Write-Up: Build Your Own (ALDL) OBDI Scan Tool for '95

Click for write-up: https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t144p30-write-up-build-your-own-aldl-obdi-scan-tool-for-95#158080

____

Hello guys, it seems to be some confusion about the 95 year/model Riviera and what scanning tool/cable to use to read OBD I codes. GM used a OBD II connector to interface a OBD I system. An OBD II cable/software will not work on the systems. (I tried)
Use this link for for more information. http://aldlcable.com/sc/details.asp?item=aldlobd2 You can purchace a cable or they give instructions to build one yourself using a standard PC serial cable. They also have several links to free scanning software and utilities.

Subject: 95 OBD homemade cable Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:20 pm

I would LOVE to be able to run some software on my laptop, and capture data while driving. This would help with things like my current problem of the car stalling while driving. My scanner will capture something like 3 seconds. Hard to time that with the random stalls. headbutt

Anyhow, I have a 95 Rivi, the good ole' OBD-I with the OBD-II connector. I cannot find any resource that says that THIS is how you would make a USB or RS-232 cable to connect to a PC and run with whatever software.
Can anyone point me to such a resource, or if you have one, tell me where you got it, got the plans etc?
Thanks.

I have one. Go here: http://www.aldlcable.com/sc/details.asp?item=aldlobd2

Also, download EFILive here:

http://store.efilive.com/download.aspx#downloads3

They don't have definitions for our car but I found that the Pontiac vin 1 and vin K works somewhat well. It will clear codes and give you much info. I dont think the boost meter works because when I tap the gas lightly, it says boost goes to 100%. Check it out, it works pretty good for me.

Boost is either 100% or 0%. It just tells you if you're in vacuum or boost. To calculate boost, you subtract baro pressure from MAP.

_________________
'05 GTO 6.0L • 6-spd • 95k miles • 0-60: 4.8s • 16.9 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:26

'95 Celica GT 2.2L • 5-spd • 165k miles • 0-60: yes

'98 SC Riviera • 281k miles • 298 HP/370 TQ • 0-60: 5.79s • ET: 13.97 @ 99.28 • 4087 lb • 20.1 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:30
3.4" pulley • AL104 plugs • 180º t-stat • FWI w/K&N • 1.9:1 rockers • OR pushrods • LS6 valve springs • SLP headers • ZZP fuel rails
KYB GR2 struts • MaxAir shocks • Addco sway bars • UMI bushings • GM STB • Enkei 18" EV5s w/ Dunlop DZ101s • F-body calipers
EBC bluestuff/Hawk HP plus • SS lines • Brembo slotted discs • DHP tuned • Aeroforce • Hidden Hitch
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

That makes more since. The bad thing about that program is that is dosent feature a KR reading. I wonder if some calculation with some other key values would render a valid KR value. If not, I need to see if I can locate another definition file that will register KR. Damn OBD 1.

Nothing can "calculate" KR. It is created as a response to knock, which is picked up via mics on the engine block.

_________________
'05 GTO 6.0L • 6-spd • 95k miles • 0-60: 4.8s • 16.9 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:26

'95 Celica GT 2.2L • 5-spd • 165k miles • 0-60: yes

'98 SC Riviera • 281k miles • 298 HP/370 TQ • 0-60: 5.79s • ET: 13.97 @ 99.28 • 4087 lb • 20.1 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:30
3.4" pulley • AL104 plugs • 180º t-stat • FWI w/K&N • 1.9:1 rockers • OR pushrods • LS6 valve springs • SLP headers • ZZP fuel rails
KYB GR2 struts • MaxAir shocks • Addco sway bars • UMI bushings • GM STB • Enkei 18" EV5s w/ Dunlop DZ101s • F-body calipers
EBC bluestuff/Hawk HP plus • SS lines • Brembo slotted discs • DHP tuned • Aeroforce • Hidden Hitch
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

I purchased the cable listed above. I installed EFlive on my laptop, and selected the 95 pontiac vin1 sig. I cannot get anything to work from there. IS there something I need to do yet? IO try to run it but I get errors in the window.

Sorry for the late reply Crag, its boat season so I've turned my attention to tha Bayliner....anyway, So you are using the above def file, and you have the cable firmly plugged into the car and the serial port on the laptop? Make sure you select the "Engine data and DTCs" Macro, NOT the Clear trouble codes macro, and click the green stop sign looking icon at the top. It should have a pop up thats says start ALDI (F3). If you get an error of:Com timeout: Expecting frame header byte then you do not have communication with your ECM. We may need to take it a step further. Try this and if that dosent work, I'll give yo my Email and phone #. 'll try to walk you through it.

