AlfaOBD

[Jimmy07]

Question - and maybe user error here - but i completed my front end conversion to all LEDs this weekend. High and low beams seem to be working fine, and i set both High and Low Beam LED = yes. However, i ran into two problems:

• I am attempting to trigger an LED light bar off the high beams. I could not get this to work previously because the PWM control of the high beams caused the relay to chatter. I assumed that finally setting the high beam LED = yes, this would disable PWM and the relay would no longer chatter...but that didn't work. It still behaves exactly the same as it did before. I let the truck sit with the key out for 5+ minutes after changing the config, is that enough time? I went back and checked and alphaOBD does indeed think that LED high beam is set to Yes. I am using LED high beams with an inline canbus module, so that fact that the high beams work fine could be a red herring.
• With park lamp DRL enabled, park lamp LED = yes, and LED turn signals = yes, i still get a bulb out message and my mirrors and dash hyperblink. Oddly, the actual LED turn signals work perfectly fine. These are switchback LEDs, so they're amber when in DRL mode and when the turn signal is activated, and white in running lamp mode (when the low beams are on). Again, functionally they are perfect, but i'm getting hyperblinking dash and mirror signals.

I know that my control via AlphaOBD is at least partially successful, because i enabled park lamp DRLs with no issue, and i was able to resolve flickering white switchback running lights (in the turn signal bulbs) by setting front park/marker lamp LED = yes. And, the settings are all as expected when i go back into AlphaODB. WOuld it be possible for Alphaobd to show the correct configuration but the BCM has not implemented it? Do i need more key cycles and/or to clear faults and/or take the truck out of park after applying settings and letting it sit?

Thanks for the help guys!

The high beam circuits don’t use PWM anyway, so I think it might be a relay quality issue.
There seems to be a lot of the hyperflash/bulb out issues lately that varies from truck to truck. Usually it’s when there are switchbacks involved. Try cycling through the turn signals for a few minutes at a time, along with the hazards. You might just have to live with putting resistors in before the switchback modules.

 

[chrisbh17]

The high beam circuits don’t use PWM anyway, so I think it might be a relay quality issue.
There seems to be a lot of the hyperflash/bulb out issues lately that varies from truck to truck. Usually it’s when there are switchbacks involved. Try cycling through the turn signals for a few minutes at a time, along with the hazards. You might just have to live with putting resistors in before the switchback modules.

I think this is similar to an issue Im having. I feel like it is blinker/relay related, as you can hear the cadence of the actual relay (in the PDC near the front fender) "hiccup" every now and then. Im not sure it corresponds with throwing a lamp out code, but I have a feeling its related.

AFAIK you cant easily replace the blinker relay....there are LED-specific ones out there, but I think ours are soldered onto the underside of the PDC board.

 

[Mechatricity]

The high beam circuits don’t use PWM anyway, so I think it might be a relay quality issue.
There seems to be a lot of the hyperflash/bulb out issues lately that varies from truck to truck. Usually it’s when there are switchbacks involved. Try cycling through the turn signals for a few minutes at a time, along with the hazards. You might just have to live with putting resistors in before the switchback modules.

Thanks for the response. I'd seen suggested that high beams didn't use PWM, but wasn't able to confirm it in documentation, so that's good to know. I'll revisit the relay.

I suspected the switchback might have something to do with it. These are a bit older model switchbacks from superbrightLEDs that i had laying around, so i'm not opposed to grabbing something more modern while i'm at it...and these certainly don't contain anything that would attempt to make canbus happy. I forgot to mention that after i put the incandescent bulbs back in and reverted all the DRL/turn signal settings, i was still getting a bulb out message until i did another key cycle, which may have been a clue but i didn't feel like digging back into it at the time.

 

[T_Unit114]

Edit: found the answer to the MS/+ question. I'm doing more digging as I go. This thread is awesome.



Since I'm hard to shop for, I'm asking for Alfa and a connector for Christmas. I've done a good bit of searching around here and the OBDLink MS looks to be the way to go. I'll be using Bluetooth off my phone.

My question, there is now the MS connector as well as the MS+ connector. Obviously eBay descriptions are no help as to what the differences are between the two. What makes the MS+ worth the extra $10-20?

Plans for this are to change some things on my '12 Laramie, as well as use for diagnostics on the wife's 08 diesel Cherokee and 14 Journey RT. I want bang for my buck but I also want trouble free usage and I've heard of people really struggling to get Alfa to do anything for them if they have the wrong connector. It's $20 difference tops. The only thing that changes is who I send the gift request to.

