Excellent such neat work also... Anyone else in the UK 🇬🇧 find it hard every time he said “soder” it is solder always has and always will be..Apart from that perfect video content.👌
thanks for the excellent video, I enjoyed it and was very informative. we have two mdi's that wont power up either from ac power or the dlc connector. is there anything that I can look for on the circuit board for this issue? the wireless light on the card lights up but no led's on the mdi come on.
I have seen this same behavior on clone units twice before. Once it was a bad WiFi CF Flash card, pulling that adapter the MDI would power up fine, but install it and it would appear dead. Replacing the WiFi adapter got it back into service. Worth a pull of yours to see. The other case was harder and without a schematic couldn't be debugged successfully, but I at least took the time to trace thru both the AC adapter path and DLC path for power to know it wasn't along that obvious path. Going past that was a lost cause without a schematic and that unit had to be recycled.
Great Video. Maybe you can help me with my problem - during startup my MDI beep two times and Red light turn on for few seconds, also k line connection is not working. other functions are OK
The red LED is usually a sign of a self-test failure where the manual calls for a recovery operation. Have you tried re-installing the latest firmware from Bosch - www.boschdiagnostics.com/pro/software-gm-mdi-and-mdi-2
There's no public schematics for these units, or the Tech2 ones for that matter. So the scope of repairs is limited to just the non-proprietary things (obvious things) that you can do with just experience and no schematic. Other repairs for the clone MDI that are straight forward include the USB jack replacement, outside plastic case replacement, SD flash card replacement and socket repair, power barrel plug replacement, debug and repair of the power supply portion of the PCB, WiFi compactFlash card replacement or socket repair and DLC connector replacement. If it's anything else, it's time to toss the clone into the recycle bin and buy another.
Thanks, at that time I was using a simple Radio Shack vacuum iron. I've since upgraded to an Anesty Vacuum desoldering tool ZD-915 which I am very happy with, here's an eBay affiliate link for that one - ebay.us/UEZ8gc
great video. do you remember the seller you got this mdi from on ebay? i would like to get one and i trust that the one you have is good quality. thank you.
There's a number of sellers that come and go with this unit, look for those that are US-based and advertise with WiFi and show a photo with the internals. Should be design with two printed circuit boards like the original. Also check out my MDI clone review vid here - czcams.com/video/pZfXuuzORZo/video.html&lc=UgxDUdhoo0aK0XaszBB4AaABAg
DrShock - Any idea what to look for on the PCB if the USB port doesn't recognize the MDI being plugged into the computer. MDI is powering up, led shifts to PC but that is as far as it goes.
No, that kind of recognition handshake is all between the MDI USB driver on the PC side, and the chip on the MDI PCB that handles the USB protocol. I would start with something easy, like updating MDI manager to make sure the USB drivers on the PC side are gtg first. Then make sure that the flash on the MDI has the latest firmware from MDI manager. If still nada, I'd open up the MDI and reflow the solder points at the USB connector, I might even go as far as replacing the USB connector on the PCB. You can check for power and ground at the USB connector as well. There are no schematics available for these, so the component level debugging is pretty limited.
Yeah, you have three connectivity options. You can use WiFi or wired Ethernet with just the MDI and not need to drag along a laptop like you would with USB tethering. Most shops don't want to have the tech drag the laptop from vehicle to vehicle so they typically use WiFi. But WiFi can be spotty at times, so in my garage I have a 75ft ethernet line that I use, now that this MDI clone defect was corrected. ;-)
So are u a automotive engineer ? What programming languages have u studied. I've never learned software stuff, how can I start . There's so much to learn that might not apply . ?
Software engineer, but with a few decades of computer engineering (bare metal hardware) background as well. I like to specialize, so I only do the C/C++/Objective-C family of languages. Every journey is different and unique, there's no one size fits. Best advice is find what you enjoy doing, then make that a career path regardless of the income.
