Finally getting a Tech2

[Rocket Man]

Interesting; mine came preloaded and it's in the bottom slot. It seems to be working perfectly fine. I checked and it will go into the top slot though.
Edit: I checked the instructions and it says it's supposed to be in the top slot and the bottom slot is for "future use" so I put it in the top slot. I don't see any difference; it still works.

 

[swathdiver]

How did you run the experiment? Several tanks worth? Same driving habits and what was the mileage difference? Did you run this test for both fuels during the same time of year (winter blends vs summer blends)?

It costs me within tenths of a penny to run 93 versus 87 and often even less to run E85.

 

[swathdiver]

Duplicate Post

 

[Teeroy78]

Interesting; mine came preloaded and it's in the bottom slot. It seems to be working perfectly fine. I checked and it will go into the top slot though.
Edit: I checked the instructions and it says it's supposed to be in the top slot and the bottom slot is for "future use" so I put it in the top slot. I don't see any difference; it still works.

Hi Mark,

When I put mine into the bottom slot and powered up the Tech 2, it went into what looks like a software download mode waiting for a connection from a PC. I figured “future use” may have also included card programming, but if yours works in the bottom slot I hope I didn’t get shipped a blank card.

I asked the seller if I had his permission to try and modify the door without impacting my ability to return the item, and he gave me his blessing. So I brought my Tech 2 and a variety of pliers to work and will play at lunchtime to try and cram it into the top slot one way or another!

 

[Teeroy78]

How did you run the experiment? Several tanks worth? Same driving habits and what was the mileage difference? Did you run this test for both fuels during the same time of year (winter blends vs summer blends)?

It costs me within tenths of a penny to run 93 versus 87 and often even less to run E85.

Hi James,

No, my experiment with premium (91 around here) wasn’t that lengthy or detailed. Shell premium has no ethanol, so I was trying a couple of 0% ethanol tanks to see if that would reset my alcohol percentage prior to purchasing the Tech 2. It didn’t of course. Premium is usually around 20 - 25 cents more per litre, so around a 20% premium over regular. Even when I get my truck running tickety boo again, I won’t see anywhere near a 20% increase in mileage to compensate. I’m rather jealous of your results James!

Aside from the fact that it works out to almost the same price so “why not”, do you see any other benefit to running 93 in your truck? Do you have it tuned for high octane?

 

[Rocket Man]

Hi Mark,

When I put mine into the bottom slot and powered up the Tech 2, it went into what looks like a software download mode waiting for a connection from a PC. I figured “future use” may have also included card programming, but if yours works in the bottom slot I hope I didn’t get shipped a blank card.

I asked the seller if I had his permission to try and modify the door without impacting my ability to return the item, and he gave me his blessing. So I brought my Tech 2 and a variety of pliers to work and will play at lunchtime to try and cram it into the top slot one way or another!

@swathdiver have you tried yours in the botton slot?

 

[swathdiver]

...do you see any other benefit to running 93 in your truck? Do you have it tuned for high octane?

Yes, it idles smoother and the additives keep the injectors and valves and such cleaner. I did have BlackBear tune it for 93 but I've being doing the high octane test on all of my autos since the 1980s.

@swathdiver have you tried yours in the botton slot?

Yes, the card does not work in that slot. It was for copying and future upgrades which never were.

 

[Rocket Man]

Yes, it idles smoother and the additives keep the injectors and valves and such cleaner. I did have BlackBear tune it for 93 but I've being doing the high octane test on all of my autos since the 1980s.



Yes, the card does not work in that slot. It was for copying and future upgrades which never were.

Strange that mine does work in the bottom or top slot.

 

[swathdiver]

That's a good thing Mark! I have downloaded the various manuals by the different companies that made them over the years, they are not as uniform in features as one might expect.

