HELP!! My DirectScan no workie!

[T-top87GN]

HELP!! My DirectScan no workie! FIXED!

OK let's go over what I have done.

Cleaned the contacts REAL freaking good. Yes even the screw driver scrape.

I know that it's VERY finnicky on ECM connector placement. I've tried many varying degrees of contact to the ECM.

I opened the DS box and used a Fluke Multimeter to do a continuity test of the ECM cables to the corresponding pins on the PCB. Everything was ok.

I used a Sony PCG-F270 laptop with parallel port in Std. Bi-directional mode and ECP under both XP, Windows ME, and a simple DOS boot disk.

I used a Toshiba Satellite 325CDS under Windows98. It actually got past the can't find the hardware message when I F8'd and went right into DOS. Then it displays a whole bunch of weird numbers that can't be right (especially since the engine is not running) for maybe 1-2 seconds then says it lost connection witht he hardware do I want to retry.

I know I should prolly try real DOS on the Sony VAIO but I don't want to have to erase the XP/ME multiboot machine that I made just to find out it doesn't work either.

Sorry to be long winded guys but I am at a loss, esp without a circuit diagram or any idea how this works internally. I've got about 2 weeks to get this working so I can get this car tuned for the Midwest Buick Challenge.

Before you ask, no this has never worked for me. I got it from Scott Simpson who was never successful with it either(from what he told me). I'm starting to think this thing has been bad for a long time and I'm sure it's out of warranty.

My question: Does anyone have any other ideas that I could try? Should I just send it in for repair? If I send it in for repair how much would it cost and how long would it take (vendors feel free to chime in on this one please)?

Thanx guys!!

 

[BM Computer Src]

You should not have this degree of problem, without a real hardware failure somewhere in the line. I would Strongly suggest Against opening the module. Dont do it, any hope of repair without penalty will be gone at that point. As far as the problem goes, it sounds like a problem with the module, given that you have used multiple laptops, parallel port settings and really cleaned the ecm well. As long as pin 1 is (red stripe) on correctly, I'd be confident saying it's a hardware problem. Give a call to 281-540-3278, ask for Janice. She will tell you how to return the unit for repair. If you have a friend in the area w/directscan, I would suggest trying parts of his DS to track the problem. Your welcome to call me at 727-856-2733 if you would like, also.

Good luck and you'll get up and running soon!

Bob

 

[T-top87GN]

OK that sounds good. I know opening the unit makes people flip a little but I work with electronics everyday had a ground strap attached to myself during this whole process.

I will make the call today. I'll have the unit shipped Next Day to you with Saturday Delivery to make sure you have the unit ASAP. I hate to do things in such a rush but I'm under a time constraint here. Thank you very much for your help.

 

[TurboDave]

What version of DS hardware do you have? All but the very latest versions had trouble with some computers. Because of the lack of a "standard" with laptop parallel ports, a lot of problems arose. Seems that some laptops wont work at all, and some others acted exactly like the Toshiba did. Even different models of the same make of laptops are different.

My Compaq LTE5400 (pentium 150) works just fine, BUT my Compaq LTE Elite (486/75) didn't work without this special adapter that they made for such problems. Kent like to call it a "tweeny". Cuz it fits tween the computer and the DS box. It's a little device that plugs into the box, and then the parallel cable plugs into it.

Wonder if that's your problem?

 

[BM Computer Src]

Good thinking Dave. He should tell Janice what laptops he was unsing, to help determine if he should try it.

Dont send it to me!

Send it to whereever Janice tells you to.

Goos luck,
Bob

 

[T-top87GN]

Is it imperative that you been in DOS? Or does a DOS window work? Because I know they pretty much ripped DOS out of WindowsME even tho it is based on DOS. You can't just drop to a DOS prompt like you could with 95 and 98.

Janice told me to e-mail Kent and run it by him before I send it anywhere so I'm waiting to hear back from him.

I will keep you all posted.

 

[Scott231]

Originally posted by Bandit
Before you ask, no this has never worked for me. I got it from Scott Simpson who was never successful with it either(from what he told me). I'm starting to think this thing has been bad for a long time and I'm sure it's out of warranty.

Well it worked for me for a good while once we found the "Don't push the connector all the way onto the ECM PCB" issue.

After that it worked fine for about 6 months. I soon had no need for riding around with a laptop connected to the daily driver that cannot go over 8 psi anyway (another, wholly unrelated, matter). So I unplugged it and put the DS in a box. Ooooo...the boxes I have laying around my house Tried to reinstall about a year later and could not get it to work. The whole time this was on a Dell Latitude P75 laptop (works, doesn't work).

Fast forward two years and I meet Jer. I let borrow the DS to see if he can make it work and utilize it on his GN. Her runs into the same difficulties I had...albeit with several more laptops running newer, better software.

 

[T-top87GN]

Well I haven't heard anything from Kent. Not that I REALLY expected him to get right to me anyways. Janice will be getting another call from me tomorrow and I will be shipping the unit out for repair. Let's just hope it's something simple and quick to fix.

 

[T-top87GN]

Came in to work to find an e-mail from Kent. He told me to try plugging the laptop into an inverter that was plugged into the car so that everything would have a common ground. I'm gonna give this a try tomorrow and if it doesn't work it's off to Kent for a look see.

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated.

 

[T-top87GN]

OK I got the lowdown from Kent last week. Turns out this unit was a beta unit and it needed some switch to be passed to it at the command line. -h he said it was, to make the unit be detected. So all this was because the unit was a beta unit. Kent upgraded it for me for a fee and I had it back last Thursday. The day before the event. Thanks so much to Kent and everyone else that helped me!