• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Will this work for reading OBDII on laptop?

W

winterbeater

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Royal Oak, Michigan
I've been thinking about getting code reader for diagnostics, but after seeing Chrysler engineers hook up their laptops to pull vehicle data, it seems to make more sense to just hook my laptop in.

Has anyone tried something like this? Is there any reason it won't work for our XJ's. Mine's a 2000. I will also use it on my Fords. I know you can also download free software, but this seems like it would be easier as it's all in one package. I'm not a computer whiz.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EOBD...tZMotors_Automotive_Tools?hash=item3a50fb1b12
 
It looks like it would work to me but look at that shipping cost $21.59 WOW!!!! I almost thought of ordering one just to see how it would work but that shipping seems a little outrageous!!!
 
Caveat emptor.

"If a man comes up to you in a bar, and offers to sell you a diamond for a dime, odds are that you will end up with a piece of glass that isn't worth one red cent."

That said, color me curious!
 
do a search on Google on auto doctor 007 like I did what comes up in interesting. Then use you own judement.
 
I looked on line there are free down load programs you can get for OBD1 and OBD2 the cables are not hi priced.I am thinking about going this way.
 
I think there is also some kind of chip involved in the cable to somehow make the signal readable through the USB. I saw a question listed on a similar product whether it used a certain common chip. They said they did.
 
winterbeater said:
I've been thinking about getting code reader for diagnostics, but after seeing Chrysler engineers hook up their laptops to pull vehicle data, it seems to make more sense to just hook my laptop in.

Has anyone tried something like this? Is there any reason it won't work for our XJ's. Mine's a 2000. I will also use it on my Fords. I know you can also download free software, but this seems like it would be easier as it's all in one package. I'm not a computer whiz.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EOBD...tZMotors_Automotive_Tools?hash=item3a50fb1b12
Click to expand...
I agree with Joe here, this looks like really cheaply built chinese crap. I've got some stuff I purchased from no-name vendors in Hong Kong, and while it's OK, it's not the best quality and was difficult to set up due to the amazingly incomprehensible manual. Expect cheap, brittle, almost featherweight roughly molded plastic, extremely thin cables with little strain relief, and shoddily made contacts in the connectors, though it will work if you are careful with it. It will be shipped to you in a package marked as a "gift" to make it through customs without paying duties, usually.

winterbeater said:
I think there is also some kind of chip involved in the cable to somehow make the signal readable through the USB. I saw a question listed on a similar product whether it used a certain common chip. They said they did.
Click to expand...
This is correct. The engine computers speak some variation of a variable pulse width signal or a slow differential mode serial signal, depending on what version they use, and USB is a very high speed modern differential mode serial protocol. As long as the converter chip in the middle is designed properly and does what it is supposed to it should work ok.

Personally, this is what I'd get: http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/car/aa31/ it's four times the price, but has way more features and is sold by a company I trust to sell quality products.
 
Yea, I got an extra palm treo I am wanting to mount in the jeep to BT the data to it!

That be awesome...:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top