LVDell

Well, technically, they work on ALL cars. The problem though lies in the connector. So......you would need to buy a connector that is specific to each vehicle.

Livefreeandrive

Any overlap with german cars Audi, vw, Porsche, bmw etc?

LVDell

Not sure Steve. I know that I could use the last one I had on my MB as well. It all depends on the OBD port and how proprietary the pins are.

Wellardmac

I thought the point was that they all used a standard connector that could be read by any reader (particularly the ones at inspection stations)

LVDell

The reader is for ALL cars that are OBD compliant. The problem is that the connector will differ in various cars. For example, if you log onto the Durametric website you have to specify which car you have so you get the "correct" connector. All the 9X6 9X7 and 955 cars share the same plug.

Patrick

That's not entirely true for OBDII. Durametric requires different connectors, sure. Generic OBDII readers should just work with the same connector for all cars since, what, '95? At least, that's what the EPA mandates. Compliance sometimes lacks. The generic code readers will reset a CEL, and will let you read OBDII codes. They will not let you do custom actions like resetting the airbag light on your 996 because you powered up with the receiver disconnected.

I bought one of these to use for quick reads & resets:
http://www.actron.com/product_detail.php?pid=16298

Wellardmac

You are correct, MY '95 (and before are OBD I). After MY 95 they then fall into OBD II. Hence I have one car that is OBD I that my reader does not work in because the connector does not fit.

LVDell

Patrick.....Maybe you misinterpreted my post. A "generic" one WILL work in all OBD compliant cars BUT.....you have to have a specific plug to perform proprietary tasks for proper connectivity without possible damage.

Patrick

I think you posted that the reader will work for all cars, but you need a particular connector for a particular car. For generic scanners, that is not the case. Both the reader and the connector are standard. The EPA mandates what pins are used for what networks. Some cars have other networks on pins that are/were unspecified. This is what special connectors would be for. These would only work for scanners (such as durametric software) that use/access manufacturer specific features. There are cheap J2534-1 complaint interfaces that do not include all the standard networks. There you would need to get one that supports your car. Generally iso9141 for eurocars and ricers, J1850VPW for Ford, I believe, PWM for GM, etc. CAN is nearly universal. Higher end J2534-1 complaint boxes include all networks software switchable to the correct pins. Even in this case, the OBDII connector is the same for all cars, the box handles the differences.

LVDell

Sorry, what I was getting at was that the 9X6/7 cars and the 993, etc. cars require DIFFERENT plugs if you get the scan tool.

Patrick

Ah, OK. Livefreeanddrive was asking about one that would work with anything. I thought that is what you were discussing. You need a specific connector if you get Durametric's. A generic actron should work fine on any of them. (For those 993 that are OBDII compliant, that is.)

BuddyK

It sounds like people are talking about a lot of different things, and I think I can clarify:

Porsche uses their own proprietary codes and so forth. An ODB machine might do some things for you, but the Durametric unit does a lot more on the Porsche. The Durametric unit is meant for Porsche only. It's the closest you'll get to the computer that the dealer uses that I am aware of.

If you have other cars - go get another ODB machine for them. But for your Porsche, get the Durametric unit, I'd say. I was impressed that they have updated the Durametric software just about every month for the last 6 months since I bought it. I updated my software and linked up to my C4, and wow, it does a lot more new things now. In this niche market, I would say that these guys deserve your business.

Patrick

Agreed. That is why I have both. If I have time to use the durametric tool, it is GREAT and I highly recommend it. But to reset a CEL that is reoccurring for a known problem, I check the code and reset it in seconds with my actron scanner.

Wellardmac

...kinda difficult if you're a mac owner that doesn't have a PC though - as far as I can tell I didn't see a mac version of the software on their site when I was shopping.

Patrick

I don't know if it will run under virtual PC. I bought a small toshiba notebook on ebay for cheap. I use it for the PET as well as durametric.