I have been trying to connect to my 88 Iroc L98,,,with tunerpro RT. I have followed the step by step instructions from Moates website, I downloaded the ADS file needed for my 165 ecm, plugged that into tunerpro RT per instructions, the ALDL says it's connected at the bottom of the screen, but over to the left it says "not emulating" and nothing is working. Keep in mind I am simply just trying to watch engine vitals at this point.
So I read some more and find that some of the older 165 ecms (pre 89) have difficulty and I may need to upgrade to 89 (6E) code.
I am not exactly sure what this is. I am aware that in 89 the cold start injector was eliminated so some tuning variables will be different, and I don't think my 88 would run properly with an 89 tune up in it.
Does this mean I need a different chip in my car just to get tunerpro RT up and running? Could someone explain to me step by step what I would have to do to aquire and install an 89 (6E) chip, code, bin or whatever this thing is? I am in the dark with this. Please help,,,,if shooting me an e-mail is easier for you, hotrodjones@fuse.net,,,thanks, Larry.

 

If you are only trying to scan the ALDL stream, and tunerpro RT says "connected" in the little blue box, then you are connected. Thats it. Now go to the "D" button near the middle top of the screen and click on it. You should see six boxes open up. Right clicking on any box will let you select what you want to view in that box. The "V" button will display the "Values" page, the "F" button displays the "flags" page, and the "M" button displays the "monitors page", where you can right click on any one of those fields and change it to display whatever you want too.

If you dont see any data displayed, the go to the "setup ALDL/Datalogging and make sure you have the correct files selected, and that it says "autoprom", not max232.

Or, you can select "max 232" and set the horizontal switch to the right on the Autoprom and it should work that way too. Just make sure you select a Com port that matches your laptop.

 

If you're running your stock 1988 code, which is mask $32B, then you need to use 1227165_160baud.ads. It is included in the TunerPro download (in the "Datastreams" folder).

Once you've configured TunerPro to use either passthrough mode ("MAX232" as the interface type and the AutoProm's horizontal switch away from the USB port) or AutoProm mode (horizontal switch towards the USB port and TunerPro configured with "AutoProm" as the interface type), then load ads file, connect the cable between your car and the computer, open the dashboard or value list (the 'D' or 'V' buttons in the toolbar), turn your key on (engine on or engine off, your choice) and hit the connect button.

If you're getting valid data, you'll see the Throttle Position move in the values list when you pump the throttle.

If you want faster data, load a $6E bin onto a chip and place it in your ECM. Your car should run fine off of it, assuming you start with a bin to match your configuration (i.e. auto or manual).

 

Okay guys, I went back out tonight and hooked everything up just to double check.
I have the correct 165 ecm ADS file in the tunerpro loaded in, when I go to Tools/ALDL-Datalogging and browse to check it, it's all listed in there.
I checked the com ports, I have port 4 listed,,,,I only have 2 ports on the back of the lap top,,,I have switched the plug from one to the other with no changes in results.
I have the APU1 horizontal switch to the inside and I selected Autoprom for a datalogging device type.
The ALDL says not connected so I go back up to Tools/ALDL-Datalogging section and select connect and then the ALDL at the bottom of the screen says connected, so that much is good,,,,I turn on the key and click on the big V at the top of the screen and see throttle position sensor, coolant temp, etc....but they are all zero and not moving. I start the car, still nothing, Just all zeros. I notice over to the bottom left of the screen it says "not emulating" but it still says ALDL connected over to the lower right. There are a couple words in the bottom middle that I can't recall but they both say not working either. So what gives? I am connected but receiving no data? I am at a loss here,,,,very frustrating to say the least. Any other ideas? Please help, Many thanks for the responses,,,,Larry.

 

How about the vertical switch, did you start with it "up" ? Then you move it to the middle position when data starts flowing on a 165'.

 

With 160 baud, TunerPro will report "connected" kinda falsely. What it means is that TunerPro is listening for 160 baud data (160 baud data is passively acquired, rather than requested as it is with 8192).

