mitchell MD-500 Collision Repair Scanning or Calibration and Diagnostic Tools User Guide

: June 11, 2024
: mitchell

mitchell MD-500 Collision Repair Scanning or Calibration and Diagnostic Tools

Safety Precautions

BEFORE OPERATING THIS TOOL, ALL OPERATORS SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS QUICK START GUIDE AND FOLLOW ALL SAFETY WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS. KEEP THESE INSTRUCTIONS WITH THE TOOL FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT YOUR BOSCH REPRESENTATIVE OR DISTRIBUTOR.

DANGER

When an engine is operating, keep the service area well ventilated or attach a building exhaust removal system to the engine exhaust system. Engines produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, poisonous gas that causes slower reaction time and can lead to death or serious personal injury

WARNING

When working with hydraulic or fuel lines, be careful that liquids under pressure do not escape and create a dangerous condition. Use adequate ventilation and make sure there are no sparks or possibility of sparks that may ignite any vapor.
Wear an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z87.1 approved eye shield when testing or repairing vehicles.
Objects propelled by whirling engine components or pressurized liquids escaping may cause personal injury.
Set the parking brake and block the wheels before testing or repairing a vehicle. It is especially important to block the wheels on front-wheel drive vehicles because the parking brake does not hold the drive wheels.
Do not drive the vehicle and operate the software at the same time.
Maintain adequate clearance around moving components or belts during testing.
Moving components and belts can catch loose clothing, body parts, or test equipment and cause serious personal injury or tool damage.
Automotive batteries contain sulfuric acid and produce explosive gases that can result in serious injury due to ignition of gases. Keep lit cigarettes, sparks, flames, and other ignition sources away from the battery at all times.
Refer to the service manual for the vehicle being serviced. Adhere to all diagnostic procedures and precautions. Failure to do so could result in personal injury or otherwise unneeded repairs.
Use only specially designed replacement parts (brake hoses and lines) for ABS equipped vehicles.
After bleeding the brake system, check the brake pedal for excessive travel or a ”spongy” feel. Bleed again if either condition is present.
When installing transmitting devices (Citizen Band radio, telephone, etc) on ABS-equipped vehicles, do not locate the antenna near the ABS control unit or any other control unit.
To reduce risk of injury, charge only Bosch Automotive Service Solutions, Inc. supplied charging block and power cord.
Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer may result in fire, electric shock, or personal injury.

General Information

Vehicle connection indicator
VCI connection manager
Power button
Volume up button
Volume down button
Front facing camera
Ambient light sensor
USB C charging/data port
Main Menu functions
SD card access door
Back button
Home button
Recent app button
Docking station connector

Setup

Battery Charging

Connect the tablet to AC power using the USB power block and USB C charging cord and fully charge the battery.

When the tablet is turned on, the level of battery charge is indicated in the upper right corner of the screen.

Note: MD-500 is supplied with 2 USB C power cables and 1 USB power block.

**2 ft. cable

**

**6 ft. cable

**

Battery Life Tips

The tablet is an Android based touch-screen tablet. The battery life icon shows charge level. The scan tool lets you know how much battery life is left by viewing the icon located at the top right of the home screen. Like all Android devices, there are tips to help extend or maximize battery life.

When not actively being used, the screen will timeout and the scan tool display will power off, while application remains running in background. The user can set the length of delay between the last screen touch and automatic screen timeout (dim and lock). From the Home screen, touch the Android App button—Settings—Display.

Select Screen Timeout, then select the length of time from the last screen touch and automatic screen timeout.

To use again, press the power button to wake the tool up. This will allow maximum run time, while not limiting productivity.

When the tool is powered up, even if it is not being actively used, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® radios as well as all other necessary hardware are still being powered. Battery life is comparable to similar devices when in this state.

Docking Station

The tablet, VCI, and cords should be stored in the docking station when not in use. The docking station powers the VCI and provides a slow, steady charge to the tablet to preserve battery integrity.

