Problems Connecting Elanscan Interface - Help!

[dravidham]

Hi,

Geoff very kindly provided me with the elanscan USB cable recently (thanks Geoff) and I have been trying to get it up and running over the past week.

It just doesn't seem to want to communicate with the car regardless of what I try.

Having the use of a laptop intended solely for running this cable, I am lucky enough to have the benefit of being able to format the drive and installing a fresh version of Windows each time I’ve tried a different cable driver.

Here are my attempts so far:-

*Attempt 1. Fresh install of Windows 2000 Corporate SP2, using the VCP driver from ESM’s site.
*Attempt 2. Still using Windows 200 Corporate SP2, but uninstalled VCP driver and replaced it with the FTDI driver, CDM 2.00.00
*Attempt 3. Fresh install of Windows XP using the VCP driver from ESM’s site.
* *Attempt 4. Still using Windows 200 Corporate SP2, but uninstalled VCP driver and replaced it with the FTDI driver, CDM 2.00.00.

In all cases I used the following guide for the install process including changing the latency value from the default of 16 down to the specified/recommended value 1 in the advanced port settings :-

Manual - http://www.astb91.dsl.pipex.com/USB_Dri ... tions.html

Both Windows 2000 Corporate SP2 and Windows XP were happy installing the VCP driver and the FTDI driver without issue (under separate installs of course). This could also be seen from the device manager, where the cable was assigned to COM 4 and all looked in order.

Each time I hook the cable up to the car and click ‘start talking’ it normally states in the error log section that ‘com port is inactive’. On other attempts, the very same error log screen box is blank as if something is happening, but a log never appears even after 10 min’s or so.

Should I be clicking the 'start talking button' in elanscan as a first port of call when I go into the application? - that's what I have been doing. Just to confirm, each time I open up elanscan I check it’s settings to ensure that it’s set to COM4. Each scan attempt is run with the car ignition on full power and with the immobiliser disarmed.

I've scanned this forum extensively in the hope of finding a solution, but after many hours I am still struggling.

Sorry for making this such a long post – I thought if I posted up a history of what I’ve tried so far then it might rule a few things out.


Any tips on this asap would be very much appreciated as I am desperate to get some fault codes for my Elan S2 which needs sorting out before my MOT can be renewed.

Car has developed a warm running fault which makes journeys in excess of 15 miles a case of luck or extreme patience. Renewing the MOT is just not going to happen until I fix the offending sensor or problem with this car.

Hope to hear from some of you.

Cheers,

Graham.

[ailwyn]

If you're getting a COM Port Inactive message then this implies a driver issue or a broken cable.

Have you tried changing the assigned COM port for the driver? You might have some sort of conflict on COM4.

If you uninstall the driver, then plug in the USB does windows ask you to go through the Found New Hardware wizard?

I know that ESM made some changes to the INF file for the driver on his site, not sure if this is therefore the correct version for Geoff's USB interface, as I understand that they are 2 different designs.

Have you downloaded the drivers from Geoff's site? http://www.aldlinterfaces.ukf.net/index.htm

If you are in desperate need to read the fault codes (i.e. the Check Engine Light has been coming on) then why not use the paperclip method? http://wikilec.9600.org/index.php/Check ... t_Problems

[GeoffSmith]

Graham,

As Ailwyn says, the instructions on my site have been pretty robust so far, but you should have achieved the same result from what you describe.

The message you're getting implies that ElanScan is not seeing anything at the COM port in its setup. Have you selected the COM port in ElanScan? It would be worth checking - select the 'Setup' menu, select the 'Set COM port' menu item and make sure it is set to the USB COM port number in devive manager.

At one time on a previous version of ElanScan, I sometimes got a similar error which was cleared by selecting a different COM port then re-selecting the correct one.

If you still have problems, then try re-assigning a different COM port number using device manager and try using that (but I really am clutching at straws if you have made a fresh install).

I've also sent you a PM.

