Noob with ELM327 needs help!

**keefo** · 02-06-2010, 11:17 AM

Hi all!!

im new to all this and have recently bought an ELM327 off Ebay to try and connect to my car and read error codes etc.

BUT, im having trubble getting the thing to connect to ANY car...

Im not sure weather its driver problems or what, but i simple cant get it to connect at all, i tried differant software (DigiMoto 4.03, ScanTool and Pro scan5.1) and none no matter what i have tried will connect...

On ProScan i managed to get it to Open Serial Port, Detect Interface, Initialize interface. BUT when it came to Initialize OBD-II it failes.

Can anyone point me in the rite direction from driver or anything else they think may be the problem?

Im using a Laptop running XP.

Cheers
Keith

**malcom2073** · 02-06-2010, 11:19 AM

Buying a knock-off ELM from ebay is a crapshoot as to if it will work or not. Chances are you got a bad one... but try opening the interface with a serial terminal (like putty or CRT) and send it commands, see if it responds correctly. perhaps try ATZ, ATI, or 010C just to see if you get responses.

**justchat_1** · 02-06-2010, 11:39 AM

Connecting to what car?

**keefo** · 02-06-2010, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by malcom2073

Buying a knock-off ELM from ebay is a crapshoot as to if it will work or not. Chances are you got a bad one... but try opening the interface with a serial terminal (like putty or CRT) and send it commands, see if it responds correctly. perhaps try ATZ, ATI, or 010C just to see if you get responses.

i have no idea what you just said... haha

But yeah, i wasnt expecting much from it as i wasnt going to fork out crap loads for something ill probobly bearly use.

and the cars i have tried to connect to are a Rover 25, new Honda Civic, New Landrover Disco, and a Corsa C.

**justchat_1** · 02-06-2010, 12:14 PM

should work fine with any of those cars...make sure the device is correctly detected as a serial port and that that serial port is correctly selected in the software you're using.

I use a $4 ELM off ebay and it works flawlessly.

**keefo** · 02-06-2010, 12:15 PM

Thats whats anoying me :-s

all seems fine from what i can tell...

I payed £20 for this thing... lol

**justchat_1** · 02-06-2010, 12:17 PM

Did you double check both of those things?

**Curiosity** · 02-06-2010, 12:28 PM

What error does it give? Like BUSY, UNABLE TO CONNECT, DATA ERROR, BUS ERROR, CAN ERROR?

**keefo** · 02-06-2010, 12:30 PM

If i check my device manager its setup at Com3 and the software is also looking to that port so i belive it is setup right...

And as for errors, on Digimoto i get Unable To Connect.

And i think on Scan Tool it said Bus error...

What would be best to do to give you a better error report?