I want to purchase scanning software for my 2002 Z06. Which is better?

Being able to export run data for analysis in other applications is very important to me.

Thanks!

 

I've been back and forth for a while myself....and have gotten many good discussion from MattG, Kewlbrz and TeamZR1 on the subject.

I think a post with all the info directed at these 2 products is overdue :D :cheers:

 

I cannot comment on EasePC, as I have never worked with it, but I know autotap does everything and more than I would ever need it for. It works great for quick logging of data while driving and then exporting to an excel spreadsheet for analysis. It monitors every sensor I have ever needed to keep an eye on. YOu can also use the message board of the company that produces autotap ( http://www.autotap.com ) to ask the creators or other users any technical questions you may have.

I definitely have no complaints about it but I am sure both packages have their ups and downs.





[Modified by MattG, 8:19 AM 11/2/2001]

 

Can I ask what information does it tell you above and beyond the info you can get from the computers on the car? Do you use it at the track? Thanks for the help!

 

An OBD-II scanner like autotap and ease will give you the ability to monitor live and/or log any sensors output in the powertrain. Fuel Trims, O2 Sensors, Spark Advance, Retard, Knock Sensors, Misfires, and on and on.

A must have tool for tuning.

The DIC (computer message center) in the C5 is useless for tuning purposes. It just throws a code up if something is out of scope.

 

[snip]

I'm on the other side of the fence. I have the Ease and have never tried Autotap. The Ease lets you record and view data from all sensors as well and also has a graphing and analysis tool that lets you plot sensor data for any of the data you recorded, and lets you easily zoom in/out on different parts of the graphs. I assume Autotap does the same? With the Ease scanner, I have never found the need to export to Excel because most of the functions I need are included.

Someone told me once that Autotap is not fully Windows compatible and/or must be run in DOS mode? Is that true?

Mike


[Modified by mchaney, 3:25 PM 11/2/2001]

 

a side by side of those who have used both would be productive!

btw Matt...got my MAFT today...I skimmed through the instructions....but didn't see any way to make adjustments with it....any help?

 

I'll help you bro :D

 

hey man :seeya

like I mentioned, I just scanned the instructions about hooking it up to the MAF....I've yet to buy AutoTap or EaseScan....so I know I can't monitor car parameters, my question is this:

I don't see anything on the MAFT that allows me to make adjustments to the MAF. How do you actually make the changes using the MAFT?

Mark, thanks!!!


[Modified by Mean Green 2000, 4:07 PM 11/2/2001]

 

Check out this link...You need to take the lid off and the adjustments are inside.
Be very careful with the Connectors...they are not keyed. Make sure the wire colors line up or you'll blow your MAF.
http://www.vetteguru.com/mods/maf/

 

Mark, there are two little ***** that control BASE and WOT frequency.



You adjust them in these increments based on your need:

 

Mike,

The original version of ATap was DOS, but a Windows version has been up and running for about a year now. There were buggy issues in the early releases that may have forced some users to revert to DOS (not me), but I think all of those issues have been solved. I'm quite happy with mine.

Have a good one,
Mike

 

Chuckster and Shawn....thanks!!!

now for the next question....once adjusted using the MAFT do you simply disconnect and the MAF retains the new settings??? Or does the MAFT have to be mounted in the engine-bay and forever feed the new settings until a new Steve Cole program :)

Mark

 

It stays forever... Or you can have Steve make the final changes and remove it.

 

thanks again :cheers: ......I take it by "it" you mean the MAFT has to remain connected to the MAF and mounted in the bay?

I knew there was a reason I trusted MattG and RG of Exit28...thanks guys!!!

Mark

 

I own and used Autotap for 6 months. Being test is my profession I found this product buggy as heck, lack of vendor concern to fixing the bugs, not responding to questions on their forum and product crashing even their own test results forcing me to loose the information and having to make additonal runs to capture what I had already taken the time to record.

A test tool is something you should trust as to the results and work correctly everytime and once you find a test tool faulty it becomes hard to know what it is going to function when you want it.
Yes they came out with a Windows version but it fails more then the DOS version does. I tried this product on 5 different laptops I own and found the same issues on all of them.

I then was forced to find a better PCM scanner and spent some time researching a replacement product.
In knowing people within G.M I was given a vendor name that does PCM products that meets what G.M wants as to functions/features and requirement.
Being this vendor has now 21 awards for their product.

What they have that others making this product do not is :

A full windows version that never screws up.

A Handheld Windows CE version ( cool so you do not need a full laptop)

A PDA Palmpilot verison ( both of these now on the market as of this week)

A Hardware unit, instead of some type of laptop that collects data and then you plug that unit into your P/C and download the recorded traces.

Remote, a "through the air" unit, so that only thing in the car is the remote unit which realtime downloads the data to a P/C located at a distance from the car while it is being driven.

Hardware options to allow you to test gas exhaust.

Bi-directional options, alllow you to tunr PCM functions on or off.

So you can see this vendor is very serious in this type of test tool, add the fact they are on the OBD-II standards group and you see they they are on top of exactly what EPA, vendors and public wants in this type of test tool.

As to ease of use, Ease has a much better user interface, it allows full reporting, it even allows you to scan other cars and it automaticlly saves the traces from that car in its own folder and then later on you can just click on that car in the user interface and only see what tests were done for that car.

I have now used the Ease for 5 months and between it and Autotap have done over 600 traces and can say from 100s of hours doing this that for us car owners the Ease scanner is a much miuch better designed test tool.

You can download a preview of this scanner at :

http://www.obd2.com/personal_preview.htm

Run the preview and see the user screens, how it works, etc.

Review all the products they have at www.obd2.com

Being this is a techie type of tool, if you like e-mail me and we can get together on the phone and discuss this and tuning.
If you choose to go the Ease scanner I can save you $35 off Ease's price.

John

 

Mike,
I have montored autotap vendor and have been downloading their newest versions and retesting.
The windows version still is worse then the DOS version.
Has a harder time linking with PCM and maintaining the link once it does connect. Being many C5 owners come to me to learn how to trace/tune, just yesterday someone who went out for a drive to record the PCM, then when he want to look at the saved trace for replay, the file was empty for the autotap lost PCM link and was not recording unknown to the user.

This is against EPA OBD-II standards which state a PCM scanner must automaticlly re-connect on its own as per SAE HS-3000 OBD-II standards which I own.

With the Ease scanner, I have turned the engine off as long as an hour, left scanner running, come back and fire car up and scanner re-links on its own.

John


[Modified by team-zr1, 2:24 PM 11/2/2001]

 

My Auto-Tap has VEVER linked up under the windows version. Wish Diacom made a unit for OBDII cars.

 

Windows version Blows!!! :lol:
Never got it to work
I just have my laptop boot from a dos floppy and automatically run Autotap.
When I shut it down it automatically copys the new log file to the floppy.

 

Hey Chuckster....still needed to clear up a question I have, if you don't mind :)

after hooking up the MAFT and making adjustments....do you have to leave the MAFT connected, ie, mounted in the engine bay?