What software are you guys using to read the diagnostics on the Stilo (JTD) and are there any special settings?

I have an ELM323 adapter but it doesn't seem to work using Scantools, ScanMaster or Obd2spy. The software recognizes the ELM adapter ok, but I get "NO DATA" from the ECU.

I can talk to the ECU using the "raw" ELM commands in a terminal session, but only if I use the fast initialization method (ATFI). Using the slow initialization I get -
>ATZ
ELM323 v2.0
>ATSI
BUS INIT: ...OK
>0101
NO DATA

whereas the fast initialization gives-
>ATZ
ELM323 v2.0
>ATFI
BUS INIT: OK
>0101
41 01 00 06 80 00
>

I have also tried forcing the protocol in ScanMaster to ISO 14230-4 KWP (fast init, 10.4 Kbaud) but it still is unable to connect.

Anyone else had similar problems and found a solution?

Ha! It's a bit of a lottery as to which ones will work and which don't. Even then, some set themselves up with no fiddling and others need all the little ducklings in line before they even start to communicate. Even when you've got the right program and settings they don't handshake and communicate first time every time

OK there's lots of programs that do work on the Stilo. Scantool works
Gendan engine check -about £20 but it's got some nice extra bits
Diagnose as in Diagnose41.zip or
pcmscan
or many others

Anyway sounds like you might have a com port not allowing the comms through. You may need to go into your BIOS and make sure your com port is not disabled

Remember it's ignition on for fault codes reading and erasing (didn't need to tell you that did I)
Do you have serial or usb lead?


Whatever happens, you'll need snails pace 9600 baud rate to talk to your ECU for fault codes as it's a bit duh! slow and needs waking up quite literally as you will see

I think that the serial port is ok since I can get some messages across using the terminal mode. I am using a laptop with a built in serial port (a rare thing these days!).
I just read elsewhere that some of the interfaces sold on ebay (where I got mine from) contain cloned ELM chips. Perhaps this could be the problem?

"I think that the serial port is ok since I can get some messages across using the terminal mode".
But i think your comms are only going one way, you need bi directional comms to handshake with your ecu

Take a look here http://www.taltech.com/TALtech_web/support/troublsht/badport.htm

A cloned chip should be little different from the real thing.
I have serial ports too

Start up and go into your BIOS and check out your com ports

Do you have all the leds flashing on your interface to show comms in both directions?

I've got this interface in USB version and it sort of worked for me, although i solved my issue a different way in the end. i also bought it rom ebay.
I had connection issues and had to play with the com ports bu did get communication in the end.
I used SCANTOOL.NET software but tried a few. If you find one that works well, post a link on here, i'd be interested to see

Try this one http://www.obddiagnostics.com/
Although it's for serial port it will work on usb too if you have a usb to serial convertor
Looks quite action packed for a freebie

Deckchair5 said:

Try this one http://www.obddiagnostics.com/
Although it's for serial port it will work on usb too if you have a usb to serial convertor
Looks quite action packed for a freebie

Click to expand...

one of these?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Usb-2-0-to-RS...goryZ162QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
or
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/High-Speed-US...ryZ41995QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks for the link. I just downloaded the program but it doesn't appear to be compatible with the ELM devices (I think it needs their own BR-3 interface).

I have got one or two other programs to try but I won't get a chance to test them until later this week.
I'll post my findings a bit later.

Deckchair5 said:

Try this one http://www.obddiagnostics.com/
Although it's for serial port it will work on usb too if you have a usb to serial convertor
Looks quite action packed for a freebie

Click to expand...

