More "connecting to the software" problems.

[Fume Troll]

Arrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhh!

Someone help me!

I have:

Got the lead from CT
Checked the lead actually connects the right pins to each other
Checked my serial port is working and is COM1
Checked the software is looking for the right Baud rate etc

But all I ever get is the "ECU not connected" message, and "Comms error...retrying" at the bottom. Refreshing with F5 doesn't help.

What else can I try before I go mad?

Cheers,

FT.

[Chequred Demon]

Have you got:

The correct Data Bits?
The correct Parity?
The correct Stop Bits?
The correct Flow control?

This link is to a free comm debugger all you have to do is register!

http://www.windmill.co.uk/serial.html

Good luck!

[Fume Troll]

Errr...no idea!

I'll give that a try, thanks!

Cheers,

FT.

[Whitey]

Start the engine.

[andyoleary]

immobiliser needs to be disabled

Andy

[Fume Troll]

I tried with the running and stopped, and un-immobilised (mobilised??), but no luck.

Cheers,

FT.

[Fume Troll]

Success! Kind of...

I finally gave up with the 3 pin lead under the steering column. I removed the ECU from it's holder, and as I was led to beleive by some cerb threads on here, there is a 9 pin connector right in the ECU.

I hacked up a couple of serial leads, twisted the appropriate wires together and made an approximation of the cable drawn here:

http://tvrcerbera.co.uk/Gallery/displayimage.php?a...

Anyway, I plugged it in at both ends, switched everything on, and hey presto, I can read the ECU! I'm very pleased but it's still not ideal as I can't leave it all open like that.



My lashed up cable scores 9/10 for sketchyness! I'll build a better one tomorrow.

I guess the next step is to try and find out why the 3 pin connector doesn't work for me...

Cheers,

FT.

[ec1 eex]

I've got a 3 pin connector buried up by the steering column that doesn't seem to do a lot. I have another one that matches which is up behind the "glovebox shelf" which connects to my ECU. Mine's a 2003 car.

[andyoleary]

Fume Troll said:

Success! Kind of...

I finally gave up with the 3 pin lead under the steering column. I removed the ECU from it's holder, and as I was led to beleive by some cerb threads on here, there is a 9 pin connector right in the ECU.

I hacked up a couple of serial leads, twisted the appropriate wires together and made an approximation of the cable drawn here:

http://tvrcerbera.co.uk/Gallery/displayimage.php?a...

Anyway, I plugged it in at both ends, switched everything on, and hey presto, I can read the ECU! I'm very pleased but it's still not ideal as I can't leave it all open like that.



Glad you got it going Tom,

Andy

My lashed up cable scores 9/10 for sketchyness! I'll build a better one tomorrow.

I guess the next step is to try and find out why the 3 pin connector doesn't work for me...

Cheers,

FT.

[Chequred Demon]

Glad you got something working.

Maybe they had a problem wih interference or something, which is why it is tucked away in there?

A note of the cable pin outs and what software on what hardware you are using would be great for future reference.

Are you trying to diagnose a secific problem or are you just investigating?

[Fume Troll]

Chequred Demon said:

Glad you got something working.

Maybe they had a problem wih interference or something, which is why it is tucked away in there?

A note of the cable pin outs and what software on what hardware you are using would be great for future reference.

Are you trying to diagnose a secific problem or are you just investigating?

Could be interference, yes... I don't know enough about this stuff to know!

I was using the standard software (yellow car version) from www.mytuscan.co.uk. The software seems happy to use COM1 on it's default settings (accessed through start>settings>control panel>system>hardware>device manager>Ports>Communications Port Com1>Port Settings>) so as long as your COM1 port is available and working there shouldn't be any need to mess with the settings.

The cable pins were exactly as shown in the diagram linked above. There doesn't appear to be any need for the resistors across the other pins - perhaps this reduces interference or something but I found it unnecessary (and have read other comments to that effect on the Cerbera forum).

Something I didn't see in the software manual is that pressing F10 brings up a port configuration screen - could be useful. Also pressing F5 disconnects the communications, pressing it again attempts to reconnect.

