Diagnostics & monitoring for your Saab: The PLX Kiwi 2 WiFi
January 24, 2013 in MapTun
A very cool little toy that I found on the shelves of Maptun while having my car tuned was the PLX Kiwi 2. There are two versions, either the BlueTooth which works best with android phones and then there is the Wifi version which works better with Apple’s devices. I bought the WiFi version and had it plugged in while I drove home on tuesday night, what it basically does is read all the parameters it can find in the car and transmits them to an app on your phone or pad which then display them to you.
Depending on the app, you’ll be able to do a lot of diagnostics, measurements and find out lots of cool stuff that the car normally wont tell you.
To read more about it or to purchase it, check out the PLX on Maptun’s website: CLICK HERE
I’ve made a small 8 min video to demonstrate it a bit further:
Trued said on January 24, 2013
Hav had this combo for some time now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSeIGakWum0&feature=share&list=UUhJEMCSncozL8voaL6L_Zqw
Red J said on January 24, 2013
Jörgen, how is the iPad Mini holder from Brodit?
Trued said on January 24, 2013
Just perfect, like all products from Brodit/ProClip. Buy them at the friendly Brodit and Saab special wires specialist http://www.skyddet.nu
Red J said on January 24, 2013
Need one !!
joseglv said on January 24, 2013
You almost had me until the lag in comunication…
Maybe if the i pad could be conected to the PLX …
IF there is an conection……
Tim said on January 24, 2013
The iPhone is actually much faster =)
Rune said on January 24, 2013
FWIW: I did some research today and found a list of alternative adapters. http://torque-bhp.com/wiki/Bluetooth_Adapters
joseglv said on January 25, 2013
The thing is i want to adapt an mini ipad replacing the stock head stereo in the 9-5
And this is an nice upgrade too… but to do it it has to be no lag…
Trued said on January 25, 2013
There is no latency when conncted to my Apple iPad Mini. It is smooth and exact.
Red J said on January 28, 2013
Jörgen,
maybe the latency comes from the older ODB in the 9-5 I rather than the data interchange latency between the Kiwi and the iPad.
xlx said on January 24, 2013
data p0rn. do want.
dave said on January 24, 2013
Nice ! I use Torque App for Android with ELM327 Bluetooth and it also works really well on my 9-3. There is a feature that it’s not available (yet?) and it would be very useful: Diesel Particle Filter saturation.
Just curious, but can this software display that information ?
Pacey said on January 25, 2013
I run Torque on an old-ish android phone, works reasonably well but certainly no replacement for a proper boost gauge. There is a major cost difference between setting this sort of thing up on iPhone and Android, and torque is probably the best app of this type anyway, so I’d advise going that direction.
Kyle Merrihew said on January 25, 2013
Agreed. The Torque app works great and only cost me $15 USD for the elm327 bluetooth adapter and andther $15 for the phone dock. A great deal!
Trued said on January 25, 2013
Lambda IS supported in v1.3.2 dash Command using the PLX KIWI version 1.
Tim said on January 25, 2013
depends on the car
Bernard said on January 26, 2013
Is there any software available that can read Saab-specific codes?
OBDII specs are split-off into two sections: generic info that all manufacturers must support (when relevant), and proprietary fields that manufacturers add to the OBDII data stream.
The generic info (which is demonstrated in the video) covers emissions data, which is to say most engine parameters. The proprietary info covers all other modules (body, brakes, transmission, etc).
GerritN said on January 27, 2013
Well, you could try to get your hands on a Tech-II
But no, all the software I know will only show you the generic ODBII stuff. All the proprietary codes you have to look up by hand, I have the tables to do so. Maybe Tim should put them on SU?
Bernard said on January 27, 2013
Saab Parts should document the entire interface so that anybody can build a Saab module. They would sell more parts if any tech with a smartphone and a cheap adapter could have full access to the car’s diagnostics stream.
Tech-II’s aren’t cheap and, being a GM tool, they are rare among the “foreign car” shops who work on Saabs. You also need an optional add-on Saab pack for the Tech-II, so you can’t just go to a GM shop to read an ABS code.
To my mind, the lack of diagnostics equipment is one of the major risks facing Saab Parts. They need to keep as many Saabs on the road as possible, and that won’t happen if techs aren’t on their side.
Hans Carlson said on January 29, 2013
Saab Parts have full diagnostic support, the GDS2 and Tech2 software is avalible through TIS2Web for all workshops. The same applies to software download, configuration/settings, immobilizer programming and so on. Working on a older Saab:s almost always require a Tech2, and for the NG 9-5 GDS2, for configuration/settings after a reflash and/or a replacement so you should not leave your car to a “foreign shop” that has no access to a Tech2.
