Actron CP9110 User Manual

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CP9110

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Table of Contents

FULL ONE (1) YEAR WARRANTY

Actron Manufacturing Company, 15825 Industrial
Parkway, Cleveland, Ohio 44135, warrants to the
user that this unit will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship for a period of two (2)
years from the date of original purchase.

Any unit that fails within this period will be repaired
or replaced at Actron’s option and without charge
when returned to the Factory. Actron requests that
a copy of the original, dated sales receipt be
returned with the unit to determine if the warranty
period is still in effect.

This warranty does not apply to damages caused
by accident, alterations, or improper or unreason­able use.

ACTRON MANUFACTURING COMPANY DIS­CLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF
ANY WRITTEN WARRANTY ON THE UNIT.

15825 Industrial Parkway

Cleveland, Ohio 44135

U.S.A.

Toll free U.S.: [phone]

©2004 Actron Manufacturing Co.

All Rights Reserved.

0002-002-2186

Vehicle Service Information ............. 2

Safety Precautions ............................ 3

Section 1:
Welcome to The Scan Tool ..

1-1 Features ........................................ 4

1-2 The scan tool................................. 5

1-3 What You Get................................ 6

1-4 Cartridge and Installation ..............6

1-5 Cables and Adapters.....................7

1-6 Operating the scan tool ................. 9

• Powering-up the scan tool ....... 9

• Keyboard .................................. 9

• Display.................................... 10

• Lists, Menus, & Questions ..... 10

• Other Functions & Keys ......... 11

1-7 Scan Tool Setup..........................12

Section 2:
Computer Vehicle Basics..

2-1 Basics of Computer-

Controlled Cars ........................ 13

2-2 About Codes................................16

2-3 When to Read Codes.................. 17

13

Section 3:
Help and Troubleshooting

Tips....................................19

3-1 Tool Problems ............................. 19

4

3-2 Car Problems ..............................20

3-3 Scan Tool Self-Tests................... 20

• Display Test ........................... 21

• Keyboard Test........................ 21

• Memory Test .......................... 21

Section 4:
How to Order

Accessories ......................22

4-1 Where to Buy?.............................22

4-2 Call Actron Direct ........................ 23

4-3 E-Mail & Internet address ........... 23

Section 5:

Appendix ...........................24

Glossary of Terms ............................. 24

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1

Vehicle Service Information

The following is a list of publishers who have manuals containing electronic engine control
diagnostic information. Some manuals may be available at auto parts stores or your local
public library. For others, you need to write for availability and pricing, specifying the
make, model and year of your vehicle.

Vehicle Service Manuals:

Chilton Book Company

Chilton Way
Radnor, PA 19089

Haynes Publications

861 Lawrence Drive
Newbury Park, CA 91320

Cordura Publications

Mitchell Manuals, Inc.
Post Office Box 26260
San Diego, CA 92126

Motor’s Auto Repair Manual

Hearst Company
250 W. 55th Street
New York, NY 10019

Suitable manuals have titles such as:
“Electronic Engine Controls”
“Fuel Injection and Feedback Carbure-

tors”
“Fuel Injection and Electronic Engine

Controls”
“Emissions Control Manual”
. . . or similar titles

Vehicle Service Manuals from
General Motors Corporation:

Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GEO, GMC,
Oldsmobile, & Pontiac

Helm Incorporated
Post Office Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207

Saturn

Adistra Corporation
c/o Saturn Publications
101 Union St.
Post Office Box 1000
Plymouth, MI 48170

Vehicle Service Manuals from
Ford Motor Company:

Ford, Lincoln, & Mercury

Ford Publication Department
Helm Incorporated
Post Office Box 07150
Detroit, MI 48207

Vehicle Service Manuals from
Chrysler Corporation:

Chrysler, Plymouth, & Dodge

Chrysler Motors Service Training
26001 Lawrence Avenue
Center Line, MI 48015

General Safety Guidelines to Follow

When Working on Vehicles

To prevent accidents that could result in serious injury and/or damage
to your vehicle or test equipment, carefully follow these safety rules
and test procedures at all times when working on vehicles:

• Always wear approved eye protection.

• Always operate the vehicle in a

well-ventilated area. Do not inhale
exhaust gases — they are very
poisonous!

• Always keep yourself, tools and test

equipment away from all moving or
hot engine parts.

• Always make sure the vehicle is in

Park (Automatic transmission) or
neutral (manual transmission) and
that the parking brake is firmly
set. Block the drive wheels.

