breeves002
New Member
Well I'm an administrator over at taurusclub.com, many of you know who I am. Decided to share this info with all of you because... its good info! This is some general, and specific info on CAN, and what you can do diagnostically with it. Doesn't apply to gen 1-3 SHO so I'm posting it here!
Info on CAN buses:
So for the few of you that care about this, I decided to modify a cheap ELM327 clone to read both MS and HS CAN data. Normally ELM327 can only read HSCAN. This is a writeup on both what you can use MSCAN for and how to modify the ELM327 device to use it with MSCAN.
Now some of you may be asking "What in the heck is this guy talking about... MS and HS CAN???". For the record, any PRE 2004 taurus/sable will not have MSCAN, and any Taurus/Sable MY1995 or older won't have HSCAN (OBD-II). All cars built 2007 or later should have MSCAN. This ONLY works on Ford Motor Company Vehicles. I don't even know if 2004-2007 have MSCAN! I need to scan one to find out!
Thanks to behlinla for his help in teaching me some of this info and editing the article!
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Here are the basics: CAN= Controller Area Network. Think of it as the network in your house HSCAN (High Speed) is the 'priority' systems. That includes the PCM, ABS, RCM, etc. MSCAN (Middle Speed) are things like the radio, and HVAC.
In new cars (2013+), nearly every system goes over a CAN Bus. So your headlamp switch will, and basically every single function in the car will. Drivers door switches, hazard lights, turn signal stalk, dimmer switches, seat adjustments, mirror adjustments, any buttons on your dash.... Think of CAN as a home network. It's very similar. I need to scan a 2013+ Ford to actually find out what modules there are!
APIM (SYNC) goes over both HS and MS CAN.
They are separate buses but bridged together in the IC (instrument cluster).
HSCAN:
-PCM (Powertrain Control Module)
-OCS (Occupent Classification System, AKA Passenger Seat Sensors)
-ABS (Anti Lock Brake System, includes AdvanceTrac Traction and Stability Control)
-RCM (Restraint Control Module, AKA airbags and seatbelts)
-IC (Instrument Cluster)
-SECM (Steering Effort Control Module, Electronic PS only)
-PSCM (Power Steering Control Module, Hydraulic PS only)
-PAM (Parking Aid Module)
-APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module AKA SYNC)
MSCAN:
-ACM (Audio Control Module)
-HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning)
-DSM (Driver Seat Module)
-SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service)
-GEM/SJB (General Electronics Module/Smart Junction Box)
-IC_MSCAN (Instrument Clusters MSCAN Bus)
-APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module AKA SYNC)
There may be other modules on other cars or less modules on some cars. Those are all the ones that show up on my car! I need to scan a newer (2013) Ford to find all of the modules.
How to modify your ELM327:
A bunch of us have cheap ebay ELM327 Clones. They work over HSCAN and will not be able to access MSCAN. The newer STN1170 chips have support already for MSCAN so you're set if you have one of those!
It's very simple to modify the device to allow use of MS CAN features. You need a 2 way ON/ON switch with 6 poles.
Step 1: Crack open the clone or your ELM327 Device. Usually there are 4 screws under the sticker.
Step 2: Unplug the OBD-II connector and un-solder wires 6 and 14 (mark them so you know which is which).
Step 3: Solder 2 new wires to pins 6 and 14 on the OBD-II connector.
Step 4: Solder 2 new wires to pins 3 and 11 on the OBD-II connector.
Step 5: Solder the wires originally on pins 6 and 14 to the two middle poles on the switch.
Step 6: Solder the new wires on 6 and 14 to one side of the switch (be sure the polarity is correct. Pin 6 will match up with the one originally on pin 6)
Step 7: Solder the new wires on 3 and 11 to the other side of the switch. Be sure to keep pin 3 with the one originally on pin 6 for polarity purposes.
BE SURE NOT TO MIX UP MSCAN AND HSCAN!!! Bad things happen if you do that. I used RED wires for HSCAN and Black wires for MSCAN.
A few diagrams of how it works:
Pictures of the process and final product:
My ELM327 motherboard:
Wires soldered onto the OBD-II connector:
Switch installed (oops forgot some heat shrink):
All in the little package waiting to be put back together, also the crappy hole I cut:
Finished product!:
HOW TO USE MSCAN VIA FORSCAN: Now when you open FORScan it will ask you if you have an MS/HS CAN switch. SAY YES! You may have to delete your cars profile, close the program, re-open it, then connect again for it to ask you the question. Annoyingly I have to do this almost every time I use the program!
Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I'll be happy to sell anyone one of these modified for $29 including shipping.
FORSCAN.org - Download it today. May be the best free software out there!
