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    Pre OBD-II diagnostics

    I am looking for a way to monitor obd information on a computer in my 1982 VW Quantum. At the very least I would like to be able to get a speedometer, tach, gas, temp, and voltage readout. I have been looking all over google, here, and the VW forums, and I can't find any information about a scan tool for that time period, except for Chrysler, Ford, and GM. Is there something available to get the information on the computer? I'm not worried about the software needed once it gets to the computer, I'm going to have to come up with that from scratch anyway. Can I buy a scan tool or will I actually have to tap into gauge cluster wires and figure out what the different voltages mean?

    #2
    It's specific to the car. I doubt that you would be able to get all that, on the diagnostic port of my Protege all you can really get is ignition signal (tachometer).
    2006 Mazda 3 hatchback manual

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      #3
      Would I be able to get it directly from wires though, not using the diagnostics port but just tapping into wires from the analog gauges? Or is the whole thing just too far beyond possible to even be worth trying?

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        #4
        i had the idea of adding telemetry so i could output that onto a computer screen with the dash cluster graphics for my racing. D323 had pointed me to a RC (radio controled) site that some dude had made a kit to work with planes or cars or whatever. It was posted here.

        hehehe, you even posted there too
        http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10096

        I haven't given up, but it's pretty much beyond my relm of knowledge, so it's gonna take me a long ass time to figure it out. But if you're able to write your own programs, you're 10 steps ahead of me

        I'd be very much interested if your able to get something like started and would definetely help out as much as i can to get it working.

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          #5
          Yeah, I looked last night to see if you'd ever come up with anything. I'm not sure how much of this is withing my grasp either, but I want to at least poke around with it and see what I can find.

          As far as writing the programs, I have a very limited knowledge of that. What I was meaning was not so much that I could do it myself, as just that I KNOW there's nothing already out there that will do exactly what I need, so I'm not searching for the software at this point. I'll deal with that when I come to it.

          Hopefully I'll have some time in the next week or so to pull apart the dash cluster and start monitoring wires to see how they work. I'll let you know if I find anything.

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            #6
            I have a friend that *might* be able to write the programs. Hs is kinda busy with grad work but has a degree in C++ computer science. He wont do all the work for you, but if you can come up with a basic outline of what you need the program to do, and what OS you will run it with, I can run it by him to see if he can do it. I would like to see the telemetry in action.....
            The T3 BP MX-3 conversion has begun, and is taking forever & will kill me.

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              #7
              I'm sure I could come up with a basic outline, but I have no idea what I'm even dealing with yet. It may be as simple (euphemism) as just a diagnostics port, or I may actually just be measuring voltage across individual wires. And then Darryl and I are looking for different outputs, so we'd need different variations.

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                #8
                Wouldn't you want to convert to the electric speedo gear the second gens use? Or is there a way to input the cable style?
                2006 Mazda 3 hatchback manual

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                  #9
                  I'm assuming that was directed to Mazdaracer, but I'll ask anyway. What's the difference between the two?

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                    #10
                    On the first gens, the speedo gear in the transmission is hooked up to a mechanical cable that runs to the dashboard, and spins the speedometer gears. On the second gens, the speedo gear has a plug on it for an electrical connector. I would assume it would be easier to get a signal off of that.
                    2006 Mazda 3 hatchback manual

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                      #11
                      Oh. Yuck. I think a cable in the dash would pretty much be impossible to read. Or at least it wouldn't be worth it.

                      Actually, it might be worth it for Mazdaracer. I'm trying to replace the speedometer, but for him, what if you could have a contact on the speedo needle itself that would brush against the gauge face underneath and act as a potentiometer that would be read by the computer?

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