• Never lay tools on vehicle battery.

You may short the terminals to­gether causing harm to yourself,
the tools or the battery.

• Never use scan tool if its internal

circuitry has been exposed to any
liquids. This includes the scan tool
and Application Cartridges.

• Never smoke or have open flames

near vehicle. Vapors from gasoline
and charging battery are highly flam­mable and explosive.

• Never leave vehicle unattended
while running tests.

• Always keep a fire extinguisher suit­able for gasoline/electrical/chemi­cal fires handy.

• Always use extreme caution when
working around the ignition coil, dis­tributor cap, ignition wires, and spark
plugs. These components contain
high voltage when the engine is
running.

• When performing a road test, never
operate the scan tool alone while
driving the vehicle. Always have
one person drive the vehicle while
an assistant operates the scan tool.

• Always turn ignition key OFF when
connecting or disconnecting electri­cal components, unless otherwise
instructed.

• Always follow vehicle manufacturer’s
warnings, cautions and service pro­cedures.

All information, illustrations and specifications contained in this manual are based on the latest
information available from industry sources at the time of publication. No warranty (expressed
or implied) can be made for its accuracy or completeness, nor is any responsibility assumed
by Actron Manufacturing Co. or anyone connected with it for loss or damages suffered through
reliance on any information contained in this manual or misuse of accompanying product.
Actron Manufacturing Co. reserves the right to make changes at any time to this manual or
accompanying product without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes.

2

CAUTION:

Some vehicles are equipped with safety air bags. You
service manual cautions when working around the air bag components or
wiring. If the cautions are not followed, the air bag may open up unexpectedly,
resulting in personal injury. Note that the air bag can still open up several
minutes after the ignition key is off (or even if the vehicle battery is discon­nected) because of a special energy reserve module.

3

must

follow vehicle

Section 1: Welcome to the Scan Tool – Basics

1-1 Actron Scan Tool Features

The Actron scan tool has
many features that you
would expect in scan tools

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Scan Tool & Application Cartridge

Vehicle Manufacturer Application Cartridges

The manufacturer-specific Application Cartridges offer a universal approach in chang­ing software as vehicle technology changes. Actron’s separate cartridge and cable
system lets you add vehicle applications to meet your needs.

Cartridge Systems:

GM Cartridge 1984-1995
Ford Cartridge 1984-1995
Chrysler Cartridge 1989-1995
OBD II 1996-up

used by the professionals:

• Large 4 line x 20
character LCD display

• High-impact plastic case

• Durable, easy to use
keyboard

• Removable vehicle cable
adapter

• Removable power cable

1984-1995

GM

1-2 The Scan Tool

Actron’s scan tool was developed by ex­perts in the automotive service industry to
help you diagnose today’s vehicles and
assist you in trouble-shooting procedures.
Computer-controlled vehicles have a net­work of sensors that creates a series of
inputs to the engine computer. The com­puter interprets these inputs and sends
outputs (commands) back to the network
to control air, fuel, vacuum, spark and
other critical functions. When a problem
occurs, the computer will store a record of
the event, and take corrective action to
adjust the circuit at fault. If the circuit does
not respond, or the problem cannot be
corrected, a trouble code is stored in the
computer’s memory. In some cases, the
Check Engine light may also be activated.
The scan tool will allow you to monitor
these vehicle events for trouble-shooting
and diagnosis, and to read codes from
the computer’s memory to pinpoint prob­lem areas.

The scan tool uses state-of-the-art 16 “bit”
microprocessor technology and has twice
the computing power of some scan tools
costing thousands of dollars! The scan
tool is programmed to interpret the com­puter signals and provide you with a “real
time” readout of vehicle data. More impor­tantly, the software programs are written
to provide you with detailed, full-screen
readouts of all data. In addition, the Code

Lookup feature allows you to reference
code descriptions without having to page
through an instruction manual.

When the scan tool is connected to the
data connector, a communication link is
established, allowing the scan tool and
the vehicle’s on-board computer to ex­change information. The way in which this
information is exchanged is referred to as
a data stream.

As you use the scan tool, you will become
more proficient in trouble-shooting ve­hicles using the detailed help messages
and code description information. Actron
will also help you become skilled in using
the scan tool for more than just “scanning”
the vehicle data list. We will show you
many other uses that will expand your
diagnostic limits by using the information
contained in the application manuals that
come with your Application Cartridge. No­start, driveability, and emission problems
will be easier to diagnose than ever be­fore.

