Diagnostic box..don't work?

[Supra_dan]

Hey everyone, something interesting happened today.

So I replaced my headgasket about 12,000 miles ago (everything knock on wood, runs awesome still ) but ya know after i finished putting the car back together i checked for codes and it was all good, just a steady blinking light showing no codes.


But 12,000 miles later and still running awesome, I was just curious to see if maybe there were any stored codes, or just anything in general.
And before anyone asks, there was nothing that happened that made me want to check for codes. I just wanted to check after a while and see whats up


But anywho. I put my good ol' fashioned paper clip into te1 and e1 to check for codes and...well nothing happened. It's as if i'm not checking for codes. No blinking light, nothing.

So my question is, can a diag. box go bad i guess?

 

[hvyman]

Diag box is wires going to other wires or the Ecu.

Tei goes to the Ecu and e1 gets grounded. Sure it was the correct spots and touching the pins?

 

[Supra_dan]

Was def the right spots. Quadruple checked haha
I mean, maybe the paper clip wasn't touching the pins all the way? But I mean I played with it a lil to make sure there was good contact when I put the paper clip in..

Idk, maybe the paper clip is no good? (box said it's made from 100% recycled metal)


Any tips?

 

[hvyman]

I would be in the wiring then.

Paper clip works fine for me.

 

[Supra_dan]

Well this sucks, looks like I'm going to have to toy around with it and see if I can just figure it out. Thank you for the input

 

[hvyman]

Check engine light come on with key on?

 

[Supra_dan]

Yes, the light comes on like normal everything is fine. But when I try to check the codes it does nothing

 

[Supra_dan]

Actually, I will take a video later when I get home from work

 

[mkiiichip]

Have you checked that E1 is ACTUALLY ground?
Next, check for continuity through TE1, from the diag block to the ecu.

Its only two steps, you can do it!!!

 

[Supra_dan]

allllrighty, video should be up.

This is exactly how I did it the other times when it worked a while back. If i'm doing something wrong let me know!

[video=youtube;oWhcXu766HM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWhcXu766HM&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[jetjock]

Have you checked that E1 is ACTUALLY ground?
Next, check for continuity through TE1, from the diag block to the ecu.
Its only two steps, you can do it!!!

He'd have to gain access to the ECU for that. If you think about it there's a much easier method that would verify both T and E1 in a single step from the diag block only.

 

[hvyman]

Volt meter or test light on e1. Or try grounding te1 to the battery or body ground.

 

[jetjock]

Voltmeter or ECU safe test light on T. Because the test input is pulled high when inactive they'll be 5 volts on it and by referencing that measurement to E1 the integrity of both lines is verified with one step. Work smarter, not harder...

 

[mkiiichip]

Huh, I never realized there was a reference voltage that was pulled low, with the jumper. I guess I never put much thought as to what the jumper was actually doing. Good to know.

 

[Supra_dan]

Hey thank you for the inputs everybody! Greatly appreciated.

So I always remember someone saying check the basics first.

This whole time my gut told me it was the paper clip haha. So I got a little finish nail from my finish nailer, bent it over. Stuck it in the box nice and snug (much better fit than the paper clip) and boom, it worked!

Again thank you all for the suggestions, just glad it was something simple.



Maybe I should just try to buy the damn SST heh



Also, only code thrown was 34
That doesn't affect the cars drivability correct?

If i'm not mistaken thats the abnormal boost pressure code?
I have an upgraded turbo from albert and I've hit fuel cut, I am assuming it's from that.

 

[hvyman]

Yes. It's from fc.

 

[jetjock]

Huh, I never realized there was a reference voltage that was pulled low, with the jumper. I guess I never put much thought as to what the jumper was actually doing. Good to know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pull-up_resistor

Nothing more than that. Quite common with digital inputs on all sorts of electronics, not just cars.