98 e38 obd2 unable to connect

[Ctwide3project]

Thoughts lead to new break throughs so I appreciate them

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[Sundaycruzer]

[Ctwide3project]

Modded my cap after work today... ALL modules are now accessible from my 16 pin. Thank you so much buddy I hope one day somehow I can return the favor of help!

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[Sundaycruzer]

All’s good my friend. Keeping my favorite car on the road is payment enough. Funny I don’t own one anymore but will not give up on helping everyone on this forum. I’m eventually going to buy a sporty shorty and do my 4.6 swap. Maybe ls6. Hard to beat my new whip though.

[Ctwide3project]

Mmmmm M5's truly are beautiful! But I also will forever be in love with E46's lol I have my E36 project car I'm working on, my E46, and my wife's E92 and out of them I prefer my E46

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[Ctwide3project]

Here they are

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[Sundaycruzer]

Sweet wide body!! Needs an ls and 6 speed

[Ctwide3project]

I considered a v8 but I settled on keeping the m50 and going forced induction. I've actually got a build thread going of you want to check it out. I've been sharing my progress on here. My goal is completion for spring 2020 but I have a lot of work ahead of me

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[Todynor]

The under-hood 20-pin diagnostic port allows connection to all modules on the E38. Later models had an additional OBDII port in the cabin - and that was restricted to diagnosing the engine and gearbox. The additional OBDII port was added to allow SMOG tests to be made as was mandated by CARB.

https://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/obd2-bmw20.pdf

Hi, old thread, but everything I‘ve read about odb/20-pin is kind of not really, well adequate or knowledgeable or thorough enough. (I‘ve read a lot). I mean, before talking about adaptor cables etc., one has to begin with what signal’s actually is present in the plug in the car, no? Im my car there is no plug/connector in 17 for example; so to connect 17+20 to 7+8 in fact only connects 20 to odb2 7+8. And so what does it mean that K-line (TxD2) will not be connected to scanner?? The pin is not present in the 20-pin plug; so not connected. Whatever adapter-cable used, or made, first thing in my opinion must be to see what pins are actually present.

—> E38, 730D 120Tkm VIN DN44885, Prod. Date 1999-09-29 (facelift)

The pins present in the 20-pin plug are: 1, 4, 7, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20).

So my question would be, what control modules can be accessed with the round-plug/pins present in my car? Should the SRS module be accessible? None, even those expensive used by bmw-electricians, cannot find like the car’s vin nr automatically, and they cannot connect to the SRS-control-module. Of course, this can be cause the control module is bad, but I don't think so as the problem - at least in the beginning- was intermittent. And, as a least, I do mean that first one has to determine if the computer ever will be able to find like SRS-module, given the pins in the plug, no?

Another ‘problem’: everyone says there should be an ODB2-connector in this car, produced late September 1999 for German marked, but then, where is it? There is this cap/cover to the left of the cup-holder, but behind there is nothing. Is there a difference between diesel and petrol cars? Is it somewhere else?

Some input and thoughts on this would be nice.

[Timm]

You seem to be making excuses - I've shown you how to do it, I've showed in a video how it connects and what you can connect to, probably best is just to chuck a few quid towards Amazon and give it a go! By the way, the diagnostics on the E38 is done via the Instrument Cluster which acts as a hub for all the other busses - K-Bus, I-Bus etc. The diagnostic port connects to the Instrument Cluster.

[CPHES]

You likely have to go thru the 20 pin. BMW did not support OBD II well until 2001 - and the 20 pin end away. We did not get Diesel in the states, so many of us won’t be able to help.

Timm is the dude to listen to.

[Todynor]

Ok, thanks, I’m just frustrated with so much wrong information, and garages not knowing, and adaptor-cables with random pin-config etc. I guess. I have found now that diesel doesn’t have the ODB2 contact inside the car. BMW Classics says that those contacts anyhow is not for diagnostics. And I must assume that pin 15 and 20 are used for communication. I’ll take the car to get the new control module for SRS programmed to the car tomorrow, and hopefully that will work, and I take it from there. Will read more from you when I get time, like using the AV connector in the rear. I’ll search for the pin-configuration for the adapter cable later. I have a YOUCANIC scanner and it doesn't find any modules.