OBD2 Interfaces for T7 308

walkingperson

New member
Tadpole
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
11
Location
Melbourne
Hi There,
I have a 2012 T7 308 prince turbo 1.6. I've been a bit of a lurker so far but first post!
Found my way here shortly after buying the car... it's had two timing chains in 100,000k. The great thing is, thanks to others' experience in this forum, Peugeot paid for the second - because I knew to ask!

Anyways... I have an 'engine fault: repair needed' warning message greeting me on every startup. I've done a bunch of research and I still can't seem to get clarity on whether this vehicle requires the Lexia3 cable and dedicated software to tell me what's up.

From what I can see the car is OBD2 compliant, which theoretically means any compliant OBD2 interface can be utilised to read/erase fault codes. However, my last car was a Fiat which required a specialised OBD2 interface to get access to some of the more unique functions of the car, like DPF regen reset etc.

I've also read the eBay descriptions for these Lexia cables and they seem to suggest newer vehicles are incompatible. So my questions are:

1) Is the Lexia cable only needed for earlier models before OBD2 was more standardised?
2) Does anyone have any experience of generic OBD2 readers, do they work at all? Or, are they limited to more generic features of the car? ie - if I get a specialised Peugeot interface can I do more stuff?
3) Any recommendations?

Any perspectives would be most welcome! Ta.
 
Any generic OBD2 code reader tool will plug straight in and give you the simple error code numbers.

For a full diagnosis, with the readings of the various sensors, and the ability to change things, etc, you will need Diagbox, the official dealer software, which runs on a Windows laptop, with a special cable to convert OBD to serial USB signals. The forum is full of how-tos and the woes found by many.

The software and cable or even an installed laptop is available from a number of online sites, with varying quality instructions. The sellers are um, unofficial, so don't expect official help. Keep it offline.
 
If you want to avoid changing timing chains more frequently than you change spark plugs, you should be using an oil with BMW LL01 approval with a viscosity of 0w40 or 5w40 specially in summer weather.
 
Thanks for your reply Seasink. I think I might just pick up a generic reader, I assume 'read' also applies to 'clear'. Do you have any experience with the sorts of functionality you miss with a generic reader? Or is it more down to the software having the functionality?

Thanks Doush - I have indeed a 0w40 full synthetic on last oil change. I will check whether it meets the BMW LL01 specification. Does that relate to the ash content or something like that? (Oils certainly ain't oils, these days).

Sent from my Pixel 2 using aussiefrogs mobile app
 
I use both a simple code reader and also Diagbox. The only use for the simple reader is to check for zero codes, and reset any codes found to see if they repeat. It fits in my pocket, so it's about convenience. Diagbox is essential for serious investigation.

PSA now recommend very low ash oils in this engine, essentially the same spec as recommended for PSA diesels. The reason is to minimise ash fouling of the inlet ports from burnt on blow-by vapour. PSA doesn't issue the BMW spec, even though both makers share versions of the jointly designed engine.
 
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