Aldl Software
I've been out of the loop for a while now (I did an electrical apprenticeship for the last 4 years) so i'm wondering what is the best way to go for a cheap and reliable scan tool for Holden and other common cars.
I've checked out the ELM327 and ALDL at envyouscustoms.com and they seem to have all of the Holden stuff covered within 4 programs. The Body Diagnostics is only offered as a subscription service, which is quite expensive at $350 per year.
Are there any better options? I also saw this one -
It seems to do airbag as well as engine and transmission for only $70 delivered and they've sold 294 of them so I reckon they must be OK.
I don't want to reprogram anything, just read and clear current and history codes and check live data parameters etc.
I've used Tech1, Tech2 and GDS extensively over the years I worked at Holden, but I don't want to fork out the money to get those systems.
Any help greatly appreciated, please reply here or send me a PM.
WinALDL - 160 baud ALDL reader. WinALDL is a program that reads the ALDL data from some supported ECM types. The data is presented in a way that will help when tuning a car after engine modifications. TunerPro V5 is a diagnostic software which can read live engine data and fault codes from Holden commodores. This tutorial will show how quickly and easy it is to get setup and start logging live.
On-Board Diagnostics, or OBD, is a computer-based system built into modern passenger cars that monitors emission related controls and performance of the engine, and detects malfunctions. OBD-II systems provide access to the health information of a vehicle and access to numerous parameters and sensors from the Engine Control Unit (ECU). The OBD2 system offers valuable information, including diagnostic trouble codes, when troubleshooting problems.
OBD diagnostic software communicates with the car and reads the diagnostic information from the car. For the communication, a small OBD adapter is needed in addition. The adapter is attached to a car's OBD2 port. It acts as a bridge between your computer/mobile and the car. Using the adapter, OBD software can communicate with the car and present the diagnostic information in user friendly way. It is the software that brings the real value for you. That's why we created OBD Auto Doctor.
Ald Software
To start communicating with your car, you need to have ELM327-based adapter and a OBDII compliant car. Just connect the OBDII adapter to the physical 16-pin OBD connector plug located near the dashboard (typically below the streering wheel), launch the software, and you are ready to go. The connection between the interface and the software can use bluetooth, WiFi, serial port or USB connection depending on the type of hardware you have.