Is there a newer version of the MDI cable that's recommended since this video has been created? I would like to have one with the working ethernet as after watching your other videothat's well out of my technical skillset ;)
@@DrShock After using a neighbour's Techline Connect with his VCX Nano cable and laptop we inadvertently corrupted a module trying to program it. When he called ACD tech line they 100% blamed the VCX Nano. I ended up having to go to the dealer and they confirmed corrupt calibration and reprogammed it easily. Have you flashed many modules successfully with your MDI? I am curious as to what's the reliability of these clone MDI cables?
@@justinledoux4938 I've been using the clone MDI for I guess about 5 years now. I've done a variety of different modules in that time, never any issues whatsoever with the high quality MDI clones (high quality are nearly identical to the originals and have a double decker circuit board design with WiFi built-in). The Nano is not a tool I would use though. Especially since the new Techline Connect came out.
I have one of those MDI's now sense 2014 that i use everyday. And the only problem ive had with it is that after a year i had to get the mini usb port replaced even tho i keep the cable zip tied to the MDI. So it doesnt get pulled on but it still gets stress bumping into things. Really stupid design. It just broke again yesterday and i cant find anyone to get new mini usb port from so i can fix it ... would you know where i can get one at ??? I would really appreciate it
I haven't had to do this particular repair myself yet, but it's easy enough. There's someone else with a YT video doing the same thing on a genuine MDI rather than the clone (would be the same procedure either way). If I needed one of these surface mount USB jacks I'd check mouser.com or digikey.com for one first.
All I could suggest is to review the datasheet for each part. There's a link for one at both those sites for every part. It will contain the engineering drawings.
Can't wrap my head around something. If you want a stable internet connection for programming would you not run a wired internet connection straight to your laptop? Then if you did that you would not have a Ethernet jack to plug into your MDI from your computer. So the programming would be over USB anyway correct? So whats the Eithernet port on the MDI for? Or is two Ethernet plugs on laptop the minimum you need?
MDI does not support such a connection, it's Ethernet requires direct switch/router access. Your only direct wired laptop connection option is USB. The connection, in either case, is for communications not power. I use a very long, over 50ft, Ethernet cable for my MDI to reach across the three vehicle bays I have.
@@DrShock - So would this sound right? When the MDI is hooked to a modem/router for programming the software update comes into the Eithernet port but the command to download the software comes in from the USB to the MDI. ?
No you want think about these connectivity options as OR, not AND. You can use MDI USB to laptop OR MDI Wifi OR MDI Ethernet. You have 3 connectivity options, one at a time only. If you use MDI Wifi or you use MDI Ethernet then the laptop is not involved at all with USB. The TIS2Web 32-bit java app (e.g., SPS, GDS2, etc) is either going to communcate with the MDI over WiFi thru your access point/router or its going to do so thru wired Ethernet using your switch/router just the same as it would over USB directly from the laptop. Wired ethernet is usually when you're not using a laptop, but rather a desktop PC remote from the vehicle. You might use WiFi when you're using GDS2 so you're laptop is your center of focus - you leave the MDI in the vehicle interior and take the laptop under the hood, for example. You would never choose WiFi for SPS (too much risk) and instead use a wired connection either USB if you have the laptop or wired Ethernet if you're walking back to the bench where you have a desktop PC as a techline terminal. Hope that makes sense now.
@@DrShock - - Ah OK so in terms of a wired internet connection the MDI is like a network devise that your computer also connects to over the network. Sort of like a printer on a network.
Yeah, that's a fair analogy. Unlike the Tech2, the MDI (or MDI2) is more like an unintelligent "adapter", with the brains being the Java applets (either GDS2, SPS, or Tech2Win). You just need one of the three hookup methods to let the Java applet talk THRU it, not TO it.
That would be one of the symptoms the repair in this video covers yes. The ethernet jack being defective prevents communication with ACDelcoTDS/TIS2Web servers.
DrShock that’s what I figured. I can communicate just fine over usb on the mdi manager but when I use tech2win the computer light stops flashing as soon and I try to communicate with the car. But if I use WiFi the mdi works fine with tech2win.
