PCMSCAN OBD-II Software FOR IH8MUDDERS

I have negotiated an IH8MUD member discount for anyone interested in purchasing the PCMSCAN OBD-II diagnostic system from Brian Palmer and Palmer Performance Engineering at www.palmerperformance.com. The system is a PC-based interface to the OBD-II system and allows you to monitor and read the 14 CARB-mandated OBD values in real-time as well as record for frame by frame playback and analysis. The 14 fields of available data are shown in the FJ-80 FSM in the EG section (pages EG-222-223 in my 1997 book.) These are the essential fields in diagnosing the majority of emissions-related issues with these trucks, such as O2 sensors. It also gives engine coolant temperature, ignition spark advance, intake air temp and MAF sensor airflow rate, etc.

These 14 fields provide a continuous stream of data which is displayed in a series of “dashboards” which can be shown on-screen either as customized gauges, data logging charts, or cell-based spreadsheets. The screenshots below represent my customized gauges I am slowly developing for an FZJ-80. Notice the speedometer and tachometer are identical to the 80 dash. The system is intuitive and easy to use and allows you to build and manipulate the gauges any way you want. You can custom build gauge ranges, colors, gauge styles etc. and build custom dashboards to suite your needs. I built this one in about an hour.

The closest thing I have found to this is the AutoEnginuity system. It purports to collect the additional manufacturer-specific codes, but from what I can tell on the FJ-80 OBD system, there are only 20 additional codes available and those are basically ON/OFF values that re for the most part, fairly evident anyway (things like AC ON/OFF, PARK/NEUTRAL POSITION, FUEL PUMP SIGNAL).

You can download the software and play with it offline for free. If you buy it, Palmer will send the interface cable and the licensing to you. He has agreed to discount the system from $189.95 to $159.95 for Mudders. When you order and proceed to checkout, it will ask you for a coupon/promotion code. Enter LANDCRUISER and when you total your order, the $30 will be removed. You can pay via PayPal. **I am not affiliated with PPE in any way, I just wanted the system and negotiated a discount for us all in exchange for posting this here in the forum.** If anyone else buys this and wants my FZJ-80 dashboard, I can email you the file and you can load it up and start with it and modify as you go to suite your needs.

Why the PCMSCAN over the AutoEnginuity system? At a glance the AutoEnginuity does more and about the same price via Ebay.

LandCruiserPhil said:

Why the PCMSCAN over the AutoEnginuity system? At a glance the AutoEnginuity does more and about the same price via Ebay.

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The ability to customize the graphics into an intuitive dashboard did it for me. AutoEnginuity is way overkill from what I can tell because the system in the Cruiser doesn't support the majority of the newer ODB functions. So you buy it for all that fucntionality and you still only benefit from the basic code reporting.

Thanks for doing that Jim. Can you point me to a link that provides all the things we can monitor, or does your dashboard cover it?

Romer said:

Thanks for doing that Jim. Can you point me to a link that provides all the things we can monitor, or does your dashboard cover it?

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For Romer:

If you have a FSM, you can monitor everything shown on the CARB-mandated SAE controlled DTC chart. These are:

- Fuel System #1, open and closed
- Calc Load: Currrent intake air volume as a poroportion of max intake volume
- Coolant temp: Value of coolant temp sensor
- Short term Fuel trim
- Long term fuel trim
- Engine speed in RPMs
- Vehicle speed per the vehicle speed sensor
- Ignition advance: ignition timing of #1 cylinder
- Intake air temp sensor value
- MAF: Air flow rate through MAF meter
- Throttle position; Voltage output of TPS as a percentage from fully closed to fully open
- O2S1: voltage output for OS sensor 1, such voltage being method to determine functionality
- O2S2: same for O2 sensor 2
- O2S Sensor Fuel Trim

There are also some 20 additional signals available from the OBD system but the Palmer product does not as of yet read them. These are "Toyota-enhanced DTCs". You can also read and erase MIL light codes, check time since last MIL and time MIL has been on.

For Tyler:

Using the FSM, you set the minimim and maximum values of each gauge and you can set a redline, though I don't see an audible alarm capability. For example, the FSM says the MAF minimum value at idling is 4.3-6.1 gm/sec, and racing the engine without load at 2500 rpm is 21.2-30.4 gm/sec. So you enter those values in the MAF guage setup and then using the FSM, you can determine if your MAF is operating within defined values. I think this would be especially useful in troubleshooting any intake mixture issue. And using the fuel trim indicators you can easily troubleshoot rich and lean conditions. You can also monitor the voltage values of your O2 sensors in real time. Using this I found that my #1 sensor was operating at edge of the voltage envelope and even though it hadn't spit a MIL, I changed it and up came my fuel economy by 2 mpg. For the snorkle heads and blower heads and guys wanting lower IATs, I suppose you could use this to monitor intake air temps from various points...stock fender well, snorkle etc. If you look at the DTC Chart in the FSM, every PO/DTC code from P0100 to P0300 can be diagnosed using these SAE values.