Geoff

[rip]

Graham,

Where are you? Maybe there is another LECer not far away who can help?

[dravidham]

@ Ailwyn, geoff & rip,

Thanks for the prompt replies.

Answers to your questions, in order:-

1. How do I change the assigned COM port for the driver in device manager please?

2.Un installing the driver. Do you mean uninstalling the COM4 port under device manager and then plugging the elanscan cable back in after a pc re-boot? – if so then yes I have. Then after the re-boot I am asked by the hardware wizard to install a driver.

3. I *think* I have tried Geoff’s drivers also – I’ve tried so many different things that I have almost lost track. That laptop and my notes are at home so I can’t check on that at present (I’m at work at the moment). Will check when I get home though.

4. I’ll take a look at the paperclip method, although ultimately I have heard that error codes can not be reset under that method and also I’d really like to get the interface working.

5. Correct port selected in elanscan each time the application is opened.

6. I am based near Gatwick, Crawley, West Sussex.

Cheers,

Graham.

[dravidham]

Another quick question please.

On a final note, I want to make absolutely sure that I have not made a silly mistake regarding the doagnostic port on the car. If I flip the glovebox down, the only 'female' cable I found for the elanscan to plug in to was located just to the right of the ECU and it had to be removed from a docking station. Does that sound right? - it's the only connection that seems to fit to the elanscan cable?

On a seperate matter, in the scenario where the interface is working perfectly, what exactly should happen when the ‘start talking tab’ is selected. Do any relevant/resulting engine fault codes then appear in the ‘error log’ screen, or would I need to then select the ‘start logging’ button?

[GeoffSmith]

To change the COM port assignment in device manager; double click on the COM port, go to Port settings, advanced, select a different port number and hit OK.

With the correct port set up in ElanScan, you should get the continuous message "No reply" even without being connected to the car. When connected to the car, there will be no more messages displayed, but the sensor information and fault codes will be displayed and updated in the LH screen. Pressing the log button commits them to file until you stop logging.

You have found the correct socket on the car!

[rip]

When connected to the car, there will be no more messages displayed

I still get regular error messages. Does not stop it working though.

[dravidham]

Thanks for the replies.

I tried the following last night:-

*Another fresh install from scratch of Windows XP Home
*Loaded the USB driver from Geoff’s (it installed perfectly exactly as
described in the instructions)
* Checked the USB advanced settings and noted that the latency is set to a default value of 1 already with this driver so didn’t change it. * * Default port was com3
* I Re booted the machine and hooked the car to the cable and clicked start talking.

Now the first thing that I noticed was that ‘com port inactive’ did not
come up with this usb driver. The error log screen remains blank. I leave elanscan in ‘start talking’ mode for, say 60 seconds. The error log screen remains blank for this duration. I clicked start logging.

Now on each attempt at scanning, as soon as I click start logging, I get either one or the other of the following:-

A completely blank screen even after leaving the log button enabled for
about five minuites
Or I get……
A message that reads “No reply - No frame start byte received’

After several scans either of those two things happen each time.

I have tried a scan after changing/forcing the cable on to com3, com4 and com5 through the device manager on XP.

What should come up in the elanscan log screen if all is well?

Have you any ideas please on what I could try next?

Thanks,

Graham.

[ailwyn]

First thing to check for is when you click Start Talking the values of the fields down the left hand side should be populated. Top of the list is PROM ID should be something like 9929.

If you can see the prom ID then the interface is working and you are communicating successfully. If you can see the PROM ID and various other data (e.g. RPM is a good one to look for with the engine running) then click Start Logging, let it run for a bit - maybe press the throttle to vary the RPM, then click Stop Logging. If you have captured the log successfully you should be able to get graphs up on the right hand side by setting the axis fields (e.g. RPM over TIME).

It is normal to sometimes receive errors such as No Reply, this just means that one or more of the requests sent to the ECU did not receive a reply.

