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Retrofitting Traffic Sign Recognition?

20K views 35 replies 15 participants last post by  Mike Martin 
#1 ·
Hi,

I've got a HSE Lux Disco Sport and it has Main Beam Assistance (automatic) which must mean that it has a front camera fitted.

In my Audi TT Mk3 I got Traffic Sign Recognition working by just doing some coding. 5 mins work, that the dealer wouldn't do but was a £300 option when new (don't get me started on that topic!).

Anyhow I was wondering is something like that possible on the LR? Is it something that can be activated by doing some coding or is a lot more involved?
I know when I asked the salesman at LR he told me not possible but that is a stock answer.

Any comments or guidance gratefully received.

Thanks

Seacourt
 
#27 ·
I can only refer to the Disco 3/4s I've had.

I recall installing a rear view camera on a D4 XS. Some of the vehicles were more complicated than others depending on the MY. In mine, the video wiring was already there from the rear roof lining to near the rotary gear knob. I had to buy a rear view camera, boot switch that included power, part loom from the rear handle to the roof lining and FAKRA cable from the gear knob to the back of the satnav. Total cost about £350. After fitting, I took it to a LR Indy and he changed the car configuration file using an Autologic machine and it worked perfectly.

As I said, other D4s were more complicated and it required taking a FAKRA cable along the roof lining, then altering the multi pin connectors in the back of the Satnav.

I've even had a Freelander 2 enabled prior to physical figment from Halogen lights to Xenons. Then when I've had the Xenons, popped them in and worked perfectly. For those that don't know, Xenons require the ability to sustain a higher voltage on start up than Halogen, so flicker continually without the CCF being altered.

My point is that LR said not only could they not do it, but that it was impossible to do. It wasn't. Okay it wasn't encouraged or endorsed by LR and I could hardly take it into the main dealer if the camera, lights screwed up, unless I got them disenabled, but otherwise it was reasonably straightforward and gave me a facility I wouldn't have otherwise had.

The CCF as it shows up on the computer is basically a menu on which you can pick out various options like Drivetrain, Lighting, Suspension etc. and then go into various other sub sections. You then merely tick or untick a box and save the settings to the main CCF. You can literally change anything. Any update the main dealer does to the main CCF doesn't effect the changed settings.

I don't particularly want to get into a Punch and Judy show over the matter and of course it's down to the individual. As in all things, don't take any notice of what I or other posters say. Phone up or message the Autologic or Falultmate Helpdesks and ask. These firms are multi nationals, not a back street garage,
 
#28 ·
Second that - theres a guy in Australia over on freel2.com who has managed to enable all sorts of so called 'impossible' extras on his Gen2.1 Multimedia interface. He has, at last count, installed 4x4i, reversing camera, remote start, heated steering wheel, rear entertainment and numerous others, all enabling as described via Autologic in Highlanders post above. IIRC, he used a lot of Jaguar parts to circumvent the blocks that Land Rover put on to make the upgrades seemingly impossible.
 
#29 ·
One of the best enablements I had done that took 60 seconds to change the CCF file using the Autologic computer and I was charged £20 for by an Indy LR garage was Timed Heating for the D4.

Basically the satnav screen then presented with a 7 day on/off programmable screen where I could put in a time for the car to start and finish heating - so it was nice and toasty when I got in it. No hardware required.

LR wanted £1,000 to have that function enabeled or rather "tick a box" at the factory when the car was built. :roll:

I am not saying other manufacturers are any different, but when people praise dealerships and the like for free coffee, luxurious showrooms, flowers on collection of a new car, just remember YOU paid for it.

Want a real laugh. I got some plastic trim clips to replace ones I'd broken when putting on side steps. LR were over £4 each and the make FoMeCo was imprinted on the pack. This is actually Ford whom owned JLR years back. Anyway, go into a Ford dealership and the identical clips are 50p! Some mark up. You've got to give them a 10 for brass neck.
 
#30 ·
Highlander, I think you misunderstand.

This thread was specifically about two related items:-
1) Retrofitting Traffic Sign Recognition (which of course requires software integration into the cars' software)
2) Only about the Discovery Sport (whose operation is highly dependent & controlled by a few software modules)

We have not been talking about other cars, or features other than TSR software.