You might also try connecting with 1227165_6E.ads and your $32B. Some say that $32B is 8192 baud.

 

Okay I played with it for a while, I have 3 different bins downloaded and installed into the tunerpro,,,one is the 165 6E code, one is the 165 32B, and the other is 165 baud and says 87-88 etc.
I have tried connecting with all of them. The 6E code is the only one that even says it's connected to the ALDL and thats not even the right one for the car But it still doesn't give me any data, everything is zero and it says not emulating at the bottom left.
The other 2 bins I have tried to connect with, 32B, and BAUD, are more suited to my car as far as description and year, but they don't even connect at all no data, no nothing. I am at my wits end,,,,I can't even datalog let alone tune on the fly and burn chips. I hate to think what that is going to be like since the first step is such a hurdle. I feel like I have spent $400 on a pile of stuff I will never use now. Anyone live near Cincinnati? I don't know, I may try to mess with it some more later tonight if I get back into the mood,,,,,,Larry.

 

Classic case of thinking more expensive stuff is better. It is a common trap for Newbies. Now you have to worry about version XX firmware all of the time because that thing was released before it's time. Always wondering.......is it my APU1, my USB driver, my PROM, my ECM. And on top of that, you need to actual learn how to tune PROMs with all of that other irrelevent stuff to worry about.

Buy a $100 Prom burner and $20 ALDL cable. Problem solved. The best design is the most simple design. You probably don't want to hear this, but it is true.

 

$100 dollar prom burner? Are you talking about those hand held tuner boxes that simply burn a certain tune into the car? I am not interested in that. I want to be able to tweak the smaller things, fan temps, timing and fuel variables etc....if I wanted the cheap and easy way out I would have bought a Hypertech chip and called it a day. But what good is that, they still don't have the fans coming on when I want among other things. I would not have been happy.
What I bought I don't consider expensive or better, but more options is what I was really after since it will also do my wifes 82 jeep with a 96 LT-1 drivetrain, I just have to download the software and the APU1 will hook right up to it. I will then be able to pull codes from the LT-1, scan engine vitals and flash in a different computer tune if I so desire. So this was for more than just one car in my case. A wise investment if you ask me. I just have to get past the quirks and figure out how to use it. Knowing what to tune on an engine is not a problem for me, been doing that for 20+ years with carbs and still do, but doing it with a computer is another story. I am willing to learn though and I have the time. With the knowledgeable folks here I am sure I will eventually find my way. Moates has also been a big help as well.
Once I get this thing to recognize the car I suspect things will start getting easier. Larry.

 

Larry -

Try this:

1) Load your stock chip into your ECM (and make sure your car runs as expected)
2) Set the horizontal switch on the back of the AutoProm towards the outside (away from the USB port) and the vertical switch in the UP position
3) Hook up the ALDL connector to your ALDL port on your vehicle and to the AutoProm
4) Hook the AutoProm to your PC via the USB
5) Start TunerPro (the AutoProm will NOT be connected in this mode)
6) Load 1227165_6E.ads
7) In preferences->ALDL/Emu, set the interface type to MAX232
8) Set the COM port to the COM port your AutoProm is installed on (COM4 or COm5, usually)
9) Hit "Test ALDL cable using settings" button in preferences and ensure that the ALDL interface is found. If not, try a different COM port
10) Click OK in preferences and turn your key on
11) Hit the "Connect" button in ALDL Setup (or on the toolbar)
12) If it doesn't connect on the first try, give it 1 or 2 more attempts.

If you want to get adventurous, load a 6E bin into your ECM and attempt to connect with that. If your car doesn't have VATS, you'll need to disable VATS in the bin before uploading it.

 

I guess I am just old school then. It does 96 LT1 OBDII? I guess it is worth a look for me too. Just download the software and "hook right up". What are the odds???

I think I will stop posting now. Good luck.

 

Come on now, be nice and welcoming.

Larry - what Junk is hinting at is that neither the AutoProm nor TunerPro will work with OBDII setups ('96 is OBDII). You are correct, though, that with some patience (which even Junk had to have at one point), things should start coming together for you regarding the vehicle we're discussing in this thread.

