OBD Agent Not Detected / VIN not detected

Created by Dzenan Becic
Last updated: Sep 23, 2020

Problem

bootmod3.net login screen or app's login screen is showing that the OBD Agent is not detected or not showing VIN but the agent is running. How can I get my connectivity resolved?

Solution

Here are steps to try to get the OBD Agent to see the car's VIN and connect successfully:

  1. Open the trunk and disconnect the battery ground cable (either brown or black wire) from the battery for 3 minutes and reconnect. DO NOT close the trunk during this time as you will have difficulty opening it without a battery connected. In most cases this is all that is required to get connectivity. Going in for service or using the ISTA software may change network settings in your car. If you notice at a later point the same issue arise simply disconnect the battery to reset it and it'll be back to defaults.
  2. If using a macbook laptop and need to use an adapter to connect your ENET cable to it make sure you're using an Apple approved adapter (i.e. the one sold at the Apple store). Generic adapters in most cases will not work on macOS.
  3. If using windows go into the Control Panel → Networking and ensure that you see the Ethernet cable connected and connection showing active. If you don't then your cable may be bad.
    1. On macOS go into System Preferences → Network and verify that you see the Ethernet connection go orange instead of red when the cable is plugged in. If this doesn't happen then your laptop isn't seeing the cable and no software can use that connection until that physical connection issue is resolved. On macOS this is usually caused by using a generic ethernet adapter instead of an Apple one
  4. Ensure you are using an ENET cable (OBD to ethernet, not OBD to USB cable). Example of an ENET cable in our FAQ here:
    1. Frequently Asked Questions - bootmod3 FAQ
  5. Verify no piggyback devices such as Dinan or JB4, exhaust valve controllers that hook up to OBD wiring, gauges such as AWRON (this is only the case with AWRON gauge's old software) are connected/active as they'll block communication.
  6. If using a laptop ensure that any antivirus software, network security and Windows defender and firewall are DISABLED.
  7. Ensure your cable is FULLY seated on both ends, especially on the OBD side
  8. If using the WiFi device ensure you're running the latest software update on it available