ALDL cable issues

[Nas Escobar]

So I bought a Red Devil River ALDL cable for my Cutlass Supreme. It came with the CD but when I popped it in the CD player, it was... blank. Windows kept asking me what I wanted to do with a blank disk.

 

I thought to myself.. no problem, I'll just install a driver from the interwebz... So I downloaded a driver from aldlcable.com, and it worked with ALDL Test V230 but once I started using WinALDL, I get nothing... no data stream, no info, no info at all. I downloaded ElanScan and TunerPro and the same thing happened.

 

So I'm at a loss here... what can I do to get this cable to work and give me the data on the ECU? I already emailed the person that sold the cable to me about the issue, but other than that, is there any way I can use this cable?

[RobertISaar]

winALDL is 160 baud only.

 

tunerpro(with the correct ADX) should work for you.

 

is your CS a 3100 or 3.4?

[Schurkey]

Why not contact the folks that made the cable and the defective CD, and ask them directly?

 

http://www.reddevilriver.com/aldl.html

[Nas Escobar]

winALDL is 160 baud only.

 

tunerpro(with the correct ADX) should work for you.

 

is your CS a 3100 or 3.4?

 

3.4 and it's a 1994. I know the cable fits the ALDL connector because I didn't have to force it in or anything outlandish, so I know I don't have the OBD 2 connector.

 

I should probably also mention that the USB cable has 2 small "resistor pins" but idk what that exactly does in my application. I know the feature that it does, but not sure if I need to set it a certain way for my application.

 

Also, how do I go about getting the right ADX? I already have tunerpro installed on my laptop.

 

Why not contact the folks that made the cable and the defective CD, and ask them directly?

 

http://www.reddevilriver.com/aldl.html

 

 

 

I already emailed the person that sold the cable to me about the issue, but other than that, is there any way I can use this cable?

 

"Person" isn't always a human being, plus I bought it off eBay from the username "reddevilriver". As far as I know, they're the same people that own the red devil river site.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Nas Escobar

[RobertISaar]

that would be Timm, same person.

 

anyways, here is the correct ADX for the 94-95 LQ1 cars.

 

http://wikisend.com/download/286762/2E.adx

[Nas Escobar]

Sweet... now for the slow part....

 

uhm, how do I load this onto Tunerpro? Is it just a "import file" type of thing, or is there anything special I need to do? I want to have my laptop ready for tomorrow when I try this again and hoping that the cable will work.

[RobertISaar]

two ways, either double-click the ADX file and TP should load it by default, or when in tunerpro, click acquisition on the menu bar, load definition file and go navigate to it.

[Nas Escobar]

All right, so I got it loaded. Should the cable work now, or is there a missing piece of the puzzle?

[RobertISaar]

assuming you have the correct COM port selected in tunerpro preferences, should be good to connect/record.

 

you'll obviously want to have at least one of the displays selected and viewable to confirm data coming through, the Values view is what i use most often.

[Nas Escobar]

Thanks for your help Robert. I now see what the ECU is doing in my laptop.

 

I should probably also state I bought the cable to see why my car kept surging as I started it up. I'm trying to leave the LIM as a last resort just if in case the car has something else wrong...

 

I have so far changed the MAF and while I first reported that I didn't see any results, since that swap, my car has started a lot easier now, yet it still surges.

 

I don't feel I have the hang of tunerpro yet, but I did manage to get to the code history. Luckily, the SES light also triggered right now. (I'm posting from my laptop). So it turns out that codes it's throwing now is P0131 HO2S LEAN and P0325 KNOCK SENSOR CIRCUIT.

 

Where does that take me now, other than swapping out the o2 sensors?

[RobertISaar]

both of those can cause surging issues, among other drivability problems.

 

P0131 will likely cause the PCM to run in open-loop fueling at all times and ignore the O2 sensor.

P0325 should cause a default amount of retard to be in effect at all times, this is usually pretty pronounced at idle, tends to be kind of choppy, and engine isn't anywhere near as responsive as it should be. down on power and MPGs as well.

[Nas Escobar]

After the SES trigger, I noticed on the screen with the gauges, that it said "LOOP STATUS OPEN". I assume the trigger of P0131 caused this? I ran the engine for 25 minutes, and drove it in my neighborhood then parked it again. In that time frame, the knock counter rose to 3, which I assume means the engine knocked 3 times or prevented knocking 3 times.