 

[Teeroy78]

Before:

That opening is WAY too small:

Nurse, scalpel please:

Not the cleanest job, but I can tidy this up easily enough:

PCMCIA card fits in like a glove now:

Oh, I’m so excited!!!:

What?!? :

Has anybody seen this before? Is my card blank after all? Sigh, I hope I don’t have to wait another two weeks for a replacement card from China.

The saga continues...

 

[Teeroy78]

And to make matters worse, the pictures aren’t even showing up LOL
Trying again using “Upload a File” instead of dragging and dropping the images inline with the text (which looked like it was going to work just fine while composing the message). Let’s try this again!


Before:

That opening is WAY too small:

Nurse, scalpel please:

Not the cleanest job, but I can tidy this up easily enough:

PCMCIA card fits in like a glove now:

 

[Teeroy78]

Oh, I’m so excited!!!:

What?!? :

Has anybody seen this before? Is my card blank after all? Sigh, I hope I don’t have to wait another two weeks for a replacement card from China.

The saga continues...

 

[Teeroy78]

When all else fails, RTFM... The section called “Initial Hardware Installation” under “Getting Started” may have been a good place to turn first. But I can’t help it, this whole Tech 2 adventure has been such a rollercoaster of emotions, and I was too excited for it to work!

Here is the happy picture I was looking for:

Version 33.004 and all. The work day can’t come to an end fast enough now so I can hook it up and play!

 

[Rocket Man]

When all else fails, RTFM... The section called “Initial Hardware Installation” under “Getting Started” may have been a good place to turn first. But I can’t help it, this whole Tech 2 adventure has been such a rollercoaster of emotions, and I was too excited for it to work!

Here is the happy picture I was looking for:
View attachment 193323

Version 33.004 and all. The work day can’t come to an end fast enough now so I can hook it up and play!

Did you read the instructions? I'm guessing not lol.

 

[Teeroy78]

Did you read the instructions? I'm guessing not lol.

Guilty as charged.

I wanted to make sure it powered up and loaded properly first so I could let the seller know what’s going on and was going to read the instructions to use it after. I clearly didn’t realize I needed the instructions to even power it up the first time.

 

[swathdiver]

The Candi module was not attached in post #33 right? It should be mentioned on the display right below "32 Megabyte".

Your photo jogged my memory and that lip on the door is the obstruction to the PCMCIA slot on mine too. Must've been a Friday afternoon build or Monday morning build!

 

[Teeroy78]

The Candi module was not attached in post #33 right? It should be mentioned on the display right below "32 Megabyte".

Your photo jogged my memory and that lip on the door is the obstruction to the PCMCIA slot on mine too. Must've been a Friday afternoon build or Monday morning build!

You’ve got a good eye, James! The CANdi module was not attached. The documentation (because I *ALWAYS* read the documentation first ) described the cables and connectors required for hardware initialization, so those were all I had used to that point when I took the screen shot.

This morning, I hooked it all up with the CANdi module (which did show as connected on the splash screen) and oh happy day, I was finally able to reset my fuel trims AND ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE!!! Cold engine from overnight, ignition ON engine OFF. Connected Tech 2, made the resets, then (about 10 minutes later) turned the key. Engine fired up so smoothly, the garage didn’t reek of unspent fuel in the exhaust, it didn’t want to stall while shifting into drive, and my goodness who knew that this would even be the resolution to my engine taking forever to heat up. I know a leaner burn is a hotter burn, but it was amazing just how quickly my engine warmed up to operating temperature. My morning consists of two fairly short runs (to daycare, then to work), and so my engine hasn’t fully heated up all winter on Monday to Fridays, just when I go for longer drives on the weekend (terrible for the engine, I know, but I’m not going to do laps just to get it warm). Well, for the first work day all winter my temperature gauge finally hit 100C, right where it should be.

Two slightly sour notes: one, as I approached work I pulled over and hooked up the Tech 2 again as I wanted to check on the LTFT and maybe start a recording as I drove the last little bit. The Tech 2 powered up in RS232 download mode again, and I had to go through the process of connecting the loop back plug and disconnecting from the ODB2 port so the RS232 Download Mode process could complete. I thought that was a one-time event. I’m glad I had all the piece parts with me!

