Hi,

I just got my Elm scantool 323 v2 and up to now has not been able to communicate with the car 1996 850 GLT...
I tried the Scantool 1.1 and Digimoto Lite without luck. I got 'connected' status but 'NO DATA' is all I got...
Has anybody succeeded using the tool? What software is used?

I've had more luck with ScanTool than with Digimoto.
Make sure the green LED (if your reader has one) is lit up before attempting
to read your codes. I have to just about ram the damn thing into the socket
to get a good connection. Also, I tried it on a friends Grand Prix and it took
about 6 tries before I got a good scan. The ScanTool 1.1 is pretty archaic compared to Digimoto 6.1, but seems far more reliable.
Good luck!
Armie
(by the way - your 850 is a '96)
--
Imagine all the people...

Thanks Paul,
Yes the green LED is lit and the other LED blinks when plugged.
I didn't know that the latest Digimoto is 6.1, I thought the latest version is 4.01
I prefer Digimoto for it has some kind of Hyperterminal page that we can throw codes to the scanner. Frankly I haven't tried Scantool 1.1 using my new laptop (my older laptop don't have serial port).
One thing that is bothering me is that the OBD2 port in my car has pin 2 empty while the scanner has pin 2. the pins that matches between the car and the scanner are number 4,5,6,7 and 16... How about yours?

The ISO9141 interface uses the OBD2 lines 5 (Gnd), 7 (K line), 15 (L line) and 16 (pwr).

I think you can use the standard windows hyperterminal to talk to the cars ECU using the ELM323 (so says the datasheet on their website).

If you don't have line 15 from the car connected into the scantool, I don't think it will work. Sure of your pinouts? Got the right Scantool model?

Thanks Steve,
No I don't have pin 15, I do have pin 13(which has no match on scanner side).
Mine is ISO type (so says the dealer), but I'm not sure if I got the right OBD2 cable with it.

My cable for the ISO interface has the following pin connections:

DB9 OBD2
1 5
2 4
3 6
4 7
5 14
6 10
7 2
8 15
9 16

The Elmscan ISO board cct on the scantool website show the interface using OBD2 pins 5,7,15 and 16. If your cable is not connecting pin 15 to the interface, it won't work.

Thanks again Steve,

Glad to know that I have the same ISO interface cable as yours...
What about the one in your car... what are the available pins?

Gasp - I should be sure I know what I'm talking about first, next time.

My 98 V70 has pins (looking into the OBD2 connector in the car)
3,4,5,7,13,16.

Pin 7 is the ISO K line and this is the main data line, 5 gnd and 16 pwr. The others are likely used by Volvo for their VADIS diagnostics tool. Pin 15, the L line for the ISO standard is not necessary.

Bottom line - you need connectivity to pins 5,7,16 in the car.

I'm actually in the process of building a Scantool interface from components and hope to give it a try on the weekend.

I'll let you know if I can get it working.

Horaaay... I got a friend... your car's pins are exactly the same as mine. obd2-codes.com says that pin 15 is not a must have.

Using Digimoto lite's serial tab, I was able to get response when I throw ATBD command, unfortunately I have no idea what the hexes mean.

I have posted my question regarding HEX translation on Scantool.net forum but getting no answer...

you are welcome to email me sir...

Yellow

I assume you are using a purchased Elm323 - not a build-your-own kit. Can you try it on another car that has an ISO interface? Sounds like your interface is working though since you got Digimoto working on it.

Is this a port baud rate problem between the Scantool interface and the PC?

Have you tried the EasyOBD2 software - link is on the Scantool.net website? This should work with your interface (haven't tried it myself).

I'll post a note once I get to trying my interface. I was actually planning on using some PalmOS software (OBDGauge) with the interface. The PalmPilot is a bit smaller than my laptop.

Steve,

Yes I'm using a purchased Elm323 v2, I live ocean away from you where OBD2 is not mandatory, my other car (grand vitara) don't have OBD2 interface.
Digimoto lite provides a tab/page similar to hyperterminal where you can throw AT codes and receiving ECU response in hexadecimal. I only recoqnize AT commands listed on ELM323 datasheet like ATSI, ATZ, ATBD, but when I throw 03 requesting fault codes, it response is always 'NO DATA'.

Yes, baut rate problem is possible, but there is nothing else we can do right?the baud rate is always set in 9600 (maximum) and it is greyed (non updatable). When I do ATSI (slow init) I will get BUS INIT: Ok, unlike when I ATFI (fast init). So I will try lower the baud rate and see what happen..

I doubt that other software do better because they basically throw the same AT codes (I guess) and what they do are just translating those hex to english, but i'll give it a try sometimes.

So if you can communicate using a terminal window using the scantool interface, you must have your baud rate set ok - doesn't sound like the problem.

How do you know that you have any fault codes set? If no codes are set, a "No data" message is not surprising.

What happens when you try to look at sensor data using Scantool software v1.1 with the car running? Does this return no data also?

For sure I have two problems, the ACC and the ABS. But hey, those two are not powertrain related, so may be you are right... I have no fault code from the powertrain at all.

If baud rate is not the problem, then what can it be? Our scanners are definitely different from the dealer's scanner, but what made the difference..? Dealer's scanner is able to read everything from the car...

Do you know other AT commands to request codes beside 03? or any other command AT I can try?

I'll try scantool v1.1...

Yellow

The scantool software likely only supports standard powertrain codes. I know my other software package (Autoenginuity) does not support ACC or ABS on Volvo's. I don't think VOlvo implemented them as standard OBD2.

Have you looked at the websites:

http://www.elmelectronics.com/chiphelp.html

http://scantool.net/forum/index.php

for additional info?

OK, I have both Scantool v1.1 and EasyOBD2 v1.1 working on my V70 (assume it will work on my 850 also). Scanned sensors, read codes all ok.

So it seems the Scantool interface v2.0 will work on Volvo's - a posting in the past somewhere that suggested this interface will not work on Volvo.

Still trying to get the Palmpilot working though with OBDGauge ......

Scantool v1.1 doesn't work on my 850.

I'm about to give up... unless someone tell me how to read those hexadecimals..

Look at

http://www.elmelectronics.com/DSheets/ELM323DS.pdf
and
http://www.scantool.net/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=32

They describe the AT and OBD2 commands for the Scantool chip.

In the terminal window, type 01 [pid#] to read the current value for a sensor. For example,
>0105
will read the coolant temp and return something like
41 05 xx
The xx is in hexidecimal and you need to convert it. When I did this, it returned 6C which would be 72 C (60 + 12).

Look through the above docs for more details on how to interact with the scantool chip with a terminal window. A rude-and-crude approach but you can get what you need.

It certainly sounds like your scantool hardware is working; Scantool software may not work with your vehicle for some reason.