John T. Blair wrote:
> There may be another way. AutoZone has just started selling a nice little
> tool called the "CarChip" for $100. It plugs into the diagnostic connector,
> and will record your error codes, and some driving parameters like speed and
> braking. It also will record your error codes. After driving with the
> carchip plugged in, you remove it and connect it to your computer. Then
> you can display various info. There is a "reset" function available then
> through the your computer to tell the "carchip" to reset the car's computer.
I've had one of these for a while. They work fine. I've used it for
the usual ODBC code stuff, "which oxygen sensor needs replacement", that
kind of thing.
At $100 I think it's a useful product. I guess on some levels I would
prefer a standalone unit though, but they cost more and deliver quite a
bit less.
The computer hookup gives a LOT more infomation than just the code,
but it's kind of a pain to run inside and connect to a computer than
just to read it sitting in the driver's seat.
(since it requires a serial port, I can't sit in the car with my
newish laptop and work... laptops haven't generally had serial ports for
years)
I guess I'm also concerned about longevity, because right now the
unit requires a serial port and a computer running windows that runs the
software that comes with it.
In five years, most desktop computers probably won't have serial
ports. And in ten years, it might be hard to find enough junk to put
together a computer that runs windows and the windows-based software
that came with the unit.
If you had a handheld, it would work probably forever. Like when you
have 1950s era test equipment and special service tools to work on their
1950s cars.
I've ran into this in other fields too. I used to do a lot of data
collection with PC based ISA cards that came with DOS software. At the
time, they were aimed to be "cheap replacements" for expensive lab units.
However, the lab units still work, but if you want to use the cards
you have to find a mid-1990s computer and a mid-1990s version of DOS to
run them. The cards don't fit in modern machines, and the software won't
run either.
--
Trevor Boicey, P. Eng.
Ottawa, Canada, tboicey@brit.ca
ICQ #17432933 http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
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