Phew! This is a lot of reading. If anyone can answer my questions it would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to start small with just getting the data logging to work, then move to burning my own proms.

1) I realize I need a cable. I see some people saying "for the 165 ecm it has to have a 10 ohm resistor jumpered across terminals A and B". Do I have this ecm? If so, which cable do you recomend? (isnt that resistor built into the cable?) I was thinking of going this route:

http://www.moates.net/product_info.p...products_id=50

http://www.moates.net/product_info.p...products_id=49

2) I plan on using the WinALDL software. Is this a good choice?

3 I also read people using scanners like auto x-ray, puts the ecm into "field service mode" which screws with the electronic spark control and causes some knock. Is there a chance of this happening using a laptop and WinALDL software?

4) And most importantly, is there any way I could kill/screw up anything in my car by doing this? People say just plug it in and start the car, but I read a post of vaders saying this could be damaging. Should I have the car running, then plug it in to start the data stream?


Sorry for the long post,


Thanks

 

1) Yes, that will work. Those two are what I use for both my 91 and 86. Of course your laptop must have a USB port. And yes, that cable has a switch on it to enable the resistor to make it connect. I find that it connects to my 92 with the '730 much more easily/reliably than on my '165 Iroc.
2) I haven't tried WinALDL yet, but I do use TunerPro.
3) Dunno, never used one.
4) Dunno, interesting.... I'd like to hear the answer on this one. I've never heard that, but Vader would know 1000x better than me. I believe you can just turn the key forward to on without starting it and it should be able to connect.

 

i know what you mean, i did all that reading on this stuff last year, i still go back over it now. im starting to get a handle on it,.. i think

i never really used WinALDL, so i know nothing about it.
on some of the older ECMs, there is a data mode that comes up on like the snap-on mt2500 & other scanners that says "DO NOT drive", just what all goes on during this mode i don't know.

you said you want to get into burning your own chips, the AutoProm does it all, reads, burns, data logs, real time emulation, & it comes with Mark's TunerPro RT, a very nice program.
maybe instead of spending money on the other things, $80.00 bucks on what you posted to, hold off & save that cash & save up to get the AutoProm instead.
it's not exactly cheap, but i think well worth it. i spent a little over $400.00 for all the stuff i got, AutoProm USB, EX6, G3, & a HDR1.
Craig is great with answering any questions you may have on his stuff,.
i love mine, i wish i had gotten it sooner, i won't give it up, my friends think its amazing the things i can do with it.