I don't know much about this stuff either...I just decided I wanted something running on a laptop so I could run down the highway and record activity. With the second white chart shown in the above pic, you can look at minimum, maximum and average values versus FSM specs to see what might need attention.

Coooooooooool. Set up a linkypoo please.

Thanks Jim,

Do you know if they have plans to incorporate the additional 20 OBD data points? If so, when?

Ken

Romer said:

Thanks Jim,

Do you know if they have plans to incorporate the additional 20 OBD data points? If so, when?

Ken

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He certainly wants to, but he has not found a resource for determining how to read them. I guess "enhanced" codes are in a proprietary format.

172 degree intake air temp. Sounds like ambient in my garage


Good work Jim!

Jim i downloaded what i could on the site and scaned through alot of the set up stuff. im new to the Auto computer world and was woundering if you find it easy enough to do? Do you have any experiece with OBD stuff before this? so you find this program easy to use? I asl becasue im very intrested in this stuff i guess more for a "huh thats cool" factor but im afraid i maybe blown away with all the setting that can be personaly set. It seems to me just about everything in the program can be custom set. Im not saying thats a bad thing im simply asking if you found that easily learnable or more of a hassel. Also for some of us newbies if there some where i can look up all the shortened terms? i sometimes get blown away but all the abriviations and what not.

hope im not sounding too newbie but its something im intrested in for sure.

thanks
mike

P.S. sorry for any typos im running on one eye right now

lx450landcruiser said:

im new to the Auto computer world and was woundering if you find it easy enough to do? Do you have any experiece with OBD stuff before this? so you find this program easy to use?

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Mike,

My background with OBD was a few years of using a handheld $50 Actron scanner to pull codes and check against the FSM. I have long wanted a setup like this...I had one that connected to the ALDL in my '82 Vette that was very helpful, though archaic compared to this.

It is not a hard system to setup. You simply right click on a gauge to open its properties and using the FSM, you sit the minimum and maximums for each gauge. You can keep it simple and stick with the colors and layouts, or you can get fancy. Its all fill-in-the box stuff, with a little window next to the info boxes so you can see what is happening to the gauge as you modify it. The gauges can be moved around on the dashboard by dragging with the mouse. PM me and I'll email you my 80 dashboard to load up if you want.

Once you load up the max/min values, you start to understand how this system can help you find trouble because you see in real time the operating envelope of the basic intake and ignition parameters. I'd say if you can run your PC and browse the web, you can operate this stuff.

pm sent

From what I can see Palmer does not have a Pocket PC version. I've e-mailed them to see if they do or not. Autoenginuity is willing to do a discount for a group buy of 5 or more. I'm specifically interested in the Pocket PC version. http://www.autoenginuity.com/products-scantoolppc.html Anybody else?

skywalkerguy said:

From what I can see Palmer does not have a Pocket PC version. I've e-mailed them to see if they do or not. Autoenginuity is willing to do a discount for a group buy of 5 or more. I'm specifically interested in the Pocket PC version. http://www.autoenginuity.com/products-scantoolppc.html Anybody else?

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What deal are they offering and does the deal include PC version?

I'm working on it and will post ASAP.

Probably ought to start a new thread. Starting a group buy/discount for a competing product in the same group buy/discount thread, might be considered in poor taste.

You know what? You're absolutely right! I never even thought of that when I threw it out there. It kind of evolved from me wandering if Palmer offered a Pocket PC product. Which they do not by the way. I will tell you that Palmer seems to be a lot more customer service friendly. Everyone, including elmiriachi, please accept my apology.

By the way AutoEnginuity seems to only want to sell full price or on eBay. For what it's worth, I think Palmer is the better deal. AutoEnginuity said they would offer either version at $199.95 with 5 or more buyers. I never could get a straight answer as to why I would not want to buy it on eBay. The only thing they said was they don't include paperwork (which you can download from their site) or packing material. They actually said that eBay is the best deal. Kinda crazy huh? And, they do not include the serial cable in their price. I'm thinking that I'll just "borrow" the wifes' laptop when I need it and go with the Palmer product.

Sorry again...

you start it, I'll move the posts accordingly

I ordered from Palmer on Wed (IIRC)...PocketPC sounds kewl, but the bigger/more readable laptop option sounds better....

Thanks for settin up the deal! (how'd ya know my check engine lite came on this weekend?!?!?)