Which scan tool/diagnostic interface for 2010 SV6 SIDI?

[monkeyboy]

My 2010 SV6 SIDI has been throwing up codes lately and I'm after a reasonably priced scantool or interface so I can look up the codes and clear them. Most places want to charge around 80 bucks to hook up a scantool and clear fault codes...but I need the check engine light gone so I can diagnose exactly what the fault is if it comes back on. The car's running fine and there's no immediate risk of mech failure atm. I'm thinking an ELM327 would do the trick...but doesn't the SIDI use a differnt protocol...or something? I'm more than a little confused and a tad clueless about ECU's/BCM's/OBDII's/CAN bus' ect, as you can probably tell.

Anyway, I was hoping someone could verify what type of scantool/diagnostic interface I need to pick up from ebay that'll pull up and clear codes for a SIDI...and yes I read (or tried to) the 'sniffing' thread and to be honest, I couldn't really understand what the hell anyone was talking about!

I don't need anything particularly topshelf...just something that will pull up the fault codes and clear them.

Cheers


EDIT: Ooh-er...I just lost lost my first-post-car-modder virginity

[ZerOne]

Hi there MonkeyBoy, and welcome

If you only want to get Diagnostic Trouble codes from the car, then a cheapy ELM327 from ebay, which will do the job...
The doco should get you started....
doc-holden-commodore-ve-obd-scantool-fun-for-beginners-d65m19.html

(The other scanners that we are discussing on the other thread is for the Internal Canin network, where you can inject and sniff data directloy to things like the instrument cluster,
radio, HVAC, etc, etc)..
The problem with those scan tools are,
1) They are specifically designed to interface with that proprietory network.
2) They are not suitable for getting diagnostic trouble codes, or clearing them from the car.
These basically mimic a device or module on the slow (Cabin and Comfort) vehicle network...

The cheapy ELM327s that you can get from ebay will work for standard OBDII stuff, which most modern cars now support...

I hope this helps.

Cheers
Matti

[monkeyboy]

Cheers Matti, you're a champ. That certainly clears that up. And btw, your 'how to' write-ups are some of the most detailed and well written I've seen anywhere...in fact, one of them came up when I googled LED's in a VE which led me to this forum.

Nice work