 

Although my wifes jeep has a 96 LT-1 drivetrain in it, it is controlled by a 95 F-body computer and a harness made by Howell. So it is actually OBD 1,,,,with the software downloades this APU1 will work on that vehicle as well, all I needed was an extra $30 cable, no big deal.

Soooooo, to answer your question junk,,,,it will do more than one vehicle for me, worth the money when I figure out how to use it. Larry.

 

Anyway Mangus, thanks for the in depth description on your post, that helps me alot, most won't do that on here.
I will go out and give that a shot as soon as I get off of here.
Just to make sure we are on the same page, my vehicle still has the stock chip in it, never been removed. My goal is to simply read the variables and see how things are, then maybe try some on the fly tuning and see what happens, and lastly, chip burning.
I will give this much a try though and report back later,,,,,many thanks Mangus,,,,,Larry.

 

Well Mangus, I did exactly as you said, changed to max232 and tried different COM ports while testing the ALDL connection. Turns out that COM 3 works and it recognized that port.
In the end though I hit connect and it is doing something a little different,,,,it actually says "connecting" and it takes 5-7 seconds then says "connection failed" I tried 3-4 more times but still the same thing. It just doesn't want to connect for some reason.
A question to your other suggestion,,,you mention loading a 6E bin into my ecm,,,,are you talking about changing the chip to some other tune?
Is this my last option? Changing the tune up in the car before I can even datalog? Larry.

 

Yeah, for some reason I it turned into pick on him day for me. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did somehow. I guess it was because he seemed out of patience......so I kind of reacted the same way.

Anyway, If you don't mind the steep learning curve in the beginning and like toying with electronics stuff then jumping into more advanced tuning / electronics will be benefit for you since you can use it on more than one vehicle. Nice run-on there.

FWIW, I could never get $32B code to connect to anything that logged ALDL data at 8192.

 

See, me neither! But then Ray Quale in England absolutely insists that his Vette will connect at 8192, and that it is $32B. He even sent me the bin. Also, datastream A029, which corresponds to $32 and $32B, suggests that it IS 8192, so maybe he's right. Yet neither you nor I have had success at 8192. I don't get it.

This is why I suggested Larry try 8192.

Larry - one more thing. Now that you have the COM port and the AutoProm set up, do everything I listed above, but try it with 1227165_160baud.ads instead. Now, it will say connected, but it won't actually be connected until you see valid data in the dash/lists. Let me know if you're able to get data. If not, I might suspect the ALDL connection on the vehicle side.

 

HI MANGUS, Im not going to hijack this thread but later on im going to need your help pleeeeeze. I have also purchased an APU1 to do some tuning on my 91-Z, but like firebird I am really struggeling with this thing, I have a friend that is very good on computers and I actually have the tuning thing down, but just want to do some data logging and get a good look at things before I start trying to change anything, but we are having a very hard time getting this thing to work, we have hooked everything up the way it is susposed to be but to no avail. Well anyway if it will be o.k. I would like to get with you later for some help, I will start a new thread or send you a PM. Thanks so much for your help.

 

For a '91 Z28 you'll need to load 1227730.ads. Same settings apply to you - Horizontal switch away from the USB port and TunerPro set to MAX232, or horizontal switch towards the USB port and TunerPro set to AutoProm. For the 7730 the vertical switch can be in the center. If in MAX232 mode, make sure you have the COM port set correctly.

 

I won't even try to repeat what Mark wrote.(copy/paste more likely)
I have to look at my APU1 every time one of these threads comes up.
Mine has been on the same settings for a few years. So I don't really know what the correct settings are. Occasionally I have to reset TP.
But that's the first thing I look at since I'm on a USB.
That said, The APU1 will connect very easy to a 7730.
IF it won't, then you have something set incorrectly.
Either a switch or in TP.
----------
For going to 6E.
All you need to do is find the appropriate/desired 6E bin for your car.
Unhook the CSI relay.
And burn a chip with the 6E bin.

