Powerlogger help!

[87NAT]

FTS forums is down right now. I will post here for help.

Bought 2 year old laptop with XP. Installed PL and driver. Hit F8 but it will not connect. Device manager does not give a COM number. There are about 9 things listed under the USB ports in the device manager section. They are not numbered. Powerlogger is shown on there but not identified on a particular port. I get a COM Port Error message everytime I try and connect.

I tried all the com port numbers on the PL and it would not connect on any of them.

I had to sell my old laptop because it was not powerful enough to run PL. It would lock up on me. At least it connected and I could see one graph screen for a few minutes. Now I just spent spent $500 on a Dell and I still cant get this thing to work.:frown: Some one tell me what to try next.

Ed

 

[jcawley3]

has it ever worked? mine did that when I first got it and just had to select a different port...... now if it does it my passenger has kicked the plug out.....when they go for the imaginary(sp?) brake

 

[Beamer]

Are you using USB or serial port? I know I use USB, and it was very easy to connect. Have you installed the drivers to your laptop?

When you connect the USB connector and have the car running (ECM powered and working), you should get a device found like in the PL manual states. And you should be able to connect easily.

If you are using serial, then you need to look at device manager at the ports(com and lpt) to see which com port is assigned to the serial device. If you do not see on in there, you need to check bios to see that it is enabled and turned on.

Good luck, and let us know if this helps.

Mike

 

[TurboBob]

there are 2 drivers that the PL uses.

one shows up in the USB section in device manager, and one in the ports section. The one in the ports section will show the port number.

You need both drivers to show up before PL will connect

Bob

 

[Beamer]

there are 2 drivers that the PL uses.

one shows up in the USB section in device manager, and one in the ports section. The one in the ports section will show the port number.

You need both drivers to show up before PL will connect

Bob

I am glad you stepped in Bob. I did not have my system up and running to give better details.

Mike

 

[TurboDave]

As Bob said, when in device manager, you need to look for the line item labeled ports (com & lpt).

When you expand that item you should see the PL in there with a port number called out.

 

[87NAT]

I got it. I uninstalled the XP driver and installed the winam driver. Go figure...it works now ON port #4....

A few questions:

1) I have my FP from my caspers transducer hooked to slot#5 on the aux block of the PL. But in the F3 section it shows my FP on analog4. Analog 4 is a ground port? Does it just skip 4 since its a ground only?

2) I read in a previous post that with the Caspers transducer you set FP 0-100b. Mine wont read right unless its on 0-100? It works and is correct I am just wondering why someone else has it set on the "b" setting?

3) My LM-1 WB is reading 2 points higher than the WB reading coming from the PL. My LM-1 box shows 14.5 at idle and the PL screen says 12. 5. Why is that? SHould I try a different Wb setting on the PL?

 

[TurboDave]

I got it. I uninstalled the XP driver and installed the winam driver. Go figure...it works now ON port #4....

A few questions:

1) I have my FP from my caspers transducer hooked to slot#5 on the aux block of the PL. But in the F3 section it shows my FP on analog4. Analog 4 is a ground port? Does it just skip 4 since its a ground only?

Be careful of what ports are what. Don't just count from the top to the bottom and assume it's a particular number. Look the the circuit board just below where the wire plugs in, and you'll see the actual port designations, like I1, I2, etc, there's one labled SCN, that's the scanmaster input port and so on.

2) I read in a previous post that with the Caspers transducer you set FP 0-100b. Mine wont read right unless its on 0-100? It works and is correct I am just wondering why someone else has it set on the "b" setting?

3) My LM-1 WB is reading 2 points higher than the WB reading coming from the PL. My LM-1 box shows 14.5 at idle and the PL screen says 12. 5. Why is that? SHould I try a different Wb setting on the PL?

Make sure you have a good ground. I use the one going into the ECM.
What do you have selected on the F3 screen? LM1? Try LC1. I'm just clutching at straws here on this one.

 

[87NAT]

The only thing that I have hooked to the #4 ground input on the aux block is the copper analog wire from the lm-1 box. Is this correct or is the #4 port for a general ground from the ECM?

 

[87NAT]

Just had a thought....

I put the copper analog ground wire on #4 aux block but there is nothing there with it. Does that port go to ground or do I need to add a ground wire to that port also? That might be where my error in readings is at if the copper wire is not going to ground.:redface:

 

[TurboDave]

Like I said before. Your LM1/LC1 or whatever WBO2 you're running needs to be well grounded. Best bet is the engine block. Body is not the greatest ground in the world.

I just T tapped into the "sensor ground" for the ECM, pin D6 (tan).

 

[87NAT]

Like I said before. Your LM1/LC1 or whatever WBO2 you're running needs to be well grounded. Best bet is the engine block. Body is not the greatest ground in the world.

I just T tapped into the "sensor ground" for the ECM, pin D6 (tan).

Let me follow this, you tapped in the copper wire from the WB analog to the ECM D6 wire?

I am not trying by a PITA I just want to be on the same page as you are.

If that is so, then what is the #4 ground port on the aux block for?

 

[TurboDave]

Let me follow this, you tapped in the copper wire from the WB analog to the ECM D6 wire?

I am not trying by a PITA I just want to be on the same page as you are.

If that is so, then what is the #4 ground port on the aux block for?

It's a ground point, but I don't think I have anything in it. The wires leading from the analog block back to the powerlogger are tiny, and I didn't think that would be a reliable circuit. So I just tapped my WBO2 analog wire and sent that signal to the "I1".
My MAPs sensor is tapped and sent to "I2".
My manifold temp sensor is tapped and feeding "I4".
Scanmaster is feeding the "scn".

 

[87NAT]

Thanks Dave..

 

[87NAT]

Made my first log!! All the numbers look as they should. Thanks for all the help and tech support Dave & Bob. I really appreciate it.

Ed