Do scan tools for older cars exist?

"Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy" (zipppyart) 08/27/2014 at 13:43 • Filed to: None

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I'm a bit curious to know if such a thing exists, Particularly for old Mazdas.

I'm aware that before OBDII was a thing, manufacturers had their own proprietary connections for diagnostics, Mazda had their 17-pin socket under the hood (used until 2009, amazingly). A quick search led me to a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! so an OBDII tool can connect to it.

But I'm wondering if a cheap bluetooth scantool, similar to the common ELM327 dongles exist, or anything that can be plugged into the diagnostics port to send info to a phone, computer, or whatnot, while the car is driving.

camaroboy68ss > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 13:50

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how old of car? I know Chevy's didn't start having ports untill the late 80s early 90s. Specifically camaros didn't get anything till 93 and that was OBD1.

I rely on ears and my butt for diagnostics. I have a timing light and a dwell meter (I work on mainly cars with points) and will do the occasional pull a plug and check its color.

Textured Soy Protein > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 13:51

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Couldn't you just plug the bluetooth OBDII dongle into this adapter?

505Turbeaux > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 13:51

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what year are you talking, and model? I have alot of OBD1 stuff, or alot of it is able to be manufactured with a trip to Radio Shack and 5 bucks

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > 505Turbeaux 08/27/2014 at 13:54

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I'd say late 80's to early 90's stuff. I'm interested in getting a Mazda of this age as my next car, like the picture implies.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Textured Soy Protein 08/27/2014 at 13:55

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I honestly do not know, It might.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > camaroboy68ss 08/27/2014 at 13:56

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Late 80s' to early 90's.

505Turbeaux > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 13:57

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here is OBD1 method for up to 95. No special tools required

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Mazda

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

To Extract DTCs:

Warm engine to operating temperature and turn ignition "OFF."

Install jumper wire between TEN and GND terminals of data link connector.

Turn the ignition switch to the ON position.

If MIL illuminates for 3 seconds, goes off, and stays off, no codes are present.

If MIL illuminates, then starts flashing, record codes.

When all codes have been recorded, remove jumper wire.

Textured Soy Protein > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 14:01

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That....seems to be the purpose of the adapter.

I know that the OBDII port supplies power—that's what my little bluetooth dongle runs on.

Pre-OBDII cars may not put out constant diagnostic information while running.

So you may be able to check codes and stuff, but how much detail you get may vary by manufacturer.

twochevrons > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 14:06

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As far as I'm aware, most of the pre-OBD2 diagnostic interfaces didn't do much in the way of live data. Certainly, the Volvo and Citroën systems that I'm familiar with (both Bosch-based) were only capable of displaying stored fault codes and doing some very limited configuration.

I'm sure that there are exceptions to this, but even so, the problem is the proprietary nature of pre-OBD2 systems. Sure, it would be possible for such a thing to exist, but with interfaces and protocols differing between manufacturers (and even models from the same manufacturer), having a universal scan tool becomes difficult to impossible, so the tools that do exist are manufacturer-specific, with a much smaller user base, and often aren't as well-developed.

Even with OBD2, you can see this in the manufacturer-specifc diagnostic tools that exist. Sure, any OBD2 tool will give you all the information defined by the OBD standards, but for everything else, you start getting into expensive, manufacturer-specific tools such as VOL-FCR, VCDS and the like, which often require their own (or at least, very specific) interfaces and don't offer the wide range of platforms that generic OBD2 software has spread to.

Bandit > camaroboy68ss 08/27/2014 at 14:18

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My 1981 Trans Am has an OBD1 port (or something similar)... It's no longer connected to anything but it is still there.

Takuro Spirit > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 14:22

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We have a scary looking thing called a "Breakout Box" that looks like a small goth Lite Brite for older Mazdas. To buy one new I doubt you'd find it, it's probably been here at the dealer for decades.

camaroboy68ss > Bandit 08/27/2014 at 14:26

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hmmm, I have really no hands on experience with a second gen fbody. I know my grandparents 91 has a port but no one uses it. It's still gets pipe tested at emissions and the few mechanics that looked at never hooked anything up. My 98 is obd2

Nibbles > 505Turbeaux 08/27/2014 at 15:08

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Lol we had specialized OBDI tools made out of forks :)

505Turbeaux > Nibbles 08/27/2014 at 15:30

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you should see my Mercedes one that I built out of an LED and a couple wires mounted in the cap of a spray paint can. Shit is real

Nibbles > 505Turbeaux 08/27/2014 at 15:36

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Now I have one of these , thanks to a father in law who spent way too much cash on something he only used once. Now it's "still his" but resides with me on the caveat that I diagnose their cars when necessary :)

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 08/27/2014 at 22:13

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Before OBDI there was actually another standard in place called CAN bus (controller area network) to allow the various sensors and controllers to communicate through a network rather than needing one wire per each data stream, dedicated to that data and that data alone. I don't know about actually hooking up a device to the network, but any car post 1986 at the very least has the framework in place to support drive-time monitoring.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/28/2014 at 03:17

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I read a bit on some CAN bus stuff actually, Quite amazing how far we've come.

Once I get ahold of a car with such a system, I would be messing around and seeing what info I can find.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > 505Turbeaux 08/28/2014 at 03:19

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Alright, that matches up with what I've read so far, I haven't dug deep into it just yet, but I will most certainly be once I get into it.