Looking for REAL OBD2 / CAN Bus Experts

[Dieter]

Out of interest Dieter..... do you know how aftermarket tools like Launch or Autel gain near if not manufacturer level access to other bmw or other late model vehicles? Have they bypassed security access?

Currently, I've not seen any solution in the market, besides Bosch Grade-X with an INEOS Login, that is able to get Security Access to the Grenadiers ECU's.

 

[TD5-90]

Currently, I've not seen any solution in the market, besides Bosch Grade-X with an INEOS Login, that is able to get Security Access to the Grenadiers ECU's.

Obviously, they can do a lot more...

 

[Tidewater]

Dieter this is amazing work! I used to run technology for zipcar here in Boston. We had a small team that would sniff obd2 ports so we could build profiles and communicate via our telematics systems. Every car was a nightmare. What you have accomplished is just days is truly amazing! Great work!

If you want to create a fast mobile app I would recommend using anthropic Claude code and upload your python code to start it off. Then go through and define out your screens and outcomes per page. You will have a very usable app in less than an our. I have Claude deployed across my 400 person engineering team and this is how we rapid development new solutions. Dm me if you want some help.

Also, I will say Claude is pretty good at traversing systems to produce an architecture map. I have used it to brute force credentials with relative ease.

-Eric

 

[b58]

Obviously, they can do a lot more...

What is being discussed here again is so called “map optimisation”, in other words manipulation of the calibration data in the MPCs of the DME/DDE.

This thread, by contrast, is about something entirely different, namely OBD fault diagnostics, and in my view it should not be cannibalised by that topic.

Everything that really needs to be said about the linked video is this: it is simply ridiculous that more than 30 years after the introduction of torque based control logic, companies that want to be taken seriously in the very field in which they claim to sell expertise are still applying an EWG correction to the power graphs of their dyno runs.

That alone shows that they still have not properly understood the control logic of the engine ECUs whose calibrations they have been manipulating.

For a long time now, modern ECUs have been measuring ambient air pressure and intake air temperature and are therefore able to calculate very precisely how much air mass is required in order to deliver the requested air charge in line with the driver’s torque request.

As a result, these vehicles have for many years been adjusting the required boost pressure dynamically in order to ensure that the same torque, and therefore the same power, is delivered under very different environmental conditions. It does not matter whether I am taking part in a drift event on a frozen lake at sea level in Finland, with high air pressure and very cold ambient air and therefore maximum intake air density, or whether I am driving up the Karakoram Highway in midsummer, where the intake air is thin because of altitude and temperature.

The ECU measures ambient pressure and temperature and adjusts boost pressure accordingly. In warm mountain conditions, it therefore needs more relative boost pressure than on a frozen Finnish lake at sea level in order to provide the same output.

Modern turbocharged vehicles therefore do not operate at one fixed boost figure. They run variable boost as required, while the generated torque and power remain the same within the system’s intended operating range.

Against that background, anyone who in 2026 still claims that engines “vary wildly”, that an engine “runs x bar of boost”, or that dyno runs on modern vehicles need to be EWG corrected, quite simply has not understood what they are talking about.

Carrying out a power measurement on a modern vehicle with EWG correction is effectively a declaration of bankruptcy as far as the tuner’s understanding of the ECU is concerned. And that is the very ECU they claim to be “optimising”.

 

[TD5-90]

What is being discussed here again is so called “map optimisation”, in other words manipulation of the calibration data in the MPCs of the DME/DDE.

This thread, by contrast, is about something entirely different, namely OBD fault diagnostics, and in my view it should not be cannibalised by that topic.

Everything that really needs to be said about the linked video is this: it is simply ridiculous that more than 30 years after the introduction of torque based control logic, companies that want to be taken seriously in the very field in which they claim to sell expertise are still applying an EWG correction to the power graphs of their dyno runs.

That alone shows that they still have not properly understood the control logic of the engine ECUs whose calibrations they have been manipulating.

For a long time now, modern ECUs have been measuring ambient air pressure and intake air temperature and are therefore able to calculate very precisely how much air mass is required in order to deliver the requested air charge in line with the driver’s torque request.

As a result, these vehicles have for many years been adjusting the required boost pressure dynamically in order to ensure that the same torque, and therefore the same power, is delivered under very different environmental conditions. It does not matter whether I am taking part in a drift event on a frozen lake at sea level in Finland, with high air pressure and very cold ambient air and therefore maximum intake air density, or whether I am driving up the Karakoram Highway in midsummer, where the intake air is thin because of altitude and temperature.

The ECU measures ambient pressure and temperature and adjusts boost pressure accordingly. In warm mountain conditions, it therefore needs more relative boost pressure than on a frozen Finnish lake at sea level in order to provide the same output.

Modern turbocharged vehicles therefore do not operate at one fixed boost figure. They run variable boost as required, while the generated torque and power remain the same within the system’s intended operating range.