Second, I noticed that the LTFT, while not in the -29% range with STFT a further -15ish% like before, had still crept down to about -17%. So it looks like I still have some detective work to do. Both banks’ LTFT and STFT were matching, as they were before the reset.

The good news is that I now get to dig into my shiny new service manual (or as shiny as a PDF gets, I suppose) and my shiny new Tech 2 and get to learn and play! I’m not afraid to do my own work of course (why else would I get the manual and a Tech 2 and make an effort to be active on TYF? ), but I don’t actually know very much about how it all works yet (MAF, MAP, O2 sensors, intake manifolds, etc. etc. etc.). I’m really excited that now I get to learn and troubleshoot with an actual problem to fix.

 

[swathdiver]

I've not had that happen, that download mode situation. I did run all the tests with the different connectors when I got it and then after replacing the OBDII connector. The engines heat up rather quickly compared to previous ones. Using the remote start should help get it up to temp faster too.

 

[Teeroy78]

I've not had that happen, that download mode situation. I did run all the tests with the different connectors when I got it and then after replacing the OBDII connector. The engines heat up rather quickly compared to previous ones. Using the remote start should help get it up to temp faster too.

Most definitely, the remote start will be very appreciated once again! Well, after I replace the oil pressure sensor, but that’s a tale for another day.

I’ve been very jealous of my wife’s winter heat in her Chevy Cruze with her itty bitty 1.4L 4 cylinder turbo engine that heats up so incredibly quickly and blows hot air so fast compared by my behemoth 5.3L V8 that took 20 minutes to warm up. Jealousy cured.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

You’ve got a good eye, James! The CANdi module was not attached. The documentation (because I *ALWAYS* read the documentation first ) described the cables and connectors required for hardware initialization, so those were all I had used to that point when I took the screen shot.

This morning, I hooked it all up with the CANdi module (which did show as connected on the splash screen) and oh happy day, I was finally able to reset my fuel trims AND ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE!!! Cold engine from overnight, ignition ON engine OFF. Connected Tech 2, made the resets, then (about 10 minutes later) turned the key. Engine fired up so smoothly, the garage didn’t reek of unspent fuel in the exhaust, it didn’t want to stall while shifting into drive, and my goodness who knew that this would even be the resolution to my engine taking forever to heat up. I know a leaner burn is a hotter burn, but it was amazing just how quickly my engine warmed up to operating temperature. My morning consists of two fairly short runs (to daycare, then to work), and so my engine hasn’t fully heated up all winter on Monday to Fridays, just when I go for longer drives on the weekend (terrible for the engine, I know, but I’m not going to do laps just to get it warm). Well, for the first work day all winter my temperature gauge finally hit 100C, right where it should be.

Two slightly sour notes: one, as I approached work I pulled over and hooked up the Tech 2 again as I wanted to check on the LTFT and maybe start a recording as I drove the last little bit. The Tech 2 powered up in RS232 download mode again, and I had to go through the process of connecting the loop back plug and disconnecting from the ODB2 port so the RS232 Download Mode process could complete. I thought that was a one-time event. I’m glad I had all the piece parts with me!

Second, I noticed that the LTFT, while not in the -29% range with STFT a further -15ish% like before, had still crept down to about -17%. So it looks like I still have some detective work to do. Both banks’ LTFT and STFT were matching, as they were before the reset.

The good news is that I now get to dig into my shiny new service manual (or as shiny as a PDF gets, I suppose) and my shiny new Tech 2 and get to learn and play! I’m not afraid to do my own work of course (why else would I get the manual and a Tech 2 and make an effort to be active on TYF? ), but I don’t actually know very much about how it all works yet (MAF, MAP, O2 sensors, intake manifolds, etc. etc. etc.). I’m really excited that now I get to learn and troubleshoot with an actual problem to fix.

Love this!