Bad Ostrich?

[Sy-1177]

I thought I remember another member having the same issue but I couldn't find the post. But anyways, I got my Ty to run pretty good one evening after a few Tuner Pro/Datamaster runs. Uploaded my final configed BIN to the Ostrich, turned the truck off and called it a night. The next day I go to take it for a spin and its running like total crap. Bucking and sputtering bad! So I'm thinking maybe the Ostrich didn't take the final BIN I loaded. So I pull the laptop out, get everything connected, load the BIN, start the truck and its all good again. As soon as I unplug the USB from my laptop, the truck dies! Go to start it, starts bucking and sputtering bad again. Plug in the USB to the computer, connect in TunerPro, truck runs great again!

When I open TunerPro initially, it detects the hardware and it uploads successfully, but it just won't hold the file it seems. Does anyone have any ideas what could be wrong? I ended up installing my old 50# Phil Long chip and it runs and drives fine again like when I originally ran this chip, so i'm guessing my Ostrich is bad.

 

[skipztt]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

how much for the ostrich?? lol. jk

idk brian, that is a area im not familar with yet. do u have to save the bin somehow. so the ostrich knows to read that bin on start-up??

idk, just throwing out some ideas

 

[WyoSyclone]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Could be the battery in the Ostrich is bad... but they're supposed to last almost forever.

 

[epix]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

It could be the gray ribbon cable too.. Mine was detected and said it uploaded fine/verified but in reality nothing was being changed. I ordered a new cable and all was well after I swapped them.

 

[Sy-1177]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

It could be the gray ribbon cable too.. Mine was detected and said it uploaded fine/verified but in reality nothing was being changed. I ordered a new cable and all was well after I swapped them.

Did you physically see anything wrong with the ribbon cable? I wonder if that would take care of it. Where did you order that from?

 

[epix]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

cable looked pristine, no clue how it went bad.. if you want PM me your address and I'll ship you my known working one so you can diagnose it without buying a new cable outright.

You can also get a new cable for $30 from moates.com

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

can you just try a new battery?

 

[Sy-1177]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

cable looked pristine, no clue how it went bad.. if you want PM me your address and I'll ship you my known working one so you can diagnose it without buying a new cable outright.

You can also get a new cable for $30 from moates.com

PM on the way Pete! :tup:

I want to try the cable first. I don't want to try and open this thing up and mess anything up. If its not the cable, i'll see what I have to do to exchange the Ostrich.

 

[turbodig]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

PM on the way Pete! :tup:

I want to try the cable first. I don't want to try and open this thing up and mess anything up. If its not the cable, i'll see what I have to do to exchange the Ostrich.

Send Pete yours... if it works with his, you know it's ok.

The crimp-on EPROM plug end on that ribbon cable is notorious for misalignment and bad connections, no matter who makes the emulator. They're also very intolerant of tugs, yanks, and general rough handling. They're really touchy.

If you've got a DVM (and a paper clip), you can ohm out the cable to determine if it's good or not, and which pin is the bad one.

 

[Sy-1177]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Send Pete yours... if it works with his, you know it's ok.

The crimp-on EPROM plug end on that ribbon cable is notorious for misalignment and bad connections, no matter who makes the emulator. They're also very intolerant of tugs, yanks, and general rough handling. They're really touchy.

If you've got a DVM (and a paper clip), you can ohm out the cable to determine if it's good or not, and which pin is the bad one.

Thats what I was thinking, the EPROM end might not be making full contact.

Pete, let me know if you want mine instead, i'll do either or. Thanks!

On the good side though, now that I know how to read the WB and understand how it should read during my driving conditions, my re-installed Phil Long chip is actually pretty decent in there! Its very close to mid 13's low 14's consistently untill I get into boost, where its a bit rich. I was also thinking about getting a chip burner now to read my current chip, and just alter that instead. I can use the ostrich for tunning, and when finished, burn to a chip.

 

[kwick6]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Hey Brian,

I ran into this same problem with one at Homecoming on AJ's truck. Jeff and Wade tested everything and it turned out to be the Ostrich, verified everything else was good.

I need a video on the series of steps to test whether or not its the actual Ostrich module thats causing the problem!

