I've downloaded a copy of WinALDL and am trying to get it working with an old laptop that has a serial port. I have used a double female serial cable to connect as the ALDL cable I have is male and so is the serial port on my laptop. I've tried every possible setting and can't get anything at all to show up on the software. I've had a few minor issues with rough/high idle when cold and throwing a code 32, so I'd like to get more info before I start throwing more parts (Read $$$) at it.

Anybody have any words of wisdom?

My car is an '85 GT with a stock 2.8 so I tried these settings (as well as all the others), but got pretty much nothing.





Thanks!

Serial cables can be wired 'straight through' or 'null modem'. If your serial port is good, and your ALDL cable is good, it could be that you are using the wrong version of what was needed with your ALDL cable.

The fact that your ALDL cable is wired to the non-standard gender of your connector is a red flag.

Are you ok with electronics? Ok with a meter?

I'm pretty sure that the cable is straight thru, not a null modem/crossover. I was only trying that until I could get my hands on a gender bender, which are about $15 bucks at the only place I can find one. I'm not bad with electronics, and have meters if there's something that I could check.

Well first off you want to use 1227170 for the ecm.
Are you sure you are setting winaldl for the correct port of you laptop?
Is strange that the cable has a male plug.
What OS?

If XP or earlier you can verify you port is working using Hyperterm.
See if you have Hyperterm in Assesories/communications or look in program files\windows nt and see if there is a hypertrm.exe file or search for it.

Once you have it start it up, name the connection anything.
On the connect to window in the connect using pick your com port.
On the com setting change flow control to NONE. Nothing else matters.
You will be in the terminal window then.
Get a clip or something and touch between pins 2-3 of the port and type on the keyboard. (I do this with my left hand and type with my right)

You should see the keys echo on the screen. If you remove the clip the typing should stop.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 07-07-2012).]

quote Originally posted by NetCam: I've downloaded a copy of WinALDL and am trying to get it working with an old laptop that has a serial port. I have used a double female serial cable to connect as the ALDL cable I have is male and so is the serial port on my laptop. I've tried every possible setting and can't get anything at all to show up on the software.

The 1985 ECM is different from later years.
It IS NOT the 7170, so stay with the setting you're using.

I think your laptop doesn't have the serial port turned on.


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[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 07-07-2012).]

Right, the 85 MPFI is for the 6870 ECM which is mass-air rather than speed density so the data stream is different.

Tried jumping the pins and don't get any echo back in Hyperterm... I'm running Win2K on a very old laptop (Tecra CDT 550). Maybe time to bite the bullet and get a USB cable and use my newer laptop

You won't want to hear this but
I have a 1985 Fiero GT. I downloaded every thread I could find on WinALDL ,Built my own serial cable confirmed the test procedure, I spent a couple of hundred dollars on different cables(USB & Serial), Obtained a windows 95 computer with a serial port, had my nephew the computer Professional have a wack at it . and never got a lick of data out of the ECM

It runs great! so I sold off all the cables and the old computer and gave up on WinALDL

My USB to ALDL cable works on all windows versions. Serial ports just are not as standardized. G
HTTP://reddevilriver.com

If you can't get it to work I'll take it back.

[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 07-07-2012).]

quote Originally posted by fierosound: The 1985 ECM is different from later years. It IS NOT the 7170, so stay with the setting you're using.

Maybe there are different prom versions for the 85 as for my 85GT 1227170 is the only one that read the data correctly on mine

NETCAM is the serial port enabled in the bios of the laptop.
On W2K do properties on MyComputer and get into Device Manager. You can then expand the PORTS and look at the serial port if it is there and see what com port is say is correct to use in Winaldl and if it says it's working.

[This message has been edited by Dodgerunner (edited 07-07-2012).]

I finally got it to work on mine a while back, just had to keep changing the COM port until I got one to work.