I am wondering if there might be a problem with the USB adapter I am using. I use it all the time to interface with telephony equipment over RS-232 connections. I saw no reason it would not work for this. Perhaps tonight, or tomorrow I will give it a try, and I will post any errors I am getting.

Here is what I am getting.
55:39.462: Opening COM6 8228,8,N,1
55:50.436: Start macro: Engine data and DTCs: DATADTC
55:48.563: Error: Reply frame checksum failure
55:48.573: Error: No echo received from MAX232
55:48.581: Send: $F4,$57,$01,$00,$B4
55:48.803: Com timeout: Data frame truncated:

Code:: $C8,$AE,$95,$30,$E8,$77,$FE,$C9,$2E,$10,$F4,$9C,$FD,$90,$5C,$2F,$08,$94,$91,$5B,$B0,$E9,$D0,$AD,$F1,$D1,$5B,$A0,$E1,$C8,$AE,$95,$30,$E8,$77,$FE,$C9,$2E,$10,$F4,$9C,$FD,$90,
$54,$2F,$08,$94,$91,$5B,$B0,$E9,$F8,$5B,$3D,$FC,$C8,$AE,$95,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00
55:49.102: Com timeout: Data frame truncated: $C8,$AE,$95,$30,$E8,$77,$FE,$C9,$2E,$10,$F4,$9C,$FD,$90,$5C,$2F,$08,$94,$91,$5B,$B0,$E9,$C8,$AE,$95,$30,$E8,$77,$FE,$C9,$2E,$10,$F4,$9C,$FD,$90,$5C,$2F,$08,$94,$91,$5B,$B0,
$E9,$D4,$2E,$0C,$08,$54,$CB,$FF,$D5,$0D,$07,$C4,$FF,$C8,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00
55:49.115: Send: $F4,$57,$01,$00,$B4
55:49.326: Com timeout: Data frame truncated: $9C,$A3,$57,$01,$00,$B4,$90,$5C,$2F,$08,$94,$C8,$AE,$95,$30,$E8,$77,$FE,$C9,$2E,$10,$F4,$9C,$FF,$90,$5C,$2F,$08,$94,$91,$5B,$B0,$E9,$C8,$AE,$95,$30,$E8,$77,$FE,$C9,$2E,$10,
$F4,$9C,$FD,$90,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00,$00

55:49.348: Error: No echo received from MAX232
55:49.376: Error: Reply frame checksum failure
55:49.544: Error: Reply frame checksum failure
55:49.579: Error: No echo received from MAX232
55:49.635: Send: $F4,$57,$01,$00,$B4
55:49.647: Error: Reply frame checksum failure
55:49.671: Error: No echo received from MAX232
55:49.692: Error: Reply frame checksum failure
55:49.718: Stop macro: Engine data and DTCs: DATADTC

Subject: Battery Dead Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:49 pm

Sorry man, I havent driven the Riv in 3 weeks and the battery is dead. I was
going to get a screen shot to compair with you. I'll try again after a good overnight charge. Can you not bypass the USB adapter and run straight serial? I have the comm port setting set at default.

Well, it turns out that the problem is my USB adapter. I connected directly to a PC that is in my garage, and I was able to collect fine. I will have to try another adapter. Aparently, IOGear will not work.

For the obd1 guys
If you want to make your own cable (not too hard if you have skills with a soldering iron) try
http://www.akmcables.com/techinfo.htm ; and
http://winaldl.joby.se/aldlcable.htm

If you are building your cable using an rs-232 (serial) cable and plan on using an adapter, I've found that FTDI chip adapters work the best. For some reason, the "keyspan" adapter touted by the DHP board seems to be garbage.

If you are short on time, you can buy a premade USB cable from pcm performance for around 50$. No adapter required.

As for tuning programs, there are several. Tuner C.A.T.S. is Ok, and you can try it for free for 30 days.
http://www.tunercat.com/tnr_desc/do_tc.html

Rookie Joined : 2007-06-19 Post Count : 13 Merit : 0

Hi,

The connector on my '95 s/c looks like that:

\ x x x o o x x o /
\o x o x x o x o/

where:
x = empty;
o = connector
Would this cable work for me too even if the connector looks different?

Thanks!

Thats my understanding from reading the other post, but I thought that the OBD1 used a diff connector.... I'll give it a shot this evening and see... Thanks, mike

Been messing with EFLive v4 and a homemade cable and its reading data but not giving me any codes. any ideas?

thanks'

Jeff

I have a 95 Buick Riviera naturally aspirated. The check engine light is on and I'm trying to get the DTC's. I bought the $60 ALDL usb cable as linked on the first page, I downloaded EFILIVE, but I cant get the damn DTC's out. It just says no chatter, or no connection found.
Here's what I get:
Write-Up: Build Your Own (ALDL) OBDI Scan Tool for '95 93372000

Write-Up: Build Your Own (ALDL) OBDI Scan Tool for '95 93372000

Write-Up: Build Your Own (ALDL) OBDI Scan Tool for '95 Untitl10

Please help. I'm so frustrated with this car.

