I recently got a cable from Akm cables. I am trying to run it to a laptop to see trouble codes and such. I have tried using datamaster and freescan and I am not able to get either to detect my car.

I checked shbox.com but didnt see anything for testing the port.

Is there a way to test the port to see if the wiring is working properly??

 

On a 94,you have to have 12 volts,which 94s dont have at the connector.

 

Andrew at AKM knows that. His cable should work.... I've used it on my 94.

Did you contact him for help?

Do you have anything else connected to the data wire in the ALDL (I have my Scanmaster attached there, with a micro-switch to disconnect it)? If you do, you have to disconnect it. Can't run two devices at once on the wire.

 

Almost every time I try and hook up the laptop to run Datamaster it takes several tries to get it to read the car. I usually try disconnecting it and playing around and it finally works. Never can remember the exact thing and maybe it is something different every time.

 

Is you cigarette lighter working properly? I would assume that's where you're getting the needed 12 volts.

 

I never used the AKM cable I got but just looked at it and I don't see where it was getting 12 volts from.

My Solus needed the extra cable plugged into the lighter.

Does the AKM cable not require 12 volts. Merely serial data and ground?

 

My AKM usb cable doesn't require a 12 volt source. I just plug it into the laptop and ALDL port. It works fine with Tunercat and Datamaster.

It's been a while since I installed the software for the cable but I think I just installed the drivers and it worked. I think there is some troubleshooting information on the AKM website.

 

94's have the obd I connection and require an external 12 volt source, 95's have the obd I computer and obd II connector and the power is supplied at the aldl connection.

It is odd that your 94 doesn't need the external 12 volts. Unless it was built near the end of the 94 year and they had swapped over to the newer connection. That may explain it, I don't know.

 

12 Pin OBD I Connector



16 Pin OBD II Connector with OBD I computer (1995)

 

You don't need an external 12 volt source to use the AKM cable with a laptop. The car battery provides power to the PCM and the laptop has it's own power. My car is a 94 and has the 12 pin OBD-I connector. My cable was originally a RS232 port cable but is now a USB cable. It worked without external power either way.

For the original poster. I would contact AKM. His web page says he can provide remote support to confirm that your cable is installed/operating correctly.

 

No he should check to see that the 3 pins are connected correctly to the DLC first.

Pin A is ground (Upper right most pin) is a black/white wire.
Pin B right next to it is a white/black wire that goes to the blue PCM connector pin 20.
Pin M is the lower right most pin on a tan wire and goes to the blue PCM connector pin 30.

The white/black wire going to pin B goes through connector C230. The tan wire going to pin M goes through connector C220. If any of those 2 lines do not have continuity, check those connectors first.

 

He's hooking up to a laptop, not a scanner. The laptop powers itself. It only needs the serial data pin and the ground pin. I've used the AKM cable with a laptop, running LT1_Edit and pcmcomm. It does NOT need a 12V external connection.