"Scanner can't connect to vehicle"

What PCM do you have in there now?

Did you figure this one out? I've been trying to think of why its not connecting. But if the cig lighter fuse is OK, you are using the 96's OBD-II PCM, you are using an OBD-II scanner, and you have the correctly wired 96 ALDL connector, it should connect.

Another thing I thought of, but I doubt it applies here - I have a ScanMaster LT1 mounted on my dash, and hooked up permanently to the ALDL connector, by splicing to the tan data wire, behind the ALDL connector. I had to add a micro-switch, to allow me to disconnect the ScanMaster from the data wire, because when it is connected, it will not allow another device (e.g. scanner, laptop scanner or programming software) to connect by plugging into the ALDL connector. Any chance you have something connected to the data wire?

Not the same issue. The 96/97 OBD-2 16-pin ALDL connector has a +12V pin supplied from the cig lighter fuse. The 93-95 OBD-1 ALDL connector does not have a +12V pin, so there is no connection to the cig lighter fuse.

What scanner are you using? There are a couple of high end OBD-1/OBD-2 scanners that will not connect to 93-95, because they are looking for the +12V and there is none.

If you are just trying to pull codes, hopefully you are aware all you need is a paper clip (works on 93 ONLY):

http://shbox.com/1/dlc2.jpg