logging and or tuning

[daddyo]

Right now car is pretty stock. I want to do some logging to get her running the best she can before I start with upgrades. I like to move forward and not backward. Need some advice. I would like to not wiast my money on something that I wont use later. I want to be able to log using my Laptop. Then buy ecm link or something compatible to tune when I do my upgrades. My car will never see 400 hp as I do not have the money or the patience to deal with the problems that follow.
Where should I start with logging using my laptop that wont be a waist of money later, when I do start to tune? I am running Win 7 on my laptop and my netbook, but can intall any version of linux if thats what it takes. Also if my best option is to get a pocket logger now, what would be a good choice if I will be doing tuning later?

 

[excel8951]

why not just spring for DSMlink now if you are planning on doing it anyway? It has all the logging capabilities you'll ever need and will work with your laptop

 

[daddyo]

I want to get familiar with logging. Besides I dont have that much money to throw at the car when it needs other stuff done to it. Is that what everybody else is doing on here? Springing for dsmlink. Is that the only tuning that can do logging as well? And is it the only one that can log with a laptop?

 

[turboAWDfanatic]

Dig around for a 1g logger cable on ebay and classifieds. They used to be all over the place but they're rare now. I wouldn't pay more than $30 for one if I were you. Once you find that, if it's a serial cable and you have an *OLD* laptop with a serial port you're set as far as hardware. If your laptop doesn't have a serial port, you'll need a serial to USB adapter that supports the 1g baud rate. ECMLink has a page that lists ones that work with a 1g.

Now that you've got your cable, look around for logging software. IMO one of the best is Evoscan but it will run you about $30 I belive. You can use mmcd for free but you need a palm emulator on your laptop. Tunerstein is another free one. The TMO logger is not technically free b/c it's licensed, but it's not for sale anymore and some people have the install file hosted on the internet. I'm sure you could find it with a little google searching.

By the way, do you have a wideband O2 sensor? If not, I highly recommend that because tuning without one is useless. You should definitely have a wideband before you get Link.

 

[daddyo]

I remember seeing on ecmlink a obd1 to usb cable. It was around 50 dollars. Will that work with some of the free or cheaper software? I dont want to have to mess with the serial to usb adapter.

 

[turboAWDfanatic]

Yes, it should work unless they hardwired something into the cable to work only with 'Link. Oh, I just remembered, Evoscan sells a USB cable that includes virtual com port software so you can use it with old serial based loggers like TMO. It goes for $57

 

[daddyo]

Just purchased a socketed eprom for my car. Saving up some money for ecm's v3.