scan tool

walgren · 1-17-08, 15:55

can someone tell me what scan tool i can use to read codes off a 88 mx-6 2.2L n/a. i hate tring to read the little lights. thx

**robueno** · 1-17-08, 16:02

Neither reading the 'little lights' nor finding the meaning of a particular code is the bottleneck for anybody here. Try again. The difficult part might come in the repair or deeper diagnosis. Patience. Lots of patience. That's one of the virtues you learn with an Mx6. Give it a try.

**magik8** · 1-17-08, 16:09

Remember this car was designed in 1985/1986. This is long before OBDII and as such there is no "scan tool". To pull codes, you simply ground the green 1-pin connector by driver's strut tower and watch the CHECK ENGINE light flash in your dash. Note that this is for North American cars only - European/Asian cars do not have a CHECK ENGINE light. (I believe codes can be pulled from these with a test light).

**SixSick6** · 1-17-08, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by robueno

Neither reading the 'little lights' nor finding the meaning of a particular code is the bottleneck for anybody here. Try again. The difficult part might come in the repair or deeper diagnosis. Patience. Lots of patience. That's one of the virtues you learn with an Mx6. Give it a try.

Dude- you have nerve. You come onto this forum and complain that people don't help, then you offer up a new age paragraph of vague hippy crap and feigned virtue which you seem to think you have?

Get over yourself.

**4cylfun** · 1-17-08, 17:47

no kidding, but anyway i had a snap-on scanner that would work on some obd-1 cars.

It worked on my honda in a weird way, you had to cross wires to the connector and stuff. I know for sure they have a connector for jeep, chrysler stuff, a gm one for trucks, and one that worked on most ford everything. So the ford one might work on our 88 and 89 6's but i'm not positive. I think it was a snap-on scanner mt2500? I'm not positive but thats what i used. I'm sure you can find em on ebay for less than a couple hundred. If you want cheap though i'm not real sure.

**magik8** · 1-17-08, 19:01

I am pretty sure all the fancy Snap On scanner is doing is interpreting the signal going to the CHECK ENGINE light for you. I.e. it reads the signal and outputs a two digit number. It really is not high tech at all, but has the presence as such.

**4cylfun** · 1-17-08, 19:04

well that's what meant, it would read all the sensors and stuff.

I mean you couldn't really change anything except turn the cooling fan off and on.

It read codes....sometimes. Most domestic stuff it didn't have a prob with. My accord abs confused it though, so who knows how well it would work or even if it would.

I know my boss said he paid i think like 2,000 dollars for it and then 500 a cartridge. Ungodly too much for what it did. Nice tool but way to damn much.

I know i want a snap-on vantage though. Tells you hundreds of wires for sensors and how to test them and what not. Its like a mini library of pinouts and stuff. Also has a built in multimeter and digital oscilloscope. Lot of a neat stuff, i can find fairly good deals on ebay. Just i haven't really been in the mood to through a couple hundred at something i don't need at the moment. Would be nice if i get another tech job in the coming year.

**magik8** · 1-17-08, 19:19

I think that is highly dependent on the support provided by the car's electrical system and ECU. I am fairly certain that the "Caveman" 1G MX6 ECU provides little, if any support to read ECU sensors digitally from an external scan tool. It's just not that sophisticated. This has changed drastically on cars designed in the 1990's and up; nearly all vehicles now have a standard CAN bus connection (OBDII).

**robueno** · 1-17-08, 20:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by SixSick6

Dude- you have nerve. You come onto this forum and complain that people don't help, then you offer up a new age paragraph of vague hippy crap and feigned virtue which you seem to think you have?
Get over yourself.

I got negative karma for reassuring a new member who started this thread. He'll probably understand that trying once again reading the lights was worthwhile. If my comments are unwelcome is one thing, but this offensive response is another. And what's more ironic is who it is coming from, the #1 instigator against the new members in the mx6. Check this thread http://www.mx6.com/forums/lounge/201...earn-read.html (Where do n00bs learn to read?).

If so desired, I'll refrain from reassuring new members, but I won't hesitate to denounce abuses and derogatory remarks like those SixSick6 makes quite often. I'll stop here.

craze8 · 1-18-08, 7:16

There are scan tools that can read the ECU from our cars. They are not readily available as they once were. The Snap-on Brick with the right key and the right adapter will read information from the ECU. On the probes, the old old ford scan tool would read them just as easily.

