That cable is long enough to be routed the long way around so it doesn't get in the way. The AutoTap is USB powered, so it has a single extra-long cable that runs to the computer. For most people, this probably isn't an issue. On some cars you can easily drive with the AutoTap plugged in on other cars, the device gets in the way of the clutch.
The device itself is a big blocky thing that plugs into the standard computer interface present on every car, usually right under the dashboard. The software running on the laptop or Palm also provides a user interface. AutoTap solves this by using either a computer (Windows only, though we suspect a MacBook with Parallels Workstation would be able to run it) or a Palm Pilot to record the data. One of the problems of recording sensor data is where to store it. AutoTap is similar - it connects in to the auto computer system, reads fault codes, and can record sensor readings as requested. Dealers have special autopilots that are loaned out to people with troubling sporadic issues.
Automakers themselves use a special system where pressing a button records sensor readings pre-and-post button-press for later study. One enterprising company set up a small, innocuous recorder that, in addition to reading and storing fault codes, took a reading every few seconds of sensor outputs, and also recorded panic stops and fast acceleration, so parents could monitor their teenagers' driving without their knowledge.įor serious troubleshooting, though, an almost-constant capture of sensor readings is more important than every-few-seconds. The simplest of these simply tell you what fault codes have been registered the most complex let you change parameters of your engine computer (where possible), and see in real-time what the various sensors are showing.
Once the Federal government mandated standards for auto fault codes, a number of code readers appeared on the market.
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