Finally got it working with Vista. Used FTDI's driver cleaner tool then reinstalled the FTDI drivers.
The box has to be connected to the car before any software will detect it. Scantool.net 1.13 works with it, version 1.14 doesn't.
Anyone edited the source to 1.14 and recompiled it to make it work with clones?
I opened the box (it's very sturdy extruded aluminum) and found it has UIFTECH ELM327[V1.2] printed on the PCB. It's very well made, everything surface mount except the connectors, one capacitor, the LEDs and two crystals. There's over 80 parts on the board, so it's not some minimalist POS.
FTDI chip is FT232BL. The chip where the magic happens is a PIC18F2480-I/SO Logo on it is a sort of M in a circle.
Deal Extreme buys most of their stuff direct from the manufacturer, cuts out all other middlemen and passes the savings to their customers.
I'm going to see if any of the software here
OBD-DIAG Downloads will work with it.
The main thing I need this for is to log the O2 sensors on a 1998 Mountaineer. It runs perfectly yet it keeps popping a code claiming bank 2 cat efficiency is out of spec.
It's going to get an electric fan and some other things that have been proven to boost the MPG of those big guzzlers.
It gets up to 20 on the freeway, which is already higher than EPA rating with the V8. Electric fan ought to get it around 3 MPG more. (WTH Ford didn't put an electric fan on it anyway?????)