EatDirtFartDust wrote:: I have a 95 Buick Riviera naturally aspirated. The check engine light is on and I'm trying to get the DTC's. I bought the $60 ALDL usb cable as linked on the first page, I downloaded EFILIVE, but I cant get the damn DTC's out. It just says no chatter, or no connection found.
Here's what I get:

Please help. I'm so frustrated with this car.

BUMP

EFILive as far as I can tell does not claim to support the '95 RIv (or much of anything GM before '98 for that matter) -- see http://www.efilive.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147&Itemid=146 for the list. I kinda wonder how Shawn got it to work. Do you think it would be possible for you to PM to Shawn? might get you attention quicker.

I'll try that, thanks.

So I bought the ALDL cable with the usb connection, installed the drivers on my Windows7 laptop, installed the Tunerpro RT software and the definition files for the car, figured out the com port connection mystery, when I plug it to the car with key on, it says its connected, but not ready and no hardware detected. I can't figure out how to get the software running! Very frustrating!!

I have a SES light on and want to read the code!!!!!

I have not had any success getting the Tunerpro RT software to work on my '95 SC. A member of the tunerpro forums has suggested that as a last resort, pulling out the fuse for the engine control module and then putting it back in as a possible fix to make the ECM communicate with Tunerpro.

First of all after looking at the owner's manual I can't tell which fuse controls the computer. Can someone tell me which fuse it is?

Secondly, would like some opinions on whether this is even a good idea? Possible problems if I pull the fuse? I know I will lose whatever codes are stored.

Last question has anyone had success with any other scan software that would work with the OBDI/OBDII cable? I tried Freescan but it doesn't want to work either.

Thanks!
Steve

Ok last time I'll ask ........

Has ANYONE had success using ANY scanning software product with a ALDL usb interface cable on a '95 S/C Riviera?

If so what product and how did you do it?

I've tried Tunerpro/RT, Freescan, and EFILive. No luck with any of them.

If I can't get it to work soon I'll have to have the mechanic try his tools.

Soooooo very frustrated!

Hey '95 owners, can someone advise Steve on this?

_________________
'05 GTO 6.0L • 6-spd • 95k miles • 0-60: 4.8s • 16.9 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:26

'95 Celica GT 2.2L • 5-spd • 165k miles • 0-60: yes

'98 SC Riviera • 281k miles • 298 HP/370 TQ • 0-60: 5.79s • ET: 13.97 @ 99.28 • 4087 lb • 20.1 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:30
3.4" pulley • AL104 plugs • 180º t-stat • FWI w/K&N • 1.9:1 rockers • OR pushrods • LS6 valve springs • SLP headers • ZZP fuel rails
KYB GR2 struts • MaxAir shocks • Addco sway bars • UMI bushings • GM STB • Enkei 18" EV5s w/ Dunlop DZ101s • F-body calipers
EBC bluestuff/Hawk HP plus • SS lines • Brembo slotted discs • DHP tuned • Aeroforce • Hidden Hitch
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

Update.......

My mechanic used his scanner to read my code. He had trouble getting it to work, said he needed a "key slot" or something like that to get his reader to work, whatever the heck that is.

Anyway I wonder has anyone heard of that, and if so what does it mean and does that help to solve the mystery of why I can't get the software to work?

By the way the code was P1406, EGR position sensor, which I'm told is no big deal to drive as is.

Steve

You can drive it, but if you want the code to go away, might remove the EGR and inspect. It's not a hard job. Once I had a code and I found debris jamming the valve open. More info is here:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/t2289-egr-valve

_________________
'05 GTO 6.0L • 6-spd • 95k miles • 0-60: 4.8s • 16.9 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:26

'95 Celica GT 2.2L • 5-spd • 165k miles • 0-60: yes

'98 SC Riviera • 281k miles • 298 HP/370 TQ • 0-60: 5.79s • ET: 13.97 @ 99.28 • 4087 lb • 20.1 avg MPG • Nelson Ledges Lap: 1:30
3.4" pulley • AL104 plugs • 180º t-stat • FWI w/K&N • 1.9:1 rockers • OR pushrods • LS6 valve springs • SLP headers • ZZP fuel rails
KYB GR2 struts • MaxAir shocks • Addco sway bars • UMI bushings • GM STB • Enkei 18" EV5s w/ Dunlop DZ101s • F-body calipers
EBC bluestuff/Hawk HP plus • SS lines • Brembo slotted discs • DHP tuned • Aeroforce • Hidden Hitch
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

'70 Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe 455cid • 116k miles
^^^ SOLD ^^^ frown

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