hIGGI

I am in the market for diagnostics and tuning tool which i can use on RX-8's which i work on. I dont own RX-8 and i dont intend to buy tool which will stay with car....

I need tool which will let me diagnose and if necessary, modify any car which will show up, if it will support other cars than RX-8, it will be just better...

I looked into Cobb AccessPort, tried to contact mazdamaniac but he is probably out of business, got no response at all. Response from Cobb itself was not really usefull either, they dont seems to support (atleast not officially) euro spec RX-8's which is what i will see mostly - but there might be some US imports too...

Same goes for Hymee's Scanalyzer/Tuner Pro, probably out of business, no response at all. And i liked description of it more, since its computer based tool, not just 'gameboy' like AccessPort....

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

Pros and cons both ways

Accessport :
cons
*you need to buy a new accessport for every car you tune .
pros
owner gets a permanent display hand piece that can be used to monitor any parameter read by the pcm.



Protuner :
Pros
can buy a licence from Hymee for unlimited tunes
Has some good logging software
Cons
*Every time you tune a new car you need to get files from hymee that enable the "brick" for that particular car so you can't have an 8 roll in and then out 30mins later with a modified tune
*Has been known to wipe the ecu brain - but only if used improperly.
*cannot delete cels
*not as many maps are named (but the important ones are)
*USB diagnostic software simply does not work (for most operating systems)


Communication with vendor on both systems is poor

Sounds to me like you should just get a scan tool and forget about the tuning option. Scanalyser (not the usb version)is good.

hIGGI

Buying new accessport for every car is even worse option than buying just licences which should be doable online.

I asked mazdamaniac if i can use one accessport on different rx-8's atleast like scan tool and i got no answer

If TunerPro (which should be using same brick like Scanalyzer) cant delete cel's, could Scanalyzer itself do that?

Poor communication with vendor BEFORE purchase should warn me there will be no communication at all AFTER, once they will get money, they loose motivation.....

Looks like there should be 3rd option since first two are not cutting it.....

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

I'm really easy to get in contact with for AccessPORT stuff. I've event got other BHR people to help me on that.
Any e-mail sent to ap@mazdamaniac.com gets processed by a crack team of professionals. lol


Well, that is an obvious question that has been answered dozens of times before, so if that was the only question you asked, than I can understand why you might not have gotten a serious answer.

Cutting it just fine.

That said, maybe your communication came across in a similarly brusque fashion, in which case you would have been rejected as a customer, anyway.

hIGGI

Address i found on website : jeff@mazdamaniac.com

Emailed 8 days ago.
Forwarding to ap@mazdamaniac.com now...

hIGGI

I have asked question about ability to use it for my needs - multiple cars, different cars, diagnostics purposes. And i asked because i have not found answer on your website. I am not RX-8 owner and i dont spend much time on RX-8 forums. And things being asked dozen times somewhere on internet does not mean potential customer should know them - he looks vendors website and if he does not find info he needs, he asks vendor by mail...

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

Both can reset the cel but if there is an underlying problem - EG no cat , Neither can offer permanent deletion like the AP can ....

With Scanalyser you need a 9 pin din outlet (or usb conversion cable) - it does not use the same brick as pro tuner .
With Scanalyser USB (which comes with Pro Tuner) it just does not work - for myself and several others anyway .

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

That information is on my site and on Cobb's site.

The AccessPORT is not a diagnostic tool. It is a flashing tool.

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

I'll pass that on to the couple of people that I know , that have had trouble communicating with you from here .

hIGGI

Your site says :

But the AccessPORT is so much MORE than just a REFLASH DEVICE. It allows you to monitor your Fuel Economy (average and real time), perform performance tests in order to estimate your 0-60mph and 1/4 mile time, read and decipher ECU trouble codes (CELs), and monitor live data via the OEM vehicle sensors which eliminates the need for costly and cluttering aftermarket gauges!

I read its good diagnostic tool from these lines......
Or am i wrong and none of this will work without using REFLASH function?

Does it need to be "married to PCM" even for diagnostics,no modifications to PCM (engine codes, logging?)

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Yes.

Feel free.

But how much do you want to bet that those people are the ones for whom the "Instructions Instructions" were written?

I'm not a baby-sitter, nor am I Wikipedia.

hIGGI

Could it be "un-married" then? I heard something like that, but nothing exact.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

If you are just going to use it to read codes, then just get a CAN-compatible code scanner.
There is no point in spending 550 Euros on something you are not going to use correctly.

hIGGI

Lets say i buy it for code scanning with ability to tune if i decide so. If answer to my prior question is YES, i can marry it to customer's PCM, do diagnostic and either leave it there for 'correct' use and basically sell it to customer, or i can just un-marry it and put it back to shelf and use on another car when necessary.

So, back to the question.

Could it be "un-married" then? I heard something like that, but nothing exact.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

It can be unmarried, yes.

But it would be pretty unethical to use it over and over again, only to sell it as "new" to a customer when it is, in fact, used.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

I have both. My HPT might as well be a $1000 paper weight. Never was able to get the base map my car needs for it - guess it was my bad timing to be asking when the SC project went hot. You get a CD and an OBD/USB cable with the EFIDude device. It only comes with the USB scan process so there's not any saving grace there either. It has the basic mapping functions from what I can tell but Cobb has more stuff figured out. Support from either Cobb or MM easily exceeds anything I've seen.

rotarenvy

Pro-tuner uses a token system that may allow for the multi vehicle use.
you would have to contact hymee to see it it is possible.

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for that, Team.

hiGGi - I'm pretty sure all you want/need is a regular CAN-scanning tool.
If you were to be interested in tuning you customer's cars, you are looking at a significant intellectual and time investment, which apparently you are not interested in if your questions here are any indication.

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

possible ? yes

practical ? no

hIGGI

I am used to standalone EMS (Haltech, PowerFC) and i was expecting AP or Pro Tuner could offer same functions on stock PCM (ECU).

You are correct, i need CAN-scanning tool at first, but Cobb AP looked like it could do a lot more than that and extra cost seemed to have reason. Now, i am not sure. Not that i couldnt do what i need, but more business policy about these products.

Right now i am dealing with RX-8 with somehow faulty idle control mechanism inside throtte body. With tuning access to the stock PCM, there should be option to raise idle/and or re-calibrate and that could fix it, without need to replace whole throttle body which otherwise works without problems....

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Tuning does not fix mechanical problems.
AccessTUNER for the AccessPORT is way more capable than any stand-alone.

hIGGI

Maybe i need AccessTUNER then....

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Contact Cobb for that.
It's about $1500 for the license.
Expect to spend 80 to 120 hours on the software with an available N/A vehicle for training.
FI will take a bit longer than that...

[EDIT] You are in Europe, correct? I don't think they are accepting applications for additional licenses in Europe at this time.

hIGGI

Back to the AccessPort capabilities and possible scenarios.

Lets say i buy AccessPort and install it on customers RX-8, use it for diagnostics and if there will be any modification / fix doable by AP, i can offer customer 2 options.....either leaving it there, with fix and charge him for it, or tell him to come back month later for new AP.....

But reading by users manual on AP, i cant do anything besides loading new maps, right?

MazdaManiac

iTrader: (3)

Rather than looking for answers to questions that have been asked and answered in depth a hundred times before, I suggest you take some time to read these threads:

https://www.rx8club.com/mazdamaniac-183/cobb-accessport-discussion-140117/
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=197783
https://www.rx8club.com/mazdamaniac-183/new-mazdamaniac-base-calibrations-162263/