**tyler886** · 1-18-08, 12:19

You dont want a Vatage, get a Snap-on MODIS or a SOLUS.

And yes, "The Bricks" or MT2500s can read pre-OBDII cars with the right cartridges and connectors.

-Tyler

**4cylfun** · 1-18-08, 20:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by robueno

I got negative karma for reassuring a new member who started this thread. He'll probably understand that trying once again reading the lights was worthwhile. If my comments are unwelcome is one thing, but this offensive response is another. And what's more ironic is who it is coming from, the #1 instigator against the new members in the mx6. Check this thread http://www.mx6.com/forums/lounge/201...earn-read.html (Where do n00bs learn to read?).

If so desired, I'll refrain from reassuring new members, but I won't hesitate to denounce abuses and derogatory remarks like those SixSick6 makes quite often. I'll stop here.

Not once has sick really attacked me and i consider myself pretty new still. I just never said anything to set people off. If i didn't know the answer to something i didn't post and try to tell them they aren't doing the right thing. He may have brought stuff to my attention but never did anything to me because i didn't try to make myself the #1 person on here. Relax dude, you can't exactly change rules or ways that people have acted for years.

**SixSick6** · 1-18-08, 21:42

Or come in and expect something for nothing like you have offered. (robueno)

**jlpicard6** · 1-19-08, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by robueno

Neither reading the 'little lights' nor finding the meaning of a particular code is the bottleneck for anybody here. Try again. The difficult part might come in the repair or deeper diagnosis. Patience. Lots of patience. That's one of the virtues you learn with an Mx6. Give it a try.

See Rob, here is the problem with a post like this, The OP asked a question, and instead of attempting to answer his question, you felt the need to offer advice. This sort of thing pisses me off in RL and here on the 'net. If I wanted your damn advice I woulda asked for it, is how I respond. People don't care to even read these days, or, in your case it seems (if you read for understanding the OP's question), they feel it is their god-given right to offer advice. If I asked: Can I cut the roof off my car and make it into an ambulance, why in the hell would I want your damn advice on the matter, when clearly, I am a lunatic?

Ever hear this one: Opinions are like azzholes, everyone has one. Keep it to yourself, answer questions when you can, and you will get along just fine here.

Now, having said that, I will state, that there are a few here, a few that I have learned over the years are VERY capable of interjecting their opinions, and I welcome it. I won't necessarily take that opinion, but I respect it. And Six is one of them. Love him, hate him, he knows these cars.

walgren · 1-19-08, 14:37

ok guys my question was not ment to start war. so plz let it be. next if i buy just a cheap odb-1 scanner for a ford would it read the codes. checkers sells a odb-1 for $30 part #3145. i think it might but im not sure. so this is a rewrite of my first question. i do know how to work on cars so take this in mind when u answer. thx

1-17-08, 15:55	#1 (permalink)
walgren Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: gunnison, CO, USA iTrader: (0)	scan tool can someone tell me what scan tool i can use to read codes off a 88 mx-6 2.2L n/a. i hate tring to read the little lights. thx

1-17-08, 16:02	#2 (permalink)
robueno Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: , USA iTrader: (0)	Neither reading the 'little lights' nor finding the meaning of a particular code is the bottleneck for anybody here. Try again. The difficult part might come in the repair or deeper diagnosis. Patience. Lots of patience. That's one of the virtues you learn with an Mx6. Give it a try.
	1993 Mazda MX6 LS V6 2.5 L MTX >111,000 miles

1-17-08, 17:47	#5 (permalink)
4cylfun Join Date: May 2007 Location: Plainfield, IN, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (3)	no kidding, but anyway i had a snap-on scanner that would work on some obd-1 cars. It worked on my honda in a weird way, you had to cross wires to the connector and stuff. I know for sure they have a connector for jeep, chrysler stuff, a gm one for trucks, and one that worked on most ford everything. So the ford one might work on our 88 and 89 6's but i'm not positive. I think it was a snap-on scanner mt2500? I'm not positive but thats what i used. I'm sure you can find em on ebay for less than a couple hundred. If you want cheap though i'm not real sure.
	'88 Mazda MX6 LX Manual Tranny '74 Kawasaki S1-C 250 Triple 2 stroke '75 Honda CB360 with a blowd up engine YES, 40 dollars S+H used pistons, cylinders, valves, and another cyl head. I can't wait to see this thing live. I've never once actually seen it run before.