ETA: Got highish emissions on one exhaust, so I wanted to be able to check lambda sensors, throttle pots and so on. Having had a short play with the software I'd say just being able to monitor the engine and log faults is going to be very useful.

Cheers,

FT.

Edited by Fume Troll on Thursday 5th June 09:40

[BigJL]

How does one go about making the 3 pin socket connector that plugs into the cable under the steering wheel? Where do you get the adapter from? (I know I can buy a ready made one from CT, but I wanna make my own!)

I see the wiring layout is here: http://tvrcerbera.co.uk/Gallery/displayimage.php?a...

3pin plug 1 - 5 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 3 9pin serial

Cheers,
J

ETA

Ok, now I'm really confused. I've found another wiring layout that says:

3pin plug 1 - 3 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 5 9pin serial

AND the same page then has another section that says:

3pin plug 1 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 3 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 5 9pin serial

What's the right one?!

Edited by BigJL on Thursday 5th June 11:45

[Fume Troll]

BigJL said:

How does one go about making the 3 pin socket connector that plugs into the cable under the steering wheel? Where do you get the adapter from? (I know I can buy a ready made one from CT, but I wanna make my own!)

I see the wiring layout is here: http://tvrcerbera.co.uk/Gallery/displayimage.php?a...

3pin plug 1 - 5 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 3 9pin serial

Cheers,
J

ETA

Ok, now I'm really confused. I've found another wiring layout that says:

3pin plug 1 - 3 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 5 9pin serial

AND the same page then has another section that says:

3pin plug 1 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 3 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 5 9pin serial

What's the right one?!

Edited by BigJL on Thursday 5th June 11:45

Interesting! Are you getting these from diagrams or from descriptions? Could you post a link?

I did wonder if the reason my 3 pin plug won't work is because it's wired differently... My lead from Clever Trevor is certainly like the one in your link above (and the lashed up lead I made is definitely like the other diagram from the site you've linked above) but perhaps the connector in the car is wired differently. I'm going to test it and find out while I have the cover off the ECU.

As for the connector, I don't know what it is but it's manufactured by ITT, so could probably be tracked down. That said, if you're going as far as to make your own cable, you might as well cut it off and make it up to a 9 pin D plug and plug it straight into a serial cable.

Cheers,

FT.

[BigJL]

I saw 2nd and 3rd layouts on a link to a page out of VARLEYHYD's Sagaris workshop manual, but can't remember where it was now! Will try and find it...

[Fume Troll]

You mean:?



You're right, that is different to my CT lead. I will re-wire it and see what happens.

Cheers,

FT.

Edited by Fume Troll on Friday 6th June 12:01

[BigJL]

Just spoke to VARLEYHYD - he says that the Tamora, Sagaris and Tuscan connections are not necessarily the same, so potentially it could be any one of those! Let us know how you get on rewiring it.

I'm trying to locate the connector end of the diagnostic cable from ITT. Might pay a visit to maplins on the weekend and see if I can source the correct bits to put together one myself.

[Fume Troll]

Edited to say: It looks like this is the connector for under the steering wheel:



Manufacturer: SOURIAU
Part No: SMS3P1
Model: QIKMATE, 3WAY

Plug and pins etc for it here: http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/altsSubs.jsp?type...

The "car end" is here: http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/search/altsSubs.jsp?type...

Cheers,

FT.

Edited by Fume Troll on Saturday 7th June 09:40

[fat80b]

Fume Troll said:

BigJL said:

How does one go about making the 3 pin socket connector that plugs into the cable under the steering wheel? Where do you get the adapter from? (I know I can buy a ready made one from CT, but I wanna make my own!)

I see the wiring layout is here: http://tvrcerbera.co.uk/Gallery/displayimage.php?a...

3pin plug 1 - 5 9pin serial
3pin plug 2 - 2 9pin serial
3pin plug 3 - 3 9pin serial

Cheers,
J

Right, I have just had to do this and mine is definitely the above (where the 3 pin plug is numbered left to right)

This was in a 2001 Y Tuscan Mark 1

I just cut a serial cable, soldered on some pins and wedged them in to the socket.

Managed to reset a fault code and capture some live logs whilst hooning round - v interesting

Bob