Its there a good alternative to Durmatric for a Mac OS household? I can't justify purchasing a windows laptop just to run the software...

Problems I am troubleshooting:
1. I replaced a window regulator and tested it with the airbag still out... which caused the airbag fault.
2. I have gotten misfire codes on both banks... replaced the plugs and coils (they were cracked) about 1,000 miles ago... noticed that the slight hunting idle was still present and that occasionally taking off from a stop I'll get a short hesitation than the engine continues to rev.

While researching the potential problems related to the misfire codes, it could be a big issue with the vario cams or a vacum leak. Clearly, I need to dig deeper than my $50 OBD reader will go.

What are your suggestions? Anyone in Fairfield County CT would "rent" their set up for a case of beer and bucket or gratitude? Thx in advance!

 

Windows laptops are cheap...just buy one. Consider it another tool

$180 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-1...?skuId=5669100

 

Download virtual box and run windows in a virtual instance in your Mac. It will work just fine and need for additional hardware running around. Virtual box is free but you will need a windows license.

 

Edit: Yeah, what he said! ^^^^



Or run windows in a VM. Oracle's VirtualBox is free, easy to use, and works well. VirtualBox + Win7 is what I used for years with Durametric until I dumped Apple and moved to a Linux laptop.

 

Parallels Desktop on a Macbook Air over here. In my opinion, this solution is better than using a Windows laptop. Parallels is an application; instead of opening a Windows laptop and waiting for it to wake (or boot), you launch the app and un-pause the VM. As long as the Macbook has juice (Durametric states in no uncertain terms that connecting the cable to your laptop AND attempting to power the laptop using the car's DC power is BAD), it works perfectly.

Since it's a VM, I took a snapshot of the OS with the software and drivers installed but not running, with all OS updates turned off. After I use the Durametric, I revert to the snapshot, and the VM is in the exact same state the next time I want to use it. This isn't good practice from a security standpoint, but I don't use the VM for anything else, and disabling updates ensures that the software doesn't suddenly stop working thanks to a security "fix" from MS...

My Macbook Air is getting about 10 hours of battery life (non-media-playback, of course) these days - it's a very good laptop for hauling around...and some vinyl helps prevent me from being identified as a fanboy.

 

Go buy a cheapo Windows laptop on CL, eBay, or Amazon. You might find you come out better than a dual boot Mac.

 

VBox, Parallels, VMWare are not dual-boot. Dual-boot means Boot Camp, which was a neat conference hotel bar trick 5 or 6 years ago, but...

There is no machine more crappy than a cheap Windows laptop. The combination of a 5400RPM drive, a slow-*** CPU that has been stripped of cores and underclocked to use the least amount of energy possible combined make it possible to use a WOEFULLY CRAPPY battery that will play the first 30 minutes of any DVD before expiring.

I am a Windows guy; I've been using Windows since before Windows was Windows. I have a serious addiction to good PC hardware; I am in therapy for being romantically interested in some gaming rigs. All this said, a slow Windows laptop is one of the worst user experiences you can pay for. What's more frustrating than being deep into a Por|\|hub session only to have the Windows Search daemon decide it's a good time to re-index 250,000,000 files on your deep storage external USB drive? NOTHING! It was rhetorical. Hope you find indeterminate progress indicators alluring, since that's the only thing you'll be watching (since firing up the Services applet with lotion all over...um...never mind).

You can even cover up the glowing apple if you don't want to be immediately recognized as a Jobs fanboy. Since it's just vinyl, I can peel it off and trim up a new piece when it gets dirty or torn, and it adds essentially nothing to the thickness or weight of the PC...

 

That escalated quickly. ^^

I use an IBM thinkpad from 2004 just for durametric. It is really painful compared to my macbook pro, which in itself is still old (2010) but upgraded with RAM and a solid state HD.

Every time I boot the thing it takes a day to get it going. I've been meaning to get a newer machine, but all of the software for early 2000s BMWs and Porsches runs best on an XP windows machine.

 

haha! Thanks, all.

Just purchased the enthusiast's cable for the 996. The additional $ for the PRO version didn't make sense for me... only own the one P-car and according to the CSR I spoke with, the only coding that the software will do on the 996 is programming the cruise control module (which they described to me as an on/off function). See the product capabilities for 996 attached.

Still researching the laptop v. Parallels option. I really don't want another computer to drag around but there are great deals out there on PC hardware.

All your advice and comments are a big help and much appreciated.



Screen grab from http://www.durametric.com/modelfeaturematrixv6.aspx

 

Did I say "dual boot"? haha

Those two 4 letter words must now induce a nerd version of a bar fight.

 

There are "better" OBDII readers out there that will reset the airbag light. And you did not say that you are getting a CEL for the idling problem, so no codes to go on? Start simple, clean the MAF sensor and Idle Control Valve. Both are known to cause hunting idle. Clean out the Throttle Body. Durametric gives you some idea what's going on but you still have to do the work. It does help pinpoint problems if you have codes to read, but otherwise, aside from various engine activations you will still be shooting in the dark. If you do have a vacuum leak then it would throw some CEL codes. Almost any auto parts store can tell you what the codes are.

 

I hope you don't have a '99 996 C2, but that's pretty well covered in other threads.

Here is an alternative. Would love for someone to buy this and tell us how it does!

 

This is what I did. eBay windows machine that lives in the garage and has diagnostic tools for the 996, Touareg and sadly departed Vectrix.

I don't mind if it gets dirty - I'd hate to take the Mac laptop into the garage and get it oily or drop a spanner on the screen or something!

 

Sorry for the vague prolog. Purchased my 04 996 40AE in Jan 17. I already owned a low-cost OBD reader that I read the misfire codes with when the CEL came on in around March... wet conditions, cracked coils. About early April, I replaced the plugs and coils, cleared the codes and everything seemed fine except I still have the hunting idle (being my first 996—didn't know if this was model specific) and the occasional hesitate if I start off in first from a low RPM (>1000). The car otherwise runs smoothly, doesn't consume oil (coming up to my 3k change interval next week) so at that point, I just chalked it up to the 996 model. Last night coming home from work the car started quickly but the cold idle was more rough than usual and after a drop in RPMs, the CEL came back on.

These are the current codes:
P0300 with misfires at cylinders 1,3,4 and 5




My cheap OBDII reader didn't even catch the Air Bag Code with the AB light on!

 

Previous rounds which I thought that I had fixed by replacing the plugs and coil packs: Apr 5



These were misfires at cylinders 1, 2 and 4