I have a feeling it may need to be swapped out. I'll get with Craig on how we can get this sorted out the quickest way.

 

[Sy-1177]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Hey Brian,

I ran into this same problem with one at Homecoming on AJ's truck. Jeff and Wade tested everything and it turned out to be the Ostrich, verified everything else was good.

I need a video on the series of steps to test whether or not its the actual Ostrich module thats causing the problem!

I have a feeling it may need to be swapped out. I'll get with Craig on how we can get this sorted out the quickest way.

Thanks Scott! Let me know whats up!

 

[kwick6]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Are both switches on the side in downward position towards the USB connector?

Also, did you go into tools-->preferences in TunerproRT and disable checksum setting it to 0xAA offset to 0x08 ?

 

[kwick6]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Found this post from Paul on www.code59.org as well:

Ok on some ostriches, you have to have the key on when you upload a bin. Otherwise it might corrupt the bin. Make sure when you upload a bin that you use the verify button.(Icon with the ? on it next to the enable emulation) If it fails then that will be the cause of your problem. Try it with the key on. If it validates after that then you will need to make sure the key is on everytime you upload a bin to the ostrich. Moates has a fix for this if that is the case but on the 749 ecm it seems even with that the problem still pops up. I would just make sure the key is on.

 

[Aeroking]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

i feel i might add some insight.

my Ostrich is one of the ones you need the truck ON to upload. Also, i have to remove my ALDL cable before i turn the truck off.

If i dont do either of these things, the truck "makes its own tune". it doesnt go into limp mode. but it'll run crappy. and when i download the current BIN from the Ostrich, it looks like crap (corrupted). So i have to reload the good BIN.

My ribbon cable is cushioned, and taped securely from the ECM, in stock location, up to my Ostrich, in the glovebox, which is also securely mounted.

just a weired quirk i guess. my truck has to be running to connect anything to the ECM.

 

[Sy-1177]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

Are both switches on the side in downward position towards the USB connector?

Also, did you go into tools-->preferences in TunerproRT and disable checksum setting it to 0xAA offset to 0x08 ?

Scott, i'll double check everything tonight, and try everyone's technique that works for them to see if I can get this to work. I'll let you know reguardless. Thanks all for the input!

 

[WyoSyclone]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

I'm doing nothing but guessing here, but I wonder if the battery feed to your ECM is no good. The Ignition circuit feeds the high current feed to the ECM, the battery feed is just for maintaining memory... have you tested the B+ feed to your ECM to make sure there is +12 volts there? Would kind of make sense that if the B+ was dead that you couldn't communicate with the ECM with the key in the off position..... Hmmmm...

i feel i might add some insight.

my Ostrich is one of the ones you need the truck ON to upload. Also, i have to remove my ALDL cable before i turn the truck off.

If i dont do either of these things, the truck "makes its own tune". it doesnt go into limp mode. but it'll run crappy. and when i download the current BIN from the Ostrich, it looks like crap (corrupted). So i have to reload the good BIN.

My ribbon cable is cushioned, and taped securely from the ECM, in stock location, up to my Ostrich, in the glovebox, which is also securely mounted.

just a weired quirk i guess. my truck has to be running to connect anything to the ECM.

 

[Syclone#892]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

I have a quick question, why does the "checksum" need to be disabled in tunerpro? Chasing down a couple issues with my sy and I know I havent done that. Just wondering if it could be causing a problem for me.
Also wondering what its for if we just disable it or is it for an application for something other than our trucks.

Thanks sorry to get off topic.

Did you figure out your ostrich problem yet? I am really hoping these are not going to be a big problem because they are very nice to have when working.

 

[Tooky]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

I have heard a lot of people advise turning off the checksum in TunerPro. Strange because I have never had to mess with it?? I think it's for another application, but maybe someone can chime in with precisely what it does or does not affect? IMO as long as the BIN Verifies on TunerPro and DataMaster connects and shows the proper PROMID, all is kosher with the BIN emulation...

 

[fivetodrive]

Re: Bad Ostrich?

http://www.moates.net/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=171

Moates sells this but I have never heard on anyone using it...