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Diagnostics tool compatable with Mac ?


Old Man Jimbo

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Well my Reatta came today and I am happy. On the computer screen after jumping it it says " diagnostic problem " ( or something like that ). When I touch " engine " it says electrical problem ( or something like that )

My question is , what diagnostic tool should I have that is comparable with my Macbook Pro ?. I do not want to go to Autozone and I do not want to break the bank ether. The ones I looked at on Amazon are for Windows . What are you guys using and the price please.  

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What does "after jumping it" mean in the second sentence? Was the battery dead? If the battery, or its connections are not good, a whole host of gremlins can pop up.

 

If the onboard diagnostics do not work on the car, I do not know if the ALDL feed will work or not. One question would be if the cover is on the ALDL connection? The jumper inside completes the communications loop and provides a redundant feed. I use an old  OBD-1 Auto X-ray for connection to the ALDL which works reasonably well. I do not know of a program compatible with Apple products for pre-OBD2 systems. I use Tuner-Pro RT for Windows for recording and modifying chips.

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Jimbo, What is the model of your Reatta? If you could add the model and other information about your Reatta to your signature line it would be helpful. I'm almost certain that scanner won't work for your Reatta. Is is an ODB-II scanner which isn't comparable with the OBD-I system used in the Reatta. Are you not able to get the on-board diagnostic system to work that is built into the Reatta? It has a lot more information than that scanner would have.

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If you will take the time to learn this instruction booklet for the diagnostics it will be time well spent. It's a little complicated at first but once you learn how to use it you will see that the on-board diagnostics will tell you about anything you need to know about the computer systems on the Reatta. Good luck with your new Reatta!

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I can't think of any obd-1 capable system that interfaces with a Mac. Since the CRT cars (88/89) have a good implementation of integral diagnostics (much easier to use than 90/91 as those give you much less display feedback and use some esoteric conventions for indicators and controls) you shouldn't really need a scan tool or computer interface unless you want to do real time graphing or data capture.

 

If you want a dedicated scan tool, look on eBay for a Tech 1 or 1A tool with a reprogrammable mass storage cartridge #300003. This was the official GM scan tool in the Reatta era, and can often be found fairly reasonable with this cartridge which tests all GM systems (engine, body, chassis, brakes, etc) on the Reatta and other  GM vehicles. I have one and it does come in handy as it can do things the integral diagnostic mode cannot.

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4 hours ago, Old Man Jimbo said:

Similar, but it won't work for our OBD1 system. The best would be as mentioned above by KDirk. I have an Auto X-Ray 5000 with ALDL adapters for several different car makes, and it does work relatively well, plus it does have a limited recording ability. OBD2 has been in place for over two decades now, so the used market will be the best bet for an older vehicle.

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4 hours ago, Old Man Jimbo said:

I can not find where to add to my signature , did something change ?

  1. Click on your name in the upper right hand corner of this page.
  2. Select "Account Settings" from the dropdown menu.
  3. Select "Signature" from the menu on the left of the Setting page.
  4. Edit your signature and then click "Save" at the bottom of the page.

If you need more help let me know and I will be happy to help. :)

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