 

Also define "down on power"... I recently drove this car from Washington DC to Asheboro NC then Raleigh NC before driving back up to DC. This was a time frame of 2 days, and while driving, the engine rested for 1 - 1 1/2 hours and ran for 2 to 3 hours. Within that time frame, sometimes the engine would run at 3500 rpm @ 70 mph other times it would run normally at 2200 rpm. Sometimes I had to cool off the engine to get it to idle right, something that has happened for a while now, before this trip. I notice this usually happens while I do city driving - my engine won't run smooth at 2200 if I've been driving in local roads once I head onto the interstate. Not sure if related, but in the past, this car has triggered the trans range switch, and not sure if that relates to the mentioned problem. I haven't ever seen the SES light triggered while driving on the interstate.

[Galaxie500XL]

If you determine you need to swap out the O2 sensors, may as well take care of the LIM at the same time...my experience with my LQ1 was that the only reasonable way to replace the O2 sensor was to remove the plenum--if you've gone that far, may as well do both at the same time.

[RobertISaar]

knowing me, i would do rear plugs at the same time as the O2 and LIM.

 

anyways, knock counter is how many times the knock sensor and filter determined that knock happened since startup. watching how much retard is being applied is also a good indicator of how "strong" of a knock it was.

 

sounds like you're also having trans issues.... 3500 at 70 sounds like 3rd gear.

[Galaxie500XL]

"HO2S LEAN and P0325 KNOCK SENSOR CIRCUIT."

 

 

I'm leaning toward a vacuum leak. Generally, when O2 sensors get old, they get lazy, and report lean, which then leads to the mixture getting enriched. But, a large enough leak will make the mixture lean regardless of how much fuel gets added...and a lean mixture is prone to misfire and knock, if that makes sense.

 

EDIT:

 

But I'd make sure there aren't other leaks first. Those plastic vacuum lines weren't the greatest thing when new, and now they're a couple of decades old.

 

If you're doing a LIM, I'd also make a point of replacing the "0" rings at the injectors with new ones...they're a possible leak source, and you'll have to remove the fuel rail anyway in order to do the LIM gaskets..

Edited January 14, 2014 by Galaxie500XL

[Nas Escobar]

knowing me, i would do rear plugs at the same time as the O2 and LIM.

 

anyways, knock counter is how many times the knock sensor and filter determined that knock happened since startup. watching how much retard is being applied is also a good indicator of how "strong" of a knock it was.

 

sounds like you're also having trans issues.... 3500 at 70 sounds like 3rd gear.

 

So the o2 sensors are under the manifold?

 

Well the thing with the trans is that it's a "sometimes" type of thing... The trans isn't having problems shifting, but I know the engine idles at 2000 RPM when I shift to neutral after driving for a bit. It won't go down from there.

 

I also know sometime in its past it's triggered P0735 - Trans Range Switch. Tunerpro is detecting the car in 4th (D), but I'll have to see how that turns out.

 

"HO2S LEAN and P0325 KNOCK SENSOR CIRCUIT."

 

 

I'm leaning toward a vacuum leak. Generally, when O2 sensors get old, they get lazy, and report lean, which then leads to the mixture getting enriched. But, a large enough leak will make the mixture lean regardless of how much fuel gets added...and a lean mixture is prone to misfire and knock, if that makes sense.

 

EDIT:

 

But I'd make sure there aren't other leaks first. Those plastic vacuum lines weren't the greatest thing when new, and now they're a couple of decades old.

 

If you're doing a LIM, I'd also make a point of replacing the "0" rings at the injectors with new ones...they're a possible leak source, and you'll have to remove the fuel rail anyway in order to do the LIM gaskets..

 

 

I figured that's what knocking was, I didn't know what the engine was doing to trigger the SES because all I knew was the engine would boggle down to 500 then trigger the SES, then run normally. Of course, this wasn't with loads of turning on, surging then turning off.

Edited January 14, 2014 by Nas Escobar

[Galaxie500XL]

Nas, the O2 sensor is on top of the downpipe, but about the only way to reach it is with the plenum removed. Done two on my car over the years, and there isn't much room in that area to go from any different direction.

 

Idling at 2000 RPM doesn't sound good, I had a bad TPS create that problem for me before, and I've seen more than one LQ1 where the "ears" on the cruise control and throttle cable were bad..when they start sliding to the outside of the bracket, toward the front of the car, they tend to hold the throttle open. At the moment, I've got zip ties holding mine in place.

