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Old Apr 10, 2018 | 09:34 PM
  #1  
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Default Scantool Problems

I’ve had the scantool for a few years now and it has worked well but not great. I have to sit and mess with it for like an hour to get it to connect long enough to run the adaptation. It connects then disconnects then connects then disconnects. Never long enough to get through the whole adaptation process. I’ve been sitting out here in the driveway with the car idling for an hour messing with it trying to get the adaptation to complete and I’m about to throw something. Any ideas on how to get it to stay connected?
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Old Apr 10, 2018 | 10:14 PM
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What hardware are you using with the scantool?
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Old Apr 11, 2018 | 12:38 AM
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I’m using a Lenovo Thinkpad t530 with the OBDII plug plus Porsche adapter from BergvilleFx. I’ve tried all 4 USB ports on the laptop, tried plugging and unplugging the adapter, the OBDII plug, etc. The computer is setup properly as it sometimes works and when I first got the adapter I ran the I/O test software as per Tores website. Over the past year it just doesn’t stay connected. I am able to reach the climate control module but that also disconnects. I finally sorted out the dead battery issue and want to run the adaptation so it idles right when the engine is cold in the morning.
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Old Apr 11, 2018 | 07:13 AM
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Which operating system are you running? I would try a different computer to try to find the culprit. This is most probably a PC issue.
It could also be a problem on the OBD-bus in the car. Maybe one of the units connected to the bus is disturbing the signals.

As a side note, I most often see the idle adaptation process exit with a fault message, also in the original Porsche OBD tools. However, the idle is indeed adjusted, despite the warning.

Cheers,
Tore
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Old Apr 11, 2018 | 01:40 PM
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I'm running Windows 7. Is there a way to check the cable for a damaged internals or a bad/loose connection in the adapter with an ohm/volt meter? On my old BMW EDIABAS cable, the the usb to serial adapter cable somehow got damaged inside. I replaced it with a new adapter and it worked fine again. I do not believe it is the software or computer setting because it does connect and the modules serial numbers etc show up as well as the codes in the CCU. I do not have another laptop to try it on.
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Old Apr 11, 2018 | 05:23 PM
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I seem to remember that there is a setting somewhere for the timeout in the OBD interface... Sorry for the hazy memory, but didn't we need to edit some line code to allow for a longer timeout period?

Anyone else remember this?
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Old Apr 12, 2018 | 11:23 AM
  #7  
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Does anyone have the code for the Scantool program? I just looked at the OBDPlot code and the timeout is set to 1500ms.
There's also a note in the "Scantool Release Notes.txt" file that says:
06/01/06: Changed adaptation timeout from 40 to 60 seconds. ECU sometimes drops connection during cranking which adds to time needed for adaptation. Dropped connections may be the result of not enough time between messages.
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Old Apr 12, 2018 | 03:18 PM
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The source code for scantool is not available, that would be great to have though. I see the comment in the release notes, but 40-60 seconds timeout is an eternity for this data stream.

Tore uses a FT232R usb serial chip in his device which is plug and play, and has a reliable windows driver. I can't believe it's a windows issue.

The one thing I would suggest is to look into the female plug of the diagnostic port and be sure the receptacles aren't spread to wide and they aren't clamping down on the male pins of the 19 pin plug. If the individual plug is out-of-round or spread to much, you can gently insert a pin or flat blade screwdriver between the plastic housing and the wall of the female receptacle and close it up a little and make it round. For what it's worth, see below for the individual female receptacle and the male pin of the diagnostic port. I had this problem at one time as I was plugging in/out scantools, hammers, oscilloscope probes in the port.



You say that the scantool connects and shows the serial numbers of the various modules. Is that every time you connect?.... and then it disconnects when you try to enter into a particular module? I'm looking at your post #5.

What I can do is ship my Hammer to you, you do what you need to do, and if the hammer works, then all is good. You can send it back with your Tore USB adapter, and I can look at it. Not that I suspect the hardware, but I do have a Win 7 machine, not a Thinkpad though. I'd like to figure out the cause of this disconnect. If it's an issue with your car's diagnostic bus (intermittent ground, etc.) I would think the Hammer would have the same problem.

PM me if your interested.

Kevin
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Old Apr 12, 2018 | 10:00 PM
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OP, You're not in OC anymore are you? You can try my scantool setup + I have a durametric with the ODBI connector... It does a couple things scan tool won't.

I was literally in Encinitas 4 hours ago for a lunch meeting!!!!
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