Against that background, anyone who in 2026 still claims that engines “vary wildly”, that an engine “runs x bar of boost”, or that dyno runs on modern vehicles need to be EWG corrected, quite simply has not understood what they are talking about.

Carrying out a power measurement on a modern vehicle with EWG correction is effectively a declaration of bankruptcy as far as the tuner’s understanding of the ECU is concerned. And that is the very ECU they claim to be “optimising”.

Thanks for your lecture on mostly commonly known topics... Making yourself looking better by claiming others don't have any clue at all several times in your post, needing to emphasize with strong language, leaves little conviction.
In contrast, the guy in the video seems settled, calm and unobtrusive...

Anyway. The only thing I wanted to discuss is: Obviously, there are possibilities to modify more settings, despite encrypted access.
To make it clear: Like others here, I'm also very impressed what Dieter achieved in just a few days!! Results like that are only possible if you invested man-years of work into a topic before...

 

[Zenadier]

...
While I really enjoy my Grenadier , the about face by Ineos in this regard on their original marketing promises regarding DIY servicing capability as a "point of difference" is deeply disappointing.

With such limited access to dealer authorized service, Ineos Automotive abandoned owners regarding DIY diagnostics and servicing. @Dieter to the rescue. Fantastic work and more power to you. Thank you for sharing your progress. This could be the game changer; so exciting... Good Luck!

 

[MunichMax]

Thanks, Dieter, for sharing your efforts. I am curious to see how far you go with this.

 

[FEZMAN]

So I have gone down a rabbit hole and got onto ecu remapping - interesting video below shows what he did, including bricking it.

Worth a watch, don’t think I will go down this route though,


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DukVU860FjU

that was a fantastic video, and so true. I went through a lot of garbage with an old (2001) VW TDI to eke out a tiny bit more performance all I ended up doing was ruining my fuel milage and eventually blowing up the transmission. I can say with full confidence I will never even plug and OBD device into my Quartermaster, sometimes being beholden to the manufacturer isn't a bad thing..

 

[geynsted]

Hi Dieter, Hello to all of you,

Thanks for sharing your work and progress.
I really am open to start from where you are currently.
And why not start a small community of those who are willing and daring to help make this happening.
What you are creating is freedom.
And I think that this is something most of us share when thinking to buy this great car.

Look forward to more !!!
Best regards

Edouard

 

[Major_B]

Thanks Dieter for all the work and fingers crossed for the continuation. I am myself using a bluetooth odb2 dongle with an app on my iPad and I can clear most ECUs defaults (I didn’t try all of them obviously) but I recently got an engine light after winching myself violently out of a ditch. The ECU faul was “voltage overload” or something, I probably had the winch circuit sweat a bit. CarScanner was able to clear it properly.

 

[nzmark]

Thanks Dieter for this incredible work you've put into this so far. Would you consider putting your code on (e.g.) GitHub so we can contribute? I have many years of hardware/software experience and would be more than happy to get my hands dirty on some CAN/LIN bus work.

 

[Dieter]

Thanks Dieter for all the work and fingers crossed for the continuation. I am myself using a bluetooth odb2 dongle with an app on my iPad and I can clear most ECUs defaults (I didn’t try all of them obviously) but I recently got an engine light after winching myself violently out of a ditch. The ECU faul was “voltage overload” or something, I probably had the winch circuit sweat a bit. CarScanner was able to clear it properly.

What OBD2 dongle do you use and what is the exact App you're using? I do have a few OBD2 dongles here and want to try and verify what some standard Apps are able to do at a Grenadier. Until now, all kind of OBD2 tools I've used and tested were absolutely useless at all! So, I'm eager to learn if there is something really working...

 

[b58]

OBDLink MX+ seems to work properly

 

[Ex-defender driver]

You Tube of the Swiss made OBD2 gadget -seems to work fine.

View: https://youtu.be/RQs-cejjm4k?si=R_m12dky0kFxKAcf

 

[Major_B]

What OBD2 dongle do you use and what is the exact App you're using? I do have a few OBD2 dongles here and want to try and verify what some standard Apps are able to do at a Grenadier. Until now, all kind of OBD2 tools I've used and tested were absolutely useless at all! So, I'm eager to learn if there is something really working...

I am using the Vlinker BM+ : https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BLHCYD8T?tag=globalgrena0b-20
BM+ stands obviously for the BMW types of engines/ECUs.
The app I use is Car Scanner Pro. See below some screenshots from my iPad. I have access to most sensors and clear faults but of course no access to the protected ones.

I have some logs from CAN/BUS exploration of the dongle if you want.
Laurent

 

[bakepl]

The Globeguard caught my eye in this thread as an off the shelf product. Below is an email from the company for those interested. It seems that this is much more of a diagnostic tool than some of the devices currently available that do no more than read limited OBD information. The Globeguard seems to be truely bi-directional with actuator control (as JoeJet posted) e.g. fuel and abs pumps and is much closer to the Ineos factory diagnostic tool. See below response.

Many thanks for your interest in purchasing GlobeGuard products!

