Hi, I would like to ask for some advice/instruction from members who have a good knowledge of using a Nanocom.

I have the known message about ABS/Traction [control] Failure fault on the dashboard. I finally decided to buy a Nanocom, and I would like to ask where I would find the section on the Nanocom that deals with the ABS/Traction Failure ?

I know that I need to go to "R Rover P38" - "EDC", but then the next menu lists two types of what I presume are the values for ABS systems, Wabco C and Wabco D.

Where would I go at this point ? Perhaps someone could tell me if there are specific values to be aware of, or will Nanocom just report a fault as "Fault" somewhere ?

Pierre3.

Wabco C up to 1998 model, Wabco D from 1999 onwards. Go into that and the top button is marked Faults, tap that and Read Faults, read what it is, then tap Clear Faults. If it comes straight back, then it is permanent. Beware though, the Nanocom ABS function can get it's left and right mixed up so if it says left sensor open circuit (or left sensor short to ground) it may actually be the right sensor.

Hi Richard, thanks for your reply. So that clears up my question about Wabco.

I was reading Martin Cox's information on his P38 website, where he discussed the ECU, and I saw that he said the same thing as you about the message - "'Rear Right sensor short to another sensor" - or something similar. I did look at Nanocom's emulator on their website and I can see where you have explained the page on the reader.

What is strange, and I haven't been under the car as I don't have a garage to get into and the weather is bleeding cold, is that, so far, I have been able to clear the fault message by using the EAS switch to lift and lower the vehicle when the message appears. Also, if I clear the message by doing the suspension lift and lower the message stays away - until I leave the car parked for two weeks or more. If I have driven the car at least once a week it seems to stay away, until something unusual happens.

I am wondering whether this is a loose connection or a damaged cable. There hasn't been anything done under the vehicle except for a gearbox oil change about 5 months ago, but the ABS message didn't appear until about 3 months ago.

Pierre3.

Oh, Richard, I forgot to ask - looking at Nanocom's emulator there appears to be an option to turn off the dashboard warning lights. As the vehicle is due an annual car test next Monday will this option allow me to switch off the dashboard warning lights to get through the car test ?

Pierre3.

It certainly sounds like you have an iffy connection to one of the sensors. They have plugs that should be held in clips on the chassis, but they are a bit of a bugger to get to as they are behind the inner wheelarch liner. If anyone has ever been in there before it is quite possible they didn't put them back into the clips so the cable could have chaffed against something. Sounds like you've got similar weather to here, far too cold to be outside laying on the ground under the car. I've got an ABS Fault/Traction Failure error on the Ascot but just ignore it for the moment. The brakes work, it's only the ABS and traction control that won't.

Answering your question on the dark side, on the BBS website there is a separate document for each system with what readings you should expect to see. EDC (diesel) is a bit odd as there is only the one entry. With a Nanocom licensed for a V8, if you have a GEMS licence, the only option you have for ABS is Wabco C as all GEMS cars used the C system, while a unit licensed for Motronic (Thor) will only show you the Wabco D option, you'd never see both and have to choose which one.

Richard, I bought the Nanocom for the diesel, my vehicle is a DHSE. I have the EDC licences.

Any idea about the option to turn off the warning lights with Nanocom ?

By the way, I was just reading some old posts by yourself on the opposition forum, 2018, discussing the ABS accumulator failure 😅.

Pierre3.

A dead accumulator will only cause the warning lights to come on when you hit the brakes. It stores pressure in a sphere with a diaphragm across the centre with Nitrogen at high pressure behind it. Over a period the Nitrogen leaks out so you have no stored pressure, hence the pump has to cut in to raise the pressure as soon as you use the brakes. You can't turn those lights off with the Nanocom, or, if you can, they will come straight back as soon as you use the brakes again.

My point about the EDC licence is that you've got a licence for your engine type and a second one for the other P38 subsystems but it will only show systems that you actually have. Hence no mention of Wabco D if you have a GEMS licence as the GEMS never had the D system, but as the diesel is the same licence for all years it gives you the option of either depending on the year of the car. However, the ABS document from BBS tells you which you will have from the year of the car.

