Shadow Dash RUNNING on Autel Maxisys Mini MS905 Scanner!!!

For discussion of other tuning and logging softwares

Moderators: jsmcortina, muythaibxr

Post Reply
T3Bunny
Super MS/Extra'er
Posts: 1391
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2004 8:44 pm
Location: Miami, Florida

Shadow Dash RUNNING on Autel Maxisys Mini MS905 Scanner!!!

Post by T3Bunny »

In my EXTENSIVE searches I have found almost ZERO REAL information on this device. There are dozens of crappy "unboxing" videos, but only a few truly informative ones. And as soon as you venture outside of what the factory intended for this scanner, your in completely uncharted territory. This thread will be a DIY and a catchall for my exploration of it.

So why? Well the whole reason I can afford and justify such an expensive device, is the skills taught to me in diagnosing countless MegaSquirt installs. Whenever there is a weird drivability problem that stumps the shop's master technician, he calls me over. And in fact my ability to diagnose a MegaSqurt install with the amazing tools at my disposal to do so, means I am just not happy without at least that much available when working with OBD systems. And to my strange way of thinking, being able to put some of my MegaSquirt diagnostics software back onto the device, brings it all full circle.

Of course our shop has a "nice" full diagnostics scanner, at least they think it is nice. You know how the bean counters are... It is the most horrid piece of slow crap... NONE of us use it unless we are forced to do so. And even then, usually only after borrowing EVERY OTHER crappy code reader or scan tool in the shop first... I needed something more.

I put a couple posts up during the decision making proces that boiled down to a choice in keeping my almost new (to me) Autel DS708 (running Windows CE6), or upgrading to the Autel MaxiSys Mini DS905, or even choosing another platform all together. The most relevant post is here. The other main contenders were a couple Launch scanners. I had a few choices between either a windows OS "Launch Pad," or android ones. The Windows versions were much more expensive and many complaints registered for "bloated and slow" scanners. Since my primary objective is diagnostics in a professional environment where speed is key, these were ruled out. I found out I could download the app for the android based ones, and I thought the Launch interface was poorly done. The Launch scanner itself felt cheap too.

I went with the Autel Mini MS905 and holy crap is this a NICE little scan tool, not to mention a super duper tablet too! It just FEELS NICE! It is heavy and durable. Not sure what my Fujitsu Stylistic tablet weighs, but it is a feather weigh in comparison to the 1.54lbs (likely without the grip, cables, or VCI interface) of this MaxiSys Mini.

My only concern with the Autel Mini (other than a much larger price tag), was Autel has "their" OS locked down pretty good. Even so, I had Shadow Dash installed and (mostly) running in only 4-5 minutes from first boot up. ATM I have installed ShadowDash and proven that part, but did not connect to the car. SHOULD be good there since it uses bluetooth for the VCI interface. Mostly? Well I am having ShadowDash registration issues since I side loaded it... This brings me to,

Problem #1: Autel has removed, or not included any, Google services.

Oddity #1: When I did a factory reset it warns me that it will "delete all Google account information." Can't find a SINGLE Google app or service on the machine though. More oddly is that while they disabled/removed these things so theoretically you can't install additional software, you can access and select "Install unknown sources."

Question #1: What is the best approach to getting Google Services (including the Play Store) back in? On the Home Screen, I do have Google Search...

Oddity #2: The factory reset got me back all the OEM car manufacturer logos. When I got it they were all generic circles with names. I found posts about this, but whatever the case an easy fix and irrelevant to its use in a MegaSquirt capacity.

Oddity #3: Autel has included "Root Explorer", but trying to access many of the folders you get a "this phone isn't rooted" warning.

Question #2 and #2a: Should I attempt to root this? If so, I can follow detailed directions/guides very well. I have found a few that are pretty generic... Any direction here would be VERY useful! I should also have an easy "unroot" path. Or does resetting to factory automatically unroot an android device?

Probably good things to know... At this stage I have a year to go with updates and the like. But I need to backup the original system in full ESPECIALLY after the updates for the OBD diagnostics software are in place. Another place I could use guidance. Google will give me direction here, but still good advice is never turned down!

DISCLAIMER: I am NOT an expert on Android.... I can muddle Windows, OSX, and IOS into doing mostly what I want, but I have only owned a couple Android devices. Defiantly not a power user, yet. So for this next portion I had to do some serious Googling to sort out wha to call this and that.

Problem #2: Autel has disabled, mostly, the "Home Screen(s)"!?! The back and home buttons get me to the "App Drawer" and do not take me back to the home screen. By "mostly" if I do the hold an app icon, it opens the home screens and allows me to place wherever. There is no application launcher button on the tablet, but it is in the upper right corner of the "Home Screens."

