Alfa164Diagnostics

For the technical things.
164EVER
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Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:42 am
Location: france, allier

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by 164EVER »

And if this can help someone:

I had several no engine start with my wife's 156 1.8 TS in early 2021.

These were due to irregular ethanol proportions (E85) mixed to 98 or 95 RON gasoline and my fault because I wanted to use 85.
REsults were warning lights on instruments and lots of default MIL.

The only way is : disconnect both neg and plus from battery and join them together then turn the ignition key on start and hold it more than 10 seconds, release key and replug plus and neg on the battery.
The default diseapers and the car starts always fine from his time. AND OF COURSE USE ONLY 95 OR 98... :?
164 3.0 V6 1988 330000KM
164 2.0 TS 1989 243000KM
164 SUPER 2.5 TD 1993 308000KM
156 1.8 TS 2001 165000KM.
EX : 33 SW 1.5, 1.3 ie, 1.5 ie, 33 1.7 QV 16V, GIULIETTA 116 1.6, ALFA 6 2.5 (X3), 146 boxer 1.6 , 164 SUPER 2.0 TS.
Biagiocbx
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Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:21 am

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Biagiocbx »

good evening everyone, thanks to the site because thanks to your advice I mounted the fog lights ... now curious to turn off the airbag warning light I don't have the alpha tester ... how can I use this program? thanks Biagio
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Alfan
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Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Alfan »

I can see that the links to equipment are not working, so I suggest to go here and read about HW required: http://www.multiecuscan.net/

The principle is the same, Alfa164diagnostics on this site is just a program focused on the 164, giving some other options - and it is free, but a donation to this site could be a way of appreciating what this can do for you 😊

Alternatively, you can search for 'OBD connectors'.
1994 Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 Proteo Rosso
1989 Lancia Thema 8.32 Verde Reflex
2001 AR Spider 3.0 24V Blue Lightning
2015 AR 4C Rosso Competizione
2021 AR Giulia Sprint Anodized Blu
1980 AR Alfetta Blindata Bianco
2003 AR 166 3.2 Grigio
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wilco
3.0 V6 24V owner
Posts: 768
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:26 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by wilco »

Alfan wrote: Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:31 pm I can see that the links to equipment are not working, so I suggest to go here and read about HW required: http://www.multiecuscan.net/

The principle is the same, Alfa164diagnostics on this site is just a program focused on the 164, giving some other options - and it is free, but a donation to this site could be a way of appreciating what this can do for you 😊

Alternatively, you can search for 'OBD connectors'.
does multiecuscan more than ECU only ? also abs and airbags ?


ah never mind.. saw it already haha ecu and abs :)
Henry Ford, 1939: "Every time I see an Alfa Romeo pass by, I lift my hat."
--Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 24V Q4--
--Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 24V--
ChrilleC
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Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2022 8:36 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by ChrilleC »

Download link don´t work, tested Chrome and Edge...???

http://alfaromeo164register.com/diagnostics/index.php
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Alfan
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Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Alfan »

Download links from first post in this thread works fine with Chrome here...
1994 Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 Proteo Rosso
1989 Lancia Thema 8.32 Verde Reflex
2001 AR Spider 3.0 24V Blue Lightning
2015 AR 4C Rosso Competizione
2021 AR Giulia Sprint Anodized Blu
1980 AR Alfetta Blindata Bianco
2003 AR 166 3.2 Grigio
aargauer164
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2023 5:23 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by aargauer164 »

Many thanks to Wilco

I just cleared the airbag error on my 12V. I don't know how many people here in Switzerland are able to do this, including official Alfa Romeo garages.
(I have made a donation :D )
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Alfan
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Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Alfan »

Great that it also worked for you 👍😊
1994 Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 Proteo Rosso
1989 Lancia Thema 8.32 Verde Reflex
2001 AR Spider 3.0 24V Blue Lightning
2015 AR 4C Rosso Competizione
2021 AR Giulia Sprint Anodized Blu
1980 AR Alfetta Blindata Bianco
2003 AR 166 3.2 Grigio
doublygarage
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:45 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by doublygarage »

Hello,
I've been working on this for a few weeks now. I've got to the stage of connecting to the ECU and reading its details etc - but haven't managed to receive a single piece of data after that. I've read the whole thread but hoping somebody has an idea for why that's happening.

Couple of hints in case anyone runs into the same snags as me:
-Windows11, you have to get into the advanced startup options and disable the signed drivers check so that you can install Wilco's FTDI chip drivers
-Then use "have disk" and choose the ftdiport.inf file and ignore the warnings about unsigned drivers
-Lots of the OBD-USB cables on Ebay and elsewhere use the CM340 chip - that won't work at all (not for me anyway), you need a real FTDI chip, but the CM340 cable I bought said FTDI in the description: https://www.ebay.com/itm/374394483594

I bought the Lonelec box from the UK. https://www.lonelec.com/product/tune-ec ... torcycles/

So now i connect and get this screen:
Image

It seems to be connected and reads details about the ECU but can't read data from it - what am I doing wrong?
Oh and the car is a 1995 USA model year 164Quadrifoglio (3.0V6 24v)

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Richard
Santa Cruz, California
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Alfan
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Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Alfan »

Welcome to the site :)

It has been a while since I used the program, as my 164 has not driven for a while, and I use MultiEcuScan for my other Italian cars, so I don't remember the details. I have also not used it on win11, so no input either on that. I do however have problems on my new win11 work laptop regarding drivers, so maybe there is something related to that.

