Kess 2.90 Fix

Kess 2.90: What’s New and Why Tuners Should Care

Kess 2.90 is the latest firmware/software update for the widely used KESS V2 ECU programmer from Alientech (and many compatible clones). This update focuses on broader vehicle coverage, improved communication stability, and a few quality-of-life changes that make ECU/TCU reading and writing smoother for professional tuners and advanced DIYers. Below is a concise overview you can use as a blog post.

  1. Always maintain a battery support unit (12V, 20A minimum) during writing.
  2. Do not use on CAN FD or FlexRay vehicles – unsupported.
  3. Verify checksums before writing – use WinOLS or ECM Titanium.
  4. Keep a backup of the original file on two separate drives.
  5. Do not flash a modified file if the original read had errors – re-read first.

This article is for educational purposes only. Always operate within your local vehicle modification laws and ensure you have proper backup power to prevent ECU bricking. Kess 2.90

The risks:

Key Improvements (bulleted)

  • Expanded vehicle & ECU coverage: Adds support for additional modern ECUs/TCUs across major manufacturers (improved compatibility for recent diesel and petrol ECUs).
  • Improved OBD stability: Fewer dropped connections and improved read/write reliability over OBDII, reducing the need for repeated attempts.
  • Bench mode enhancements: Smoother bench communication routines and better handling of boot-mode operations.
  • Protocol updates: Refined handling of some CAN, K-Line, and JTAG protocols to reduce errors on problematic ECUs.
  • User-experience fixes: Minor UI/flow tweaks and clearer error messages to speed troubleshooting.
  • Safety and integrity checks: Better file verification to lower the risk of corrupted flashes.

No more worrying about "Gray Protocols" or software crashes during the critical write phase. Massive Vehicle Coverage: Kess 2

To get the most out of Kess 2.90, follow these "golden rules": Always maintain a battery support unit (12V, 20A

: Features a built-in recovery mode to restore the ECU in case of communication interruptions during the flash process. Alientech UK Typical Use Cases Performance Tuning

Read & Write Operations: Supports reading the original engine file via the OBD2 port and writing "tuned" files back to the ECU.