[friss]

Has anyone used the app recently? I did set an account up but when I log in to the windows app it just closes with no error. Windows 10, fully updated

Used an about a month ago. Do you have an active subscription and connected to the car when you go to open it?

Otherwise I've also had good support response from them in the past when I had questions.

 

[jpman]

It apparently doesn't work inside VirtualBox, possibly them trying to stop people moving it between PCs?? Not really sure what the issue is with that in general.

I put Windows 10 on a laptop and it started working finally.
That was with a "cheap" Tactrix cable.

 

[friss]

It apparently doesn't work inside VirtualBox, possibly them trying to stop people moving it between PCs?? Not really sure what the issue is with that in general.

I put Windows 10 on a laptop and it started working finally.
That was with a "cheap" Tactrix cable.

Ahh that tracks with how the install is tied to a specific computer and you can only move between computers every so often.

 

[donour]

It apparently doesn't work inside VirtualBox, possibly them trying to stop people moving it between PCs?? Not really sure what the issue is with that in general.

I put Windows 10 on a laptop and it started working finally.
That was with a "cheap" Tactrix cable.

I doubt it has anything to do with the license, but more than likely the problem is device compatibility. Some API is returning an error and it’s just exiting with no warning. I found that if you unplug the cable it does the same thing.

 

[TNEngineer]

I've been digging around the whole 20/20 software world this morning. Interesting things I've found:

* There are downloadable firmware packages for various Lotus cars in the VSIC. They aren't very well described, the one I happened across didn't say if it was firmware for the ECU, TCU, or something else. Personally I'm not sure I'd be comfortable flashing the ECU in my driveway, given the downside risk of something going wrong.

* Of perhaps MUCH more importance, there is the following text at Lotus Independent Portal (emphasis mine):

The Lotus 20/20 Diagnostic Software for Independent Retailers will allow the user to carry out the following diagnostic tasks:

• Display ECU Information for all vehicle systems (Part Numbers, Emissions related data, VIN etc)
• Read and Clear Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) for all vehicle systems
• Flash Program the Engine Management System, Transmission Control Unit and ABS

All vehicles from 2007 onwards are covered except 211. Elise and Exige vehicles prior to 2011 will need an adapter cable in order to diagnose the ABS and SRS systems.
You will require an active subscription in order to use the software.

The reason this is so interesting to me is that it strongly suggests the 20/20 software should be able to clear the infamous airbag light on Evoras. I've had this problem, many others have too, and so far to my knowledge no one has found a reliable aftermarket OBD tool that clears the airbag light for any but the earliest S1 Evoras. I and others have asked and asked about this, and many people have tried many OBD devices. Now, from the above language, it would appear that Lotus themselves provides a factory-approved way to do it.

Has anyone tried 20/20 to clear an airbag light? Obviously the underlying condition would have to be corrected first. But if this works, it's an answer MANY here have sought for a long time.

 

[TNEngineer]

(cross-posting this from another thread so it's available to all readers)

I couldn't stand the suspense so I went ahead and downloaded the very latest versions of all Evora service documentation. In the file "sn_wp_airbags_Evora_400.pdf", section WP, "Updated 23rd February 2021" discusses analyzing the SRS system using Lotus 20/20 software. Page 9 contains the following statement:

Once installed Lotus 20/20 will communicate via a CAN based systems which include; Engine management system, Transmission control unit, ABS, Instrument cluster and Tyre pressure monitoring system. Please note SDM (airbags) is serial comms on K-Line.

This confirms my theory that SRS is on K-Line and NOT on CAN. This is likely why generic standalone CAN tools often fail to access/reset SRS - they probably don't support K-Line. However, many of the generic CAN-to-USB cables do support K-Line. The trick may thus be to find a cable which supports both, and supports the J2534 protocol at the USB end, so 20/20 can access both CAN and K-Line on the OBD connector.

 

[2sblind]

@friss or others.

Were you able to read any live data using 20/20? From the original post it looks like the answer is no, but figured I would double check just in case. I’m primarily concerned with transmission temp (IPS) for doing AT fluid changes but so far haven’t been able to find a scan tool that can read that. Would be awesome if 20/20 could read that vs needing full on tech center.

 

[friss]

@friss or others.

Were you able to read any live data using 20/20? From the original post it looks like the answer is no, but figured I would double check just in case. I’m primarily concerned with transmission temp (IPS) for doing AT fluid changes but so far haven’t been able to find a scan tool that can read that. Would be awesome if 20/20 could read that vs needing full on tech center.

Not in our version unfortunately.