 

Goodmorning Mangus,,,,I am going to try this again this morning with the 1227165_160baud.ads that you suggested. Hoping everything goes well.
I am pretty sure the ALDL is good on the cars side,,,,not too long ago I had my buddies Mac Tool scanner hooked up to it watching data and everything worked fine on the scanner. Wish me luck, I will check back in with results shortly. Thanks again Mangus,,,,Larry.

 

I tried it but to no avail. It does say aldl connected when I try with the 1227165_160baud.ads file,,,,but it still doesn't log any data,,,at the bottom it says no hardware found, not emulating. I went back to the 6E 8192 ads file just for the heck of it,,,in that mode it tries to connect for several seconds then says connection failed.
Do I have to burn a different chip with a 6E code and put that in the car just so this Tunerpro RT will link up? I will need some in depth help for that,,,lol. Not sure what to try next.

I am going to take the family out for some breakfast his morning and run some errands, I will check back this afternoon,,,,thanks for all the help so far Mangus, you have gotten me much farther along,,,,Larry.

 

Per the instructions Mangus posted, with the horizontal switch to the right (away from the USB plug) Tunerpro is supposed to say "hardware not found". With the switch in that position, the Autoprom is in bypass mode, not emulating. In this mode you dont need a bin loaded into Tunerpro, nor do you need the ribbon cable attached to the ECM. You only need the ALDL to Autoprom cable, and the Autoprom to laptop cable attached. This mode is strictly for scanning. You cannot make changes to the ECM's calibration in this mode.

Only in Autoprom mode will you get a "hardware found" displayed. This mode is for emulating, and you would need all cables attached, and "autoprom" selected rather than the "max232", and the horizontal switch would be moved to the left, or towards the USB plug. This mode will scan and emulate.

This wont get you connected, but I hope it helps.

 

If the key is on and you indeed have everything connected and configured as described and you can't connect with either ADS, then I'm skeptical that your ECM isn't in limp home mode. Does the car run well? Do you have access to a handheld scanner that you can try to get data with?

Again, if the car is running well and as-expected, then the only other thing that comes to mind is an electrical disconnect between the ECM and ALDL cable.

 

SB nova, you said something that caught my attention, with the horizontal switch to the right, I don't need to connect but should be able to scan? What screen do you look at for scanning? Are you talking about just clicking on the large letters at the top like V for values etc....?
What really caught my attention was when you said you also don't need the ribbon cable hooked up,,,,I have not had that hooked up yet. Is this something that needs to be hooked up to do what I have been trying to do,,,with the horizontal switch towards the inside?
Yes Mangus the car runs great, fuel mileage is super, car went a best of 13.92 at 99 mph with only exhaust and rocker arms,,,still with 2.77 gears and stock rubber. I do have access to a Mac tool scanner, a buddy of mine has one. I can hook that up again for giggles if you think I should. If for nothing else to just make sure the ALDL is still operational.
Could you guys enlighten me more about this ribbon cable? I thought it was for burning chips or something so I never gave it any thought yet, since I wasn't ready for that step. I will kick myself in the rear if you guys tell me it's needed to link up to the ecm for datalogging Larry.

 

No, the ribbon is at no point needed for logging. Only for emulation. Some documentation should have come with the AutoProm explaining this and the various modes of operation. If not, it's on Moates' site.

 

Morning Mangus,,,,,Moates sent me an e-mail and suggested that I burn a new chip to install, then see if I can datalog with tunerpro. He even sent me a bin to try and burn into a chip.
Just in case it goes this far,,,would you mind explaining to me how exactly I would burn this into a chip? I can handle downloading the file to a thumb drive or something of that sorts and transferring it to my lap top if necessary, but from there I am not sure. I guess Tunerpro RT has a prom burning function?

Also just for giggles, I am going to snag tunercat and Datamaster to use for my wifes LT-1, and see if I can link up to her computer, I have a feeling it will be smoother since this Iroc has been giving us all fits. Thanks, Larry.