cable.

 

[jpflip]

Thanks a lot for your reply! I bought the breakout box from this gentleman and I got the PDF of the KTS500 but nothing for the box itself.... I will start experiencing soon ;-) Winter is coming!!!

[Silver_TT]

Ya summer is over, booo.  I just did a bunch of maintenance because I don't like working in my garage when it's freezing cold.

 

Ok, when you say you bought the breakout box from this gentleman I assume you mean the seller that I provided, correct?  Assuming that's what you mean, there goes my idea 🙂  I was hoping whoever sells the box (like the link I provided) would have full documentation.

 

This is the first time I have seen that Bosch breakout box.  What is an example of something that you would use that breakout box to diagnose?  I know it allows you to isolate each signal but what is a common issue you would need that for?  Diagnosing wiring issues or issues with the ECU?  I recall you are/were an aviation engineer so I'm sure you've used these....

 

I also see some other people sell it too -- I wonder if they have documentation?  This seller is from Canada too.  A decent person would just give you the documentation if they have it.  But at worst case if someone had it maybe you could offer a few dollars for it as it would cost them nothing to give you if they had the information.  What about contacting Bosch directly?  You are definitely in rare/elite company with that hardware though so we are going to have to be creative........

 

NEW BOSCH OBD Adapter Breakout Box 1684462346

WWW.EBAY.COM

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I have never used this product - it looks new by all acounts and is in like-new condition - taken out of new bag for photos.

 

[jpflip]

Yes I purchase the box from this Ebay seller on your first post...Last week I did some research on different Bosch sites and unfortunately the KTS500 is now too old and there is no more support for it. Thanks for this breakout box link! I will contact the seller...What I wanted to do with the KTS was to test the internal function to see if the tool is working properly, the multimeter, ohmeter, voltmeter (called URI)... Previously I was working with a clone PST2 which is a Dell Latitude C610 (still have it) and the multimeter functions are not available with this laptop. Voltage or resistance reading was dome with a Fluke but being from the old school I was curious to see how the real tool was used...

The years go by and I don't get any younger 😉 I no longer work on cars other than mine except for a few PPI ... My TT is not used much less than 1000 kilometers annually, and does not give me any problems . But I have two grandsons who love this car and I would like to introduce them to mechanics with the tools that were used at the time. Later they will fight among themselves to know which will have the car for the weekend LOL !!! Thanks for your help!!! J.P.

[Silver_TT]

Ya, the years ago by, too fast.  The last time I talked to you was about 7 years ago.  Since then I moved to Manhattan, got married, had two kids, got a more stressful job, moved out of Manhattan!! I sold the TT when I moved into NYC -- the City is hard on cars plus there's nowhere really to drive it.  Bought a 2014 Audi Q5 2.0T for my wife and small kids more recently and I take the train/bike into work to keep life simple.  Pretty funny if you think about it.  I'm probably the only person in the world that went from driving a 911TT into work to now taking a combination of bike + public train.  I'm coming back though at some point.... just need to figure out in what.  Still think the 996TT is the best value out there.  On one hand the 996 and KTS500 are old technology, ya, but there's still a lot of good things about it.  The newer cars are so electronic and all the tools are hidden or nearly impossible to get access to (like changing the ATF fluid on one of the newer PDK gearboxes, wasn't possible last I looked without a PIWIS).

 

Man, you sound like a pretty awesome grandpa.  Gonna teach the grandkids on a TT and let them drive it later? Wooooooo, sign me up for that!!

 

Only other thing I would say is I also see numerous other sellers and if you Google that part number (Bosch 1684462346) you will find numerous sellers and people that do or have owned the device.  Possibly one of those sources has some documentation and would be kind enough to share it with you.

 

Also not sure if Loren will see this post but I know he knows a ton about this stuff.  I used to see him post on Rennlist back in the early 2000's.....

[jpflip]

Congratulations on this new family !! I am very happy for you!!! Every year (before covid) my wife and I drive to NYC just to walk on the street a couple of days. We love it! Indeed the streets are bad but I'm used to them because Montreal is not better 😉 A Q5 is a very good choice! I also cycle, but for fun ... I am approaching 8000 kilometers this year ... A way to get out of confinement by riding a bicycle !!! Loren is and always has been a huge help and he hasn't disappointed me again 😉

... Speaking of new technology that's hard to troubleshoot, I have a 2010 Mercedes that just cost me $ 2400.00 to repair because a computer (SAM) has just died ... I tried 4 days to find the fault without success ... I had to go to a specialist of the brand ;-( Of course I keep an eye open for find a solution to my Bosch box but I started to explore the possibilities of this tool which is still very interesting .... But the Fluke remains not very far! Take good care of your family because these children will give you grandchildren one day and you will be happy like me to watch them grow up !!!! J.P.

