OBD Solutions

This article will help you determine if you can use OBDLink® adapters with your vehicle.

Your vehicle must be compliant with the On-Board Diagnostics version 2 (OBD-II) standard to use OBDLink adapters.

OBD-II compliance is determined not by where the vehicle was manufactured, but by the country or region where the manufacturer intended it to be sold as new.

After you have confirmed that your vehicle is OBD-II compliant, we recommend you read Which OBDLink® adapter is right for me? This article helps you evaluate the OBDLink adapter products and decide which one is best for your particular requirements.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Vehicles sold in the United States
• Vehicles sold outside the United States
  • OBD-II compliant vehicles
  • 2001 or newer model year gasoline vehicles sold in the European Union
  • 2004 or newer model year diesel vehicles sold in the European Union
  • Other vehicles
  • But my car has the 16-pin OBD connector, shouldn't it be OBD-II compliant?
• Learn more
• Need more help?

Vehicles sold in the United States

Our OBDLink adapters work on all 1996 and newer cars and light trucks sold in the United States.

United States legislation requires all cars and light trucks model year (MY) 1996 and newer to be OBD-II compliant. More information is available on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. 

OBDLink adapters work on many manufacturer's vehicles sold in the United States, including: 

Note: Hybrid and Electric vehicles are low or zero emission vehicles, however, OBDLink adapters may not work. Check your vehicle manual, research online, or consult with your dealership.

Vehicles sold outside the United States

OBD-II compliant vehicles

To read the chart below, choose the country where your vehicle was sold as new to see if it is OBD-II compliant.

2001 or newer model year gasoline vehicles sold in the European Union

Commission Directive 70/220/EEC, Annex I:

8.1. Vehicles with positive-ignition engines

With effect from 1 January 2000 for new types and from 1 January 2001 for all types, vehicles of category M1, except vehicles the maximum mass of which exceeds 2500 kg, and vehicles of category N1 class I, must be fitted with an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system for emission control in accordance with Annex XI. [...]

Note that here "European Union" means countries that were members of the EU in 2000.

2004 or newer model year diesel vehicles sold in the European Union

Commission Directive 70/220/EEC, Annex I:

8.2. Vehicles with compression-ignition engines

Vehicles of category M1, except
- vehicles designed to carry more than six occupants including the driver,
- vehicles whose maximum mass exceeds 2500 kg,
from 1 January 2003 for new types and from 1 January 2004 for all types, must be fitted with an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system for emission control in accordance with Annex XI.

Note that here "European Union" means countries that were members of the EU in 2003.

Other vehicles

If your vehicle does not fall into any of the above categories, look under the hood and try to locate a label (Figure 1) that explicitly states that the vehicle was designed to comply with OBD-II legislation.

Figure 1. Vehicle Emission Control Information Label

In this case, OBD-II is used as a general term and can mean any of the following:

• OBD II (California ARB)
• EOBD (European OBD)
• JOBD (Japanese OBD)

You may also consult your vehicle's owner's manual and perhaps contact your local dealer. However, be aware of the fact that many dealers do not know the difference between OBD and OBD-II.

If the vehicle is not OBD-II compliant, you can't use a generic OBD-II scan tool such as OBDLink adapters to obtain diagnostic information from your vehicle.

But my car has the 16-pin OBD connector, shouldn't it be OBD-II compliant?

No, not necessarily. A lot of European and Asian manufacturers equipped their vehicles with D-shaped 16-pin connectors long before they began installing OBD-II systems on those vehicles. One curious thing to note here is the fact that most non-EOBD compliant vehicles had a Data Link Connector (DLC) that does not fully conform to SAE J1979. Figure 2 shows the correct DLC type.

Figure 2. J1962 Vehicle Connector, Type A

Learn more

• After you have confirmed that your vehicle is OBD-II compliant, we recommend you read these articles:
  • Which OBDLink® adapter is right for me? This article helps you evaluate the OBDLink adapter products and decide which one is best for your particular requirements. 
  • Are enhanced diagnostics available for my vehicle? This article helps you confirm if enhanced diagnostics are available for your vehicle.
    Note: OBDLink adapters support all OBD-II compliant vehicles. You can read OBD-II diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) using the free OBDLink app (Android and iOS) or OBDwiz (Windows). You need enhanced diagnostics to read additional manufacturer-specific DTCs and Parameter IDs (PIDs). For example, if you have a Ford vehicle, you may want to read and clear Ford-specific DTCs for the anti-lock braking system (ABS). 
• See this Wikipedia article on PIDs that are supported by the SAE OBD-II standard.  
• For descriptions of terms used in this article, see the Glossary of Acronyms and Terms.

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