Is anyone running an MDI official, clone, or similar J2534 unit (w/ Tech2Win) successfully with SPS?

I can't rely on the dealer for updates as there's no way I will be able to run on a stock calibration at this point (let alone once it comes back cammed). So, unless I drive it to the rack, restore the factory cal, have them run the SPS through the MDI, confirm the checksums, etc... (And you know they'll start it up, so there goes that idea.)

Trying to decide if I should bite the bullet and buy the $1450 legit MDI on Amazon w/ the birth certificate or just run a clone (which seems to work fairly well). I know yonson said he had luck with the J2534, but I don't have a Tech 2 handheld (I do, however, have Tech2Win)... But at that point, the (real) J2534 puts me at over $900 - close enough to just do the MDI and call it a day. A clone J2534 ranges from $30-600, and who knows what you're getting into there...

Can someone using a working setup with SPS send me a PM (or post here if you'd like) so I can get this thing updated? It's number 486 (VIN) and has never had an update, so it needs to take quite a few new cals.

Hell, if someone has an MDI that I could borrow/rent for a week, I'm fairly sure that would work, too. That's just a matter of a quick SPS subscription and a few hours of work (if that). I don't think that even requires Tech2Win to do that - I may be mistaken, though.

So, any help would be appreciated - publicly or privately.

 

You don't need a Tech2 for it to work, as long as you have a TIS subscription (can get a 2 or 3 day for like $55) and your J2534 device (I use an McS1 and I know a CarDAQ will also work, I haven't tried any others personally but I've been told most high quality tools will work) will communicate with SPS, you are in business.

What OS do you have? We have a VIN in the low 2000's with 12660065 and at last check about a month ago there wasn't any updates available.

 

I was going to PM you - thanks for seeing this so quickly!

My OS is 12658729 - Need the hop to 12660065. Car was delivered to me in October 2013, never updated.

 

After looking around pretty hard tonight, it looks like what you use (the McS1) is the least expensive of all the options. The CarDAQ has the best reviews, but sits around $1700... The MDI can be had at $1450, clones can be less than $400... But I'm a little leery of that, especially after telling people in other threads not to use them...

Only bummer about the McS1 would be the resale value vs. the MDI which would (should) hold the value pretty well.

Sad part is that the clones and the real things are now made in the same facility. isn't that a bummer to know? Difference being the lack of the wireless card. They even have the same control number etchings now. So, you wouldn't even know if you got screwed.

 

I haven't seen any cars with your OS, does SPS show that your OS will update to 12660065?

For what you are wanting to do with it, the Drewtech (They build the CarDAQ) Mongoose would work fine, it's just under $500.

http://www.drewtech.com/technician/p...ongoosegm.html

 

Ditto - Guess I'm just lucky... SPS shows that the update is available and ready for the VIN.

 

Can you post your stock HP Tuners read, I'd like to see if there are any visible differences.

 

Never mind, someone posted one on HPT...

There aren't many visible changes between them, at least with HPT.

 

MCS1 is a bad little tool, and I wouldn't worry about resale. They stopped making them at one point and people were selling them for double the original cost

 

Most of the changes are all in the subsystems (silly things like the display dimming, etc).

 

Yeah, I remember having to pass one up on ebay for $300 years ago because I was flat broke of course later once I was on my feet again they had already doubled...

 

MCS1 looks like a great option at half the cost of the OTC, and a third of cost of the official MDI.

 

Mike do you know if those 2 OS's on the CMR server, are they .grg's? I tried downloading them through CMR but it's saying they aren't there. I didn't see anything on your forum either.

 

Lemme looky

 

Our naming convention makes it tough for me, but everything we have is 12660065 based. I dont have anything for the older OS he listed.

There is also 12662762 supported for C7.

 

Ok, thanks for the info.

 

Seriously, mine is the only one I've seen with that OS - it's... unfortunate I guess is the word.

I don't see 12662762 in SPS. Not leaked into the retail/dealer GM network yet?

 

Not sure, but I got tunes for them

 

Damn it... I wish there was a way to get those updated via HPT or even CMR, but the MDI has to communicate with all the subsystems (CCM, BCM, etc).

So tempted to get a clone MDI, but after looking more into it, the MDI is really hampered compared to a normal J2534 like the McS1.

Really appreciate the help from you guys, though.

 

MCS1 supports just about anything CAN as well, so its not limited to GM at all, hence its popularity around our office