Not looking for an argument on the so called "best" but rather info on what you have/like and where to get one reasonably.

 

I'd recommend a scanmaster or better yet, get you a cheap lap top, cable and datamaster. Then you can view and record everything and later on get into tuning also.

 

datamaster is by far the best

 

Tuning with datamaster?

 

No, you can't "tune" with scan software. To tune, you need TunerCat or LT1_Edit.

For software scanners, TTS DataMaster, FreeScan or the OBD-I version of EFI-Live. For hardware, the ScanMaster is very good for providing a real-time, bright LED readout of one or two parameters at a time. Auto-Xray, Actron, etc. make OBD-I scanners, but they aren't as easy to read while driving.

I have an online writeup with the ScanMaster capabilities. Ideally, a combo of ScanMaster and DataMaster would provide you with the best of both worlds.

http://members.aol.com/InjuneerZZ/ScanMast.htm

 

Quick question. I noticed Datamaster doesnt give you a/f ratio but something else. How do I find out what the a/f ratio is using Datamaster or even Scanmaster? Havent had a chance to read the link. Waiting till I get to work so I can print it.

 

You can't tell the exact A/F ratio from a scanner. All you can do is look at the O2 sensor volts. At idle/low load, where the system is hard coded to produce a 14.7:1 A/F ratio, the system will be in closed loop, and the O2 volts will be jumping all over the place from 0xx - 9xx millivolts. The average will be about 450mV, if its running at 14.7:1. When you go to higher loads and/or WOT, the PCM uses a calculation to set a new, richer "target" A/F ratio (ususally a too rich 11.7:1 in a stock PCM) and some scanners will tell what the "traget" A/F ratio is - what the PCM is trying to achieve, not what its actually doing. You can look at the O2 sensors to get a very rough indication of A/F ratio when its running under those rich conditions, but the stock narrow-band O2 sensors are not accurate at those levels, so they don't really mean much.

To get a valid A/F ratio, you need a stand-alone wide-band O2 sensor.... one for about $350 from Innovate Motorsports.