chuck88iroc

For some reason anytime I connect my Actron 9145 scanner to my Camaro (1988 5.0 litter TPI) it gives me an "Operating Error" message. It does not seem to want to communicate with the ECM. I am using the external power plug. Also I am letting the come on by plugging the power in as indicated in the instruction manual.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem or any insight regarding it .

Thanks,
Chuck

dakleenupman

Chuck, did you ever figure it out? I too had that problem and began to think my ECU is bad. Maybe it has to do with the 10k resistor?

Chris

chuck88iroc

No, the problem hasn't been figured out yet. I have made several calls to Actron customer service and have even sent the scanner back to them to check out. They say it should work. The funny thing is that it will read data when selected to a 2.8 L PFI engine or the 5.0 L TBI engine. They seem to think that they got something backwards in the programming and that the 5.0 L TBI should be for the PFI engine instead. I don't think it is a programming problem - at least like that.

The last time I talked to them I was in the car with the scanner connected. The question I had was - is the data that is being shown with the 5.0L TBI correct? One of their engineers was supposed to checking into that. This was two weeks ago so I will probably call them again this week.

They say this is the first that they have had this problem reported to them. I kind of find that hard to believe with the number of vehicals with these ECMs out there.

Did you by chance get another scanner to work or are you still trying to get the Actron one to do its job?

Chuck

dakleenupman

I gave up on the scanner and bought a laptop. I am going to try and find some free software and get an ALDL cable. I have been looking and people say that if you have the TPI, then a 10k resistor must be inline to a couple of terminals at the plug. I know that the scanner does not come with anything like that. Maybe that is the problem. I wonder if they know that is has to be that way. Let me know what they say and I will keep searching.............

Chris

dakleenupman

Here is hat I am talking about........


https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...&highlight=10k

dakleenupman

Here is another one.

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...&highlight=10k

dakleenupman

Ok, now I read this and am still unsure of the Actrons capabilities......


https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...&highlight=10k

chuck88iroc

Chris, thanks for the information. That is very interesting. I had never heard about 10K resistor. I will likely call the tech rep. at Actron that I have been talking to and bring this up to see what he has to say.

Chuck

dakleenupman

Yeah, do that and see what is up. I would think though they would have incorperated that in the scanner before they sold it but you never know. Our guys and gals on here seem to know more than most so...................

Chris

chuck88iroc

Chris, I talked to Actron customer service twice this week. The first time to see if they had found out any additional information - they hadn't. I also asked the tech rep about the 10K resistor. He hadn't heard of one being needed so he took the question to their engineering group.

Today they called me back. They had taken a scanner out to a 1997 vehicle with a 5.0L engine and a 160/8192 baud ECM. The scanner supposedly worked fine. So I asked about the 10K resistor. The engineer who wrote the software for the scanner never heard of one being needed.

From the information in the links you provided and some other sites I found it seems that the 10K resistor is required for early TPI engines with the MAF sensor. The 1997 engine they used would be a speed density engine and not have the MAF sensor. The tech rep says that as long as the baud rate is the same whether it is a MAF or SD system shouldn't make any difference. I don't know that I agree with that.

So that is where we left it today. They are supposed to look into it more and get back with me. Although the problem has not been resolved yet I must say that the Actron technical service has been really good about get back to me with answers to questions.

Maybe more info next week.

Chuck

dakleenupman

Chuck, anything further with this issue? Anyone other than Chuck and I have this issue?

Chris

chuck88iroc

Chris,

Since my last post I have talked with Nick at Technical Assistance a couple of times. The conversation basically keeps coming down to the following points;

1. It should work

2. If it doesn't GM may have provided Actron the wrong information for this ECM

3. They don't know anything about 10K resistor that may be needed

4. They don't have a way to check the scanner on this exact vehicle / ECM and truely verify if it work or not work

5. I'm the first one on record to have reported a problem with reading data on this particular car with the scanner


From what Nick has told me using information he got from their engineer, the scanner is supposed to initially communicate with the ECM at 160 baud. It is then supposed to switch to reading data from the 8192 baud serial connection. I have some what verified this with information I found on a web site. According to the Actron engineer though, if the scanner cannot receive data on the 8192 baud connection it should still read it on the 160 baud connection. Only difference according to them is it would be slower (which makes sense). I haven't found any information that supports that theory. And in any case it doesn't work anyway.

With all of the vehicles out there with this same ECM it is kind of hard to believe mine is the first report of an issue reading data with this scanner. I would really like to hear of anyone else besides the two of us having this problem.

I may talk to Nick again later this week or next week. He was going to try and get some more information from the engineer. If I get any more info. I will post it.


Chuck

dakleenupman

WHERE are they at? Why dont they ask GM?

chuck88iroc

They are in N.J. I believe. Nick, the guy I have talking with, has been great and I believe really been trying to help resolve the problem. That however seems to be where the help stops. During our last coversation he came right out and told me that since I am the only one that has reported this problem it is a very low priority for anyone in their engineering group to address.

Chuck

dakleenupman

Give me the contact info and I will call them too.

chuck88iroc

I got a call from them today. The company that owns Actron also owns AutoXray Inc. They are going to send me an equivalent scanner tool made by them to try. It probably won't get sent out till next week. I will post the results once I get it.

Like I have said before, their technical services department seems to really be trying to correct the issue. It just must be other areas of the company that don't support them maybe as well as they could when needed.

Chuck

dakleenupman

Yeah, let me know the results. Otherwise, get me that info and I will call them too!

chuck88iroc

I received the other unit earlier this week. The other day I got it connected to the car and it works. It seems to communicate with the ECM just fine.

What they sent was an EZ4000 scanner. Normally this unit only works with OBDII systems. However, they had the software from the EZ5000 scanner installed onto it. With this software it works with OBDI and II systems. My 9145 is still under warrenty so it is going back.

Chuck

dakleenupman

That is great news. What is wrong with your 9145 then? Obviously it is the unit not the car then. Let me know what they say about the 9145. I would hate to go and buy one if those do not work. I can rent them for free by me but if they do not work then.............

You could always give me the contact info as well and i will call them myself.

Chris

chuck88iroc

I'm sorry, I kept meaning to send their contact information but each time I wrote a reply I didn't have it with me. Here it is;

Phone: 1-800-228-7667
Email: tech_support@actron.com

I don't know what is with the 9145. It was sent back to them once to be checked out. No problems were found. They have offered to trade out the units. So I will keep the EZ4000 and send the 9145 back to them.

Chuck