Facing errors while connecting the OBDII scanner to my XUV300

While I knew that the scanner itself doesn't damage any hardware, it clearly can screw up the sensors to an extent that they stop working.

BHPian krishnakumar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi BHPians,

I recently purchased an OBDII scanner with plans to do some interesting analysis with my XUV300.

I had bought this just in time for a 2 weeks long 1600km road-trip. However, the very first time I connected the scanner itself, the car's MID started throwing multiple errors - particularly ESC and TPMS warnings. I disconnected the scanner and things went back to normal. Slightly dejected, we set out on our trip as I had no other option.

The real big mistake!

In between our trip, while in Gokarna, I had this "genius" idea to try and reconnect the scanner again and check. So I did and this time, even more errors came up on the system including parking sensor failures (engaging reverse gear will show nothing on the screen).

Scared, I disconnected the OBDII scanner but to my surprise the errors did not go away this time. I restarted the car multiple times and nope, the errors still continued. Even more scared, I thought I'll lock the car and leave it untouched for a while but to my shock, the request sensors also apparently failed. Which meant my key (remote) stopped working. I'd have to manually lock the car. Also, I couldn't open the boot (since there is only the request sensor to open it).

I was sweating profusely by now and was cursing myself to have tried these shenanigans in a remote location. I had the contact of a technical manager from Sireesh Marathahalli, whom I called, and he suggested to remove the battery terminals. I managed to access the tools from the rear seats and disconnected the battery. Waited for 5 mins and reconnected. Thankfully, things got reset and everything was back to working order.

While I knew that the scanner itself doesn't damage any hardware, it clearly can screw up the sensors to an extent that they stop working. This is certainly scary, especially not knowing to what extent they can affect.

I know that BHPian Vijin has done some excellent analysis with an OBDII scanner on his XUV300. So it is possible in an XUV300.

I'd love to do some analysis and I can't stop the itch of buying one again to connect and give it another try. However, the scare that happened earlier is keeping from trying to be bold again. I don't want to end up voiding warranty.

Can experienced BHPians, especially with OBDII scanners, throw some light into this? Is there a compatibility issue? Is it just a problem with the device I bought?

Here's what BHPian Kosfactor had to say on the matter:

Incompatible scan tools can disrupt comms between different modules in the vehicle. If you had kept it plugged in, it would have eventually drained the battery as well.

Throw it away, spend money on fuel and explore the country. Whatever you need to know about the vehicle is provided in the IP & MID.

Here's what BHPian Chhanda Das had to say on the matter:

Oh no, this is very unfortunate. I have the exact same product from the exact same seller which I have been using without any issues since 2017 in my first-generation petrol 1.6 Creta AT.

From my limited knowledge/experience, I can think of only a few possibilities as to why the product didn't work as intended. Here they are with their possible solutions:

• There are multiple versions/iterations of the OBD2 standards like OBD2A, OBD2B, etc. Hence, it would be best to verify the standard in your car by consulting Mahindra personnel first and then check with the seller to verify if the product supports that standard in your car. You can find more information (unverified) about the different pins and the standards of the OBD2 port in the following link.
• The product itself may be defective. The obvious solution is to replace/return it. If I remember correctly, Amazon India usually has a 10 day return policy.
• There is a very slim chance that Mahindra could have used a non-standard/uncommon wiring setup since these OBD2 adapters are usually designed to be mostly universal in nature. The few exceptions that are not supported are usually mentioned on the seller/manufacturer's website. From what I had seen till 2017, most Mahindra cars and some Toyota cars had compatibility issues with these OBD2 adapters. The one that I have (same as yours) didn't even fit on my neighbour's old Innova despite the car having an OBD2 port. In case your car is not supported, sadly there is not much that you can do.

If you want to experiment with these things in your car then it is best to do so on your home turf and that too within the early portions of the warranty period so that you may have enough leeway for things to go bad (if they do so) and to claim warranty (if necessary) if you catch my drift.

I do not know what else to say. I hope this helps. Wishing you the best.

Here's what BHPian vgaquarius had to say on the matter:

Hi! This seems to be a really unfortunate incident which happened with You. All diagnostic connectors make use of the same 16 pin OBD connector with a designated pinout but CAN protocols can differ from one car manufacturer to other. Different BCMs/ECMs work on different signalling protocols and that's why we have specific diagnostic circuitry and softwares which vary from company to company. There are many universal diagnostic tools available and they are capable of first identifying the protocol and then running the related program, for the same reason why they require the Manufacturer, Make and Model of the vehicle in the first place while equipment available in authorized service centres detect the vehicle automatically.

This is one of the reasons why we should refrain from plugging in any third party stuff into the OBD connector until and unless they are from a highly trustworthy brand. There are many fancy solutions provided with GPS geofencing, data logging and some even with the claims of acting like a dummy piggyback ECU but all end up fidgeting with the stock electrical connections of the vehicle gifting us a well lit up Christmas tree.

I've myself used this Robostore ELM on my test bench and discovered shocking results with the possibility of short-circuiting the convenience CAN High and Low at specific user based inputs.

This robostore version of the ELM 327 diagnostic connector is a cheap chinese knockout of the original IC from ELM electronics. There are plenty of variations of these diagnostic connectors available, some feature a 2 PCB layout, some feature a single PCB, different outer casings and varied functionalities. It is really very hard to identify the genuine product with an IC from ELM electronics. Anyway, as per some sources, this company plans to turn down its operations in mid 2022.

I use a VCDS cable for my Polo, will let You know if I come across a reliable solution for Mahindras!

Thanks.

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