I'm new to the whole tuing your car with a laptop. I was wondering first of all what's the best software to use that gives you all the readings, thats easy to use and set up. Also where do I get the adapter that plugs in from the laptop to the car's ECU. Also does my laptop have to have a certain amount of Speed, memory, and operating system (95,98,ME...etc) to make the program run? Thanks alot for the help.
Scanmster, Direct scan, what to use??
- Thread starter Omar703
- Start date
turbot2496
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- Mar 16, 2003
Direct scan is hands down the best tuning tool out there for the stock ecm. That and a boost gauge is really all you need. It tells you everything and displays 18 frames per second. Scanmaster is a distant second...... and I wouldn't even mess with turbolink but if you want that one I sell you mine for 60 bucks. LOL 
There is a good summary and comparison at http://www.turbo-link.com/ Basically your two choices are tools that read the aldl data stream, where the ecm puts out one frame every 1.4 seconds or so. Scanmaster monitors this and saves a couple of peak values, but aside from that if you aren't looking at it you miss the data - but it is always there, unlike a laptop. Turbolink was one of the first laptop tools for the tr's to be able to record this so you could play back a run, and was developed by a Buick drag racer then expanded so it can now talk to a wide variety of vehicles. Winaldl is a freeware program that works but isn't as well developed and easy to use as tl, and you have to make your own cable. Directscan taps directly into a test connector inside the ecm and gives more data than the aldl tools, at 18 frames per second.
turbot2496
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- Mar 16, 2003
Something to think about. Turbolink on a 13 sec 1/4 mile run will give you about 8 frames of data. Direct scan will give you 234. Scanmaster has the same sample rate as TL and saves peak values. Its ok for the street and for the times you don't wanna carry your laptop. Now do you want a tool thats checking your business 8 times during a run or 234 times.
i use my car for an everyday driver- but maybe once a month i take it to the track for the day it runs low 13s- they guy who had it befor me took his scan tool out- do you think i should just invest in a scan master for now since i dont frequent the track too often?
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2003
scanmaster first, i had scan tools at first but if you like to step on the gas hard SM is a must have, its what you will watch most often when the pedal is down , your boost should be set so thats not nescecarry to watch all the time but when racing you should watch it doesnt creep up i have my boost gauge on the pillar lower pod and the sm just below it on the side of the dash (no reflection in the windsheild at night) and can move it to the top if needed , its the o2s and knock retard that will signal if the car is ok during your run .
if you go with directscan its not something you will watch while accelerating , theres just that much info coming in and besides its not easy to veiw the text which is small compared to the SM readout , its great for recording and later reveiw and compare againtst previous runs . and also good for maintanance since you can monitor all the flags and be sure when the trans is shifting the ecm knows it and see when tour converter locks and fan goes on and also veiw all the BLM cells at once
SM is great but with the 1.2 -1.4 sec refresh rate you may not get the real story at the end of your run and possibly miss somethings during shifts , you can get fast data code burned into your chip to get the scanmaster o2 and kr refresh rate nearly triple what is is now which may help but directscan with 18 frames per sec will let you know exactly what you had.
if you go with directscan its not something you will watch while accelerating , theres just that much info coming in and besides its not easy to veiw the text which is small compared to the SM readout , its great for recording and later reveiw and compare againtst previous runs . and also good for maintanance since you can monitor all the flags and be sure when the trans is shifting the ecm knows it and see when tour converter locks and fan goes on and also veiw all the BLM cells at once
SM is great but with the 1.2 -1.4 sec refresh rate you may not get the real story at the end of your run and possibly miss somethings during shifts , you can get fast data code burned into your chip to get the scanmaster o2 and kr refresh rate nearly triple what is is now which may help but directscan with 18 frames per sec will let you know exactly what you had.
turbot2496
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2003
Direct Scan.
BLACK DEATH DSR
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2004
We got Direct Scan working on the laptop and it is Bad A... I havent tried the others but you cant go wrong with DS.
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