Professional-Style Adapter Cables:

GM ALDL — 12 Pin
Ford EEC-IV/MCU — 7 Pin
Chrysler SCI — 6 Pin

1984-1995

FORD

Optional Cable Adapters:

Chrysler CCD / LH – 6 Pin
Ford/Mazda MECS – 6 Pin
GM J1962-OBD-II – 16 Pin
Ford J1962-OBD-II – 16 Pin
Chrysler J1962-OBD-II – 16 Pin

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1989-1995

CHRYSLER

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1-3 Actron CP9110 – What You Get

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1984-1995 GM

When you receive your scan tool, take time
to review all package contents.

The Application Cartridge serial tag is
located on the top center of the cartridge. This

CP9110 123456789

Actron Manufacturing warrants the software programs to

Actron Manufacturing warrants the software programs to

be accurate to the level of information released by the

be accurate to the level of information released by the

serial tag will always be visible when the
cartridge is inserted in the main tool.

Please take time to review all important

Main Tool Model and Serial Tag

documents enclosed. Be sure to review
both boxes for contents.

Review Box Contents
Main Tool Box

In addition to the scan tool you should
have received the following items in the
main tool box:

Cartridge Model and Serial Tag

• The Scan Tool

• Carrying Pouch

• Power Cable

• Main Tool Operator's manual

Application Cartridge Box

The Application Cartridge box that you pur­chased should contain the following items:

• The Application Cartridge

• Vehicle Cable Adapter

Before You Start

Take time to review the proper procedure
for powering-up your scan tool. The fol­lowing section, Cartridge and Installation,
should be read before proceeding! This
will help you become familiar with all
operating procedures.

• Application Manual for that vehicle

1-4 Cartridge and Installation

Review the Application Cartridge instal­lation procedure before you power-up
your scan tool. Hold the cartridge, serial
number tag up, and slowly insert the car-

SERIAL NO.MODEL NO.

ACTRON MFG.
© COPYRIGHT 1995

SERIAL NO.MODEL NO.

SERIAL NO.MODEL NO.

PATENT PENDING

TM

ACTRON MFG.

ACTRON MFG.
© COPYRIGHT 1995

© COPYRIGHT 1995

PATENT PENDING

PATENT PENDING

Vehicle manufacturer at the time of release.

Vehicle manufacturer at the time of release.

[phone]

[phone]

CP9111 123456789

1984-1995 GM

1-2325

1-2325

tridge into the cartridge opening. Align the
cartridge slots with the “keyway” on the
main tool bottom opening. Continue to
gently push the cartridge into the opening
until you feel the main “edge connector”
resistance, then push to engage the car­tridge to the cartridge stop. The cartridge
is engaged when the alignment of the
serial number tag is even with the top
edge of the Main Tool opening edge and
flush against the cartridge stop. Refer to
the example.

To remove the Application Cartridge simply
grasp the cartridge end and pull away from
the main tool. This action will disengage
the cartridge from the edge connector. Con­tinue to pull the cartridge out of the open­ing the rest of the way.

NOTE: You should always have the Ap­plication Cartridge installed before you
connect your unit to the power supply.

NEVER UNPLUG THE CARTRIDGE
WHEN POWER IS APPLIED!

1-5 Power Cables and Vehicle Adapters

The scan tool comes with a main power cable
designed to plug into the vehicle cigarette
lighter. The other end of the cable plugs into the
scan tool as shown below.

Connecting to Vehicle
Cigarette Lighter

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Your scan tool has been designed to
operate at the same voltage levels as your
vehicle’s computer. It requires a minimum
of 8 volts to power-up. The scan tool is
circuit protected from voltage variations
and power surges. Should you have a
problem with power-up, review Section
3-1: Tool Problems to verify the nature of
your problem. NOTE:
power to the cigarette lighter receptacle when
the ignition key is in the OFF or START posi­tions. Check your vehicle to determine whether
this is the case.

Optional
Battery
Clip

Some vehicles shut off

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Application Cartridge Installed

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SERIAL NO.MODEL NO.

ACTRON MFG.

© COPYRIGHT 1995

PATENT PENDING

1984-1995

GM

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Connecting to Scan Tool

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Occasionally, you may find it necessary to
connect directly to the vehicle’s battery. In
these cases you may obtain an optional
battery clip adapter from Actron. Actron
also offers an AC power adapter to power

SERIAL NO.MODEL NO.

