obd II port vs the bmw port

[avi]

hi guys

I need help i want to purchase a vi monitor, but the only prob its comes with a obd ll port, does any1 know if there is sum sort of adaptor that can be purchased for the bmw port to obd ll. I want to use it on my e36 M3 german

 

[zaleonardz]

Errr..

THere is no BMW port, you have OBDI and OBDII and the much newer Can based stuff

In BMW language, OBDI is sometimes referred to as ADS.

There is no adapter.

WHat year is your E36, the later M3 models already utilized OBDII.

If you need, I can check for you what you have ?

If it is an early model E36 M3, you can be almost sure that its ADS/OBDI.

 

[avi]

its a '94 m3,

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to access the obd l port on my car would i need to remove the whole cover panel below the steering

 

[zaleonardz]

Not at all.

If memory serves, you are looking for a big round 20 pin connector in the engine bay, it has a cover that twists on to it.

The 16 pin connectors under the dash is only from the E46 onwards, but I stand to be corrected on this point..

As for is it OBDI or OBDII.. You may be lucky...

 

[avi]

yea i'm aware of that port, my prob is the 'Vl monitor' that i wanna buy has an obd 2 port nw hw do i connect that to my car:bangdesk:

 

[Pr0PheT]

yes you can get an adapter, I actually have one that I bought on ebay (this exact item http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260794403758&viewitem=) I've used it on a 96 328i together with BMW DIS and it works hundreds. It took about 8 days to arrive.

 

[zaleonardz]

Oh I See, you are trying to convert a 20 pin to 16 pin.

 

[avi]

hi guys

I'm still havin probs locatin the obd port on my e36, can any1 help me

 

[rick540]

If your car is a 1994 you will NOT have an OBD port of any kind, so don't bother trying to find an adapter for something that's not there and waste your money.

There is a 20 pin round port under the bonnet but it's ADS (Yes I know it looks the same as OBD but it's not) You can only tell by the date of manufacuture.

You need to buy an ADS interface instead as that is what your E36 uses.

 

[Pr0PheT]

You wont be able to find the OBD port on the E36. OBD was only required by the EU from 2000 so most cars before then including early E39's, E46's for EU markets including SA did not have OBD. In the US however the OBD was present in most models after 1996. All E36 for the SA market did not have OBD instead a ADS which is under the bonnet, the round connector.

 

[zaleonardz]

PropheT,

Not quite correct dude. E46 is OBDII onwards, my 95 328 has a mixture of OBDII and ADS, I just spent the evening stuffing round with the computer, and the DME is OBDII.

I have daignosed E36 M's with the round 20 pin connector using OBDII.

The confusion I think is coming in here whereby one assumes that the round 20 pin port found on most of the older BMW's, including older E46's are ADS, this is wrong, and very far from the truth.

The E36 had some OBDII compatible cars, early E46/E39's are all OBDII, EVEN WITH the round connector, this is not an assumption, This is fact....

Or, have i got the question wrong here completly ?

 

[rick540]

LZ you are correct, from 1995 the OBD standard was "Phased in" so an E36 of around 1997 will be fully OBD, but a 1994 model will only possibly have OBD on the airbag but will most likely be fully ADS.

Look up ISO 9141-2 for the timeline of how it was implemented.

 

[zaleonardz]

Cool..

Thanks Rick... WIll do...

Airbag and ABS were OBDII on my E34, and I think the sunroof controller or something daft like that, rest was ADS. I tried an ADS car today and failed miserably at connecting DIS... AGAIN... tricky bit to get right.