This sounds more like a Java problem (TIS2Web is a Java applet). Presuming you paid for your subscription, you should have a comms test page you can use to debug this. I show this in another video here czcams.com/video/sUMJFwMuAkE/video.html
That's USB jack is a pretty rugged component, I would just clean up the mounting position on the PCB and resolder it back on. If its defective or damaged, I would check on Mouser or Digikey for that component.
On the genuine MDI unit this is reserve power for up to 30s when the vehicles battery voltage drops (e.g., when cranking the engine the battery will experience a voltage drop due to the starter motor current draw down). For some reason the Chinese cloners never figured out how to reliably clone this circuit.
If you have a genuine original MDI yes absolutely. If you have a clone no, the circuit is non-functional on all of the clone designs. In fact the lower quality ones don't even have the battery terminals installed.
Wow how refreshing to watch a video by someone with a complete authority on the topic at hand.
Well done sir
Dr. Shock, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Some have a favorite movie; this is my favorite video.
Excellent such neat work also... Anyone else in the UK 🇬🇧 find it hard every time he said “soder” it is solder always has and always will be..Apart from that perfect video content.👌
Colonial english or Southern drawl take your pick. Thanks. ;-)
Well done! Lot of work... I'm glad you sorted it out.
Fantastic video. Thanks for sharing!
Super troubleshooting and repair DrShock!
great vid and loads of good info im now a subscriber cheers
thank
thanks for the excellent video, I enjoyed it and was very informative. we have two mdi's that wont power up either from ac power or the dlc connector. is there anything that I can look for on the circuit board for this issue? the wireless light on the card lights up but no led's on the mdi come on.
I have seen this same behavior on clone units twice before. Once it was a bad WiFi CF Flash card, pulling that adapter the MDI would power up fine, but install it and it would appear dead. Replacing the WiFi adapter got it back into service. Worth a pull of yours to see. The other case was harder and without a schematic couldn't be debugged successfully, but I at least took the time to trace thru both the AC adapter path and DLC path for power to know it wasn't along that obvious path. Going past that was a lost cause without a schematic and that unit had to be recycled.
Great Video. Maybe you can help me with my problem - during startup my MDI beep two times and Red light turn on for few seconds, also k line connection is not working. other functions are OK
The red LED is usually a sign of a self-test failure where the manual calls for a recovery operation. Have you tried re-installing the latest firmware from Bosch - www.boschdiagnostics.com/pro/software-gm-mdi-and-mdi-2
You get the feeling this guy could fix anything electronic but nobody can fix any of these things! Was I imagining this? 🤪
There's no public schematics for these units, or the Tech2 ones for that matter. So the scope of repairs is limited to just the non-proprietary things (obvious things) that you can do with just experience and no schematic. Other repairs for the clone MDI that are straight forward include the USB jack replacement, outside plastic case replacement, SD flash card replacement and socket repair, power barrel plug replacement, debug and repair of the power supply portion of the PCB, WiFi compactFlash card replacement or socket repair and DLC connector replacement. If it's anything else, it's time to toss the clone into the recycle bin and buy another.
You appear to be more competent than anybody I’ve ever met! Kudos. Doug
Nice video. Thanks.
What kind of desolder you using?
Can you share link or model.
Thanks, at that time I was using a simple Radio Shack vacuum iron. I've since upgraded to an Anesty Vacuum desoldering tool ZD-915 which I am very happy with, here's an eBay affiliate link for that one - ebay.us/UEZ8gc
great vidio do you have a link to the right network socket like you said there is loads thank you
I was never able to locate a direct source for the particular MagJack used, but as I show in the video you can canabilize it from a SparkFun board.
great video. do you remember the seller you got this mdi from on ebay? i would like to get one and i trust that the one you have is good quality. thank you.
