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Alientech has released KESS3 upgrade 3.69, adding a BENCH protocol for Continental SID213 ECUs. It covers Ford and Volkswagen commercial vehicles and pick-ups from 2022 onward, and it connects straight to the ECU connector without opening the unit. The existing OBD protocol stays available alongside it, so dealers now have two routes into the same control unit depending on whether the ECU is on or off the vehicle.
Which ECUs
The update is for the Continental SID213, the unit Alientech describes as covering 2.0 EcoBlue engines in these models. Alientech describes the new mode as a BENCH protocol, and it is released as a standard upgrade rather than a beta. In practice it means an ECU that has already been removed from the vehicle can be read and written on the bench through its connector, without needing to open the unit.
Vehicles this opens up
Alientech lists the following, all from 2022 onward:
- Ford Ranger
- Ford Transit
- Ford Transit Courier
- Ford Transit Custom
- Volkswagen Amarok
Alientech has not published a more detailed engine or software-version breakdown, so anything outside this list should be checked before you commit a vehicle to the bench.
What it means
For owners of these vans and pick-ups, the practical gain is more ways to get a tune onto the vehicle. A remap on a work van is usually about torque delivery low in the rev range, which helps when you are loaded or towing, and about fuel burn over a working week. Typically a well-written diesel calibration can improve both, but the result depends on the vehicle, its condition and the software it carries, so we always check the file against your specific vehicle before anything is written.
For garages, the benefit is flexibility and turnaround. If a unit has been pulled for repair, or a vehicle cannot be left on site for long, a bench route means the ECU can be worked on away from the van and refitted without hassle. If you are an owner planning modifications, our tuning builder shows what is available for your vehicle. If you are a trade customer, our file service can supply calibrations for your jobs, and the Alientech tool page has the detail on the KESS3 range we supply.
