PID list "USE COOLANT" parameter????

[kvr901]

Regarding 1995 (NOT 1995 1/2) Honda Passport (car runs fine).
This is NOT an OBDII car

Using an MT2500 it shows coolant temp as a normal reading. However with my Solus Pro (currently 10.2) it shows some strange stuff I am trying to understand. There is a "USE COOLANT" parameter that changes from "- A -" to "- B -".

See the attached .bmp files from 6/10/2012. Also notice one reading showing 31 degrees F (It has not been anywhere near freezing for weeks).

The car had been run several hours prior to the first image. The three images were taken over approximately 10 minutes.

Any thoughts what this "USE COOLANT" thing is?

Thanks

[Crusty]

Just a suggestion that you can do with tjhe solus-Pro
Go into your "Save As" setting and change the PITA BITMAP to JPG....
Saves space, time and uploads and it's a more universally useable image file format.
They use BITMAPS for the Ultra and they're a ROYAL PITA-!

[kvr901]

Thanks for the bmp vs. JPEG suggestion. I agree, but will that setting hold if the battery is removed for months as it often is? I hate having to reset clocks and default settings....... Which brings me to another topic I posted today....

[Crusty]

Thanks for the bmp vs. JPEG suggestion. I agree, but will that setting hold if the battery is removed for months as it often is? I hate having to reset clocks and default settings....... Which brings me to another topic I posted today....

I havn't had the battery out for any extended periods of time but it's fine for at least 2 or 3 hours. The JPG setting is very easy to reset. Much easier than the time and date settings.

[kvr901]

Going back to my original post.....

Anyone have any guesses what this might be? I have called Snap-On diagnostics and they don't know.

I used to write software (not for tools). Does anyone know who/where the software is written? Snap-On won't tell me.

It looks like a programmer wrote in the row title "USE COOLANT". If I can contact them maybe they can tell me what this is about (or if they just took a guess and tossed it in).

Thanks

[Crusty]

From what I can see in your screen shots, there are two coolant sensor pids labelled "A" & "B" with different temperature values.
Could there be either two sensors in the vehicle?, or could the coolant sensor in this vehicle be a "staged" sensor that ramps up or down the accuracy depending on the warmup temperature?
Take a look in your information system and see if you can find anything that might indicate a "pid list".
It appears as though the ECM may be making a decision to use either of the two sensor values for fuel/spark calculations. How do those two sensor pid values react right from a cold start up through the complete run cycle to full operating temperature?
I'm not familiar with this vehicle and I don't have my information system here at home....

[sandt38]

From what I can see in your screen shots, there are two coolant sensor pids labelled "A" & "B" with different temperature values.
Could there be either two sensors in the vehicle?, or could the coolant sensor in this vehicle be a "staged" sensor that ramps up or down the accuracy depending on the warmup temperature?
.

I thought the same thing, but in looking at the information it does not appear to be so.

[kvr901]

I contacted Snap-On diagnostics support a few weeks ago, but I was told they would forward the information to some department (presumably programming/engineering/etc). They told me I might never hear anything ever. I asked if I could speak to someone in engineering, but was told no. Some corporations have great tech support, some are mediocre, some are poor. I am somewhat disappointed that engineering won't even bother to contact their phone support people with at least an answer such as: "We don't know."

[Skip]

I'll see what I can dig up. The Honda guy from our group is on vacation right now but I'll ask some of the other guys he works with. Looks like a factory PID that was put into the tool. I would be nice to know what it means though.

[kvr901]

I'll see what I can dig up. The Honda guy from our group is on vacation right now but I'll ask some of the other guys he works with. Looks like a factory PID that was put into the tool. I would be nice to know what it means though.

Thanks. It would be useful to know that this "A" "B" stuff is.

A 1995 Honda Passport is just a rebadged 1995 Isuzu Rodeo. It is such a piece of junk I'll bet some Honda exec in Japan was forced to fall on a sword for allowing a Honda badge to be put on it.

BTW: mine is '95 which is a whole different animal than '95 1/2 model year.

[Snap-on_ULTRA]

Using an MT2500 it shows coolant temp as a normal reading. However with my Solus Pro (currently 10.2) it shows some strange stuff I am trying to understand. There is a "USE COOLANT" parameter that changes from "- A -" to "- B -".

This is the reason why I use MT2500 only for OBD1 stuff, it does much better job, and sandt38 doesn't know it

[sandt38]

I own a brick. I am aware of it's capabilities.

[Skip]

I got a reply from the head Honda guy. I did however forget that the Passport is an Isuzu and we don't have any Isuzu guys any more.

I think that the data status A or B are coolant type.

Type A :Coolant containing specified glycol.---- Life Anti-Freeze/Anti-Boil
Type B :Coolant contains corrosion inhibitor only.

The data may be a engineering data. And the data may been written in ECU by programmer.
Because honda factory does not supported the vehicle( ISUZU engine), and I can’t confirm the reliability of this information.

I'm not giving up but I may be at dead end.

[kvr901]

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to tell me. Why would the PID list have two different coolant types listed when there is only one type of coolant in the entire system? Or, are you suggesting a programming error in that a programmer might have used the term "USE COOLANT" incorrectly? It changes from A to B while running.

Don't waste too much of your time trying to figure this out. The car runs, but it has 190K miles. I'm going to keep it running until it gives out. I sure would like to watch it being crushed.... what a POS. I needed a car in a hurry 7 years ago, but I didn't do my research in advance. Having been a "pro" I should have known better.

....

I think that the data status A or B are coolant type.

Type A :Coolant containing specified glycol.---- Life Anti-Freeze/Anti-Boil
Type B :Coolant contains corrosion inhibitor only.

The data may be a engineering data. And the data may been written in ECU by programmer......

I'm not giving up but I may be at dead end.