In my searching, it appears Alfa covers 09-12 just about as well as 13+ now. My truck is Canadian. So I want to change it to destination USA and disable the DRL function along with that, enable cargo view camera for a future upgrade to that third brake lamp, convert my license plates and tails to LEDs without errors, I have HIDs in my lows and will have LEDs in highs and fogs soon, and I'm considering a housing upgrade from the dingy quads too. The truck has almost all the options I want so I won't be toying with much. Maybe change tire size if I feel like spending 50% extra for 35s vs the stock 33s next time. I'll be doing more looking into these threads to see what others have been doing with the app.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[Mechatricity]

The high beam circuits don’t use PWM anyway, so I think it might be a relay quality issue.
There seems to be a lot of the hyperflash/bulb out issues lately that varies from truck to truck. Usually it’s when there are switchbacks involved. Try cycling through the turn signals for a few minutes at a time, along with the hazards. You might just have to live with putting resistors in before the switchback modules.

Thanks for the response. I'd seen suggested that high beams didn't use PWM, but wasn't able to confirm it in documentation, so that's good to know. I'll revisit the relay.

I suspected the switchback might have something to do with it. These are a bit older model switchbacks from superbrightLEDs that i had laying around, so i'm not opposed to grabbing something more modern while i'm at it...and these certainly don't contain anything that would attempt to make canbus happy. I forgot to mention that after i put the incandescent bulbs back in and reverted all the DRL/turn signal settings, i was still getting a bulb out message until i did another key cycle, which may have been a clue but i didn't feel like digging back into it at the time.

I just revisited the turn signals, but did things in a different order.

• truck off
• key on
• update LED turn signal = yes and front marker LED = yes
• turned key off, locked the truck, let it sit for 30m
• swapped in LED bulbs
• started the truck up and started testing

Now, it seems the only issue i have is that i get a Parking Lamp out (NOT turn signal out) when i engage the turn signals ONLY when the headlights are on. So this would be the mode switch from the white headlight-on running light mode to the amber turn signal mode. So this would seem to confirm that the issue, for some reason, lies with the switchback function. Everything seems to function perfectly fine except for the DING and evic message every time on turn on the turn signal while the headlights are on. I've got some non-switchbacks on the way.

 

[CoreySinger]

Do you have led tail lamp bulbs aswell? I ran led in the front turn/park only and had no messages until I converted the rear too. I think the load drop is too great, causing the errors.
I ended up putting resistors on the front ambers even with alfaobd doing its work.

 

[1500ram12]

Edit: found the answer to the MS/+ question. I'm doing more digging as I go. This thread is awesome.



Since I'm hard to shop for, I'm asking for Alfa and a connector for Christmas. I've done a good bit of searching around here and the OBDLink MS looks to be the way to go. I'll be using Bluetooth off my phone.

My question, there is now the MS connector as well as the MS+ connector. Obviously eBay descriptions are no help as to what the differences are between the two. What makes the MS+ worth the extra $10-20?

Plans for this are to change some things on my '12 Laramie, as well as use for diagnostics on the wife's 08 diesel Cherokee and 14 Journey RT. I want bang for my buck but I also want trouble free usage and I've heard of people really struggling to get Alfa to do anything for them if they have the wrong connector. It's $20 difference tops. The only thing that changes is who I send the gift request to.

In my searching, it appears Alfa covers 09-12 just about as well as 13+ now. My truck is Canadian. So I want to change it to destination USA and disable the DRL function along with that, enable cargo view camera for a future upgrade to that third brake lamp, convert my license plates and tails to LEDs without errors, I have HIDs in my lows and will have LEDs in highs and fogs soon, and I'm considering a housing upgrade from the dingy quads too. The truck has almost all the options I want so I won't be toying with much. Maybe change tire size if I feel like spending 50% extra for 35s vs the stock 33s next time. I'll be doing more looking into these threads to see what others have been doing with the app.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

Mx+ works with iOS and one other feature (I believe) that doesn't affect the usage with alphaobd and ram truck's


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[T_Unit114]

Mx+ works with iOS and one other feature (I believe) that doesn't affect the usage with alphaobd and ram truck's


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Since I'm on Android then I see no need to spend the extra! Sweet! I'm looking forward to this. If it has pretty decent diagnostic capabilities I'll be super excited. I've been trying to find used Snap-on tools but just can't bring myself to spend the money on an up to date Solus or whatever that would cover my current vehicles. Hard to justify that money well spent when I wouldn't use it regularly.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[17Dually]

Do you have led tail lamp bulbs aswell? I ran led in the front turn/park only and had no messages until I converted the rear too. I think the load drop is too great, causing the errors.
I ended up putting resistors on the front ambers even with alfaobd doing its work.

