Does my car have OBD2?
As a rule, petrol cars from 2001 and diesels from 2004 in the EU (EOBD), and cars and light trucks from model year 1996 in the US, have OBD2. European cars that use the older, slower K-line protocols work too.
Updated
Which cars
- EU, petrol
- From 2001 (EOBD).
- EU, diesel
- From 2004 (EOBD).
- US
- Cars and light trucks from model year 1996.
These are the years the rules took effect; some earlier cars have OBD2 as well. Electric cars sometimes have no standard OBD2 socket.
Read My Car speaks the protocols these cars use: CAN on most newer cars, and the slower K-line (ISO 9141-2 and KWP2000) that older Peugeots, Citroëns, cars of the VW group, Renaults, Fiats and others use.
Where the socket is
The 16-pin OBD2 socket is under the dashboard, within reach of the driver’s seat. On some cars it’s behind a small cover.
What it can read
Generic OBD2 reaches the engine and often the gearbox: fault codes, live data, the freeze frame, the VIN and emissions readiness. ABS, airbag, body and comfort modules need the manufacturer’s own protocol and tools.
Questions
My car is from before 2001. Will it work?
Possibly, if it has a 16-pin OBD2 socket and its engine computer speaks OBD2. The easiest way to find out is to plug in an adapter and try.
Does it work with an electric car?
Not always. Electric cars sometimes have no standard OBD2 socket. If yours has one, plug in an adapter and see what the car reports.