new87

A DMM (Digital Multi-Meter)! After 3 long days of tring to find missing spark, I borrowed the DMM from the fire station and found the problem. The problem was an open connection in one of the connectors to the coil. I put slight presure on the wire and it pulled right out of the connector. Moral of the story if you are going to work on your own EFI car make sure you have one of these in your tool box.

2.73's Suck

yep!, how did you adjust your tps without it???

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I've found that my auto x-ray is far more valuable than a multimeter. In fact, I almost never use a multimeter now. I can check my TPS voltage right from the scan tool without popping the hood.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

yep.Yep gota love a laptop and scann software.

2.73's Suck

oh yea, i want one of those but right now with no job all my beans go for gas

Ed Maher

BAh, screw auto x-ray and pony up for a cheap old laptop computer. Easily can be had for about the same price or less than auto x-ray and a lot more user friendly and overall useful with datalogging / etc.

kevinc

I'd say slowmaro is about the most impotent tool working on EFI cars I've seen yet...

(couldn't help playing off that typo)

2.73's Suck

ive got an awsome laptop, would i just need the aldl cable and software?

1bad91Z

iTrader: (1)

Yep, AKM cable and Datamaster software is all you need to transform your laptop into a full function scanner. Or for little to no money at all, you can build a 2 transistor cable and use Craig Moates free software to accomplish the same thing.

2.73's Suck

where can i find that stuff? wouldnt i need the thing to plug into the data port (on the car), im sure i couldnt get that at radio shack, also i found the cable and software on ebay for 40 bucks is that a good deal?

CamaroDoug

I am considering purchasing an autoxray ezscan 5000. Any opinions?
I have also seen several diagrams for the winaldl and moates software with slightly different types of cables. Where is the easiest to follow design for someone with no experience with building that kind of stuff?

91 rs camaro
TBI and new crate 350
I also will be using the scanner on other cars if I get it.

new87

One thing though, Auto X-ray will not find the location of a short or an open. You still need a DMM to find the the missing voltage the Auto X-ray didnt see.

shaggy56

I found this cable simplest to build and works with 8192 baud ecms. For the price you can build a few for what the akm cable costs. Radioshack has all the parts.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

I built a radioshack one and still ended up buyin another AKM cable once I sold my 1st one..

For the $$ his cable is well worth it.. and I use a old 486dx laptop
Ive messed with winalda , datamaster and Craigs software..

shaggy56

What made you buy one? Why didnt you just make another?

rockind78

This is what I did, however, I find that I am the only one using Diacom these days. Why is that? Anyhow, if you go this route, make sure you get a laptop with a sound HD. Mine failed about a week after I got it.

bigals87z28

i have a 386 laptop that needs a overhaul... do you think i could use that?

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

me bein lazy and didnt feel like making one. $55bucks and a few clicks away with paypal I had a nive new one in a few days.




Yes a 386 would work also..

cunawarit

I have a 1990 IROC-Z with a 305 TPI. What cable do I need? I have been looking at Craig Moates' ALDL monitor program, I take it that will work with my car, right?...

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

You can either make your own cable or goto

http://www.akmcables.com/ic.htm

e-mail andrew or order it on the site....

You need a obd1 style...

bigals87z28

sweeeeeeeet... now i just need to get it fixed and then i can use this cripe... the software will work with windows 3.1 or do i need to load 95?

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

i loaded win95 on it just to mess with other stuff. but craigs software is actually a dos base IFR right...

whats wrong with your laptop. might be cheaper to buy one.
if its just a battery do like I did., I tore my battery apart. hard wired it to a lighter plug and bammmm done... plug the laptop right into the car and Im good to go.

bigals87z28

well i had her up and running, turned it off, and turned it back on and nothing happen. Had a disk drive failure. So if i can get a 1gig or .5gig(dunno?) forthe laptop i would probably load 3.1 there again. Im concerned about memory space and my major condcern, which you brought up, is the battery. the laptop is so old(early 90's is old), i guess the battery wont hold a charge anymore. the battery is HUGE.. the like an 1/3 the size of the laptop, and this laptop is thich, but compact. It has like a 7 inch screen, if that much. I wana use it cause i have it and have very limited funds and im trying to do the impossible and build up my 305. a nice aldl scanner would come in handy with working out the bugs in my new heads/cam/exhaust/etc package. thanks,

also, how did you get the lp to run on 12 volt power?

SBlackfoot

Win95 on a 386 laptop would work, but it'd be a painful experience at best.

That's all well and good if your laptop battery was around 14v (the engine will be running, right?), but it's not exactly a consistant 14v. Personally I'd use a DC/AC inverter then plug the laptop's A/C adaptor into that. A far clunkier setup but at least the laptop would survive.

So this two transistor schematic is known to work with out cars then eh? There are several diagrams out there with varying success with each.

bigals87z28

yea, im gunna use an inverter too... i guess ill run it off 3.1. I can just imagie windowns 95 on a 40meg hard drive, 32 ram, and *** knows what else they put in these things in the early 90's...

SBlackfoot

32 meg ram in the early nineties would have been unheard of.

I think Microsoft spec'ed four meg ram minimum for Win95. I have it running on several 486 laptops with eight meg ram and it's rather sad. lol These'll make fine ALDL machines though, if I ever bother to make the cables.

cunawarit

cool, thanks

1bad91Z

iTrader: (1)

rockind78 - you are only one of the few who use Diacom, because it's WAY to expensive for what it is.

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

I used DIACOM + and its Junk compaired to Craigs FREE SOFTWARE.

2.73's Suck

i went to the site for craigs software and i was confused on which one to download, which is the best one for a beginner?

shaggy56

Datamaster is pretty cool to checkout to if you havent yet. They give you a demo run for just about all cars.

rockind78

I paid $100...too much???? I guess compared to the Craig Moates software that would be a yes???

FSTFBDY

iTrader: (33)

did you buy it used then? New D+ is $500ish

and No better Then Craigs software except you can use D+ on tons of diff. cars etc.. Thats the ONLY + it has over craigs

rockind78

Yeah,

I got it off Ebay. The main reason I use the Diacom is because my TPI project isn't running yet. I just figured it would work for that too once I do have it running. I do however use it for my '95 Buick Regal when it's having issues. I don't have anything to compare it to, as I have never used anything else, but I find it quite handy.

mdricken

That's easy....

A Carburetor and a trash can!!!