OMG! I think it finally works.

[Dr.Fiero]

Sounds crazy, but.... I'm on my 2nd Tech2. Well, technically it's a bit of the 1st, and a bit of the 2nd!

Each of them had odd and/or erratic things going on. So, I stripped them both down and with some careful soldering, blended the two together into one - that ALMOST worked!!! :/

Time (years) marched on, and I really really needed this to flash a new/used ECM. It was still doing gimpy things. Display would flicker, frequent reboots (yeah, JUST the thing you want 1/2 way through a flash!), etc.

So, I decided to take another stab at it, and picked up one of the Mornsun DC-DC converters.

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Well, been running on the bench for about 1/2hr or so now, and for the first time since I've had this, it hasn't freaked out in some way shape or another!!! If it can go 24hrs without restarting, I'll move onto actually hooking it to a car and trying it.

 

[Dr.Fiero]

Well, after 24hrs solid - not a hiccup. Going to call this a win.
Of course, I haven't actually done anything REAL with it! hahaha

 

[Dr.Fiero]

Update... while the unit itself overall hasn't burped or farted once - the one time I've tried it (only on one car) it won't communicate. Sigh....

When I have more time, I'll try it on something older, and something newer (nothing bluer).

I also have some bits I can swap in/out with my donor unit like the VCI module. Rang out the cable, and all the leads are passing through. Ran self test on the CANdi module and it tests 100%, but then T2 says CANdi not detected! Ugh.

 

[Mooseman]

Maybe try on a car that doesn't need the CANdi or swap it if you have a spare. Have heard of these failing. Does the LED on it do anything?

Really sucks that BOTH of yours have failed. They must have been built at month end just before the worker's monthly day off . Mine's been solid for 4 years (knock on wood).

 

[Dr.Fiero]

I've tried connecting with and without the CANdi. Same lack of results either way.
I just said screw it Sunday out of frustration, and picked up a VCX Nano. It showed up today.

Fighting with the usual 'software issues' (cough) and trying to get TIS2000 or Tech2Win to play nice with it.

The diag software that comes with it sees it no problem, and it did its firmware update OK.

I'm just too tired to fight with THIS now tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Or the long weekend.

 

[Dr.Fiero]

Well, after MUCH more fighting with getting the VCX to talk to anything other than VXManager (which it did effortlessly) ... I finally got it to talk to something that was actually useful!

At one point, I did have the VCX talking to GDS2, but since my Impala SS is an '06, and GDS2 doesn't know what anything older than 2010 is - it falls under the 'useless' umbrella.

Jumped up and down for days trying to get the VCX to talk to TIS2000 - and it SEEMED like it wasn't working. Now that being said, every time I made a config change, I was going to the handheld simulator (as a pass thru) and seeing if I could talk to the car. Constantly told me there was no communication with the device. So, I would try something else, and it'd fail.

Well, on a whim I tried NOT going into that, and went right to SPS mode. And low and behold... it recognized the VCX, and allowed me to read the car! Tried going in/out a few times and it kept working - except (!) if I ever booted the program up, went into handheld mode then tried SPS. You can only boot the program up, then go right to SPS. Why? Forked if I know!!

What I *do* know though, is that THIS is what really counts in the end.

 

[Mooseman]

Good job! If you could do a write up on the setup, how to use it and which VCX you got would be cool. Only thing though is that it's only useful for SPS? Can't read or do anything like the Tech 2?

 

[Dr.Fiero]

Well, at this point - all I've got working is SPS (which is all I really need anyhow, since I have 1/2 dozen and growing other units for scanning, clearing codes, etc). That's not to say I will never get the VCX talking to the other 1/2 of TIS2000. My X431-IV does "almost" everything the Tech2 does, as the software seems to be a semi clone of it - but no SPS.

I'll try to do a write up, or maybe even a video (channel needs new content!) on setting it up. It'd be a rehash of what I took from others anyhow (some of which was in not-so-much-english).

As a side note - I swapped VCI modules in the Tech2, and it still refuses to talk to the car. Though TIS2000 talks to IT no problem! Sigh.... FML.
I haven't tried the Tech2 on my '01 Caddy Seville, or my '03 Saturn (both are of course OBD2, and pre-CAN).

 

[Dr.Fiero]

Minor update.... The Tech2 DOES work! It hooked up to the caddy and talked to all the modules just like it should.

Why it wouldn't communicate with the Impala - no idea.

Went to try it on the Saturn - dead battery (closed the door, walked away!).

 

[Mooseman]

So something with the CANdi?

 

[Dr.Fiero]

So something with the CANdi?

Not sure. The CANdi module passed all its tests. Can hear it clicking away, leds are doing their blinky things. And I tried connecting with and without it. The Impala being an ‘06, I’m not even sure it needs it or not.

I didnt get around to trying the Tech2 on the TB which is an ‘05. Have to do that this week.