Ok, i haven't been here in a while .. i've been really busy with school and personal stuff. Sorry if this is a repeat, but i think it's about time for us to start the mega-thread about OBDII programming.

To start off with, what scanners does everyone have experience with? I'm in college and my insurance just ate my entire wallet.. hopefully i can buy food at the end of the week. BUT i NEED to get an OBDII adapter to hook into my laptop to do some logging and to be able to pull codes with.

Next... besides the $600 or whatever LT4 edit, is there ANY software out there that is reasonably priced for OBDII editing? There is absolutely no way i can afford $600 for LT4 edit. I just wrote my last check to pay for my car, but that's not going to help enough that i could get the software since my insurance is going to be just around the corner again.

Lastly ... i have heard from a few people about converting back to OBDI ... I can probably get an OBDI computer for fairly cheap, but what all needs to be done in order to covert my LT4 back to OBDI ?

Lets try to get a bunch of info here for OBDII newbies like me. I can tell ya anything about OBDI since i did all my own tuning and took apart my computer and everything (i'm sure some of you remember that nightmare! haha)... but i want to become as knowledgable with OBDII as well. I think its a great standard since the computer carries so much more technical ability.... but it's just getting past the inital phases that i need to do.

Thanks!

 

Wow.. we're starting off great here.. :rolleyes: .

Here's something else to ponder ... autotap makes PC and Palm software... anyone know of a company that makes Pocket PC software? If not, I have the ability to make Pocket PC software ... maybe i should go into a business venture with someone :yesnod:

 

Not to be rude, but this has been beaten to death.

- There are no cheap versions of programming software for OBD II. LT1 Edit is the only choice. Locked to your VIN it's $550
- The number of scanners is limited. Most use Alex Peppers "OBD-2" or AutoTap. AutoTap has software that works on a PDA. check out their website. I use both and like both although AutoTap is more user friendly and has a nicer looking interface. If I recall it's ~$289 vs $180 for OBD-2.

- A search of the archives will give several other websites.

:leaving:

 

Not to be rude either... but i know a ton about programming OBDI as i did it all my self (including screwing up my computer the first time when my battery went too low and i had to resolder flash chips in to mine), and there is no way i'm buying a $550 scanner locked to my VIN.

After doing some research at work the other day i found that you can get an OBDII cable with an ELM processor in it and you can download the datasheet and figure out how to do programming on your own. I downloaded a Pocket PC based program to do readings with and I plan on decompiling it to add in a logging function into excel. There are also other programs available on the website (www.scantool.net) which are available free for doing readings. It is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS to pay $550 for software. With a place like the one that sells the OBDII module for hooking up to your computer, it isn't hard to take what other people have worked with and combine computer programming skills to make your own program. This is my intention if there is no software available for a REASONABLE price that does what I want it to do. Charging what LT1 edit does for their software is rape.. plain and simple. Yes, i'm sure it took a lot of time to develop the software, but come on .. $600?? I'm in college... i plan on using my intelligence not paying someone else to do it for me.


[Modified by GlockLT4, 9:02 PM 4/19/2003]

 

Oh, and want to know how else people are getting raped with OBDII... the damn people that charge $60 EACH TIME to pull and reset codes in these computers!!!! I will give anyone a deal that wants it.. I'll charge 50 cents (and maybe a beer) to pull and reset codes in your OBDII computer after i get my $85 OBDII module in the mail and use free software that someone who's mad about OBDII software pricing like me made to do it.

 

btw, the search feature on this site has gone from really bad to really really really bad... lol I can't get anything to come up anymore.

 

Yet another thing... i talked with someone experience in swapping back to OBDI and he said you just have to put a resistor in series with the knock sensors and it should work alright. For anyone that has done this already, is this all you did?

 

I agree with you, paying $600 for a damn software, its not even hardware its just software, and the damn thing its even locked to a VIN, WTF why, didn't we buy it already? we should be able to what ever with it.

Later

 

Well I have Unlimited LT1/LT4 edit. Try $2.5K on a college budget. :D

Either way, OBDI conversion works fine. The 3.9 kOhm resistor is for single knock sensor cars. (like F-bodies). For your vette you want a 2 kOhm resistor connected to ground on one side and shorting pin 21 and 22 on the blue connector on the other side. I sell conversion kits ready if you're interested.... http://www.madz28.com

 

Beleive it or not, it's also hardware. The hardware part is also very complicated. The communication protocol for OBDII operates at different speeds and none of the scanning software available operates at the programming speed. So you cannot modify a scanner's cable to make it program. You'd have to build an entire different interface.

 

No way! You are too expensive... Autozone does it for free ;)

 

Since when?!!? :confused: That's :cool: though!

 

:iagree: :steering: