diagnostic tool OBD1 95 Caprice 9C1

[luvhuffer]

Well this is my first post, and I tried to be a responsible poster and did a search cause I'm sure this is an oft asked question but, nothing came up so forgive me. I'm a Vee Dub guy. Anyway my ex has this 95 Caprice cop car with an LT1 direct port. We are having trouble getting it running after she decided to hose off the engine. So far. New coil, new whatever it is module above the coil?, rebuilt optispark (it only had a half a pint of water in it. sigh......<g>. Now it has an OBD1 setup with the 16 pin OBD2 connector. Apparently this set up was unique to 95's only. Just my luck. What I need is a cheap engine code reader, or I need to know if there is a way to read the codes with the 16 pin like you can do with the 12 pin with jumper wires. Or someone in Orange County CA that has one I can borrow? LOLz!!


The secret shame of parental abuse! This is the beast, getting washed with the hood down!

"OBD, obla dah, life goes on... la, la, la, la, life goes on!

[96capricemgr]

If you have a laptop you can get software rather cheaply that is so much better than a scantool. Otherwise I might be able to find you a local b-body club which could hook you up.
I will warn you now you will find manuals and such stating that car can be scanned with the jumper wire and counting CEL flashes THAT IS WRONG. You need a scanner with display or as I suggested if you have a laptop a cable to hookup is only like$65 and software varies from free to about $100 and is so much better.
I use TTS Datamaster free for the first 20 uses then cost like $90 but worth every last penny if you play with or repair the car yourself.

[luvhuffer]

That sounds sweet 96. I have an old toshiba laptop I can use. Can you hook me up with a link for the connector, or a name for the thing? Thanks for responding!

[TommySS]

I can read codes on my 84 with a paper clip. That's OBD I (right?)

[silicon212]

Originally Posted by TommySS

I can read codes on my 84 with a paper clip. That's OBD I (right?)

Yes, it's standard OBD, but in '95 GM used the OBD system with an OBD-II diagnostic port. Paper clips need not apply.

[96capricemgr]

Even 94s with OBD1 connectos which most 95s had too the paperclip thing will not work though yeah some 95s had OBD2 plugs with OBD1 pcms.

akmcables.com There are cheaper options but these are the most popular and very nice he can sell you a license for Datamaster at a good price too.
Freescan Free and functions but a bit glitchy, not a complaint though the developer is doing a nice thing making it free so I will not complain about some minor annoyances. "Force Data" sometimes needs to be hit a few times to make in communicate.
Datamaster My favorite but only free the first 20 recording sessions, after that you are hooked though.

I use an OLD Toshiba Satellite myself 200mhz, couple gig, 96meg of ram does a wonderful job. Once you have the cable and laptop you can have custom programmers email you new tunes for the pcm, think like a Hypertech Programmer but actually good(Hypertech IS NOT) and suprizingly cheap.
pcmforless.com and madz28.com are both very reasonable and good. Can tune for performance even if you want to stick with 87 octane.
You want to get really nuts Tunercat will let you modify and load your own programming, you can blow up the engine and tranny if you screw things up though this is only $90 a bargain for what it is capable of.