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Pass Thru - how to start servicing Renault, Dacia cars at the authorised service level

Pass Thru is the ability to connect via the SAE J2534 standard via the universal diagnostic head VCI to the vehicle, by online connection to the manufacturer's platform.  It was introduced in line with the EU directive setting the EURO V emission limit in 2008. Under the SAE J2534 standard, vehicle manufacturers were obliged to allow independent service providers to reprogram the controllers for exhaust emissions systems, and to make technical documentation available for vehicles to fulfill the aforementioned emission standard.

 

The Renault Goup is a good example of meeting this EU directive literally. When you look at other manufacturers, such as the VAG Group, Mercedes or BMW, they provide full diagnostics and programming, access to service documentation, technical bulletins and a digital service book. The Renault Group offers only those functions specified in the EURO V standard, i.e. the possibility of programming the controllers, their automatic configuration, unlocking the Gateway module and access to technical documentation.

 

To begin with, it should be noted that within the Renault Group, the system has been split into two portals:

    - ASOS Renault portal: This is a platform where you register, purchase access to programming and technical documentation and operate your account.

    - NewDialogys: This is a platform with technical documentation, which is accessed by subscribing to the ASOS Renault portal.

I. Registration on the ASOS Renault portal
To take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Renault Group car manufacturer, the first step is to register on the ASOS Renault portal (https://asos.renault.com/#/login) (photo 1). The website is in English. The registration process will be presented using the example of a workshop in Poland. For different countries, the requirements and the registration process may vary in detail, so always follow the instructions.
Start page of the ASOS Renault portal
Photo 1. Start page of the ASOS Renault portal
source: [https://asos.renault.com/#/login]

To begin with, a basic registration process must be carried out (photo 2). First, select your account type. In order to have full access, 'Automobile Repairer' must be selected. This is an account for workshops that "... carrying out routine maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, mainly mechanics and bodywork, provides upkeep, maintenance (failure prevention), repair and adjustment of motor vehicles".

 

    Proceedings of the registration:

 

        a) We provide the name of the person who will be the administartor and will be responsible for the operation of the ASOS portal. 

        b) We provide an email ID, this is an email address. It is recommended to enter the email address with the first initial or first and last name (e.g. j.kowalski@..., the email domain is not important). 

        c) Enter the name of the company (preferably the full name) and the address at which the business is registered (first enter the city and postcode and the country, and in the last field "Address" enter the exact street and number), as well as the contact telephone number (after selecting the country, the area code will be selected automatically). 

        d) In the next box, there is an option to select the language for the portal (English or French). For the Renault Group, the entry of the VAT number is mandatory.

 

You must have a European VAT number (i.e. a NIP starting with the abbreviation of the country, e.g. PL - in the case of Poland), which you can obtain from the Tax Office (according to the law in force in Poland, in any other EU country this authority may be different), and you can check it on the website of the European Commission, under the tab confirmation of VAT number (VIES). If you provide your European VAT number, no French tax will be added to your purchase and the purchase amount will be subject to 0% VAT.

 

In the "VAT Number" field, enter the VAT number without the PL designation and then press the arrow button next to the VAT number entered, which will verify that the tax number is correct, which will be confirmed by the check-mark in the green field or, if the VAT number is incorrect, by the red text "Should be valid VAT number".  It is recommended not to use special characters and letters when filling in the registration fields, i.e.: ł, ć, ą, ä, ö, è, !, ?, (also in the company name). This may cause the invoice to be filled out incorrectly, with incorrect data (special characters substituted or removed).

ASOS Renault portal registration form
Photo.2. ASOS Renault portal registration form
source: [https://asos.renault.com/#/login]

You will then need to confirm that the details you have provided are correct, the work on the cars will be carried out by qualified personnel and that you have read and accepted the terms and conditions, then submit the form. An activation link and login to the ASOS Renault portal will be sent to the e-mail address provided in the registration form.

 

After logging in to the ASOS portal, you can choose one of three types of access (photo 3.):

  1. Access to documentation
  2. Access to reprogramming 
  3. Access to diagnostic support

 

The ASOS portal is also used to administer the master account and employee accounts in the Renault system for independent services. From the drop-down menu, you can update your account details, check available subscriptions, check your invoices and in the "Administration" field, set up accounts for your employees by entering their name and email address, to which messages will be sent asking them to activate their account and reset their password. Once this has been done, the account administrator can assign the purchased documentation subscription to the employee.

ASOS Renault portal - homepage
Photo.3. ASOS Renault portal - homepage
source: [https://asos.renault.com/#/login]
II. Access to documentation

In the first instance, to access technical documentation, a time-based subscription must be purchased on the ASOS portal under 'Document Offer'. This includes:

  • Repair manuals, 
  • Wiring diagrams,
  • Technical bulletins, 
  • Repair times, 
  • Bodywork repair manuals, 
  • Equipment codes
  • Spare parts catalogue;

 

The costs for access to documentation, as of the date of writing, are respectively: 8.20€ per hour, 26€ per day, 120€ for 7 days, 339€ per month, 3521€ per year, for independent services unlimited access is not available. Document access time is calculated from the moment of logging into the NewDialogys portal (photo 4.). All documents are determined on the basis of the VIN number entered.

 

Then you will need to log on to the NewDialogys Renault portal (https://newdialogys.renault.com), using the same login details as on the ASOS portal for the administrator or the employee login details you will receive in the e-mail and create the password himself. After entering the VIN number of the car, you will get access to the full technical documentation of Renault, Dacia, Alpine. In the Renault Group, the car's history by VIN number is available in the NewDialogys technical file, but it is not possible to make an entry in the digital maintenance book as an independent service. A range of maintenance activities depending on the time and mileage of the car is made available.

