Why we ask for it
The error on your screen is a summary. The log is the record: which protocol was used, what the
ECU replied, what the voltage was doing, and the exact point at which it stopped. A generic error
covers a dozen different causes and they all look identical on screen. In the log they do not.
Sending the log with the first message is usually the difference between one reply and four.
Getting the log out
- Do it on the same PC that did the job. The log is written locally and does not follow you to
another machine.
- Do it before you try again. A fresh attempt can bury or overwrite the entry you actually
need.
- Note the date and time of the failed attempt first, so you can pick the right session out of
the list.
- Open the tool suite and find the logging or history area. It generally sits under settings,
help, or a support option rather than in the main tuning flow.
- Select the session matching your failed job by date and time.
- Export or save it. It normally comes out as a single file, often compressed, into a folder on
your PC.
- Attach that file to your ticket on the dealer portal, along with the read files.
Menu wording changes between versions
We have kept the steps above general on purpose. The exact menu names move between K-Suite
versions and we would rather tell you what you are looking for than send you to a menu that is
not there in your build. Look for anything labelled log, report, diagnostic or send to support. If
you cannot find it, tell us your version number and we will point you at it.
The log is not the read file
They are two different things and we usually need both. The read file is the software off the
ECU. The log is the record of the session. A ticket with only one of them normally comes back
asking for the other.
What else to include
- Registration or VIN, engine and gearbox
- ECU hardware and software numbers
- Which tool and which connection method, whether OBD, bench or boot
- What you were doing when it failed, and how far it got
- Whether the vehicle currently starts and runs
And if the failure happened during a write, do not disconnect anything or switch the ignition
off while you go looking for the log. Read the writing error article first, then come back to
this.