There's a number of sellers that come and go with this unit, look for those that are US-based and advertise with WiFi and show a photo with the internals. Should be design with two printed circuit boards like the original. Also check out my MDI clone review vid here - czcams.com/video/pZfXuuzORZo/video.html&lc=UgxDUdhoo0aK0XaszBB4AaABAg
@@DrShock ok thank you. keep up the good work.
DrShock - Any idea what to look for on the PCB if the USB port doesn't recognize the MDI being plugged into the computer. MDI is powering up, led shifts to PC but that is as far as it goes.
No, that kind of recognition handshake is all between the MDI USB driver on the PC side, and the chip on the MDI PCB that handles the USB protocol.
I would start with something easy, like updating MDI manager to make sure the USB drivers on the PC side are gtg first. Then make sure that the flash on the MDI has the latest firmware from MDI manager.
If still nada, I'd open up the MDI and reflow the solder points at the USB connector, I might even go as far as replacing the USB connector on the PCB. You can check for power and ground at the USB connector as well. There are no schematics available for these, so the component level debugging is pretty limited.
What's the purpose of the ethernet? And is that just another way to use the mdi.. insted of the USB ?
Yeah, you have three connectivity options. You can use WiFi or wired Ethernet with just the MDI and not need to drag along a laptop like you would with USB tethering. Most shops don't want to have the tech drag the laptop from vehicle to vehicle so they typically use WiFi. But WiFi can be spotty at times, so in my garage I have a 75ft ethernet line that I use, now that this MDI clone defect was corrected. ;-)
@@DrShock Ethernet is the way to go. Listen to your Dr!
So are u a automotive engineer ? What programming languages have u studied. I've never learned software stuff, how can I start . There's so much to learn that might not apply . ?
Software engineer, but with a few decades of computer engineering (bare metal hardware) background as well. I like to specialize, so I only do the C/C++/Objective-C family of languages. Every journey is different and unique, there's no one size fits. Best advice is find what you enjoy doing, then make that a career path regardless of the income.
When I try to communicate with usb the relays in the mdi don’t click and it says no communication check ignition.
All I could suggest is making sure you installed the Bosch MDI manager software on your laptop. You have to install the GM MDI device driver.
Is there a newer version of the MDI cable that's recommended since this video has been created? I would like to have one with the working ethernet as after watching your other videothat's well out of my technical skillset ;)
I don't know of anyway to tell other than after you already have bought it. ;-)
@@DrShock Fair enough. Merry Christmas!
@@DrShock After using a neighbour's Techline Connect with his VCX Nano cable and laptop we inadvertently corrupted a module trying to program it. When he called ACD tech line they 100% blamed the VCX Nano. I ended up having to go to the dealer and they confirmed corrupt calibration and reprogammed it easily. Have you flashed many modules successfully with your MDI? I am curious as to what's the reliability of these clone MDI cables?
@@justinledoux4938 I've been using the clone MDI for I guess about 5 years now. I've done a variety of different modules in that time, never any issues whatsoever with the high quality MDI clones (high quality are nearly identical to the originals and have a double decker circuit board design with WiFi built-in). The Nano is not a tool I would use though. Especially since the new Techline Connect came out.
@@DrShock Thanks. I bought a genuine aftermarket MDI for my needs as you have suggested.
I have one of those MDI's now sense 2014 that i use everyday. And the only problem ive had with it is that after a year i had to get the mini usb port replaced even tho i keep the cable zip tied to the MDI. So it doesnt get pulled on but it still gets stress bumping into things. Really stupid design. It just broke again yesterday and i cant find anyone to get new mini usb port from so i can fix it ... would you know where i can get one at ??? I would really appreciate it
I haven't had to do this particular repair myself yet, but it's easy enough. There's someone else with a YT video doing the same thing on a genuine MDI rather than the clone (would be the same procedure either way). If I needed one of these surface mount USB jacks I'd check mouser.com or digikey.com for one first.
@@DrShock ive looked on those web sites and cant determine which part is the correct one
All I could suggest is to review the datasheet for each part. There's a link for one at both those sites for every part. It will contain the engineering drawings.