Question #3: Can this easily be fixed, and how? Only idea I have is to install a custom Launcher. But of course without Google Play Store available, this is harder and a bit more nerve racking to do. As the main cost of this device is for the OEM level Diagnostics Software installed, even if I get Google Play installed on this, I will be limiting my "play" to just what I really need, and apps I already use daily for automotive. I will not be playing Angry Birds or ANY free or umm pirated goodies on it. Not sure I want to even leave my Google account logged in...nnIf not for the relative safety of the Play Store, I would almost be happier with another store platform like 1mobile. If I knew what to choose, it would defiantly be an easier way to just pop in an APK or five...

Again, why bother? I can't leave ANYTHING alone or stock. Yes, I am that guy. The one that gets a brand new Macbook, and within a couple hours is booting windows up on it. Still trying to figure out how to "natively" install Android on an iPad... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: But practically speaking, there are about a dozen programs I use day to day in the shop environment, that I need to have access to. This baby is ultra rugged, so if I can leave my nice Fujitsu tablet sitting safety on the toolbox, or in my bag, MUCH preferred. Plus this doesn't look like I am just "playing with a tablet" to a customer. It looks like what it is, a serious automotive diagnostics tool!

Oddity #4: This tablet has GPS! Okay considering the quality of it, not too surprised. But there is NO access to it (that I have found) in settings. But on one of the Home Screens, there is the radio button strip to turn it on!

I would really like to know who "made" this scanner, I mean tablet. The rubber cover peels off to reveal, well not much. "Designed by Autel" and nothing more that would give much of a clue. But you can see and feel it is really well built and not JUST a tablet with a rugged looking rubber bumper on it...

FINAL THOUGHTS: (Well for the moment anyways... :mrgreen: ) So no real reason why I can't sideload most of what I need I guess if I have a reliable or safe way to get the APK's. I found some APK "extractors" that will get me around some, maybe even most, of the Google Services problems though. But I "think" I still want the basic Google Services like Chrome Browser and account and the like.

So, long post as I am frequently guilty of... I hope this opens up some discussion and interesting information for somebody else. As soon as I figure out a way to take screen capture video (yeah safety and likely without Google Play access), I will take one and go through some of the unusual POI I found. And most importantly, get a video of it talking to my MegaSuirt!
Forget the porn, my bathroom is full of car manuals...
1977 Rabbit (retired)
1991 Cabriolet (retired)
T3Bunny
Super MS/Extra'er
Posts: 1391
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2004 8:44 pm
Location: Miami, Florida

Re: Shadow Dash RUNNING on Autel Maxisys Mini MS905 Scanner!

Post by T3Bunny »

Some updates and more thoughts!

Got further on this today. Ironically manufacture updates were missing earlier and I was not able to connect to the modern OBD VW... But I got the scanner connected, communication, and fully functional with ShadowDash!

I just bit the bullet on my registration issues and instead of waiting and sorting out my Play Store paid app, bought another registration directly from EFIAnalytics. I have used it enough that the $10 is worth it again.

I can't get MSDroid to work though. It would appear to have a nice "pid" style display setup. I will try it out on my other tablet and see if it is worth the effort to fix here.

Poking around with root explorer and I likely found the cause of the "locked out launcher" issues. Auto even named it, Autel Launcher. Whatever the case, I was able to use a different android marked and got Nova Launcher installed. I now have normal access to tablet home screens and app drawer.

And whenever I boot up, it automatically goes right to the MaxiSys application UI. Since that is what this is mainly for, I am happy with that! The Launch Pad would take a bit to autostart their application... Very happy I didn't go with the Launch product.

Obtaining and side loading most of the other apk I am after though, will require rooting this to get Google Services installed.... I am not completely sure I want to go down this road yet...

Continued relevance? I am hoping some of you hard core Android guys will speak up in here! The issue seems to be politics.... In China Google Play is blocked. Since most of the tablets come out of China, and ESPECIALLY the nice inexpensive ones most of us MS guys dream of using.... Many don't come with Google Services installed, or maybe disabled.

I suspect the normal "settings" access is blocked a bit on this Autel, likely replaced with an Autel Settings APK. Since enabling GPS is nowhere to be found in there.

So, is there a way to paste into system/apps folder without root access? Maybe hooked up to a PC and going in that way? Pretty sure to do the backup that I want to do, I will still have to go and root it. But I don't like the idea of potentially voiding my warranty on this thing.
Forget the porn, my bathroom is full of car manuals...
1977 Rabbit (retired)
1991 Cabriolet (retired)
Post Reply