There is no “easy interface” to the car, if i remember correctly there is around 10 different diagnostic protocols that needs to be implemented. You will not solve this by relasing the specifications, no one will implement full support in a handheld device.
You can go to a GM-shop and read an ABS-code, all they need is to sign up for a Saab TIS2Web account for one day and download the Saab Tech2 and/or GDS2 software, this will cost around 25$ and it includes full diagnostic support and in car software update if needed.
Bernard said on January 29, 2013
I’m quite certain that one or more companies would implement all or most of the Saab protocol if they had access to the information.
Many shops in this area use the Launch diagnostics system (x431 dot com). This is reverse-engineered software, but it has the advantage that one unit covers almost all brands, poorly.
VW shops (who are the most likely to work on Saabs in the absence of dealerships) typically use Ross-Tech’s VCDS system. If I ran SPNA, I would pay Ross-Tech to add Saab to their software, and link it to EPC and WIS.
I understand why this information was proprietary during the GM era (protecting franchised dealers), but this has now become counter-productive. The main business of Saab Parts ( and SPNA) should be to keep as many Saabs on the road as possible. That’s not going to happen if owners have to go to one shop to get a diagnosis (a process that will involve lots of explaining and possibly bribes), another (online) to get parts, and a third to get the work done (because the first shop doesn’t work on anything other than GM pickups).
That kind of rigmarole only leads to serviceable Saabs going to the wreckers, and then nobody gets their $25, other than Kia.
Bernard said on January 29, 2013
I forgot to mention that all of the good people who work on the Trionic suite (ECUProject dot com) would surely have a go at implementing the entire protocol, given the chance.
Having access to such tools would actually make Saabs more desirable to own, which is the exact opposite of what’s happening right now.
Rune said on January 30, 2013
…and developing a Saab specific OBD-II reader would be exactly the kind of hobby-project I have been looking for. Especially if nobody else bothers.
Releasing documentation to the community should be seriously considered, unless it could somehow be of help to NEVS’ competitors.
Hans Carlson said on January 30, 2013
You need hardware that supports the protocols also, in the end the the code ends up in electrical signals. TheTech2 is one hell of a diagnostic tool when you consider the number of electrical interfaces it supports, I think the Tech2 is a really cheap tool if you consider the range of cars you can run diagnostics on and how robust it is (mine is over 15 years old now and still works like a charm). It supports Saab:s from the 900 up to the 2012 9-3, and if you claim to repair Saab cars you really should own one. And as a matter of fact the information of the data stream have been avalible for many many years now.
Bernard said on January 30, 2013
Hans,
I think that there’s a big difference between the situation in Europe and in North America. North American independent shops typically specialize either in European, Japanese or “domestic” cars.
Domestic shops rarely have Tech2s. They prefer to use Ford-GM-Chrysler tools sold by companies such as Snap-On. Plus, 90% of their work involves servicing brakes and suspension components, so they can afford to let the many dealerships handle the jobs that may require more specialized tools.
European shops are often the only ones that will take Saab customers. These shops handle VW-Audi, MB and BMW. They don’t have Tech2s because it’s a $5000 tool that they will rarely use. Most maintenance codes can be read with any OBD2 reader.
In the old days, your shop would send you to the Saab dealer if you had an issue that required a Tech2. Those dealers are gone in many markets.
The end result is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a shop that will work on Saabs. Shops thrive on efficiency, and they know that an Audi will take at most 24 hours to fix (if a part needs to be shipped overnight), while the same job on a Saab could take many days to diagnose and then to procure parts. We are almost at the tipping point where a Saab is no longer a viable form of daily transportation. It will soon become a hobby car that may occasionally become unusable at any time.
This trend could be reversed if Saab Parts took the initiative. Offering a cheap diagnosis tool is a necessary step. The second step is to offer convenient overnight shipping of parts directly to shops.
OliverH said on February 12, 2013
Got the Kiwi Wifi last week and had in in the car on some occasions. If you have a push mail account (eg Exchange Active Sync) you get a disconnect with dashcmd. I need also to define a dash that fits my demand – there’re a lot dahs on the web but a lot are “finished” in between the finalisation. With 95 octane (I use it as my winter gasoline to avoid heavy esp interaction and get better traction on snow – with much less power on a dry road compared to 98 octane) I can’t get the 95 beyond 0,5g
Nice thing to play with. Any solution to read the software version string from ECU?