Another Gremlin... Time to move on?

[Erik the Awful]

I don't know how the rumor got started that "OBD-I" vehicles don't provide useful info on the data stream got started,

Because these trucks came out in 1988, but the Tech2 didn't come out until 1995, and that was only if you worked in a GM dealership. Everybody else had to play winky-light diagnostics.

The point I'm trying to make in post after post after post, is that "winky-light diagnostics" is a piss-poor way of doing things.

I never said you were wrong, I was just pointing out how the rumor got started. I've never handled a Tech1, but at Nissan we had the "Consult" and the "Consult II". The Consult was barely above the earlier winky-light box and didn't give you any access to data stream. The Consult II was a god-send. The few things I've heard about the Tech1, it wasn't fun to use. Good luck buying one if you were a peasant.

The Snap-On guy walked in the shop with one, for the then-outrageous price of...$700--$800.

That's $1200 today. I'd rather play winky-light than pay $1200 a scan tool for the one Chevy in my fleet. We're fortunate that we can now buy an ALDL cable, install TunerPro on an old junky laptop, and pull data stream.

 

[Schurkey]

That's $1200 today. I'd rather play winky-light than pay $1200 a scan tool for the one Chevy in my fleet.

Worse than that.

Value of 1987 US Dollars today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1987 dollars (USD) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United States.

www.inflationtool.com

$700 in '87 is $1650 today. About what a full-featured S-O Solus Ultra goes for on eBay. The Solus Ultra is a generation or two behind what's current; but there's still software availability to 2021, and likely into 2022 but I don't know that for sure. At some point, S-O will stop supporting it as they've stopped supporting the '2500 series like mine.

OTOH, given that Snap-On prices increase faster than inflation, that $700 tool in '87 is now essentially the Ethos, at $2600.

Or, since that $700 tool was the fastest, best, mostest scan tool in the S-O arsenal (of one tool at that time) the current fastest, best, mostest S-O scan tool now is the $10K Zeus. But of course, either of the modern tools--Ethos or Zeus-- cover more vehicles, more systems on those vehicles, and with bigger screens and more features.

God bless old, beater, obsolete scan tools. Or, I guess, the computer simulations of scan tools plus the connecting cable.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

About what a full-featured S-O Solus Ultra goes for on eBay. The Solus Ultra is a generation or two behind what's current; but there's still software availability to 2021, and likely into 2022 but I don't know that for sure. At some point, S-O will stop supporting it as they've stopped supporting the '2500 series like mine.

My son has the Solus Ultra and pays monthly for support and updates. I'll have to ask him if he knows how much longer they'll support this platform.

 

[Schurkey]

pays monthly for support and updates.

Snap-On learned a valuable lesson with the '2500.

If you DON'T sell new cartridges to update the scan tool for new model-year vehicles, the consumer can't re-sell the old carts. The later 2500s--starting about Y2K--had programmable cartridges; your old cartridge got new software written onto it so you had nothing to re-sell.

The Solus series, and everything after that, doesn't have user-accessible cartridges at all. Again, nothing to resell.

This makes sure that all users have to go through Snappy, paying heaps of money to keep the tool current.

Fookin' crooks.

 

[1993GMCC2500SLX]

I know for a fact that the older ones codes and data are important to access since I had a 85 Chevy Camaro berlinetta sport coupe t top 2.8mpfi th700r4, and two 2wd regular cab short bed Chevy S10 trucks a 88 Chevy S10 Tahoe 2.8 tbi v6 with a th2004r, and a year newer but base model El 89 Chevy S10 2.5 litre 4cyl 5spd with the metal reverse gear in the transmission whines when backing up lol..

 

[someotherguy]

I'm no big scan tool guy, just barely bought a cheapo Launch CRP123 (funny name if you look at it long enough) for doing later model stuff (it's OK I guess, it was cheap anyway)..

But I recall years back when I needed to install a Vortec distributor I borrowed a friends' OTC Genisys and it read the GM "enhanced data" like the cam retard figure I needed; I was also able to use it to graph knock sensor activity/counts and determined both were bad on the Vortec 7.4 I was working on. What they don't tell you is if both aren't working, you get a LOT of knock counts that aren't real - it was like simulated worst case scenario, I'll guess some kind of semi-limp mode to prevent engine destruction.

Anyway while I had it I hooked it to an '88 RCSB and it was fairly useful on that truck, too.

These tools are selling for around $200~$300 used these days for the "Evo" model which I'm pretty sure is what I had borrowed - looks the same, not like the larger tablet-appearing model that costs more. Might be worth further investigation. Not sure what all cards/modules/plugs etc. come standard with them, but the one I borrowed was from a Dodge guy that works mostly on heavy equipment, so I'd be surprised if he had sprung extra for GM compatibility.

Richard

 

[Dirty Jim]

OP- I believe we are in a point in time where the TBI systems are starting to have serious issues between the wiring and PCM. I have a 1989 that was purchased new by my grandfather and well maintained.

Eventually I began to experience low power, coughing, hard starts, etc. I spent hours with DVOM, oscilloscope, Megger, fuel and compression tester to find the error in the TBI PCM and wiring.

I took it as a chance to "upgrade"- a carb swap complemented with Vortec heads, LT4 hot cam, intake.

I've never been more happy with the performance and reliability of the truck.

I would suggest a similar route if the truck, or if you feel froggy an EFI conversion would be a nice upgrade in reliability/drivability.