If you can't get the PROM ID then you are not communicating with the ECU. Do you live near anyone who can try a different laptop/usb cable/car to try and locate the fault? If not, are you going to Donington at the end of the month?

[dravidham]

Hi Ailwyn,

Thanks for the reply.

t.b.h. I really can’t remember if the prom ID shows up. The car, laptop and cable are sadly at home right now and I will not be back there until this evening. I will check on the prom ID just as soon as I return.

In the event that the prom id is present and that the cable is indeed communicating, what should come up when I click the start logging button aside from no reply - am I wrong to assume that it would or should also show any error codes relevant to the car’s running problems too (in the middle box)? - are the error codes produced in text in that middle box?

If not, where would they be stored and how can I retrieve them in text in order to look up the definitions?

Graham.

[GeoffSmith]

I've e-mailed you some info Graham - I think you have got communications.

[dravidham]

Thanks Geoff. I've just replied to your email.

What exactly do I need to do step by step after I have clicked 'start logging please?'

Assuming that I am indeed communicating with the car, could I trouble one of to take me through the process of capturing/reading the results log from the car’s ECU if need be please?.

If the scan is successful, where will the fault codes be stored – should they be clear from the drop down ‘+’ tab on the left hand side of the menu
titled faults and I just write them down or does a log have to be stored
and then re-opened in the ES application to summarise and take note of them?

If I need to save the log to open up under ES (or to post up on the forum) then there seems to be three options when clicking file>save:-

Exporting to Ecel
Exporting as txt
Dump to .bin

Whch option is best?

I gather that the procedure for clearing fault codes to to disconnect the battery?

Sorry – I have searched for a guide for the process during and post scan procedures for the software, but if there is one then I must be overlooking it’s location.

Graham.

[ailwyn]

As I said above, once you start logging, let it run for a while, then click stop logging and stop talking.

You should then have the data from between the start and stop logging available within ES.

In order to save this data, I would normally export to a .txt as this is quicker than to Excel, but either way works.

You can ignore the .bin option as this will save the program on the ECU chip to a file - not necessary unless you have a specific reason for doing so.

Fault codes show up on the left hand side, just below PROM ID, there is an expandable section (can't remember what it's called, but something like error codes) which shows all of the possible fault codes, and IIRC next to it will be a 0 (clear) or a 1 (set).

The error message window in the middle only shows communication or ES errors, not the fault codes from the ECU.

[dravidham]

Thanks for the replies. Tonights attempt - it looks like things *might* be working now

I am getting a prom id value on each scan, which is great news.

That said, does it matter what the prom i.d. should be? - I'm getting a value of about 1550 rather than the suggested value of 9929 mentioned by ailwyn - will my different value cause an ssue?

In any event, I'll post up some results tomorrow lunchtime lads - saved scans with and also without the engine running - is it ok to post them in this thread?

This might be the wrong section for the log files, but if that's the case, then if you could bear with me to screen shot my first attempt tomorrow to see if I am on the right track software wise then that would be great.

Cheers,

Graham.

[ailwyn]

That said, does it matter what the prom i.d. should be? - I'm getting a value of about 1550 rather than ailwyn's suggested 9929? - is that an issue?

Just an example I gave - 9929 might not be a valid code, but one of the PROMs has a similar value.

Are you running a stock ECU or have you got an upgraded chip?

[dravidham]

Stock in all respects

[ailwyn]

If you are now sorted and you feel that the existing documentation (wiki?) could be improved then can you please put some notes together based on your experience, this can then be included to benefit others that are new to or having problems with ES?

[ailwyn]

Stock in all respects

Strange as I've not come across the 1550 PROM ID.

These are the more common ones: http://elanchips.appee.com/template_content_7.php

[dravidham]

Thanks ailwyn.

In that case, I really don't know what else to try.

In any event I will post those log results up tomorrow morning in the hope that they might be o.k. Fingers crossed my end!