COMPLETE ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS..........Coming soon :)

[wakejunky]

blindside- the big difference between the two VIM's is the driver to make them work. The 64 bit version was released in April of this year, if i remember correctly. They are pretty proud of them. I use the Basic VIM ($200) on a 64bit Windows 7 home with the help of an XP virtual machine. If your reading the other post we discussed this a little bit already. As per Microsoft's website they say the XP Virtual Machine will only run on Windows 7 PRO or whatever you call it. They say it will not work on Windows 7 Home edition. But you can use Virtual PC and build you own

                                                                           OR

We stumbled across this in the last 24 hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbEK0jD6GlE

With some real basic knowledge ( and trust me I'm no PC guy ) I did this and it works like a champ. It's very easy and then you can load and run the Basic VIM !!!!!!

Wish I had not posted the other thread and we could all be on the same page and not have to bounce back and forth. Sorry, lesson learned. I just wanted everybody to know it was ready, and not still in the works. Maybe I can get lesman to delete the other post.

[wakejunky]

Hey guys just noticed that everyone who has ordered had payment questions so I thought I would just try to clear it up. If you are interested in buying a tool send me a PM and I will message you my mailing information and you can either send a check to my home address or send money via Paypal by using my email address. If you have any questions feel free to ask or send me a message.

[Supraman]

I have a Mac, so I'll have to pick up an old PC to use this. Can I buy any old machine that runs XP?

Is this a one time order or will it continue to be available in the future?

[brad]

Similar question.  If I'm using a Mac but using VMWare and Windows XP, will it work?

[wakejunky]

Supraman and Brad-
Brad's setup is an excellent idea for MAC users.  It is basically using the same principles as the link I've posted about XP mode on Windows 7. I haven't tried it and I don't know of a MAC user I can borrow to test it. I don't see why it wouldn't work.
As for picking up an older XP machine. I've tried it on a very old HP Pavilion laptop I believe it was bought in 2001 and had Windows XP Pro on it and it was a little slow but worked fine. I would assume it was the processor or just the fact that it was 10 or so years old. If it's a Windows XP machine it will work.
 I don't foresee any issues of future availability. Just guessing here but i would think that the product will evolve and they might offer it to work directly on other and newer operating systems in the future. Just a guess. I'm praying for a new VIM driver for 64 bit systems that we can download when available.
Hope this helps

[wakejunky]

Just a heads up i was installing this on three laptops with windows 7 home edition last night for a local shop if you are trying to load the "xp mode for windows 7 home" from the link in previous posts you may get an error about the xp hard drive. if you read the description below the video it describes the fix, but it doesn't show it in the video. Here is another video that goes through the motions of the possible error with you so you can see the fix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9kcFSOwbU8

Hope this helps windows 7 users

[Tony Decker]

I would buy one.

[Supraman]

Can these devices be used on other vehicles as well? Is there additional software we can download/purchase that will allow them to be used on other OBDII complient cars?

[wakejunky]

Supraman- in addition to working on the Toyota Epic boat engine, It also comes with a generic function that will pull codes and monitors and view limited live data on any OBDII compliant vehicle.

[wakejunky]

I had an inquiry over the weekend and just wanted to update this, a few changes and some new options.

The premium VIM is still $650. It is capable of full dealer level diagnostics and programming. 32 and 64 bit drivers. It will run on windows XP, vista, 7 and 8. ( it will do everything the dealer does in a smaller package and is dealer approved.)

The basic VIM is still $200. Nothing new here read the full post for details. As per the manufacturer, there will never be a 64 bit driver available for this product. Sorry guys i was really hoping for this 

The New VIM is $450. Basically the premiums little brother, but looses some functions. It has 32 and 64 bit drivers. It too will run on windows XP, vista, 7 and 8.  For people with technical knowledge it does not support vehicles with J1850+ protocol. This VIM is FULLY functional on our Epic boats. It will support all makes and models 2008 and newer. It supports all ISO and CAN protocol equipped vehicles. 

Shipping has changed a little. The Basic VIM I can manage to fit inside a USPS priority mail box and it is now $7. The other two VIM's are packaged very well and will need a bigger box they are now $12 to ship.

If you already bought a Basic VIM and want to upgrade, contact me and ill make you a deal.

[Norcal]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum and am very interested in picking up one of these diagnostic tools for my family's 02 SX.  First of all I am wondering if they are still available to us latecomers, and second I am wondering what exactly the VIM is going to spit out for us to read?  Is it just giving codes that then need to be deciphered, or will it tell me what any issues are in layman's terms?  From the previous posts it sounds pretty user friendly, but i'm definitely not a mechanic or a technician so I'm wondering if this would still be useful to somebody with no previous experience using this kind of tool.