NewDialogys Renault portal - homepage
Photo.4. NewDialogys Renault portal - homepage
source: [https://newdialogys.renault.com/#!/newdialogys]
III. Access to reprogramming of controllers

As previously reported, the Renault Group does not provide diagnostic capabilities for its cars. Only programming of the controllers is possible. Access to programming has been split into 2 systems:

  1. EURO V - software for the programming of emission-related controllers emissions, online configuration for EURO V / EURO VI car models introduced by 2020.
  2. ADT - software for the repair function of the module associated with emissions-related module repair function (preparation and execution of programming, configuration and all the necessary related activities), car diagnostics and error deletion for car models introduced after 2020.

 

Table 1 below shows the Renault Group car models that, as of the date of this article, are supported by the EURO V reprogramming module and ADT.

Table 1. Supported models
source: [https://asos.renault.com/#/login]

 

To start using the driver reprogramming software, first you must purchase a physical USB token on Renault's ASOS portal. At the date of writing this article, this costs 30€. To support all versions of the software, you will need a VCI head that meets SAE J2534 standards.

 

III.1 EURO V controller reprogramming system

 

The reprogramming system for EURO V controllers consists of 3 modules: 

 

1. Reprogramming module - a module for reprogramming, updating the controllers that are already installed in the car. The cost of the software is 50€ (price at the time of writing) (physical token and, on selected models, Gateway unlocking is mandatory). Only after purchase can the software be downloaded. New modules cannot be programmed. Programming does not apply to all vehicle controllers and this is model dependent. The most common controllers available for programming include:

  • Engine controller (diesel/petrol)
  • Gas injection control unit
  • Automatic transmission control unit
  • ABS/ESP

 

2. Auto configuration module - module for configuring the controller, adjusting the controller to the system in the car. In most cases, configuration must be done after reprogramming the controller. It is not possible to configure a newly installed controller. The cost of the software is 50€ (price at the date of writing) (physical token and, on selected models and Gateway unlocking is mandatory). The software can be downloaded after purchase.

 

3. The Unlock Gateway module- (Table 1 shows the vehicle models that have the Gateway locked for diagnostics). It is mandatory to have a physical token to unlock the Gateway. Without unlocking the Gateway on the models listed, it is not possible to carry out reprogramming with the Reprogramming module and automatic configuration with the Auto Configuration module, as well as diagnostics with the universal diagnostic testers available on the market. The cost of the software is 50€ (price at the time of writing). After purchase, the software can be downloaded.

 

If you purchase all three programmes, the price is lower at 100€ (price at the time of writing).

 

In order to use the downloaded software, you need to purchase a subscription in the form of tokens. These are not time-based tokens, but 1 token = 1 operation on the downloaded software. 

 

The tokens are divided into 3 purchase options (prices at the date of writing):

  1. Work Pack - 1 token - 20€
  2. Pro Pack - 2 tokens - 30€
  3. Expert Pack - 10 tokens - 150€

 

III.2 ADT controller reprogramming system

 

The ADT module is used to prepare for repair, reprogram the controller, perform automatic configuration and complete the repair. It also allows diagnostics and fault code memory clearing for car models introduced after 2020 (Table 1 shows the models supported at the date of writing).

 

As with the EURO V system, reprogramming is only possible for selected controllers. The list of controllers available for update may vary from model to model.

 

To use the ADT software, a physical token must be purchased, the same as for the EURO V system. If the token has already been purchased, there is no need to purchase another token, but the manufacturer stipulates that you must have purchased access to the technical documentation on the NewDialogys portal (how to obtain the documentation is described above).

 

In order to download the ADT software, the ADT Module must be purchased. The cost of purchasing the software is 250€ (prices at the date of writing). Once payment has been made, the software can be downloaded and installed.

 

To use the software, a temporary subscription must be purchased on the ASOS portal. The subscription is divided into 3 purchase options (prices at the date of writing):

  1. ADT start - 1 day - 50€
  2. ADT work - 1 week - 150€
  3. ADT pro - 1 month - 300€
IV. Assistance in the diagnosis process

Renault's ASOS portal offers assistance with car repairs, after purchasing the appropriate token for €70 (price at the time of writing). This amount includes access to NewDialogys and the possibility to use Renault's expert assistance. The exchange of messages with Renault headquarters is limited in quantity and time. The token has an active period of 10 working days and 5 message exchanges, e.g: 1 outgoing message and 1 incoming message, this is the one message exchanges. The assistance is for one car only (specific VIN number) and can only relate to one repair or one problem, so you need to be precisely prepared, describing the problem in detail with the fault codes involved.  To be eligible for assistance, specific requirements must be met, i.e. e.g:

  1. The vehicle must be present in the workshop
  2. The vehicle's brand is Renault, Dacia or Alpine
  3. The spare part is new and from Renault, Dacia, Alpine or Motrio
  4. The identification number (VIN) of the vehicle must be recognised by Renault's main server
  5. The stored default codes in the vehicles computer must be recognized by Renault's main server
  6. The vehicle must be recognized electronically within the Renault Technical documentation
  7. You are a professional automotive repairer with a current VAT number
  8. You are trained as a vehicle or body repair technician with a recognised automotive qualification
  9. You have a suitable vehicle management diagnostic tool capable of reading stored defect codes in the vehicle's computer
  10. You must have consulted the vehicle technical documentation (repair manual, electrical diagram,...) in New Dialogys
  11. You must buy a technical assistance request ticket

Thanks to the Pass Thru technology, you can service Renault cars in accordance with the standards of the Authorized Service Station, and significantly extend the capabilities of your diagnostic device. This allows you to service vehicles under the manufacturer's warranty, without the risk of losing it.