1-17-08, 19:04	#7 (permalink)
4cylfun Join Date: May 2007 Location: Plainfield, IN, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (3)	well that's what meant, it would read all the sensors and stuff. I mean you couldn't really change anything except turn the cooling fan off and on. It read codes....sometimes. Most domestic stuff it didn't have a prob with. My accord abs confused it though, so who knows how well it would work or even if it would. I know my boss said he paid i think like 2,000 dollars for it and then 500 a cartridge. Ungodly too much for what it did. Nice tool but way to damn much. I know i want a snap-on vantage though. Tells you hundreds of wires for sensors and how to test them and what not. Its like a mini library of pinouts and stuff. Also has a built in multimeter and digital oscilloscope. Lot of a neat stuff, i can find fairly good deals on ebay. Just i haven't really been in the mood to through a couple hundred at something i don't need at the moment. Would be nice if i get another tech job in the coming year. Last edited by 4cylfun : 1-17-08 at 19:07.
	'88 Mazda MX6 LX Manual Tranny '74 Kawasaki S1-C 250 Triple 2 stroke '75 Honda CB360 with a blowd up engine YES, 40 dollars S+H used pistons, cylinders, valves, and another cyl head. I can't wait to see this thing live. I've never once actually seen it run before.

1-17-08, 19:19	#8 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	I think that is highly dependent on the support provided by the car's electrical system and ECU. I am fairly certain that the "Caveman" 1G MX6 ECU provides little, if any support to read ECU sensors digitally from an external scan tool. It's just not that sophisticated. This has changed drastically on cars designed in the 1990's and up; nearly all vehicles now have a standard CAN bus connection (OBDII). Last edited by magik8 : 1-17-08 at 19:22.

1-17-08, 16:09	#3 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	Remember this car was designed in 1985/1986. This is long before OBDII and as such there is no "scan tool". To pull codes, you simply ground the green 1-pin connector by driver's strut tower and watch the CHECK ENGINE light flash in your dash. Note that this is for North American cars only - European/Asian cars do not have a CHECK ENGINE light. (I believe codes can be pulled from these with a test light).

1-17-08, 19:01	#6 (permalink)
magik8 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Wisconsin, USA Age: 26 iTrader: (0)	I am pretty sure all the fancy Snap On scanner is doing is interpreting the signal going to the CHECK ENGINE light for you. I.e. it reads the signal and outputs a two digit number. It really is not high tech at all, but has the presence as such.

1-18-08, 7:16	#10 (permalink)
craze8 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lynchburg, VA Age: 24 iTrader: (0)	There are scan tools that can read the ECU from our cars. They are not readily available as they once were. The Snap-on Brick with the right key and the right adapter will read information from the ECU. On the probes, the old old ford scan tool would read them just as easily.

1-18-08, 12:19	#11 (permalink)
tyler886 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Long Islands Cousin iTrader: (0)	You dont want a Vatage, get a Snap-on MODIS or a SOLUS. And yes, "The Bricks" or MT2500s can read pre-OBDII cars with the right cartridges and connectors. -Tyler
	- "An Intense Commitment of Your Total Satisfaction" - Mazda - The Overhaul 1989 MX-6 GT All-Original 59k 1994 Eddie Bauer Bronco - 351W w/ E4OD Need Brake Pads for a car or truck?

1-18-08, 21:42	#13 (permalink)
SixSick6 Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: San Diego, CA, USA Age: 32 iTrader: (2)	Or come in and expect something for nothing like you have offered. (robueno)

1-19-08, 14:37	#15 (permalink)
walgren Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: gunnison, CO, USA iTrader: (0)	ok guys my question was not ment to start war. so plz let it be. next if i buy just a cheap odb-1 scanner for a ford would it read the codes. checkers sells a odb-1 for $30 part #3145. i think it might but im not sure. so this is a rewrite of my first question. i do know how to work on cars so take this in mind when u answer. thx