So the o2 sensors are under the manifold?

 

Well the thing with the trans is that it's a "sometimes" type of thing... The trans isn't having problems shifting, but I know the engine idles at 2000 RPM when I shift to neutral after driving for a bit. It won't go down from there.

 

I also know sometime in its past it's triggered P0735 - Trans Range Switch. Tunerpro is detecting the car in 4th (D), but I'll have to see how that turns out.

[Nas Escobar]

Nas, the O2 sensor is on top of the downpipe, but about the only way to reach it is with the plenum removed. Done two on my car over the years, and there isn't much room in that area to go from any different direction.

 

Idling at 2000 RPM doesn't sound good, I had a bad TPS create that problem for me before, and I've seen more than one LQ1 where the "ears" on the cruise control and throttle cable were bad..when they start sliding to the outside of the bracket, toward the front of the car, they tend to hold the throttle open. At the moment, I've got zip ties holding mine in place.

 

OK, I guess I might as well get the LIM gaskets and the o2 sensor then. How many does the LQ1 have, and does it matter if it's labeled "Upstream" or "Downstream" by the parts store?

 

I swapped the TPS twice and it does nothing. The idle at 2000 RPM only happens when I shift from "D" to neutral. If I hold the brake on D at a stop light, it idles around 800/1000 but it shakes as if the car wants to shut off (which I assume is the byproduct of the fact that the car runs lean.

 

I'll check those cables, because honestly, I feel that the 2000 RPM idle thing and the 3500 at 70mph thing are related because the car doesn't always do 70 at 3500. This has only started happening when the engine's surging problem got worse.

[Galaxie500XL]

You mention an ALDL cable, so I'm assuming your car is a '95 or older, in which case, you have one. '96-up OBDII cars get two, one upstream, and one downstream. I bought my last two from Rockauto, bought the GM sensor, and spent a little over $30.00 each time. I seem to recall the last LIM I did, I had to buy separate gasket sets for the LIM, and for the plenum. Would be a good time, too, to look at the rear valve cover, and regasket it if it's leaking--mine was.

OK, I guess I might as well get the LIM gaskets and the o2 sensor then. How many does the LQ1 have, and does it matter if it's labeled "Upstream" or "Downstream" by the parts store?

 

I swapped the TPS twice and it does nothing. The idle at 2000 RPM only happens when I shift from "D" to neutral. If I hold the brake on D at a stop light, it idles around 800/1000 but it shakes as if the car wants to shut off (which I assume is the byproduct of the fact that the car runs lean.

 

I'll check those cables, because honestly, I feel that the 2000 RPM idle thing and the 3500 at 70mph thing are related because the car doesn't always do 70 at 3500. This has only started happening when the engine's surging problem got worse.

[Nas Escobar]

You mention an ALDL cable, so I'm assuming your car is a '95 or older, in which case, you have one. '96-up OBDII cars get two, one upstream, and one downstream. I bought my last two from Rockauto, bought the GM sensor, and spent a little over $30.00 each time. I seem to recall the last LIM I did, I had to buy separate gasket sets for the LIM, and for the plenum. Would be a good time, too, to look at the rear valve cover, and regasket it if it's leaking--mine was.

 

Yup, its a 94. I've brought this issue up before in my other thread. I wanted to make sure it wasn't something else before I got involved in that job, and I'm glad I did since I might have ended up taking out the o2 sensor afterwards regardless.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_premium-oxygen-sensor-bosch_3480097-p?navigationPath=L1*14932|L2*16465|L3*16466#

 

This is the o2 sensor I'm considering buying. I get a discount with Advance, so I guess I can get it to $30. I never really hear good things about Bosch. Would it be better to get the Denso one instead?

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_oxygen-sensor--direct-fit-denso_20475268-p?navigationPath=L1*14932|L2*16465|L3*16466

 

Also, to clarify, there's no downstream sensor? I always thought o2 sensors came before and after the Cat.