Seat the tablet and VCI in the docking station so that the docking station connector at the bottom of each device connects to the docking station.

The docking station includes two convenient USB ports to charge accessories and other devices.

Notes:

The docking station will not charge the tablet if the tablet’s USB port is in use. Ensure no devices are connected to the USB port on the tablet before connecting to the docking station.

For fastest charging, charge the tablet using the USB power block and USB C charging cord.

Press The Power Button To Turn On The Tablet

Power Button Functions

The power button has four functions:

ON: Press and hold the power button for about 5 seconds to turn the tablet on.
OFF: Press and release the power button. A pop up window will appear to shut down the tablet.
ON: If the screen times out or is in standby mode, press and release the power button to wake up the tablet. Turn ON: With tool off, press to turn ON.
OFF: Press the power button and hold for 5 seconds to turn the tablet off completely (not recommended).

Register Device—Select a Language

Select Register Now

Register the tool, begin a trial period, or run the tool in demo mode.

Read and Accept The End User License Agreement

Select The Correct Time Zone

Enable Wi-Fi and Select a Network and Select Next

Notes:

Wi-Fi Must be ON. If Wi-Fi is OFF slide the Wi-Fi switch to the ON position and follow the prompts on the screen.

If a Network password is required the Android Wi-Fi screen will be displayed. Follow the prompts on the screen.

Activate Subscription and Warranty

Enter your Name. Follow the prompts on the screen to activate warranty.

Enter contact information. Follow the prompts on the screen.

Confirm information. Follow the prompts on the screen and activate warranty.

Connect the VCI to the Vehicle

OBDII/DLC Cable
DLC
VCI

Connect the Tablet to the VCI Pairing

VCI Connection Manager Icon Definitions

| Icon that will display when user is connected to DVCI.
| Icon will display when user is connected to DVCI but signal is degraded.
| Icon will display when user is NOT connected to DVCI.
| Icon will display when user is connected to DVCI, but the version does not match expected tablet version.

The VCI is paired to the tablet during manufacturing and should be paired out of the box.
a. Connect the VCI to the vehicle DLC
b. At this point VCI Connection Manager icon should display “Connected via Wi-Fi”
c. If VCI Connection Manager icon shows “No connection,” select the VCI Connection Manager icon

d. Once VCI Connection Manager icon is selected, VCI Connection Manager dialog is displayed, listing discovered VCIs
e. Select “Connect” next to VCI in the list to pair with it

Once VCI Connection Manager icon changes to “Connected via Wi-Fi”, the tool is ready to use.

The tablet is now paired to a VCI. To use a different VCI in the future, repeat the steps for manually pairing the VCI.

Select “Connect” next to desired VCI. VCI Connection Manager dialog will refresh to show successful connection.

Power port (used when necessary)
DLC/OBDII cable port
Power—Indicates the VCI has received power
PC Connection—Indicates the VCI is communicating with the PC
Vehicle Connection—Indicates the VCI is communicating with vehicle
USB “B” Port
Docking station VCI port

Diagnostics
Enter vehicle diagnostics session.
Turbo Scan
Shortcut to run an all ECU scan.
Mitchell Connect
Direct access to the Mitchell Connect website.
Diagnostic Information
Provides diagnostic, repair, and reset information for the selected vehicle.
Generic OBDII
Access Global OBDII emission related ECU information.
Saved Reports
Access saved vehicle scan reports and data stream recordings.
Web Browser
Full internet access. Default navigation to www.mitchell.com/diagnostics web page.
Coverage Guide
Access vehicle coverage button.
Video Tutorials
Access video tutorial files on scan tool use.
10. Explore More
Access new offerings from Mitchell.
Settings
Access tool settings, printer setup, subscription
information, software updates and more.
Apps Shortcut
Access other available Android applications

Selecting Vehicle

Allows the user to enter a new vehicle or view Recent Vehicles previously selected. Select the “Select Vehicle” button then enter a vehicle one of four ways:

Select AutoID to Start to Automatically Detect the Vehicle
Select Manual Selection to Manually Enter Information
•Year
•Make
•Model
•Engine
Select Recent Vehicles to Select from a List of Previously Selected Vehicles
Enter VIN in Search by VIN Field

AutoID®

Automatically selects the vehicle using OBD II Mode 9.