Top one looks the job, minimad
In the meantime have a look here http://www.palmerperformance.com there's a limited functionality on try before you buy

and there's always Gendan diagnostics
http://www.enginecheck.co.uk/order.php
where you can download the software
at around £29 for the software but it's good for the money and gives you nice and easy traces of your ongoing car's parameters over time as you drive around which you can record and playback for easy fault finding

what about the best value for money hardware to use?

you will probably remember me asking this ages ago decks but we werent sure about the usb-serial adapter so i flogged it to rich (rroope)

Best hardware is bluetooth interface, no messing with leads
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DYrXoh7e21Us
Italian but it's self explanatory (just as well as he's not the best salesman you'll ever meet). Connecting to a Grande Punto here

Best value software has to be the free stuff
http://www.obdcable.com/sc/pages.asp?pageid=60
whether it works on yours is another story. Some of it can do just as much as somw of the expensive stuff

If you're sticking with Fiats then this is nice if you can afford it
http://www.actia.co.uk/multidiag.html

Superscan II demo here (slow loader, hope it's a bit faster in real life)
http://www.decautomotive.com.ar/english/demo.asp

that first link, are you saying the software is in spanish or the video?

Monotonous demonstrator is Italian (couldn't you tell?)
Software is in English (probably selectable language) with metric units
A lot of the free software you can obtain provides all those same parameters so i don't think the software is that great but the bluetooth connection is very useful. You can get them on Ebay

had the volume off.

so you can buy the bluetooth kit and use it with other software?

what item would i be looking for on ebay?

the superscan demo was very good.

An interface is just the data steam connector, as long as that works then you can use it with any compatible software

Here's an OBDKEY bluetooth
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OBDKey-OBD-Bl...ryZ30921QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

PLWSM
See if you can change your com port setting
Go into device manager
right click on com port you're using
select properties
select port settings
change flow control to "hardware"
restart computer

then try

Deckchair5 said:

An interface is just the data steam connector, as long as that works then you can use it with any compatible software

Here's an OBDKEY bluetooth
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OBDKey-OBD-Bl...ryZ30921QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Click to expand...

this should be the last question on this would you recomend getting the obd key (either bluetooth or usb) that will work on my laptop even if i use other software, or getting something like the item mentioned here: https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo-technical/115023-uiftech-u381-obd2.html

It just depends how much you want to do
If you just want to read fault codes or clear them occasionally then a fault code reader is all you might need

If you want to go in deeper and study your engine parameters whilst it's running then a normal interface with software of your choice is the way to go

If you're doing lots of cars then bluetooth is expensive but a nice tool if you're making a career out of it. You can do no more with bluetooth than a conventional interface cable

Going still further then a laptop oscilloscope is the next step as you don't need interfaces but can go in directly to the component and read the input/outputs

Re: OBD2 ELM323 connection problems (RESOLVED)

I finally managed to get this thing working. For some reason, the ECU ONLY responds when initialized using "fast initialization" method as per the initial post.

I tried using the hardware handshaking as suggested earlier, but this didn't seem to change anything (I don't think the ELM has a RTS/CTS line). I also tried changing the serial buffer size (from 1 byte up to 14) with no success. A USB to RS232 converter to the ELM also didn't work. I even tried a different laptop.

The ONLY thing that seems to work for me, is if I manually initialized the adapter using the "ATZ" then "ATFI" commands.
I can do this with DigimotoLite (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/lite/digimotolitefw106.exe) using the "Serial Interface" tab and also with OBD2 ScanMaster Freeware Edition 0.4.0.0 (http://www.wgsoft.de) using the "User definable ELM command" in the terminal window. Once I did that, I could then go back to the start and it seems to work.
There also appears to be a bug in the ScanMaster-ELM demo. Under the communications options, you can select the different protocols (i.e ISO-14230-4 KWP (fast init, 10.4 Kbaud) but it still tries to use the slow init. The demo version has a terminal option, but after you sent the "ATFI" and go back to connect, it re-initializes the ELM and puts it back to a slow init.

Head scratching over - I hope this help to someone.

It's a minefield configuring the program AND your laptop and it's often something that no one else can help you with as each laptop is so different.
Demo programs aren't that refined so bugs are to be expected but if some of it works- the bit you want - then it's a success

Even when you have everything set up right you can go out to your car, plug it in but your car ECU is asleep and just isn't talking on the first wake up call

Your ECU seems to need a louder buzz to wake it up

Great when it does work though