Can't wrap my head around something. If you want a stable internet connection for programming would you not run a wired internet connection straight to your laptop? Then if you did that you would not have a Ethernet jack to plug into your MDI from your computer. So the programming would be over USB anyway correct? So whats the Eithernet port on the MDI for? Or is two Ethernet plugs on laptop the minimum you need?
MDI does not support such a connection, it's Ethernet requires direct switch/router access. Your only direct wired laptop connection option is USB. The connection, in either case, is for communications not power. I use a very long, over 50ft, Ethernet cable for my MDI to reach across the three vehicle bays I have.
@@DrShock - So would this sound right? When the MDI is hooked to a modem/router for programming the software update comes into the Eithernet port but the command to download the software comes in from the USB to the MDI. ?
No you want think about these connectivity options as OR, not AND. You can use MDI USB to laptop OR MDI Wifi OR MDI Ethernet. You have 3 connectivity options, one at a time only. If you use MDI Wifi or you use MDI Ethernet then the laptop is not involved at all with USB. The TIS2Web 32-bit java app (e.g., SPS, GDS2, etc) is either going to communcate with the MDI over WiFi thru your access point/router or its going to do so thru wired Ethernet using your switch/router just the same as it would over USB directly from the laptop. Wired ethernet is usually when you're not using a laptop, but rather a desktop PC remote from the vehicle. You might use WiFi when you're using GDS2 so you're laptop is your center of focus - you leave the MDI in the vehicle interior and take the laptop under the hood, for example. You would never choose WiFi for SPS (too much risk) and instead use a wired connection either USB if you have the laptop or wired Ethernet if you're walking back to the bench where you have a desktop PC as a techline terminal. Hope that makes sense now.
@@DrShock - - Ah OK so in terms of a wired internet connection the MDI is like a network devise that your computer also connects to over the network. Sort of like a printer on a network.
Yeah, that's a fair analogy. Unlike the Tech2, the MDI (or MDI2) is more like an unintelligent "adapter", with the brains being the Java applets (either GDS2, SPS, or Tech2Win). You just need one of the three hookup methods to let the Java applet talk THRU it, not TO it.
Hello! I cant reprogramm my mdi. its giving an error while reformating. Can you help me? Thank you!
idk, what's the error?
@@DrShock Yesterday I fixed the problem, I formatted the SD card and the process of reformatting was done successfully
Have you seen a problem with one where it will only communicate with a vehicle with WiFi?
That would be one of the symptoms the repair in this video covers yes. The ethernet jack being defective prevents communication with ACDelcoTDS/TIS2Web servers.
DrShock so the Ethernet jack being bad will also cause communication problems when using usb?
No, they have nothing to do with each other. USB is a different chipset on the device.
DrShock that’s what I figured. I can communicate just fine over usb on the mdi manager but when I use tech2win the computer light stops flashing as soon and I try to communicate with the car. But if I use WiFi the mdi works fine with tech2win.
This sounds more like a Java problem (TIS2Web is a Java applet). Presuming you paid for your subscription, you should have a comms test page you can use to debug this. I show this in another video here czcams.com/video/sUMJFwMuAkE/video.html
DrShock! do you know quere I can find the usb part it came unsolder
That's USB jack is a pretty rugged component, I would just clean up the mounting position on the PCB and resolder it back on. If its defective or damaged, I would check on Mouser or Digikey for that component.
@@DrShock thanks
What's the purpose is 4 AAA battery for MDI?
On the genuine MDI unit this is reserve power for up to 30s when the vehicles battery voltage drops (e.g., when cranking the engine the battery will experience a voltage drop due to the starter motor current draw down). For some reason the Chinese cloners never figured out how to reliably clone this circuit.
@@DrShock that is, does it make sense to insert batteries there?
If you have a genuine original MDI yes absolutely. If you have a clone no, the circuit is non-functional on all of the clone designs. In fact the lower quality ones don't even have the battery terminals installed.