 

[2sblind]

Bummer. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[jpman]

I tried with a Tactrix that definitely can do k-line but it doesn't read the SRS module.
Wonder if they made it only work with their specific Lotus cables somehow

 

[donour]

I only have data for the S1 cars. Sorry if I provided confusing CAN info in the past. I haven't written much down about it and often confuse the Evora with other cars. These should be zoomable.

 

[TNEngineer]

Note in your second image that the SRS Module has a K-Line connection labeled M386 near its top center that goes to "DIAGNOSTIC CONNECTOR" (the OBD connector). More importantly, there is no CAN connection to the SRS module which means K-Line is the only way.

As it turns out, Lotus even kept the same M386 reference designator for that same connection in the latest Evora schematics (here shown as pin 9 of the SRS module):

The evidence seems clear, that you cannot communicate with the SRS Module via CAN (unless the ICM provides a bridging function).

 

[sicklyscott]

Does the 20/20 software allow you to view what's causing the wrench indicator on the dash?

 

[friss]

Does the 20/20 software allow you to view what's causing the wrench indicator on the dash?

I want to say it should be able to, but I haven't personally dealt with any wrench lights to test it.

 

[jpman]

Does the 20/20 software allow you to view what's causing the wrench indicator on the dash?

Yes it can.
Normal user level access you can read codes and clear them but can't do adaptations or anything fancy.

I am tempted to make an open source tool for people to check for faults etc, seem to get a new fault every time I drive at the moment.

 

[donour]

Does the 20/20 software allow you to view what's causing the wrench indicator on the dash?

Yes. Verified this with the Tactrix Openport 2.0 cable. This thread has examples of non-ECM faults in 20/20.

Evora rescue: (1105) Spider

Hi friends. I’ve been meaning to post this for quite a while, life has been in the way. Last fall (2022), I came across a 2011 NA at a local used car lot. It is a car with a story and deep stack of little issues. It had been through insurance ownership as part of (from what I can tell) a bogus...

www.lotustalk.com

 

[Tweetdriver63]

I think its just an issue of what the market would be for the knocked off software and if someone thinks it will be worth their while doing it..

Although they want the Emira to be owned by people who don't know anything about cars (like many Porsche owners ;-)) Lotus must know that most of their cars are actually owned and maintained by enthusiasts. Although the basic ECU will be the same I bet that the V6 Emira software is significantly different from the 4xx series Evora so I am hoping that once the GTs go out of warranty Lotus will decide to make a legacy version of Techcentre available to the community.

When everything goes electric the cars will be online all the time so this won't be an issue.

What is needed is an enthusiast who has the skills to create the solution. That’s the most likely way it will ever happen. So much of what was available for the M100 Elan I used to have came about that way.

 

[donour]

What is needed is an enthusiast who has the skills to create the solution. That’s the most likely way it will ever happen.

With the market being so small, there isn't a lot of motivation to build more than proofs-of-concept. That's likely why the BOE software was never franchised. It seems like komo-tec is doing a healthy business, but that might be because they get v6 exiges as well. I would really, really like a tuning package for the ABS module as track cars sometime have trouble with alternate pad compounds an the lockup characteristics of race rubber.

I started documenting the CAN message tree years ago, but stopped when I got what I needed. I could also do the diagnostic side, but it's way too much work for the 6 people on earth who would actually use it.

 

[jpman]

I know how to essentially fully unlock the 20/20 software to dealer level but concerned about the implications of sharing that knowledge. Plus if someone did make that public then it would probably be locked down more/fixed?

 

[Tweetdriver63]

With the market being so small, there isn't a lot of motivation to build more than proofs-of-concept. That's likely why the BOE software was never franchised. It seems like komo-tec is doing a healthy business, but that might be because they get v6 exiges as well. I would really, really like a tuning package for the ABS module as track cars sometime have trouble with alternate pad compounds an the lockup characteristics of race rubber.

I started documenting the CAN message tree years ago, but stopped when I got what I needed. I could also do the diagnostic side, but it's way too much work for the 6 people on earth who would actually use it.

Well, Lotus sold about 4,000 total Elan M100s during it's production run. They sold more than 6,000 Evoras. An M100 owner/enthusiast created the ElanScan software and cable, and it did damn near everything anybody would ever need. Another created several different Tuning chips that allowed incrementally higher levels of boost from the turbo, while properly remapping fuel/etc to prevent any adverse effects (unlike the Superchips version that simply bypassed the overboost fuel cutoff safety feature Lotus programmed into the ECU).

There are those people out there. As with many things, I suspect those people did those things to solve an issue/obtain a tool that they wanted for themselves (that wasn't available), and then made it available to others for a cost to offset their development costs.