Once you get connected you can do everything you can do on OBDWiz and ScanXL (pretty much), but you can also run self test. Over both HSCAN and MSCAN, here are the modules/tests I can run (listing both HS and MS CAN modules):
Info on CAN buses:
So for the few of you that care about this, I decided to modify a cheap ELM327 clone to read both MS and HS CAN data. Normally ELM327 can only read HSCAN. This is a writeup on both what you can use MSCAN for and how to modify the ELM327 device to use it with MSCAN.
Now some of you may be asking "What in the heck is this guy talking about... MS and HS CAN???". For the record, any PRE 2004 taurus/sable will not have MSCAN, and any Taurus/Sable MY1995 or older won't have HSCAN (OBD-II). All cars built 2007 or later should have MSCAN. This ONLY works on Ford Motor Company Vehicles. I don't even know if 2004-2007 have MSCAN! I need to scan one to find out!
Thanks to behlinla for his help in teaching me some of this info and editing the article!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the basics: CAN= Controller Area Network. Think of it as the network in your house HSCAN (High Speed) is the 'priority' systems. That includes the PCM, ABS, RCM, etc. MSCAN (Middle Speed) are things like the radio, and HVAC.
In new cars (2013+), nearly every system goes over a CAN Bus. So your headlamp switch will, and basically every single function in the car will. Drivers door switches, hazard lights, turn signal stalk, dimmer switches, seat adjustments, mirror adjustments, any buttons on your dash.... Think of CAN as a home network. It's very similar. I need to scan a 2013+ Ford to actually find out what modules there are!
APIM (SYNC) goes over both HS and MS CAN.
They are separate buses but bridged together in the IC (instrument cluster).
HSCAN:
-PCM (Powertrain Control Module)
-OCS (Occupent Classification System, AKA Passenger Seat Sensors)
-ABS (Anti Lock Brake System, includes AdvanceTrac Traction and Stability Control)
-RCM (Restraint Control Module, AKA airbags and seatbelts)
-IC (Instrument Cluster)
-SECM (Steering Effort Control Module, Electronic PS only)
-PSCM (Power Steering Control Module, Hydraulic PS only)
-PAM (Parking Aid Module)
-APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module AKA SYNC)
MSCAN:
-ACM (Audio Control Module)
-HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning)
-DSM (Driver Seat Module)
-SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service)
-GEM/SJB (General Electronics Module/Smart Junction Box)
-IC_MSCAN (Instrument Clusters MSCAN Bus)
-APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module AKA SYNC)
There may be other modules on other cars or less modules on some cars. Those are all the ones that show up on my car! I need to scan a newer (2013) Ford to find all of the modules.
How to modify your ELM327:
A bunch of us have cheap ebay ELM327 Clones. They work over HSCAN and will not be able to access MSCAN. The newer STN1170 chips have support already for MSCAN so you're set if you have one of those!
It's very simple to modify the device to allow use of MS CAN features. You need a 2 way ON/ON switch with 6 poles.
Step 1: Crack open the clone or your ELM327 Device. Usually there are 4 screws under the sticker.
Step 2: Unplug the OBD-II connector and un-solder wires 6 and 14 (mark them so you know which is which).
Step 3: Solder 2 new wires to pins 6 and 14 on the OBD-II connector.
Step 4: Solder 2 new wires to pins 3 and 11 on the OBD-II connector.
Step 5: Solder the wires originally on pins 6 and 14 to the two middle poles on the switch.
Step 6: Solder the new wires on 6 and 14 to one side of the switch (be sure the polarity is correct. Pin 6 will match up with the one originally on pin 6)
Step 7: Solder the new wires on 3 and 11 to the other side of the switch. Be sure to keep pin 3 with the one originally on pin 6 for polarity purposes.
BE SURE NOT TO MIX UP MSCAN AND HSCAN!!! Bad things happen if you do that. I used RED wires for HSCAN and Black wires for MSCAN.
A few diagrams of how it works:
Pictures of the process and final product:
My ELM327 motherboard:
Wires soldered onto the OBD-II connector:
Switch installed (oops forgot some heat shrink):
All in the little package waiting to be put back together, also the crappy hole I cut:
Finished product!:
HOW TO USE MSCAN VIA FORSCAN: Now when you open FORScan it will ask you if you have an MS/HS CAN switch. SAY YES! You may have to delete your cars profile, close the program, re-open it, then connect again for it to ask you the question. Annoyingly I have to do this almost every time I use the program!
Please feel free to PM me with any questions. I'll be happy to sell anyone one of these modified for $29 including shipping.
FORSCAN.org - Download it today. May be the best free software out there!
Once you get connected you can do everything you can do on OBDWiz and ScanXL (pretty much), but you can also run self test. Over both HSCAN and MSCAN, here are the modules/tests I can run (listing both HS and MS CAN modules):
