Logger help needed - out of ideas.

[NJGSX96]

Hey guys. Hopefully you can give me some assistance. I have a 1994 S4 and just purchased the Andy Whittaker logger not too long ago. No matter what I do I cannot get it to connect and transmit data. Andy was even nice enough to send me a second logger (Andy, if you read this, the 1st is in the mail as on yesterday - sorry or the delay). Still no dice. I have tried 3 cables, null modem connectors, custom made cables, and a gender bender attaching the logger right into the laptop. Nothing. The light flickers pretty quick but no data comes out to the laptop. There isn't some special step or some kind of "gotcha" I am missing, is there? Just to make sure, the connector is under the dash, passenger side, right under the dash, right? I have 2 under there but one is labelled for the alarm. There isn't a 3rd, is there? I am using the right connector I hope.

Now I have heard the connector under the dash sometimes doesn't work right and that there is a second in the engine compartment. I have searched all over and I cannot find this thing. maybe one of you can lead me in the right direction? whre is this elusive connector?

If I cannot get this to work, do I have any other options? I'd like to have a working datalogger.

Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks.
Rich

[cnh1990]

I believe the connector you seek is on the right rear wheel arch in the trunk above the battery. They moved it on the S4. On SE's it used to behind the forward trunk wall on the right side. Did you force data?
Calvin

[NJGSX96]

I checked by the battery but saw nothing. Even had 2 of my friends double check so I knew I wasn't crazy. I kinda wish that the one under the dash would work.

I forced data a lot, hoping that one would get it to work. Nothing. The light flashes on the logger like data is going through it but nothing makes it to the program/laptop. I should see bytes transfer once it starts working... if it starts working, right?

Is it flaky on certain laptops or OS? I am running it on an IBM T23 with Windows98SE. I disabled allthe infrared ports and such and know the laptop works as I can log my Talon with it's logger as well as any OBDII since I have a logger for them as well. I just loaded freescan on my work laptop which is a T23 as well, but running Windows2000. I'll try that tonight.

Anybody else have any ideas?

[adrianmugridge]

Simple things but :

a) You do have the engine running ?

b) Have you clicked the Force Data button on FreeScan ?

Adrian
www.adrianmugridge.co.uk

[NJGSX96]

adrianmugridge said:

Simple things but : a) You do have the engine running ? b) Have you clicked the Force Data button on FreeScan ?

Engine is running, yes.
Clicked Force data, yes.

[cnh1990]

It should be there on top of the right wheel arch. Sometimes hidden by the carpet.
Calvin

[Dr.Hess]

I have no direct experience with the Freescan thingie, but from my discussions with Stuart Russell, the Freescan app won't work with certain serial chipsets. He ran into this problem when trying to port it to PDA's. So, the problem could be your computer. Can you try a different one?

Dr.Hess

[NJGSX96]

Hmm... I can try another computer. Being in Desktop Support has some perks. I'll bring whatever we have in our stockroom home and try out different platforms.
Thanks.
Rich

[cnh1990]

Older ones work best.

[NJGSX96]

I have an old PII 300 Dell Latitude on WindowsNT, an IBM 600x on Windows2000, and new Dell C640 to try out. Hopefully ONE of them will work.

[NJGSX96]

No dice. Just got back from trying them all. I tried a Dell Latitude CPi and a CPI-A, an IBM 600X, IBM T20, IBM T23, various OS on each. None of them worked. The light on the logger gets a steady flash, but Freescan does not see anything. I tried to look for the conector in the boot and can't find it. I searched everywhere. Is it hidden by the ECU maybe? Is it possible I don't have one?

Running out of ideas here and getting ready to give up. Anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks again.
Rich

[GreenV8S]

Don't know quite what you're trying to connect to what so this could be nonesense, but is the problem with a serial link? Might be teaching granny to suck eggs, but there are umpteen variants of RS232 so it would be worth checking the pin layout at each end, also you need to know baud rate, byte size and checksum, and what type of flow control is used. Hardware flow control requires the corresponding pins to be connected through the cable. Just about any of these would be enough to stop it working.