Meffy

All interesting stuff -- thank you all for the replies. I'm a professional programmer with long experience interfacing to devices far stranger than this. :-} I use the Delphi (unrelated to Delphi auto parts) rapid application development system to create software pretty quickly. Already got a big library of ready-to-use process control and display components that could be used to make a snazzy pseudo-dashboard. The rest I could knock out as a fun, easy weekend project. For those who don't know about programmers' time estimates, that means it would actually take a week or two. For the time being, I've fixed the immediate problem (injector faults caused by some bizarre wiring harness damage; I can't imagine how those cables managed to get crushed that way) and the CEL hasn't come back on, so I've got the luxury of time. Eventually I'd like to have some kind of code reading thingummy-bob, whether all-in-one or laptop-oriented. (My laptop is a little portable, not frequently used but invaluable when it's needed.) The catch is that "reliable source" part. I'm just too anxious about ordering from Hong Kong or elsewhere in China and not getting the right thing the first time. That would likely mean losing the price of the item and shipping -- often the so-called "shipping fee" is where the real cost of eBay items like these is hidden ("selling price = $0.01, postage = $49.95"). When they play games like that, I'm less than reassured that they'll provide good customer service after the sale. Ah well, I'll sleep on this decision until it looks as if I'll have a more immediate need for code reading and such. Again, many thanks for all the input. Hearing from lots of viewpoints can be invaluable.

My car's pretty old, yes. That's not the only car I'd use it on. I've been programming since the late 1960s so it's nothing at all for me to create software to work with such a critter. Most of all, I have time to spare but no money to spare. Fifty dollars is to me a lot of cash and I'll not part with a buck without good cause. So it'll be a while before I buy a OBD reader of any kind. Thanks for the input though. The more opinions the better.

@777: Thanks for the input. Since I've managed to fix the problem that was throwing error codes, right now I'm leaning toward waiting and eventually buying an interface cable. If you don't mind saying, do you recall about how much you paid for your OBD-II / RS232 interface and where you bought it? I'd like to get a feel for what's a fair price and what is too cheap to be genuine. @Disorder: For me it's not so much a matter of overkill as cost. If an interface will be cheaper, I'd rather not have to pay for all that display circuitry, buttons, etc. that make up a hand-held unit when a laptop can handle control and display so much better. If the inexpensive interfaces I've seen on eBay are bogus, and an interface will run a lot more than, say, the cheapest pocket code reader at Harbor Freight... that changes things.

Hi -- I'm looking for advice on an interface for connecting my laptop comptuer to my 1997 Legacy L's OBD-II port. As cobcob mentioned in another thread, the Elm 327 seems to be the latest thing with plenty of protocols and improved speed and such. And sure enough, as cobcob says, on eBay at least, practically all the interfaces are being sold directly from Hong Kong or elsewhere in China. My concerns are first and foremost not to get a fake, and secondarily to be sure if there's a problem that I can return the unit without paying freight all the way to China [edit: I'm in the USA], having it arrive after the refund period expires and losing both the item and its cost, and so forth. Am I foolish to hope for a genuine, legitimate Elm 327-based interface cable (or Bluetooth unit) for $50 or less? I'd sure prefer having all that diagnostic info readily accessible via a laptop (and maybe writing my own scanning/display/logging software) rather than scrolling through lines on a tiny gray display. Looks as if buying a low-end dongle-style code reader at a local store might be my safest bet though, if a proper interface can't be got reasonably cheaply. Can anyone offer real-world advice on buying such an interface? (Note: I hope this question doesn't attract any spam. I moderate a large forum and it's a rare day I don't ban a spammer or three and delete "friendly advice" that's really just dishonest advertising by brand new sign-ups. For that reason, I'll be most accepting of posts by existing forum members.)

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I'll ask again over in New Gen.

Hello from Captain John Smith's and Chief Powhatan's old stomping grounds, at the Pony Pasture Rapids on the James River. I drive a 1997 Legacy L wagon around town, for farm chores, and such. I'm just getting it back into running condition after a year sitting in the driveway, started only infrequently. My mate has a 2005 Outback for commuting which we both drive for pleasure (I telecommute). I'd like to ask for advice on buying an interface to connect my laptop to the OBD II port -- partly about the devices, mostly about the sellers -- but I'm not sure which sub-forum is appropriate. What say the mods and/or regulars? Meffy