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Thread: OBD1 code reader

  1. #1
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    OBD1 code reader

    Please help me find the right tools to code read my 1995 bmw 325i coupe. This is OBD1 with the 16 or 20 pin connection in the engine bay. I know and used the stomp test and got a 1444 code but still failed smog with high HC (ppm) at 15mph. I do not want to throw money at O2 sensors or cats if they are not the problem. Are there specific cable adapters or readers out there that can specify the problems I am having? Can I test individual parts using multimeters and which parts should I test? Are there videos or step by step tutorials out there that I can access?
    Thank you.

  2. #2
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    If you want to pass emissions then you need to do a little tune up work. If your ignitions coils are old then they need replacing, over time they short to ground you loose power and efficiency. Yes, the oxygen sensor needs to be done especially if it has over 50k on it. Spark plugs, air filter, gas filter.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/155272320860


    - - - Updated - - -

    oxygen sensor:
    https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...2)+sensor,5132

    - - - Updated - - -

    An overloocked tune up item is them engine temp sensor (not the one for the gauge) your car has two blue and black I don't know which is which, you only need the one for the DME. Facet brand is oem, if you get the oxygen sensor from rockauto then get it from there, its cheap and worth doing.

    https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...+/+sensor,4748
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  3. #3
    dworthy's Avatar
    dworthy is offline Wagon meister :) BMW Tech Expert
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    INPA is what you need to read codes, and you will also get some limited live data to look at as well.

    Like noted above, if you cars isn't in tip-top shape, it's going to have problems passing smog. What also helps is make sure the car is good an hot, like just getting back from a run on the highway hot.
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  4. #4
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    Will this work?Screenshot 2023-01-19 at 06-51-21 PEAKE R5 FCX3 SCAN_RESET TOOL FOR BMW eBay.pngIf not please explain INPA. What tools do I need?

  5. #5
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    That will not show codes anymore than the stomp test. INPA is BMW's factory way of reading data. Look for e36 OBD INPA posts from past few decades. IIRC you'll need an older laptop.

    What I would do is see if there are any mechanic shops that have a SnapOn MT2500 with the BMW cartridge. That ol brick could read live data from the car, not as nice or simple as OBD2, but it was better than the stomp test for diag.
    S52 E36 Compact
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  6. #6
    dworthy's Avatar
    dworthy is offline Wagon meister :) BMW Tech Expert
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    +1

    I have a DELL D830 that I use for INPA, as it has a serial port which works the best with those early cars.
    Darin
    Current:
    16 220i Active Tourer Platinsilver MET (C08)/Dakota Black (PDSW), P7ACA, P7LDA, P7LHA, P9BDA, 6sp Manual - Wife's new toy!
    05 325it Electric Red(438)/Gray(N6TT) ZCW, ZSP 5sp Manual Back set cover, trunk mat, Euro Infra-Rot front windshield, and mud flaps! Mr. Wagon My new Winter car.
    05 M3 Imolarot II(405)/Gray(N5TT) ZCW, ZPP 6sp Manual C.F. Lip, CSL diffuser, SSK, Euro Infra-Rot front windshield and a trunk liner! Mr. Go_Fast Stored for the Winter
    Past:
    95 318is Montreal Blue Met (297)/Beige(K1SN) RIP, killed by an Idiot.
    84 M535i gray market Burgandy Rot Met/Black Leather Lowered by Intrax on bilies, poly everywhere, B&B cat back system, K&N, and a hitch! Da Beast - Still running w/400k+!
    91 316i euro Tizianrot/Gray cloth - E-36 w/M-40 RIP, but great on gas! Best was 38 MPG
    82 528i euro Saphire Blue Met/Blue Leather RIP
    79 525 euro Green/Green RIP
    79 318 Silver/Black - The first one that got it all started
    M-Flight Member

  7. #7
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    All inpa cables are USB now, no need for a serial port. Supports up to windows 10 too.
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  8. #8
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    Best tool is Snap on Solus, I made a video diagnosing my E30 with it


    HC is unburned fuel, it could be old catalytic converters, depends how high the other numbers are
    Last edited by hakentt; 01-20-2023 at 08:21 PM.

