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Domain: obddiagnostics.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to obddiagnostics.com.

Comments · 9

  1. Re:Good. by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 1 · on Right-to-Repair Law To Get DRM Out of Your Car

    The cost for that was just for the hardware. The software is free (beer).
    Technical info on how and what the OBD puts out, so you can roll your own.
    A Linux variant. Not much recent activity, though. Here is an apparently open source finished product. Again, the hardware is the cost.

  2. Re:Good. by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 1 · on Right-to-Repair Law To Get DRM Out of Your Car

    The cost for that was just for the hardware. The software is free (beer).
    Technical info on how and what the OBD puts out, so you can roll your own.
    A Linux variant. Not much recent activity, though. Here is an apparently open source finished product. Again, the hardware is the cost.

  3. Re:Only a matter of time. by Tmack · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Refilling Ink Cartridges Now a Crime?
    Not sure where this "locked out" complaint comes from unless you are talking pre-1996, but since then the OBDII requirement was passed (in the US), and just about every car since the mid 90's has a computer that can be read by a standard code reader. Most codes are also known and published for the vehicles. Your local parts store probably carries a few handheld scanners of varying level of compatability, and you can get versions that will hook up directly to your PC, all for less than $400 (some are even less than $200 new, and less than that on Ebay). The newer CAN interface requires a different, usually more expensive interface, but there are already inexpensive scanners for those as well (aside from being a non-auto specific interface).

    See Here for OBDII, and

    Here or Here or Here

    tm

  4. Actually, relatively easy by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 1 · on Big Brother In Your Front Seat

    OBDII is a serial protocol that would be a bit harder to hack than the speedometer pulse wire.

    Schematics to build the interface, and OS source code to write your own program available here

    If you were really that bothered, you could build a passthru device, that only reported what you wanted. Or, record a couple of nice sedate drives to work, then play them back into the insurance companies scanner once a day.

    This WILL get hacked.

  5. It's not as hard as you think by chaffed · · Score: 5, Informative · on Automakers Try To Keep Repair Codes Secret

    The codes are available on the net if you know where to look. Often they are found on auto enthusiast websites. Websites like Focaljet.com

    Not only that there is a great project for retrieving codes under linux. The project is called FreeDiag. It can be found at Sourceforge.net

    Not only that, there are some great "open" cables you can build yourself. the BR interface is my fav. It happens to work very nicely with freediag.

    Hope this helps people that are interested.

  6. If you're that bothered about the code by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 1 · on Automakers Try To Keep Repair Codes Secret

    Go buy one of the many, many aftermarket products that do exactly what is this. Interface with te cars serial port, and display in colorful graphics on your laptop or Palm, exactly what the particular code(s) means.

    Anywhere in price from $80 to several thousand. AutoTap is probably the best midrange one, at $200-300.

    Now...if you lack the skill to put a gas cap on correctly, these may not help you.

  7. Re:So use a parallel port by theLOUDroom · · Score: 1 · on Congress May Force Revealing of Car Computer Secrets

    The are solutions like this.
    But at the time I just needed to get the car fixed ASAP, and was already devoting my (limited) extra EE time to my RX-7.

    The problem with the ODBII port design is that it's ONLY used for ODBII. This makes an interface a specialty item and automatically expensive. If they'd just made it RS-232, RS-422 or something else, I imagine even a pre-built interface cable would cost half as much.

    Problem I had was I was looking at $70 a pop to get the code read, $160 for a handheld code reader at my local auto parts store, or $200 or so for a cable and software via the internet plus shipping time.

  8. Here ya go by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 5, Informative · on Interacting with Onboard Car Computers?

    I'm designing something similar for my truck.

    Inexpensive Free software for Win or Mac. Inexpensive cable.
    Expensive. Very pro display, and you can get all the extended codes sets.
    Opensource(you still need to build/buy the cable)

    There are others out there. Google for obdii

    All you need do is hook this up to the serial port of whatever car PC you make, and run the s/w. Presto, virtual dashboard, with more readings than you will ever use.

    Friend of mine at work has the cheaper one, and it works quite well. You can even record a drive, and play it back later. Output to OO.org or excel compatible csv for further analysis.

  9. Re:Kudos to these folks by Hieronymous+Cowherd · · Score: 1 · on Dashboard Linux - 1 Year Later

    Well, *all* vehicles sold in the US after the 1996 model year are federally mandated to have OBDII. It's true that few of the interfaces have tunable parameters, but the interface is there, and can be read from. Yes, manufacturer-proprietary interfaces for setting parameters are causing problems in the field of aftermarket OBDII software, but it certainly exists in many forms.

    Plus, there are certainly other EMS's available for less than the $3000 range, such as the Haltech, Microtech, and even the Megasquirt, which, while not unencumbered, has at least source and schematics available. It's just not to be used commercially without authorization. While I'd welcome a Free EMS, it's probably better to add your skillset to the DIY-EFI group, as they're already working on this.