Plus I can absolutely confirm items 4 onwards in my post are 100% correct regarding TSR and the MY16.5 SE-TECH.

Of course if we are talking about other subjects, like someone upgrading a hardware item that the software could not tell the difference from the original, then that is likely to work fine.

Also, if were were talking about older cars with little central control of the car by software, then there would be large scope for customer modification.
 
#32 ·
I should add:-
A car controlled mostly by programmable software modules, usually needs regular software updates for years (like we have found with the DS). Of course if the Software & System Engineering were perfect then that would not be the case. Unfortunately car owners have to live with current practical realities.

So a DS car's software is likely to get one or (often) multiple software updates everytime it visits the garage (unless you are happy to run with obsolete software). Thus just about every time your car is in the garage any LR features dependent on software integration that you had not paid LR for, are likely to be disabled again.

Personally I would not take the risk with a modern car, but it is up to other owners to make their own decisions based upon their assessment of the risks.
 
#33 ·
I covered that point in one of the posts. Software upgrades have no effect what so ever on what you have upgraded or downgraded.

New software doesn't over write or factory reset what features have been enabeled.

Bar a possible camera limitation, then TSR is a purely software issue.

If I didn't have it already, I'd phone up Autologic or my local Indy LR garage and ask them if they can do it.
 
#34 ·
Highlander, I know from personal experience that the following statement cannot ALWAYS be correct "Software upgrades have no effect what so ever on what you have upgraded or downgraded."

I did not make my original post based upon guessing or theory. It was 100% from actual experience. Plus I even went through the official LR route and got official LR authorisation (which is rare). However, I still encountered every one of the problems I listed. Some problems, like updates to the cars software are on-going issues and one has still to be resolved after 10mths!

I just want other owners to realise the route of unauthorised upgrades involving software on modern cars can be far from risk free. That is particularly so where the new featured enabled was not an option on the particular car model when bought (like TSR being a non-option on a MY16.5 SE-TECH).

In the above circumstance when the cars software module is updated it is updated only with software relevant to the original models specification. Thus the updated software will NOT include software to control the added feature, like TSR. Also the updated sofware assumes no hardware change to the cars base hardware (like a change to the forward facing camera). So the updated software will not operate the new hardware, as it includes no capability to do so.

Also I should point out, in the above circumstance, the software update DOES overwrite the users 'modified/special' software.

The end result on a MY16.5 SE-TECH that had its camera changed (to support TSR) resulted in any later software upgrade (to fix something unrelated, like no service warning display) was :-
- loss of TSR
- other features using the forward facing camera stopped working.
- plus it is a huge issue to correct the situation even for an official dealers, and has resulted in the car being off road for many days.

I am not saying unauthorised upgrades involving software will never work.

Also, I am saying, just because one owner with a slightly different DS model or year was succcessful in enabling an unauthorised feature, that does not mean it will work with another user's car models / years.

I am just trying to point out that unauthorised upgrades involving software are not risk free, and even authorised versions can have major risks and downsides.
 
#35 ·
I appreciate that's your experience going down the official LR route, but it's not my experience having gone down the Autologic route.

We are going round in circles and I think we have reached an impasse. People can read the thread and make their own minds up.

As a foot note, unfortunately it doesn't surprise me something simple ended up as a major exercise for LR, just look at the B pillar squeak they still haven't resolved.
 
#36 ·
Can we stay on topic. We are only talking about "Retrofitting Traffic Sign Recognition(TSR)".

Your position is that Autologic can just solve the upgrade by changing configuration files. I have given a concrete (personally experienced) and indepth example where that absolutely is not possible for TSR.

Instead of just changing a configuration file, LR have to assemble a unique collection of software 'sub modules', link them so they collectively operate as a new unique total software module that then overwrites the car's base software. Only then can the car's software fully control what is a new unique DS model (with different car hardware [camera], plus TSR software). Autologic cannot assemble that unique collection of software sub-modules, so they cannot do the upgrade.

By the way, I hope it is clear the example I gave has nothing whatsoever to do with, LR versus an independent's, competence.

As you say, let others look at the arguments (& facts) and let them make their own assessment of the risks involved.
 
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