  9. #9
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    Cats are absolute last resort. A guy on the forum didn't take my advice put new cats $$$ and I got to laugh at his dumb ass.
    Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
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  10. #10
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    If I go with Solus Ultra I would need to buy the 20 pin adapter? I am assuming the tool does not require a code pamphlet? Here are my readings from smog and what I believe is the correct adapter to the 20 pin in the engine? Any alternatives to the Solus as they seem to be pretty expensive? I will pay because I need a scanner for the future since I have so much invested in this car so it will around for a long time.
    20190218_104703.jpg20230121_081845.jpg20230121_084938.jpg

  11. #11
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    All I want to do is pass smog. Will these two items allow me to find something to replace and get over the hump?20230122_142426.jpg20230122_142408.jpg

  12. #12
    dworthy's Avatar
    dworthy is offline Wagon meister :) BMW Tech Expert
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    We have a Solus in the shop where I am at, and no I wouldn't buy one unless you plan on using it for more than 1 vehicle and charging money for clearing codes, ect.

    Again 99% of hand scanners only work with OBD-II equipped cars, so unless it states that it is OBD-I compliant, do not buy it with an adaptor.

    My best advise is to look into INPA, head over to the Diagnostic Software sub-forum and look at that for more information.
    Darin
    Current:
    16 220i Active Tourer Platinsilver MET (C08)/Dakota Black (PDSW), P7ACA, P7LDA, P7LHA, P9BDA, 6sp Manual - Wife's new toy!
    05 325it Electric Red(438)/Gray(N6TT) ZCW, ZSP 5sp Manual Back set cover, trunk mat, Euro Infra-Rot front windshield, and mud flaps! Mr. Wagon My new Winter car.
    05 M3 Imolarot II(405)/Gray(N5TT) ZCW, ZPP 6sp Manual C.F. Lip, CSL diffuser, SSK, Euro Infra-Rot front windshield and a trunk liner! Mr. Go_Fast Stored for the Winter
    Past:
    95 318is Montreal Blue Met (297)/Beige(K1SN) RIP, killed by an Idiot.
    84 M535i gray market Burgandy Rot Met/Black Leather Lowered by Intrax on bilies, poly everywhere, B&B cat back system, K&N, and a hitch! Da Beast - Still running w/400k+!
    91 316i euro Tizianrot/Gray cloth - E-36 w/M-40 RIP, but great on gas! Best was 38 MPG
    82 528i euro Saphire Blue Met/Blue Leather RIP
    79 525 euro Green/Green RIP
    79 318 Silver/Black - The first one that got it all started
    M-Flight Member

  13. #13
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    Can reading a smog inspection report tell me which direction to go as far as fixing or replacing? For instance, a passing grade on cat converter, PCV, oxygen sensor etc. etc.20230123_121424.jpg

  14. #14
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    There are probably 20 I failed high HC articles on this site going back years. Some never posted a fix. Some pass with a hot CAT other repair air leaks, new Coils or run a magic solution in the gas. Yes a CAT is offered as a band aid to pass SMOG (mostly in CA Low emission area like you) but the other option is try to fix 40+ things that the OBD 1 reader wont tell you. CA maintains 85 ppm for HC for a 25 year old car is to low when new cars have a limit of 35 ppm. How are you going to pass near new car limits with an old car? Other states have limits of 200 ppm. Thus your problem is probably the car is old and has worn parts and just not new. (rings, valve seals ) Oil is escaping into the intake and burned creating the HC (CAT gets coated with carbon and not efficient enough to compensate). Your other option is Non Op Race car. or yes, there are a lot of E36 in the CA junk yard due to not passing SMOG. Good luck



    CA hates your car. (OBD 1)
    Here is a list of process to aid in passing the CA SMOG check https://www.bar.ca.gov/industry/obd-test-reference but they just read the computer on OBD 2 cars and not measure the exhaust gas like on OBD 1.

    There is no aid for OBD 1 cars. There is no updates for the old SMOG check machines made +20 years ago to test your car. Thus many shops pay an exorbitant cost just to maintain the equipment. What was your cost for SMOG check vs a new OBD 2 car? (mine was $85 vs the $29) CA enhanced regions also maintain the SMOG limits of your car since new HC CO NO etc... If your car is high mileage you need to maintain all the SMOG equipment operations and maintain your engine as if new. Thus the list begins (read all the failed high HC links on this site)

    In general no air leaks, good O2, working computer, strong spark, good plugs, CAT, Fresh oil fresh gas, clean combustion chamber no excessive carbon buildup no oil build up, good injector flow, new filters for gas air oil, working ICV thermostat, water pump, temp sensor MAF. If you have worn valve seals, piston rings, cylinder, PVC system (yes the 2 hoses and connectors is it), your into trouble to control the oil burn as it enters the engine. The CAT is the overall clean up that can mask any problems you have That's why a hot car may pass HC but a hot car also makes more NO.
    Last edited by gc325is; 01-28-2023 at 05:11 PM.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Abelsaiz View Post
    Please help me find the right tools to code read my 1995 bmw 325i coupe. This is OBD1 with the 16 or 20 pin connection in the engine bay. I know and used the stomp test and got a 1444 code but still failed smog with high HC (ppm) at 15mph. I do not want to throw money at O2 sensors or cats if they are not the problem. Are there specific cable adapters or readers out there that can specify the problems I am having? Can I test individual parts using multimeters and which parts should I test? Are there videos or step by step tutorials out there that I can access?
    Thank you.