Thanks for your help, Richard. Hopefully, I will be able to get the warning lights to go off either with looking through the faults with the Nanocom, or else using the up and down method again !!!

I will have a look at the BBS website and see what it says there. Thanks again.

Pierre3.

Yes, I have found the details for the different models on the Black Box registered user webpages.

Pierre3.

I use this instead of opening a new topic, since the question is fairly simple.

I have a P38 license, and I can see no probs my Thor engine ECU. However, recently I connected to a friend's GEMS but I was unable to see any engine faults, or communicate at all with the engine ECU. Others do work. Can I rule out licensing issues to the older variant and focus on a technical/electrical issue?

I have always understood the Nanocom EDC, GEMS or Thor license only affect the Engine diagnostics.

Maybe it was different on earlier SW versions with some modules locked out for different licenses ? Mine is running latest release version, and with GEMS only license, shows all the menu options for Wabco C & D.

The emulator is useful but is not representative of the current BBs release !!

That's right, if you remember when you first got it, you put in two codes, one for the engine type and one for the other P38 systems. When you go to the first screen you tell it what engine licence you have and that affects what options are shown. For example, if you have a Thor licence, it will only give you Wabco D as the option for ABS, a GEMS will only give you Wabco C but if you have the EDC diesel licence, it will give you both as you may be looking at an early car or a later one. There's different options for SRS too as that changed with year and market.

If you look on the last screen under utlilties it will show the applied unlock codes. If unlock 06 isn't filled in, you don't have a license for GEMS - or if you do, you haven't entered into the Nano.

https://www.nanocom-diagnostics.com/shop/browse - if you look here, it lists the various codes and the screenshots show against them which code is for which system. Alternatively goto https://www.nanocom-diagnostics.com/restricted and login with your assocated login, and it will show you there what codes you have (expand the bit with the nanocom id shown on the right hand side)

I have connected to a BECM on a p38 diesel and put in the EKA code, but only have P38 systems, Disco 2, Motronic/Thor and TD5 licenses on mine. Theres also different cables depending on the vehicle your dealing with, the green one is for the p38 but fairly sure you have that (think the blue one likely to work for the engine but maybe not much else on it)

Still don't know what my Launch gear will do on P38's. I think it very likely that there will be gaps compared to what a dedicated tool like a Nanocom will do but it may surprise with greater coverage than expected, For sure it will do a lot of things (and a lot of things on top of) what some expensive dedicated tools for some other make/model vehicles will do. I wouldn't be surprised if it would be capable of connecting/diagnosing issues with (e.g.) multiple types of ABS system on P38's where a certain licence on a certain Nanocom might limit which types it could talk to. Almost regardless of vehicle I've tried it on, including those where generic OBD tools don't seem to work, it seems to be able to talk to, diagnose and run real time actuator tests in every electronic module on every vehicle I've yet tried it on.

Probably no more than my Launch C Reader, OBD engine functions and that is all, none of the other systems. Biggest problem with the P38 is that it is pre-Canbus and most systems use proprietary, non-standard protocols, hence needing a dedicated tool. My Nanocom has licences for GEMS and EDC (diesel) but not for Thor, so if I need to check the engine on a Thor I use the C Reader for that (which also works on every other car I have ever tried it on, including Jap imports with JOBD).

Launch X431, not sure if it will do some of these pre-canbus proprietary non standard protocols but I would guess it does considering it comes with a big set of adapters to connect it to many types of pre-OBD2 proprietary diagnostics sockets.

I've got a Launch C Reader too, I know that has no chance of accessing any of the other systems, mine won't even connect to the engine on some JOBD stuff.

I think the pinout of some of the p38 systems is also somewhat odd as well as using difficult protocals and speeds as well (like some of them were specifically picked to make connection with 3rd party tools more difficult than necessary). I know the Nano uses different leads depending on the vehicle its used with to get around some of this.

Having dealt with a few of the Diagnostic tools, the Nano is a lot better than some other options out there (Renault Clip for example is awful to use and thats the dealer tool)