However, since you have connection, you should of course also be able to read data. Is the connection stable? I do recall that I had to adjust the response time at the bottom of the window, in order for the ECU & PC response time to match. That is the only thing, I can think of, which could impact the data readout...
1994 Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 Proteo Rosso
1989 Lancia Thema 8.32 Verde Reflex
2001 AR Spider 3.0 24V Blue Lightning
2015 AR 4C Rosso Competizione
2021 AR Giulia Sprint Anodized Blu
1980 AR Alfetta Blindata Bianco
2003 AR 166 3.2 Grigio
doublygarage
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:45 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by doublygarage »

Thanks, very helpful.

I confess...I hadn't noticed that there was a slider at the bottom of the window! I will play with that next. The connection seems stable (green light flashes) for maybe 30-60 seconds, just nothing ever gets recorded in the app.

Win11, the big problem was installing the driver. Now the program is running, there is _some_ communication, and the right driver is installed, I can't think how Win11 could have any influence. But you never know...

I'll report back,

-Richard
doublygarage
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:45 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by doublygarage »

This week I successfully turned off the Airbag light on my 1995 164Q - so I'll write up a few notes.I used Wilco's Windows software downloaded from the start of this thread.

I bought the UK Lonelec USB-to-OBD box/cable mentioned above and the 3pin-to-OBD adapter from somewhere else. I also previously tried a cheap USB-OBD cable from Ebay but it has the CM340 chip, not FTDi and I couldn't make it work at all. I should have gone straight to Lonelec for both (ordered online in California Sunday, delivered Thursday)

The ECU 3-pin diagnostics connector on a 1995 164Q is behind the carpet, sort of above a passenger's left toes. It took me a day to realize there's a separate connector for the Airbag ECU 🤷‍♂️ and that's either above the passenger right toes or coiled up behind the trim panel to the right of the glovebox (one easy screw to remove)

The glovebox light makes a handy power source for the two croc-clips you have to power up on the 3-pin adapter. Just pop it down out of the glovebox "ceiling", black is negative. I had to extend the wires. And leave it open so that the light doesn't go off..

I can now connect to the main ECU and the software displays the ECU-model, reads error codes, but won't populate any of the data fields - I've no idea why, but am still working on that. I have the error "Lambda sensor integrator" - couldn't clear it. But the Check Engine light isn't on, so not bothering with it for now.

The connection was most stable when I adjusted the slider at the bottom of the screen down to 4ms - i think it defaults to 15 when you install the sw and with that setting it would lose contact after ~30 seconds. Thanks Alfan for showing me that.

Before connecting to the Airbag ECU connector, on my car, you have to select the "pre1995 airbag external sensors" button in the sw. It displayed the error code "short circuit at Vbatt" - I deleted the code and after maybe 40 seconds the airbag light went out and hasn't come on again yet.

Massive thanks to all contributors here and particularly to Wilco and Dimtey (and others?) for writing the code and reverse-engineering the serial protocol. Been there and it's not easy.

-Richard
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Alfan
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Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Alfan »

You could try and download the free multiecuscan version, where I think it is possible to read data and error codes, but not reset.

If you can read data, then it seems to be related to the 164diagnostics program.
1994 Alfa Romeo 164 Q4 Proteo Rosso
1989 Lancia Thema 8.32 Verde Reflex
2001 AR Spider 3.0 24V Blue Lightning
2015 AR 4C Rosso Competizione
2021 AR Giulia Sprint Anodized Blu
1980 AR Alfetta Blindata Bianco
2003 AR 166 3.2 Grigio
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wilco
3.0 V6 24V owner
Posts: 768
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:26 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by wilco »

aargauer164 wrote: Tue Jan 31, 2023 5:06 pm Many thanks to Wilco

I just cleared the airbag error on my 12V. I don't know how many people here in Switzerland are able to do this, including official Alfa Romeo garages.
(I have made a donation :D )
Tnx mate. I'm not so often at the forums nowadays. Glad i could help you and thank you for the kind donation :)
Henry Ford, 1939: "Every time I see an Alfa Romeo pass by, I lift my hat."
--Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 24V Q4--
--Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 24V--
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wilco
3.0 V6 24V owner
Posts: 768
Joined: Wed Oct 14, 2009 7:26 pm

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by wilco »

doublygarage wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 11:11 pm Hello,
I've been working on this for a few weeks now. I've got to the stage of connecting to the ECU and reading its details etc - but haven't managed to receive a single piece of data after that. I've read the whole thread but hoping somebody has an idea for why that's happening.

Couple of hints in case anyone runs into the same snags as me:
-Windows11, you have to get into the advanced startup options and disable the signed drivers check so that you can install Wilco's FTDI chip drivers
-Then use "have disk" and choose the ftdiport.inf file and ignore the warnings about unsigned drivers
-Lots of the OBD-USB cables on Ebay and elsewhere use the CM340 chip - that won't work at all (not for me anyway), you need a real FTDI chip, but the CM340 cable I bought said FTDI in the description: https://www.ebay.com/itm/374394483594

I bought the Lonelec box from the UK. https://www.lonelec.com/product/tune-ec ... torcycles/

So now i connect and get this screen:
Image

It seems to be connected and reads details about the ECU but can't read data from it - what am I doing wrong?
Oh and the car is a 1995 USA model year 164Quadrifoglio (3.0V6 24v)

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Richard
Santa Cruz, California
Did you adjust the buffer size ? especially older laptops can have a busy cpu and the ECU is very picky on responsetime
from the pc. By having a high buffersize, the pc/software might response too late and the ECU will just quits the connection.
Henry Ford, 1939: "Every time I see an Alfa Romeo pass by, I lift my hat."
--Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 24V Q4--
--Alfa Romeo 164 3.0 V6 24V--
Vitalino
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Nov 06, 2021 10:25 am

Re: Alfa164Diagnostics

Post by Vitalino »

Non mi fa scaricare il software di Wilco,cosa devo fare,perché ho problemi con ABS e centralina 4x4. Grazie Vitalino
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