Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8, 2012< Plus 8, SuperSports, Coupe & Aeromax OBD2 Scanner for Aero 8

Hello-
Has anyone bought their own OBD2 scanner for your Aero 8?

I live about 7 hours from the nearest Morgan dealer and it has not been the easiest thing to deal with, and I think having my own scanner would make life much easier.

Does Morgan use proprietary software on the BMW engines?

Cheers!

I have one.
I use the app Carly.

If you are an iOS user and the device is Bluetooth do make certain it works with iOS via bluetooth as some do not. Not an issue with Android.
I have a Carplay ICE head unit and run it on that when the various gauges are playing silly billies!

Thanks for the response.
Has you mechanic managed to use it for any repairs or updates?

I have regular error codes on mine for the petrol vapour trap system, seems to happen after a petrol refuel no doubt I don't get the cap resealed properly I just reset these errors with a OBD11 scanner. I have used two, a bluetooth version via my phone that worked really well, donated to my son when he moved out and a cheap self contained unit with a handset and screen attached. Both work fine for me to identify the error codes and delete them.

As Alistair has mentioned there are some quite sophisticated versions around that give plenty of realtime info, just depends on your needs and your expertise I guess.
I would have thought that most competent mechanics would have access to scanning equipment for your car, but perhaps a good conversation piece when looking for someone to take on any work nearer to your home.

Good luck

Thanks David
I just heard back from Melvyn Rutter and there are Morgan issued laptops to scan and update the engines. I think I will have to work with the dealer in Santa Monica to get everything updated and then use a generic scanner when I get her back.
The joys of ownership.
Cheers,
Rob

The MMC mandates proprietary tweaks to the software they are given. Sometimes these become problematic.

BTW, you and Melvyn might have misunderstood each other. In the future, your best bet is Mark Baldwin, a very busy and very sweet guy at the MMC or even Larry Eckler at Morgan Spares, who is equally sweet and has dealt with the American variant (Series II) you drive. Almost all of them went overseas.

For your era of Morgans, (I was still tracking them back then), the dealers had to buy a bespoke Morgan diagnostic device that could deal with any diagnostically equipped EFI system made to that date. Though L-Jets and Hotwires (UK Plus 4s and Plus 8s from 1985 to 2000) can be diagnosed with a standard multimeter at the ECU (aka "brains" to the MMC staff) plug.

The difference between a regular OBD2 reader and these devices (according to their maker) is not merely the added 1000s to the price. These thingies can alter/re-install programming going far beyond cancelling out fault codes. Interestingly, as these devices must, by law, must be made available to the public on equal terms as the manufacturer's network, the industry devised a way of preventing owner/non-dealer access by packaging them importantly and asking huge prices for them from their dealers. LR's TESTBOOK, the original for GEMs) was sold at a price of 30,000$!!! However, the dealers were credited almost all of that, incrementally with each supply purchase they made. The method successfully skirted the law and put needed diagnostic technology beyond what the market could/would pay for it. New automobiles went beyond the normal garagiste's capabilities, at least until someone copied the software and by that time, the manufacturers didn't care much. That being said, the MMC's device cost was on the very low side of that type of ploy. They sold theirs to the dealers at (originally) £3000 IIRC back then.

I was curious so I bought one (below) from the supplier who made them at a very reasonable price. A few hundred pounds. The instructions are obscure. It comes with the connectors for all the Morgans it services. It handles all Morgans up to and past yours.

gmg

I have no expectation that the generic ODB tools and smartphone software is going to do anything other than guide me to worry or just accept a "burp" triggering the engine management light.

Driving to slow (not heating the cats etc) is common and so the error can be ignored. Drive it hard, switch off, drive it hard switch off and next run it should clear.

The free version of most software will be able to allow you to read the errors.
If you pay for it then you should find it allows you to "clear" the error.

Technically I don't think it deletes it, it clears the warning that the error triggers but the error remains in the history log.

Given the car is a mixture of several products (Aero - BMW Engine, Saab in some places and Vauxhall have also been mentioned for bits.) I do not think that selecting a specific donor vehicle. I tried selecting BMW 5 series E60 (2003-11?) for our Series 2 4.4L V8 system and the engine warnings seemed to make some sense. The EML light went off when I sent a reset following a bit of heavy right foot.

I do not ignore the EML as some people do. The 4.4 and 4.8 V8's do have some known problems and are very expensive to replace.

Not Morgan specific, but for my other tintops, I used a generic Bluetooth OBD2 sender (Amazon - a few quid) and linked it to the 'Torque' app on my phone. Gave some decent diagnostic tools, and the ability to read and clear fault codes.

gmg

This is exactly what I was hoping to find! Do you buy it from MMC or Morgan Spares?

Thank you!
Rob

That would not have been possible. Car manufacturers do not sell such thingies to their market. I doubt any MMC dealer would. They need them.
I obtained directly mine from the people who made it for the MMC. It was their last one, prepared for a just-in-case scenario that, I presume, never occurred.
I certainly did not pay 3000 pounds for it!!

Interesting you would ask about Morgan Spares. I support Linda & Larry as they support the US Morgan community which possesses most of the older cars. They have done a lot for that
group. But Canada kept British emissions laws long after the US moved to EPA rules and I have always had EFIs. I know American variants and how they differ from the rest of the world
but I am more oriented to the UK cars as they use the same as my own templates.

I haven't used the thing much in the last 15 years. I can diagnose my L-Jet system using a multimetre. Actually, for Hotwires, 1990 to 2000, I prefer the LR/Rover diagnostic unit.
Bill Fink had one into to each Plus 8 he sold and tucked behind the glove box, very often never to be used again. They are also susceptible multimetre reading. All up on gomog.

I am told this unit can diagnose any post L-Jet EFI Morgan, including your Aero II. I imagine newer versions have replaced it. Morgans began changing frequently after 2003/4.

gmg