Our team is working towards including the service reset in the upcoming INEOS update. We aim to make this available as a complimentary online update for all our customers. We expect to be able to offer the Service Reset in 2–4 weeks and will certainly keep you updated on our progress and the final scope of features.

We offer our GlobeGuard Basic ONE - INEOS, which is fully compatible with the INEOS Grenadier. Our goal is to get as close as possible to the original diagnostic tool.
The diagnostic software is included in the price and is available as a free smartphone app on the Android and iOS app stores. You can download the Windows app for free from our homepage.

The INEOS software update is free of charge for the first year from the date of purchase.
Your GlobeGuard with, for example, the INEOS software license is valid for life, regardless of whether you purchase a software update or not.

We cover all 19 INEOS electronic systems and you can for example clear airbag system errors (reset the Airbag DTC code) as well as errors of the remaining 18 ECU's and many further workshop functions.

One of GlobeGuard's unique selling points is its ‘remote diagnosis’ feature. I am sure that this is a particularly valuable feature in Japan. Find out more in the attached flyer ‘GLOBEGUARD_Flyer_3-fach_GlobeGuard-Portfolio_mFaltMarken_V107-EN.pdf’, on our homepage and the about 85 vehicle brands we cover in attached document "Supported vehicle brands_2025_III_EN.pdf"!


Please note that we offer two GlobeGuard product variants. Here is the difference between Basic and Pro devices:
GlobeGuard Basic - 650.00 CHF
-> ONLY for 1 brand (e.g. INEOS)
-> Cannot be extended to other vehicle brands; ONLY a change to another brand is possible (e.g. INEOS to Land Rover).

GlobeGuard Pro - 850.00 CHF (1 brand included)
-> For 1 to n-vehicle brands (e.g. INEOS, Land Rover, FORD, BMW/Mini, ...)
-> Can be expanded to include any number of additional vehicle brands - various attractive license packages are available.

You can order directly on our web shop or by email and pay by bank transfer or credit card payment link. We would then need your full billing and delivery address, email address, telephone number, and, if applicable, your VAT ID number in advance. Delivery will be made after receipt of payment.
The DHL Express shipping costs to Australia are about 104.00 CHF, depending on the legal provisions, additional fees such as import duties may apply.

 

[landmannnn]

The Globeguard caught my eye in this thread as an off the shelf product. Below is an email from the company for those interested. It seems that this is much more of a diagnostic tool than some of the devices currently available that do no more than read limited OBD information. The Globeguard seems to be truely bi-directional with actuator control (as JoeJet posted) e.g. fuel and abs pumps and is much closer to the Ineos factory diagnostic tool. See below response.

Many thanks for your interest in purchasing GlobeGuard products!

Our team is working towards including the service reset in the upcoming INEOS update. We aim to make this available as a complimentary online update for all our customers. We expect to be able to offer the Service Reset in 2–4 weeks and will certainly keep you updated on our progress and the final scope of features.

We offer our GlobeGuard Basic ONE - INEOS, which is fully compatible with the INEOS Grenadier. Our goal is to get as close as possible to the original diagnostic tool.
The diagnostic software is included in the price and is available as a free smartphone app on the Android and iOS app stores. You can download the Windows app for free from our homepage.

The INEOS software update is free of charge for the first year from the date of purchase.
Your GlobeGuard with, for example, the INEOS software license is valid for life, regardless of whether you purchase a software update or not.

We cover all 19 INEOS electronic systems and you can for example clear airbag system errors (reset the Airbag DTC code) as well as errors of the remaining 18 ECU's and many further workshop functions.

One of GlobeGuard's unique selling points is its ‘remote diagnosis’ feature. I am sure that this is a particularly valuable feature in Japan. Find out more in the attached flyer ‘GLOBEGUARD_Flyer_3-fach_GlobeGuard-Portfolio_mFaltMarken_V107-EN.pdf’, on our homepage and the about 85 vehicle brands we cover in attached document "Supported vehicle brands_2025_III_EN.pdf"!


Please note that we offer two GlobeGuard product variants. Here is the difference between Basic and Pro devices:
GlobeGuard Basic - 650.00 CHF
-> ONLY for 1 brand (e.g. INEOS)
-> Cannot be extended to other vehicle brands; ONLY a change to another brand is possible (e.g. INEOS to Land Rover).

GlobeGuard Pro - 850.00 CHF (1 brand included)
-> For 1 to n-vehicle brands (e.g. INEOS, Land Rover, FORD, BMW/Mini, ...)
-> Can be expanded to include any number of additional vehicle brands - various attractive license packages are available.

You can order directly on our web shop or by email and pay by bank transfer or credit card payment link. We would then need your full billing and delivery address, email address, telephone number, and, if applicable, your VAT ID number in advance. Delivery will be made after receipt of payment.
The DHL Express shipping costs to Australia are about 104.00 CHF, depending on the legal provisions, additional fees such as import duties may apply.

Sounds more interesting. Except for the shipping costs.