Check engine light on

[Bri-Guy-GA]

Where do you guys go to get your codes checked? Nobody I stop at can read ODB 1.5. Do I nee do to go to the dealer?

[WhatTheFehl]

PepBoys

[Bri-Guy-GA]

Thanks. I am not really a fan of Pep Boys though. Any one else perhaps?

[alec_b]

Unless you want to pay a shop to read the codes, you need to go to pep boys. None of the other auto parts places have the correct scanner for OBD 1.5.

[WhatTheFehl]

Yup. PepBoys does it for free and they give you a printout (see attachment, mine from when I had my codes read not long after I bought the car). Pretty much your only other option is to get your own scanner or an ALDL cable to hook to your laptop.

[RobertISaar]

Pretty much your only other option is to get your own scanner or an ALDL cable to hook to your laptop.

 

the self-reliance part of me votes for this.

 

also, i could use the moneyz.:laugh:

[Galaxie500XL]

I've got an Actron CP-9110 I bought from Ebay...cost me $50.00. It works on my '93 Buick Century wagon, AND my '95 LQ1 Cutlass.

 

Hard to beat for the price.

 

I sprung for a second cartridge/cable ($39.00 online), and it works now with my '94 LeBaron convertible as well.

 

Not bad for less than $100 bucks...and the car doesn't have to be running in order to get it to the scanner at the parts store.

[Galaxie500XL]

One other advantage...you should have seen the look on the salesman's face when I pointed out the Cutlass Convertible I ultimately bought had issues, and pulled out a scantool.

 

I ended up getting the car for HALF of his original asking price, after receiving his permission to hook the scantool up, I had a laundry list of DTC's....none were serious, but he didn't know that..

[AL]

Advance Auto Parts can scan OBD 1.5

[slick]

I've got an Actron CP-9110 I bought from Ebay...cost me $50.00. It works on my '93 Buick Century wagon, AND my '95 LQ1 Cutlass.

 

Hard to beat for the price.

 

I sprung for a second cartridge/cable ($39.00 online), and it works now with my '94 LeBaron convertible as well.

 

Not bad for less than $100 bucks...and the car doesn't have to be running in order to get it to the scanner at the parts store.

 

 

I have the exact same setup (and I have the GM and Chrysler cartridge's as well lol), works amazing!

[Bri-Guy-GA]

I am not sure if I have ODB1 or 2 now. I have the rectangular plug, but my car is a 95. Actron is saying that ODB1.5 has the 'D' shaped connector, but was essentially ODB1. How do I tell which system I have?

[slick]

Obd 1.5

[xtremerevolution]

I am not sure if I have ODB1 or 2 now. I have the rectangular plug, but my car is a 95. Actron is saying that ODB1.5 has the 'D' shaped connector, but was essentially ODB1. How do I tell which system I have?

 

You can't. You just have to know that 95 w-bodies had OBD1.5.

 

Unless you want to get it done for free at pep boys, your only other option is to buy your own ALDL cable and hook up your laptop to get the codes. Talk to Robert for that.

[Galaxie500XL]

My CP-9110 reads it. My '95 has the square ALDL plug as well.

[RobertISaar]

i'm gonna explain it end-all:

 

94-95 GM vehicles had the possibility of using the OBD2 connector, but they are still an OBD1 computer and use OBD1 signaling protocalls. hell they even use a couple of the OBD2 DTCs, but they are still OBD1 and should be treated as such.

[WhatTheFehl]

Looking back, 94-95 were probably the two worst years to buy a GM (as far as computer scanning goes).

[RobertISaar]

Looking back, 94-95 were probably the two worst years to buy a GM (as far as computer scanning goes).

 

for consistency? yes.

 

for sheer amount of stuff in the datastream? fuck no. most have multiple datastreams and current DTCs, history DTCs, last keycycle DTCs, more sensors, capable of being flashed through the ALDL port etc, etc...

 

very few ECMs/PCMs before 94 had those capabilities

[Bri-Guy-GA]

The pep boys by me can't scan it unless I pay $89 for a full system check. Don't think I am going for that. Will check with NAPA and see if they can do anything. No luck finding that actron reader either.

[WhatTheFehl]

Your local PepBoys guys are trying to fuck you over. Mine will pull codes for free, even on OBD 1.5.

[dodgethis]

......and autozone won't scan it for you for free? They scanned mine with no problems, that's when I just bought me a scanner.

[Bri-Guy-GA]

I checked around and nobody has a scanner for anything other than ODB II. The check engine light isn't always on, seems to come on after the car has been running for a little bit. I was thinking O2, but wanted to scan it to find out first. Any ideas?

[WhatTheFehl]

Have you noticed any other patterns with the engine light? Speed? RPM? Does it come on when stopped or when moving? What kind of car/engine is it?

[Bri-Guy-GA]

It is a '95 GP SE with the 3.1. Seems to be more engine temp related. Won't be on when first started, but comes on after driving a few miles. Will occasionally go off, but comes back on. May just have it plugged in at garage near my office for $80.

[AL]

80 bucks! Screw that! Places do it for free!

[RobertISaar]

send me $45 + shipping and you'll be able to scan it free forever, so long as you have a laptop with either a serial port or a USB port.