mcanik Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 What would be a good code reader for my car? Not the cheap equus one either I need something that gives me a good digital reading. for a fair price 1991 GP LE 3.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Well.. um.. You don't need a reader to check codes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 paper clip, but if u want a code reader send me $35 and i'll send you a fancy bent up piece of thin metal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcanik Posted October 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Sorry. Let me rephrase I am looking for something that will give me my true speed digitally for 91. I realize I can take it to a shop and get it scanned cheaper than purchasing one but I would like to have my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manitcor Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 AFAIK ODBI has nothing in its specifaction for what you hoping for from the standard connector. The ODBI spec is purly for trasmitting error codes. You dont get things like speed, sensor readings and fuel level as the ODBI spec lacks an actual serial data interface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcanik Posted October 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 That kinda bites. Thanks anyway Mc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Wire in a HUD? lol. Actually.. Gearhead43 brought this scan tool over one time, and hooked it up to my GP. It told RPM, coolant temperature, and I SWEAR it said MPH too. I don't remember what that doohickey was called though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcanik Posted October 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 I thought there was one. I used to be a mechanic back in the early to mid 90's and snap-on had that red box thing that I swear read the speed on. that is too much for me to pay though. I was looking around $150-$250 to spend Actually.. Gearhead43 brought this scan tool over one time, and hooked it up to my GP. It told RPM, coolant temperature, and I SWEAR it said MPH too. I don't remember what that doohickey was called though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Look into a Tech I scanner, I'm not sure if they can read mph or not.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manitcor Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 I honestly could be wrong but the ODBI spec and most connectors only have 3 wires a power a ground and a singal wire. The singal sends pulses that equal various P codes ODBII adds 2 wires for a digital serial interface which is how you read data from the PCM in a detailed manner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 From what I understand, OBD-I has a serial data connection on the ALDL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihela816 Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 OBD I does have a serial data link, I can hook my laptop up with a cable. I know it reads MPH, and it's 2-way data cause I can change my idle speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearhead43 Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 it was one of those OBD1 tech scanners used back in the heyday of OBD1.. Got it from a GM tech who was selling his old stuff on ebay.. I believe I paid 100 bucks for it and it already had the GM Cartitridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 Catching up on old threads, Dave? I guess I missed this one last year, because I would have mentioned that yeah, the OBD1 cars do have a serial interface. You can buy an ALDL interface (usually about $40 or so) hook it up to a laptop, and get all the info you want including speed, tach, sensor readings, idle speed, everything. I built my own for less than $10 in parts plus a $20 molded ALDL cable. The $40 ones I've seen on eBay just have little pins you have to stick into the connector. I couldn't have figured out how to modify the MEMCAL in the 94 to work with a trip computer without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herb427sc Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 The SNAP-ON MT 2500 scanner works pretty good. Usually available on Ebay in the $200 range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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