I'm attempting to get a set of AlfaRex headlights to work & my issues & symptoms are the same as Mechatricity's.
What resistors did you use - do you have a link?
Thanks

 

[Ramitiner]

Ok, so you m getting the alfaobd app... What's the best obd plug that works the best with this app?

 

[Kenepo17ram]

Ok, so you m getting the alfaobd app... What's the best obd plug that works the best with this app?

Obdlink

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[likes2build]

Since I'm on Android then I see no need to spend the extra! Sweet! I'm looking forward to this. If it has pretty decent diagnostic capabilities I'll be super excited. I've been trying to find used Snap-on tools but just can't bring myself to spend the money on an up to date Solus or whatever that would cover my current vehicles. Hard to justify that money well spent when I wouldn't use it regularly.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

The MX+ is actually $10 cheaper right now direct from scantool.net as they are having a black Friday sale. It's less than $60.

 

[T_Unit114]

The MX+ is actually $10 cheaper right now direct from scantool.net as they are having a black Friday sale. It's less than $60.

I'm gonna go there then! Thanks for the heads up!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[big daddys house]

Since I'm on Android then I see no need to spend the extra! Sweet! I'm looking forward to this. If it has pretty decent diagnostic capabilities I'll be super excited. I've been trying to find used Snap-on tools but just can't bring myself to spend the money on an up to date Solus or whatever that would cover my current vehicles. Hard to justify that money well spent when I wouldn't use it regularly.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

You won't be sorry! Especially if you have an Express or Tradesman, cuz you could do all kinds of sweet stuff.
AlfaOBD and MX Is For Real, the best bang for the money I've ever spent on my truck.....

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk

 

[clifford15]

You won't be sorry! Especially if you have an Express or Tradesman, cuz you could do all kinds of sweet stuff.
AlfaOBD and MX Is For Real, the best bang for the money I've ever spent on my truck.....

Sent from my LG-LS995 using Tapatalk

You are so right! I've been here for quite a while and have completed a few the usual changes [DRL, alarm, hours] and I just installed LED headlights. First task was to set HID Present to YES. No issues with flickering or drop outs. These are Underground Lighting parts and after a slight downward adjustment are quite nice.

 

[JoeCo]

Hey Guys, as others have said, thank you all for all the info in this massive thread that I've read about 10% of so far. I looked into alfaobd after having some flickering issues with some led fogs I had purchased, and the company wanted $50 for the anti flickers for them so I just decided to research and buy alfaobd instead. So far I have done the following:

Enabled LED fogs (fogs have been fine ever since)
Fog light dropout
Global down
Low beams set to LED
DRL enabled

All have worked fine other than the DRL. Could use a little help here if anyone else has experienced this, but I'll start by listing the steps I took to enable the DRL's
DRL Configuration: Optional DRL (this was already selected)
DRL Lamp Location: (I set to low beams, as the previous step was already selected, I'm not sure if something else was being used as a drl prior to me messing with it, and without me noticing a different drl?)
DRL dropout enabled: This was already selected "yes" as well
DRL Customer Setting Enable/Disable: I selected yes
Daytime Running lights CSM: I selected yes

As for the symptoms, I noticed the DRL turns off the headlight when you turn the turn signal on, and then it kicks back on after the turn signal is off. This seems to function fine for the most part, but I've noticed it seems to get tripped up if I use the "half way" blinker that blinks 3 times. Shortly after using that blinker, I will get a low beam headlight out message, and I've then either had just the one go out, or both go out, and won't turn on even if you turn the headlights on. Turn the truck off and let it reset, start it back up and its fine again, no message in the evic. Have had no issues whatsoever with the low beams otherwise, so it is isolated to just when they are being used as DRL's.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[crash68]

I wonder if it's the DRL drop out that might be causing the grief being your using the low beams. I don't think I've noticed a vehicle with low beam DRLs dropping out with the turn signals.

I'm using dedicated DRLs and haven't noticed any strange behavior like what you've described.

 

[Ramitiner]

The MX+ is actually $10 cheaper right now direct from scantool.net as they are having a black Friday sale. It's less than $60.

just bought it... thanks

 

[Ramitiner]

I have an express, just bought the power folding mirrors, the modules and switches and the oem projector headlights with harness... so next week ill start bugging you guys about adding all the stuff like DRLs, puddle lights and so on

 

[clifford15]

@JoeCo set DRL dropout to NO so your low beam does not shut off. If you move the DRL to turn signals you might want to turn it back on