Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Holden/Delco Tuning. ALDL, OBD 1.5. Circa 1989 to 2004.
rawrs
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Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by rawrs »

Hey guys,

I am brand new to ECUs, and even scan tools. I ordered an ALDL scan tool off eBay, the USB version, because I didn't feel like waiting for the cheaper RS-232 cable to show up, I needed this cable like right now. This is that cable.

Now what is happening, is that the cable is talking to the car, in fact at one stage the CEL set, and the traction turned off, so the cable is doing *something*. But the data being pulled from the cable is complete garbage, as if there is an incorrect profile loaded into the software or something. I really have very little idea what I am doing but it seems like this is what's happening. It's just spitting out pure garbage, gauges are all over the shop and giving meaningless readings, just, nothing is right.

I have followed the attached guide to the letter (apparently), to no avail.

As far as versions of software I am using, as of yesterday, it appears I am running the latest version of everything, that is TunerPro and the USB-RS232 transceiver driver, which is a CH340C. A chip I've never heard of, but apparently Arduino Nanos use it, so whatever.

Attached are the files I am using to try and make this all work, including the instructions that came with my ALDL cable, and a disassembly of the ALDL cable itself, just for reference more than anything, in case anyone else ever finds this thread useful.

I'll also add that what I am looking for in the first place, is that after a couple of weeks of sitting, my car has developed a somewhat bad miss/ignition retard under certain, specific loads, and I really would like to try and figure out what the hell it is before I go and throw parts at it. Not helped is the fact that I'm trying to move house while all this is going on!

I'll confirm that the vehicle is an entirely untouched 2004 VY II Calais with the NA 3.8 Ecotec. Nothing modified, nothing done, it's as it came from the factory, just with a lot more leaks and wear and tear...


Cheers all,
Rory
Attachments
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tunerpro guide.txt
(2.27 KiB) Downloaded 251 times
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Tazzi
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by Tazzi »

Just a casual wire and diode hack job on a board not designed for this in the first place.. yep... seen that a couple times now :?

None the less, Should be able to have it working, its likely the ADX file you are using is either incorrect or is not syncing up with the car correctly. On my old VY V6, depending on the ADX file used, I would need to click connect/disconnect a few times for it to sync up and show valid data. Some ADX files will connect better than others as they search for 'quiet' points so it knows it gets synced with the car.
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by Gareth »

Tried contacting the seller for support??
According to chemistry, alcohol is a solution...
rawrs
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by rawrs »

Hi!

Thanks, I tried another profile, I think for a VX, and I'll have to look as to where I got it from, although a weird thing it does is that when the cable connects and the ECU starts giving out Bin Laden's home address, it commands both low and high speed cooling fans on. Which isn't a problem, it's not reporting erroneous engine coolant temp readings, as far as I know it's not reporting weird air con pressures, it's not doing anything that would suggest the software is interfering with any sensors in some way, it's just that the low and high speeds come on and stay on.

Now I just have to figure out what the hell this misfire/retard/whatever the hell is going on, under load, is about. I haven't done any drivetime tests with the scan tool hooked up, but I will do this at some point very soon.

Cheers again!

Rory
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by antus »

It doesnt command fans on, it commands aldl bus communications in the car to cease to make time for the logged data to be transmitted to the PC. When the BCM looses communications with the PCM, the fans come on as a safety measure as the BCM no longer knows the engine temp. That is a pretty shit cable, it may work but having lots of trouble is also likely. Our boards are a much better circuit that is designed for the job, with quality ftdi usb chipset so drivers load automatically.
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by delcowizzid »

I don't know if I would be keen to try reprogram the ecu with that cable lol
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by rawrs »

Damn. I really wish I knew that cable was garbage before I wasted $70 on it. Although I'd be curious as to why as there are literally two active components on it. The TI chip is just a basic comparator, can't see how you'd screw that up, and the USB-Serial chip, while not FTDI, is still a known quantity because they use these things extensively in Arduinos.

That said, I did want a basic ALDL-RS232 cable, for this precise reason, and because I already have awesome USB-RS232 gear, both FTDI *and* Prolific.

I'm also not interested in reprogramming anything in the PCM, all I'm looking to do is record, and pull the DTCs out to diagnose this miss/knock retard.

That said, where can I get a cable that won't be crap? And I suppose I'll ask now because it will happen eventually, what kind of cable will work on the VF? Any standard OBD II/CAN bus piece of kit?

Cheers

P.S. The profile I'm using is apparently yoda69's VX-VY V6 Auto. Seems like it works pretty well, apart from the whole 'cable being crap' thing. So much for 'Made in Australia' as the listing suggests. Maybe the burned CD that the drivers came on, that wasn't even finalized (although that'd be handy to throw a profile that works on for the next poor soul I'll unload this heap of shit on to) was burned in Australia.
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by Tazzi »

rawrs wrote:Damn. I really wish I knew that cable was garbage before I wasted $70 on it. Although I'd be curious as to why as there are literally two active components on it. The TI chip is just a basic comparator, can't see how you'd screw that up, and the USB-Serial chip, while not FTDI, is still a known quantity because they use these things extensively in Arduinos.

That said, I did want a basic ALDL-RS232 cable, for this precise reason, and because I already have awesome USB-RS232 gear, both FTDI *and* Prolific.

I'm also not interested in reprogramming anything in the PCM, all I'm looking to do is record, and pull the DTCs out to diagnose this miss/knock retard.

That said, where can I get a cable that won't be crap? And I suppose I'll ask now because it will happen eventually, what kind of cable will work on the VF? Any standard OBD II/CAN bus piece of kit?

Cheers

P.S. The profile I'm using is apparently yoda69's VX-VY V6 Auto. Seems like it works pretty well, apart from the whole 'cable being crap' thing. So much for 'Made in Australia' as the listing suggests. Maybe the burned CD that the drivers came on, that wasn't even finalized (although that'd be handy to throw a profile that works on for the next poor soul I'll unload this heap of shit on to) was burned in Australia.
Theres a couple editions of the yoda69 adx about, I believe one of my demo videos I did in my own VY V6 was using that file, took a few connect/disconnect to sync up with the car nicely, it always got there though. Can even hear the high speed fans turn on in my demo too so its definitely normal behaviour :thumbup:

As for the VF, these speak two languages in the car, for engine/transmission you will need an OBD2 compliant scantool and software to suit. For the rest of the car, it runs on whats called SWCAN (or gmlan) which is still CANBus protocol but using a single wire and at a lower baud rate.
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by antus »

I believe that whole package is something like a $5 KKL cable or something (i dont know which cable or the original protocol), with ALDL hacked in to it with the diode out to pin 9. I dont think that comparitor has anything to do with ALDL though it may go through it and hes just using the case and the usb chip part as a means to an end. You could probably identify it if you look which protocol pin is connected to the pcb. It might even still work for that protocol, too.
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Re: Brand new to it all, ALDL cable spitting out garbage.

Post by antus »

Here it is, its this one with a slightly different connector on the end, and built even cheaper with 2 missing filter capacitors and without the crystal for timing.

"This is a little bit of kit I got to talk to the Webasto TT-V I salvaged from a scrap Jaguar S-Type, and converts USB-RS232 to the standard car diagnostic ODB connector. (These are a much cheaper option at £4 than the official Webasto diagnostic adaptor & loom which is over £90."

https://www.experimental-engineering.co ... interface/

Probably this one but Ive never bought this to open it nor would I. The cheap KKL adaptors could also be like the sub $8 elm clone scene where they're all random and its impossible to get the same thing twice and many of them dont work.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VAGCOM-USB-KKL ... 2992561260
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