[Silver_TT]

Loren's a stand up guy, of course he will help anyone whenever he can that's just the kind of person he is!

 

Thanks!  Family is great and I take care of them but no one ever told me it was going to be this much work 😉  I just spent the last half hour rubbing my 6 year old's back because she always wants me to before bed.  LOL, these kids are so spoiled (mostly with attention not things).  My wife grew up in Berlin so we are huge into biking.  I just ordered my 6 year old a new Linus bike and it's on back order until November because of COVID.  My father-in-law has a second home in Italy between Pisa and Florence and when we go to visit there I always rent a nice sporty car (you can rent much nicer cars there than you can here in the USA and it's not really that expensive) and like to go driving in the mountains.  There are always these 70 year old Italians who are on bikes just TEARING UP THE MOUNTAIN as I'm driving to get my morning espresso.  I am in awe, these guys are like pros.  It's a huge sport there.  I'm more of a casual rider....if you ever saw a guy in lower Manhattan wheeling around on a yellow Tokyobike that was me.  It's a single speed.  My wife is an architect and worked for one of the most famous design firms in the world so she has to approve (not really but you know what I'm saying).  Just to let you know she does approve of the TT 🙂 

 

Ya you know it's interesting.  I had a 2002 BMW, 2002 996, then 2002 996TT.  Didn't have a car living in NYC for so many years so getting a car again was sort of a jump forward in technology.  The engine technology on this 2014 TFSI is really interesting and I'm a fan of the 2.0T overall (as long as it's a ~2014 or later).  It's really easy to work on, for example.  The new technology comes with several advantages but isn't perfect.  This is my first experience with this kind of engine and I didn't realize you need to pay attention to things pretty close.  My car had zero side effects as far as gas mileage or poor drivability but when I checked my intake cam phase position in VCDS it was off 5.3 degrees!  This right away lead me to deduce that the timing chain on the cams was "stretched" a full link!  JFP in PA was a mega huge help to me as he's a very dear friend and has saved me a fortune over the years (the Mods on this site are soooo good)....... Anyway, checkout my tensioner!  Had I not been a car enthusiast there is a very good chance this thing would have let go and skipped time bricking this interference engine permanently.  But hey!  The good news is I got to it before anything bad happened and the even better news is that the Sunset Porsche discount also applies for Audi for loyal customers like myself.  While we were in there I saw the screen had ripped off the cam bridge

 

What are the diagnostic tools like for Mercedes?  I have been very impressed with VCDS (aka "Vag Com") for Audi.  Durametric for Porsche is great (if you aren't lucky enough to have a PST2 etc).

[jpflip]

JFP has been around the Porsche forum since a long time and I must admit that every time he enters a conversation his answers are precise and very well documented .. "His mechanical experience is undeniable ... I am very humble in front of a person with so much knowledge .... He is high on my list of reliable person...Glad to know that he gave you a good helping hand! Cam timing, ouch... We hope we won't have to do it on our TT, Tooling is way too expensive! For the Mercedes I only got a Autel MD802. Got this car since 2014 and never had any problems with it...But I am looking for a replacement and here in Quebec province electric car are very popular... We will see what the automotive future has in store for me.... I love the, (new to me), Tokyobike lol!!!! Also the Italian wine and food😉

Edited September 25, 2020 by jpflip

[Silver_TT]

I see.  I was curious because the Porsche/Durametric and Audi/VCDS tools are very good, I have first-hand experience with those, but I have read that they are not nearly as good for other manufacturers.  Wasn't sure about Mercedez.  This would actually influence my decision somewhat on choosing a brand -- need good tools.

 

Yes, I have thought about getting a Tesla, I know a lot of people have them, also very much so all over here in the USA and there are super chargers going up all over.  I think Tesla is the best electric car technology and electric cars are better for sure IMHO.  The two main problems I have with it are 1) The batteries are too expensive and the technology is changing too fast and 2) I saw they have this software, Tesla Toolbox, but it is completely locked down and only for the dealer shop (like a PIWIS) from what I can understand and I asked Tesla because I considered buying one.  If it was open in that I could actually use it on the car I probably would have bought a Tesla right away.  But I don't know what this means for DIY on a Tesla, seems like it isn't really possible at this point but after I decided not to buy one I stopped looking into it so possible I'm mistaken or that has changed.

 

And ya, there is no doubt that JFP is a titan.  

