What is OBD2?

OBD2 stands for onboard diagnostics 2. It is a protocol that provides self-diagnosis and reporting of codes in a standardized manner. In fact, OBD2 is an American standard introduced and implemented from 1996. From Europe, OBD2 has its own derivative, namely EOBD (European Onboard Diagnostics).

With the advent of OBD2, a standardized 16-pin connector was introduced, which is now fitted in every new car in the automotive industry. The purpose of OBD2 is to be able to make a diagnosis in the engine management in a standardized and simple way, without the need for a different device per car.

OBD2 has been developed over the years, so that different modes have been developed, ranging from Mode $01 to Mode $09. These modes include various functionalities, such as real time data, emission data, automatic VIN recognition, etc.

Since EOBD is a derivative of OBD2, almost all cars produced in Europe from 2001 (petrol) and 2004 (diesel) can be read with standard OBD2 devices. Cars manufactured in the United States can be read with OBD2 from year 1996 onwards.