Identifies vehicles to quickly set up year, make, model, and engine.

Coverage: AutoID can be a very fast and accurate way to select a vehicle. AutoID retrieves the VIN number from the vehicle’s on-board computer for OEM’s that support the function. The function used is Mode 9 Vehicle Information which is one of the 10 modes of the OBD II regulation. As illustrated below, Mode 9’s support of AutoID varies by OEM and model year. Very few OEMs support Mode 9 VIN from 1996 – 2000. Use the information below to understand when Auto ID is best used. 2000-2004— some US vehicles may respond to Mode 9 From 2000-2004 it was only used at the OEMs discretion.

2005-2007—many US vehicles will respond to Mode 9 From 2000-2007 it was CARB advised, but not required.
2008-current—virtually all US vehicles are required to respond to Mode 9 OBDII Mode 9 was not ARB required until 2008MY.

Diagnostic Functions

After selecting a vehicle the user will be able to begin using diagnostic functions on the vehicle

Change Vehicle Button
Shortcut to the select vehicle screen.
Home Button
Shortcut to the Main Menu.
Read DTCs
Access menu to select DTC read options (all or specific controllers).
Data Stream
The data stream function shows live sensor and solenoid data streaming from the vehicle ECU (electronic control unit).
All Special Tests
Access Special Test Menu.
Special Tests Shortcut
Access to vehicle maintenance tests for specific vehicle systems to provide for recalibration or reset after service.
Enhanced Vehicle Scan
Access to scan all available controllers on the selected vehicle for Modes 1-7.
Diagnostic Information
Provides diagnostic, repair, and reset information for the selected vehicle.
Wiring Diagrams
Provides OEM and vehicle specific full color and full system wiring diagrams.
Enhanced OBDII
Access manufacturer specific OBDII parameters and information.
Saved Reports
Access saved vehicle scan reports and data stream recordings.
Web Browser
Access to web browser
Apps Shortcut
Access other available Android applications.
Go to ADAS Calibration
Access ADAS systems to perform static calibrations using MD-TS21.

Features

OBDII/DLC Cable

The OBDII/DLC cable has a LED lamp to locate vehicle DLC and voltmeter that displays battery voltage.

The LED in the OBDII cable end is activated by a button on the side of the connector. This feature is provided to assist users in finding the vehicle DLC.

The vehicle battery indicator is activated when the OBDII cable is plugged into the vehicle and displays the Pin 16 voltage available on the vehicle DLC. A voltage reading below 11.8 Volts will activate an indication of “LO” or if above 15.5 Volts and indication of “HI” will activate highlighting that the battery or charging system needs attention.

LED Lamp
LED lamp switch
Battery cover
DLC tool connector with voltmeter

Software Updates

Software Updates: Periodically, updates will become available and the user will be notified through a message on the screen. To receive updates automatically, connect to Wi-Fi and leave scan tool on overnight.

Note: Scan Tool will download updates automatically when connected to the internet. When download is complete, the user will be informed with a pop up screen. To install an update, the scan tool must be connected to the AC power adapter, over 50% battery life and not connected to a vehicles DLC

AutoDetect®

The new user interface utilizes graphic “badges” to illustrate when critical information is found. AutoDetect® automatically detects vehicle-specific solutions and graphically alerts the user of on-tool or web-based repair information found. To use the Code To Fix® feature, press the Diagnostic Trouble Code to launch the DTC Info screen for access to exclusive experienced-based fixes and repair information for that specific vehicle and DTC.