Edited September 25, 2020 by Silver_TT

[jpflip]

Last week I tried an EGolf, I liked it despite the little autonomy and I have a friend who made me try his Chevrolet Bolt that he has owned since 2017 with more than 96,000 kilometers without any concerns since its acquisition ... Autonomy comparable to the Tesla but less expensive and I have a Chevrolet dealership near me ... But the technology evolves quickly and I remain patient ... Regarding maintenance , the guarantees are now eight years on certain models which brings me to 74 years LOL !!! I mustn't look too far away 😉 I don't know anything about Tesla maintenance but I love the model 3 all wheel drive but little expensive for me.... But hard to beat right now....

[Silver_TT]

Nah, all those 8000 km you are doing biking this year is going to leave your heart and body very strong so you will live a very long life 🙂  I was always in decent shape but lost 15 lbs when I started taking the bike to work and I get better marks every year on my biometric screening.  When I got my life insurance policy I was disappointed to hear that everyone in the company pays the same rate, I was hoping my risk-adjusted pricing was going to be much better!

 

Chevy Bolt is a fine car and the neighbors we are friends with behind us have one.  A coworker also has one that I rode in before COVID.  It drives well, seems reliable, and I appreciate that.  From an aesthetic perspective though I have a really hard time getting excited about that car.  I find the Audi eTrons outright ugly though.  The Porsche looks much better but is super expensive and I have never bought a new car so far in my life.

 

I also like the Model 3.  But Elon said it would be $35K and the average selling price has been more like $50K.  The warranty on that is 4yrs/50K miles and 8yrs/100K (/120K for the long range) on the powertrain and battery.  It guarantees that your battery aging will be no worse than 70%.  Still though, the new technology, and the nightmare stories of getting parts.  I have read stories where someone broke a sunroof or needed a part and had to wait several months (and that was before COVID).  Since we are a one-car family that is a show-stopper for sure.  Another interesting thing is that, as I understand it, the "model year" concept doesn't really apply.  You could get a 2021 Model 3 which could come with different hardware for the camera, for example, for the same year/make/model.  It's much more fluid as far as version changes and updated parts from what I have seen.  For traditional petrol powered cars it doesn't mean that every MY car will be the exact same if there was a part update mid-year or something but for the most part other than that they are pretty static.

 

I'm definitely very interested in electric cars and my degree is in computer hardware/software so I really hope that a game-changer like Tesla will allow access to these cars through something like Toolbox but I don't have a lot of hope given the history of other manufacturers.  They just recently opened up that battery plant and made an announcement about cheaper batteries earlier this week so I'm definitely interested but am also just waiting.  Adoption too early can come with nasty side-effects.  I was one of the first people to get a solid state disk drive when they first came out and were very expensive.  But the Intel firmware was buggy on the first generation drive and when I updated the first firmware it bricked the drive and Intel had to send me a new one!  I always backup my stuff but that was a lesson on adopting too early if it's for something you depend on.

[jpflip]

An interesting conversation we had! We can say that we are on the same wavelength, plus we love the same cars !!! Can you believe it, a French Canadian from Montreal and an American from New York discussing and understanding each other ... LOL !!! So many people can't get along these days ;-(  Glad to have heard from you ... We will undoubtedly have the chance to discuss again on this forum ... Have a good weekend!

[Silver_TT]

Ya man, I like French Canadians.  One of my best friends grew up in Montreal and went to Mcgill.  I also dated a girl there that went to Mcgill.  Met her when I was with him partying at cinq à sept down near Old Montreal.  She was a cocktail waitress, I think the place was called Quartier (I just looked on Google maps and it's something else now), and thought I was a hockey player rolling with my entourage but I digress 😃

 

Anyway, back to your original topic before I got off on a tangent, please let me know if you use the breakout box later.  I'm still curious other things you would use it for.  Of course I just like to understand things.

 

You have a good weekend too!

[jpflip]

Finally, I was able to figure out the breakout box wiring and I did the test of the internal multimeter" Voltage work fine but I always got an error with the resistance function....Any clue?

[jpflip]

I've receive an answer from a PST2 sellers and specialist on Ebay, Mike, and here's his answer about this error message with the PST2....

"That error is because the URI hardware module does not have the porsche special firmware; the firmware needs to be updated. I would not worry about it, since you're better off testing resistance with a hand-held multimeter. Some users burned out or damaged the motherboards when they tried to test continuity on live circuits, and unlike the PIWIS testers, the PST2 does not have fuse protection."

 

[Silver_TT]

That is fantastic information in numerous regards, thank you for updating this thread with this information!

[jpflip]

 

Welcome! I really like when a discussion topic is closed with a solution to a problem...