 

This gasket set says the "upper" is included. From the pictures, is it really included? I always thought the UIM also had 2 sets of gaskets.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_intake-manifold-gasket-set-felpro_19781636-p?searchTerm=lower+intake+manifold+gasket

[Galaxie500XL]

Downstream sensors didn't generally get used on GM stuff until the implementation of OBDII. I don't have any experience with Denso O2 sensors on the LQ1, so I'll defer to others here on the list. The gasket set shows the LIM gaskets, the "0" ring for sealing the water passage going to the throttle body, AND the plenum gasket---note the 7 bolt holes...so that should be all you need. to do the LIM...unless that nasty plastic clip for the metal water line that goes into the LIM gives you problems--but those are available for less than $10.00.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Yup, its a 94. I've brought this issue up before in my other thread. I wanted to make sure it wasn't something else before I got involved in that job, and I'm glad I did since I might have ended up taking out the o2 sensor afterwards regardless.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_premium-oxygen-sensor-bosch_3480097-p?navigationPath=L1*14932|L2*16465|L3*16466#

 

This is the o2 sensor I'm considering buying. I get a discount with Advance, so I guess I can get it to $30. I never really hear good things about Bosch. Would it be better to get the Denso one instead?

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_oxygen-sensor--direct-fit-denso_20475268-p?navigationPath=L1*14932|L2*16465|L3*16466

 

Also, to clarify, there's no downstream sensor? I always thought o2 sensors came before and after the Cat.

 

This gasket set says the "upper" is included. From the pictures, is it really included? I always thought the UIM also had 2 sets of gaskets.

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_intake-manifold-gasket-set-felpro_19781636-p?searchTerm=lower+intake+manifold+gasket

[RobertISaar]

i know a former GM code engineer who swears the densos are the best narrowband sensors you can get, especially when dealing with a high temperature situation.

[Cutlass350]

"HO2S LEAN and P0325 KNOCK SENSOR CIRCUIT."

 

 

I'm leaning toward a vacuum leak. Generally, when O2 sensors get old, they get lazy, and report lean, which then leads to the mixture getting enriched. But, a large enough leak will make the mixture lean regardless of how much fuel gets added...and a lean mixture is prone to misfire and knock, if that makes sense.

 

EDIT:

 

But I'd make sure there aren't other leaks first. Those plastic vacuum lines weren't the greatest thing when new, and now they're a couple of decades old.

 

X100!!

 

1) Take some snapshots showing the vacuum, the short-term and long-term TRIM levels (yes, I know they will show lean:)), the MAF readings, the RPMs, etc.

 

2)Take a picture of your engine and engine bay! Yes, I live for engine p0rn.

 

3) Also, do you have 100% stock MAF, intake, air box, filter, etc?

 

4) Or, replace the O2 sensor, and then do #1, #2, and #3 when you still have the same problem.

 

5) FWIW, for any sensor (for a GM vehicle), I say always say get GM/Delco only. Imho, everything else is junk, and if you get 10Kmiles/1year out of it, consider yourself lucky.

The GM OEM sensors worked in your car for HOW LONG?? Imho, enough said.

 

6) Leave the knock sensor problem until after you fix the O2 problem. That problem may go away. If you have a vacuum leak, there's a chance that may interfere with the PCMs ability to do a knock sensor test.

6a) If you drop the knock sensor - it will break!

6b) If you do not use a torque wrench and torque the knock sensor to the factory correct setting - it will break!

6c) If you look at a knock sensor wrong - it will break! :-P

 

Good Luck!

Edited January 15, 2014 by Cutlass350

[Nas Escobar]

Cutlass 350 - I have some pictures of the readouts, don't know if you'd be interested in them.

 

My MAF is stock, but has been replaced with a new one, the intake has been swapped from decaying plastic to a metal one from eBay, and I have a Spectre cone on the end of the MAF. This problem was there before I swapped out the plastic intake tube. The only vac. line that may have a leak would be the one that goes to the air intake tube. That one is just strange and I had to shove it in the metal intake tube. I want to figure out a way to extend it without making it leak.

 

While on that subject, where can I find replacement vacuum lines?

[Garrett Powered]

the most valuable info to check while viewing data is actually the voltage during months of extreme cold or heat. middle of summer and middle of winter is hardest on the car. songs I would normally turn up till I can feel the bass have to be turned back down while coming up to an intersection. If not, the injectors, IAC, fuel pump, and other motorized devices can not operate correctly, making what a sensor reads irrelevant. after awhile the car needs charged every night until I get a new battery

 

I would check battery voltage along with the other data in the Monitors view of every log you record with those issues