Thanks!

[wakejunky]

Norcal- first off Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new boats. I'm sure you will love your SX.

The diagnostic tool is available for everybody.
The tool is very user friendly. i don't think you will have an issue. That being said i will say this, I'm a Lexus master certified technician, between Toyota and now Lexus i have 15 years experience with the two. What is simple and easy for me sometimes can be a nightmare for some. Ive had people tell me they are "very mechanically inclined" and were absolutely clueless and Ive had people tell me they don't know much, and they really weren't giving themselves credit and know much more than others. here's a description of what you might  see on the tool

say your check engine light is on and you plug in your tool and you get this"DTC P0100 Mass Air Flow Circuit Malfunction" you are getting the fault and a short description of the problem. if you want more info go to the maintenance section and look up the code in the 1UZ maintenance manual and you will get alot more info. including how to test the sensor and circuit. I would encourage you to get on the forum and post your issue that way we can help you out and others can learn from the experience your having. the tool has a live data feature which may mean nothing and just look like a bunch of numbers to you but if you've made a post and have a mass air flow problem the first question i will ask is how many grams per second is the tool reading? you can easily look at the data list and look down and find our that number and report back or check it in the manual and compare it to what is normal. if you don't feel comfortable posting please PM me and i will help you out that way.

now that the lesman has fixed the forum and (thanks again lesman i really appreciate all your do for us)we can post pics again. i will try to get some screen shots and explain this better

As you gain experience with the tool more and more functions will make more sense and you can take advantage of all the tool has to offer. It does much much more than just read codes and display live data. Keep in mind it will also be very useful on your automobiles. I use it on my Epic , my 2001 ls430 , 2013 rx350, and even my 1999 ford f250 diesel.

[ATXChris]

Wake,

I'm interested in your engine diagnostics package, a couple questions :

Is your VIM similar to the Mongoose VIM for Toyotas ( http://www.aeswave.com/MongoosePro-Toyota-p8810.html ) ?
I've also seen some cheap Chinese knockoffs of the Mongoose in the $25 range, do you think one of those would work with the Epic ?


Are you using the Toyota Techstream for the client software ?  What version ?  Does it need to be modified to communicate with the Epic ?


Thanks for all your help, I'm looking forward to getting real diagnostic capability on my boat.

[wakejunky]

ATXChris- the $650 VIM is the drew tech mongoose pro Toyota. the $450 VIM is the drew tech iso-can. The $200 VIM is a Chinese version of the mongoose pro Toyota minus 64 bit capabilities and reprogramming features.

Here is my experience with the different Chinese knockoffs. I tested 5 different models. out of those 5, three of them were the same cable but with different labels on them. 2 of the cables came with viruses in the driver software($45 or so). one of them didn't work at all( $25 or so), one crashed once you started up the software($55 i think) and one worked ($100). the one that worked is the $200 VIM. my cost on that VIM is $100. My experience with dealing with the Chinese was honestly horrific. They will tell you what ever you want to hear to get you to buy it. Their customer service and tech support consist of telling you to only use it on windows xp (which i was doing) or telling you it worked when they shipped it( although it was shipped from a different county then the place i bought it from). not to mention if you want to return it its about $24 back to china and then when they receive it they tell you its damaged and your out your original purchase price and your return shipping costs. makes you think when it cost $24 to ship and the product cost $25 to $55 with free shipping, does that mean it cost $1-30, your being had .

The supplier i found has shipped me a total of 8 units that work and have had no problems. 5 were sold locally and 3 to forum members. The last one i ordered had a very long shipping delay which they gave me no excuse for. Just when i thought i found a quality supplier  They did send me the correct cable though and always have. its honestly the first hiccup I've had with this supplier.


You will be getting software that works on OBDII compliant vehicles and NON OBDII compliant vehicles. The later is what works on our Epics

If you are interested in experimenting with different VIM's i can supply you with just the software. Ive heard that the "tactrix" vim might work, but i have not tested it and i personally cant afford to keep testing everything i hear "might" work. If your interested in just the software i can supply it for $100 plus shipping. In that case i can only provide support for the software. You would be responsible for finding a vim that is compatible and loading it correctly. I've pretty much exhausted myself trying to find working alternatives

Hope this helps

[toyotafreak]

Holy cow! You're the bestest, along with Pete and Les. So friggin cool that we haven't lost eachother yet. Amazing support, as always, for the past ten years. Keep it up!!!!!