bump for later.
I'm not affiliated with them, and have no personal experience, but there is a neat gadget at www.autotap.com for your car. $200 buys you a hardware tap that goes in your USB on the laptop or out the window from your PC, and the software reads the car's computer like a book. If you have ever wondered what EXACTLY is behind your "check engine", this thing is great. Only problem is I think the car has to be 1996 or newer for the cable to work.