    High HC, I had this trouble. After lots of messing around with the wrong stuff, I removed the large duct between the air box and the throttle body. On the underside, there are ports where some hoses plug in, the hoses are a press fit (for lack of a better term) and the holes were cracked so that the hoses fit loosely.

    The thing is, hydrocarbons are unburned fuel (gas) that are the result if a lean misfire that you probably do not feel and the OBD 1 system does not keep track of. The cracks that I speak of allow enough air to leak in to the intake stream that the weak combustion results in unburned fuel in the exhaust, the smog machine sees this as hydrocarbons.

    You are interested in the condition of Item 3, below. It's easy to inspect, and replace. It fixed my trouble and I passed smog easily. One thing that I saw on my smog report was that the two other numbers were above the average, but not out of range so they were not flagged in the fail. After I replaced the Item 3, my HC went down a ton. My HC was allowed to be 85, I had 86. The other numbers were NOx and CO, they were within range, but above average. They fell by 90% after replacing Item 3.

    https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...diagId=13_1710

  16. #16
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    HC (hydrocarbons) are indeed, 100% absolutely true, unburned fuel. The challenge is to figure out why.

    If you have the leaking Item 3 from my earlier post, then this can cause a lean condition that results in poor combustion, and the poor combustion will cause unburned fuel to be in the exhaust, and the smog report will show high HC. I harp on Item 3 because it's free to check it, you can fix the problem area with a zip tie, and you can buy a new one for 20 bucks at the auto parts store on the corner by your house. I spent somewhere north of $200 on spark plugs and coils and wasting time. I thought that unburned fuel and too much fuel were the same thing. I was wrong on that point. Since the OBD 1 dies not detect lean very well, then you can be lean and never know. If I did not fail smog, I would not know that there was something wrong with my car. It went from zero to 60 easily, and did 80 all day long, and touched on 90 every time I asked it to. The car would go faster than my comfort zone about how wide my checkbook would open for the judge, so it ran perfectly as far as I knew.

    Take the duct off that goes to the throttle body and check the ports on the bottom to be sure that the hoses that go into the ports fit tightly. Its free, and if I'm right it will save a ton of money and lots of time.

  17. #17
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    Tomorrow morning this is the first thing I will do. Will let you know what I find. Thanks to all of you for your input. I have changed the oil and replaced the plugs, the fuel filter and the ignition coils. Even threw in some cat cleaner additive and Seafoam. Next week I will try again with a smog test here in California. I am curious if the Snap On Solus scanner that I am thinking of buying would find this fault if indeed this is the problem. Any more input woud be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Abelsaiz View Post
    Tomorrow morning this is the first thing I will do. Will let you know what I find. Thanks to all of you for your input. I have changed the oil and replaced the plugs, the fuel filter and the ignition coils. Even threw in some cat cleaner additive and Seafoam. Next week I will try again with a smog test here in California. I am curious if the Snap On Solus scanner that I am thinking of buying would find this fault if indeed this is the problem. Any more input woud be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

    Here's what you do, make a stack of $100 bills in your backyard, cover it with bbq lighter fluid and throw in a match.

    Stop buying stuff and inspect.

  19. #19
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    Thanks for the tip on the hoses. I am waiting for delivery of a new boot and the ICV air hose. Both were in need of replacing. The oil and plugs were due for a change and I will not be buying any expensive scan tools. I will let you all know the outcome after replacement. Thanks again.20230128_155952.jpg

  20. #20
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    20230206_133054.jpg So I changed the oil, replaced the plugs and coils, repaired the intake boot and tubing to ICV and replaced the O2 sensor. No mechanic, just me. All of these repairs I would call regular maintainence. I think if I would have done the O2 sensor first and fixed the tubing I would have passed smog. But in the end these repairs needed to be done anyway so I am happy. Thanks to all of you and I will see you in two years when I have to do this all over again!!!

  21. #21
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    Nice job!
    Attn. NEWBIES: Use the search feature, 98% has already been discussed.
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