V70: General VIDA DICE readout

[Owyerbin]

Hi folks

Had the 'engine service required' come on recently - V70 D5 Auto 2008MY - so too the plunge and bought a VIDA DICE package off fleabay - scarily it all installed ok and worked straight out of the box (had a spare laptop hard drive so full format then W7 ultimate on with nothing else loaded - no updates or anything - it went on without a hitch)

It's given me various faults (see the attached .jpg) - just looking for some direction on where to start really.

Am South Birmingham if anyone needs access to the VIDA DICE - am quite happy to 'share' just PM me

Did read someone suggesting a separate VIDA DICE thread/grouping - seems a good idea to me

Cheers all

Andy

[GrantA]

Andy,

Looks like so this'll start a new thread on VIDA Dice but, like you, I think a separate thread on VIDA Dice would be a good thing as there appears to be several Volvo enthusiasts on here who have VIDA Dice but don't necessarily know how to get the best out of it.

If there are any MODs reading this what do you think???

Getting back to your query I'd love to be able to help but I am scratching my head on which VIDA Dice to buy myself. I've just upgraded an old HP laptop with sufficient memory to Windows 7 Professional as that seems to be the system you need to run the latest VIDA 2013A software. There are quite a few VIDA Dice on fleabay and I read on here (somewhere) that the ones with different coloured LEDs are better than the ones with just blue LEDs - can't find the thread now - but how can you tell what you are buying? Did you buy yours from a "UK Shipping" agent or from China? How much did it cost etc etc?? Sorry to hit you with all these questions but I am keen to get one, just can't decide where to get one from, or where I might get ripped off, any advice greatly received.

Thanks,

Grant

[Owyerbin]

I dithered for ages - tried bidding on a couple of used ones - but they went for £110 + each. (theory being that someone else had got them to work - so known status - suspect other people thought the same) So took the view that a UK based shipping was probably best. Bought this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2812207501...84.m1439.l2649

although all of the UK based shipping ones all seem to originate in Hampshire. Knowing that they were Chinese clones - it didn't bother me (too much anyway...) that it was a Chinese based outfit. Once bought, I got a very 'chinglish' email telling me that there were huge backups at the port and stuff may be delayed. Mutter mutter, so much for UK based, however following day email to say shipped Royal Mail 2nd class signed and lo and behold a couple of days later arrives nicely boxed and feels robust kit.

the installation was really straightforward, having read loads on the problems... I have an old/spare Aldi medion laptop that was 32bit but with W7 home edition which all of the info seems to suggest a no no. Had a spare hard drive, so formatted that (using a hard drive caddy and the tools in W7 on my main computer) and bunged on a copy of W7 ultimate that I had 'spare'... My only problem was in the installation, although I ticked 'eng-gb' I forgot to untick the german language option - so it defaulted and installed it all in in german... at least it installed though! so another format and install after unticking the german language box and it all went in fine. It's just such a huge programme. I had gone from a laser OBD (which cost me £75 as I didn't at that stage want to risk a clone VIDA DICE) which wouldn't read anything through to the VIDA DICE which gives you everything from shoe size to next week's shopping list...

The only thing with the installation is that it does take ages - a big programme! so if you are doing it - just bear with the time it takes. It took me most of a day (allowing for full formats and installing it twice...)

I initially had about 13 or 14 faults, so decided to clear them all - run the car and see what popped up, that way I knew they were being generated properly (if that makes sense)

Now I've got the readings some of it looks straightforward - sensors etc - the one that is worrying me is the slow gear change (although the gear change feels smooth and fine) £15 for an oil sensor is a bit neither here nor there - however an auto box is a bit different.

My only thoughts with a section on VIDA DICE is that they are clones - so a section on clone software may not be wise? - having said that I would really appreciate one!

Hope that helps a bit

Andy

[Owyerbin]

Sorry - question u asked was also about the LEDs - they are multi colour - just right for Christmas!

Andy

[GrantA]

Thanks for all the info Andy, it has helped me make the decision to buy the same VIDA Dice that you have bought but I'll wait until after Christmas when the Post Office will have hopefully settled down to normal with less likelihood of things getting lost. The big question I have is how do you know how to work it, I would imagine the VIDA Dice come with instructions on how to plug it into the car but how do you know how to read the fault codes or is it obvious??? I have this fear of plugging it in, fiddling about with it and wiping something off the car's computer or worse still corrupting the car's computer. Hopefully the VIDA is menu driven and the answers will be obvious once it is plugged in and the car is running.

This is when a section on "How to get the best out of your VIDA Dice" would be helpful, however I would imagine that this may give VOC a headache as they do have a close relationship with Volvo. Perhaps a MOD could give us some feedback - please.

Merry Christmas to one and all reading this.

Grant

[Marmitespreader]

I bought a unit that had been bricked by its previous owner, purely to see if i could work out how to reflash a dead unit.
I was surprised when I opened it up, these "clones" are built with Samsung, Issi, Ti (Texas Instruments, silicon valley) & other world wide well established processors and memory chip technology inside.
I would like to get a hold of a genuine Dice & do a comparison.
I wouldnt be at all surpirsed if the boards werent all from the same factory.

[Owyerbin]

Hi both

be interested to see how you get on when u do buy a unit, certainly the one I had from ebay seemed straightforward enough.

I've cleared of the faults from the last time I read them (so second time of clearing) and as yet nothing has come back on - not sure whether this is good or bad?

Marmitespreader - with u on this - there are only so many manufacturers of components, it's the same with most computers and laptops, HDDs RAM screens and so on are all generic.

I know there will be politics involved but VIDA DICE etc is becoming such a generic issue on here, perhaps a tech section of its own would be good?

Pick this one up a bit in the new year?

Cheers and have a fab Christmas all

Andy

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Owyerbin

Hi folks

Had the 'engine service required' come on recently - V70 D5 Auto 2008MY - so too the plunge and bought a VIDA DICE package off fleabay - scarily it all installed ok and worked straight out of the box (had a spare laptop hard drive so full format then W7 ultimate on with nothing else loaded - no updates or anything - it went on without a hitch)

It's given me various faults (see the attached .jpg) - just looking for some direction on where to start really.

Am South Birmingham if anyone needs access to the VIDA DICE - am quite happy to 'share' just PM me

Did read someone suggesting a separate VIDA DICE thread/grouping - seems a good idea to me

Cheers all

Andy

from those codes it seems your engine oil level is too high and your swirl throttle system is faulty ..

[Owyerbin]

Clan - thanks for that - gives me somewhere to start!
Cheers

Andy

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Owyerbin

Hi both

be interested to see how you get on when u do buy a unit, certainly the one I had from ebay seemed straightforward enough.

I've cleared of the faults from the last time I read them (so second time of clearing) and as yet nothing has come back on - not sure whether this is good or bad?

Marmitespreader - with u on this - there are only so many manufacturers of components, it's the same with most computers and laptops, HDDs RAM screens and so on are all generic.

I know there will be politics involved but VIDA DICE etc is becoming such a generic issue on here, perhaps a tech section of its own would be good?

Pick this one up a bit in the new year?

Cheers and have a fab Christmas all

Andy

probably not as they are ALL infringing volvo car corporation copyright !