ACTRON MFG.
© COPYRIGHT 1995

CP9110 12345678

PATENT PENDING

1984-1995

GM

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the scan tool with standard 110V wall
power. Both of these accessories may be
purchased directly from Actron.

AC 110V to 12V
Power Adapter

7

Vehicle Cable Adapters

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Your scan tool Vehicle Ap­plication Cartridge pack
will contain the Applica­tion Cartridge, application
manual and vehicle cable
adapter for one manufac­turer (GM, Ford, or
Chrysler). The vehicle
cable adapter will be in­stalled on the scan tool by
locating the large connec­tor receptacle on the top
right side of the main tool.
Insert the vehicle cable into
the scan tool receptacle and use the two
“thumb screws” to secure it to the connec­tor as shown in the illustration below. Note
that you will feel a firm seating of the cable
as you secure it to the scan tool connector.
The vehicle cable adapter should always
be connected to the vehicle before power
is applied to the scan tool. This will enable
the scan tool to maintain a proper ground
between itself and the vehicle. If you have
connected to the vehicle, powered-up the
tool, and have difficulty establishing a link
between the scan tool and the vehicle,
check the following:

1. Is the ignition on?

2. Verify you have connected the vehicle
data cable to the vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).

3. Confirm that proper vehicle information
was entered into scan tool.

Connecting the
Vehicle Adapter Cable

When attaching the data cable to the ve­hicle, take time to review the specific ap­plication manual for the cartridge you are
using. This will instruct you on correctly
connecting the cable to the vehicle. Many
of the vehicle adapters are “keyed” so that
the adapter will fit only one way. If you find
that you have a special vehicle situation or
the adapter does not fit, call 1-800­ACTRON-7 for assistance. Always double
check the application section to be sure
that you are following the proper hook-up
directions. For further help that is not avail­able in the scan tool help screens, see
Section 3: Actron Help for solutions to
your scan tool problems.

As you review the CP9110 Features sec­tion on page 1-1 and 1-2, you will note
there is a complete view of accessory
vehicle adapter cables. They are for spe­cial applications that only apply to certain
vehicles. If your vehicle is one of these,
you can order cables direct from Actron
by calling [phone].

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1-6 Operating the Scan Tool

Powering-up the scan tool

The scan tool can be powered-up in three
ways. The most widely used way is with
the supplied cigarette lighter adapter. The
scan tool can also be powered up by using
the optional Battery Clip Adapter or 110/12V
AC Power Adapter. If you are powering­up the scan tool for vehicle testing, then
make sure you connect the appropriate
cable to the data connector before you
supply power to the scan tool. If you do not
connect the vehicle data cable now, the
scan tool
connected the data cable. If you just want
to power-up the
then you do not need to attach the cable
to the data connector.

When the
screens is displayed. The screens start
with a “Welcome” screen and end with a
“Key Button Help” screen.

Welcome & Key Button Help Screens

The screens in between the “Welcome”
and the “Key Button Help” screen are for
a tool self-test and the cartridge software
version. Refer to this software version if
you need to contact Actron’s technical
support line with a problem. If you wish to
review the key button definitions, then
push the HELP key; otherwise, press
ENTER to continue forward.

will let you know that you have not

scan tool

scan tool

Welcome To

The ScanTool

By Actron

Press HELP For Key
Button Information.

Press ENTER To Cont

to do self-tests,

powers-up, a series of

Keyboard

The scan tool software was designed for a
“user friendly” approach in navigating through
operational menus. This makes the scan tool
easy to operate. Simply follow the instructions
that match the keyboard symbols and you will
be using your scan tool like an expert in no time.
Since the keyboard is sealed, a damp cloth can
be used to gently clean the surface. (

tion:

DO NOT USE SOLVENTS LIKE
ALCOHOL! This could remove the
keyboard paint!)

Scan Tool Keyboard and Display

Keyboard Functions

The scan tool uses 8 keys to navigate
through the software-user interface:

ENTER Used to enter or answer a

software request.

HELP Used to request help when

symbol is in the upper right hand

the
corner of the display.

FUNCTION Used to return user to

manufacturer’s function list.

BACKUP Used to move one screen

back in scan tool flow.

ARROWS UP or DOWN are always

used to move the solid cursor
direction of the arrow or scroll the data
list in the direction you want to move the
list

LEFT or RIGHT arrows move
the cursor in the direction of the arrow
and allow you to customize a vehicle
data parameter list.

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Cau-

in the