OBD2 scanner not connecting, what Porsche specific nonsense do I need?
 

Hey all, I've been trying to clear a code on my 2000 Boxster S for a while now and it's driving me up a wall.

I took the seat out of my 986 because I wanted to swap in some 987 seats. I didn't disconnect the battery beforehand and even took the car for a drive without the passenger seat installed and now I have an airbag light on the dash.

My understanding is that I can go to a Porsche mechanic to have them clear the code, or I can try to do it myself. I'd always prefer to do it myself so I bought an Autel scan tool and tried to plug it in but the connector does not seat properly.

Is there some special, magical OBD2 port that only Porsches have that I need to buy? I've searched high and low for this answer and I can't seem to find it, so I'm hoping someone here has the secrets I'm looking for.

There are no “special” OBD2 connectors. By definition, the physical and data interfaces are all to the same standard.

I understand your confusion. Have you ever tried plugging an OBD2 reader into your 986? I have two and they both plug into my 2014 Ford Focus no-problem, but neither will connect to my 986, so something must be different with the Boxster that requires something special for me to connect to it.

my obd reader fits fine. maybe a previous owner mangled your port

My budget OBD scanner fits the port a-okay.

Yes. I have a Durametric and a cheapo scanner, both of which connect just fine, and the State of New Jersey plugs in every other year during vehicle inspection.

The physical and data standards for OBD2 (ODBII, actually) are not negotiable. As someone else noted, perhaps yours has been damaged somewhere along the way.

https://www.sae.org/standards/j1962_201607-diagnostic-connector

Something isn't right. Here's mine. Can you show us a similar pic of yours?

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1768311390.jpg

My 98 Boxster is in "winter storage" now so I can't take a picture but your female connector does look slightly different than mine.....BUT pictures can be misleading.

My OBD code reader is the "cheapo" Harbor Freight model that I bought 20 yrs ago for $25 and it works great on all of my cars, foreign and domestic.

I have one similar to that that I keep in the truck. I had the typical oil pressure fault common to LS engines. I’ve never tried connecting to a Porsche but perhaps I will. In any case, I think you’ll find it unsatisfactory because it will only report generic trouble codes, not the really helpful manufacturer codes provided by the factory computer or Durametric.

All I need are the "generic codes" to get me to the general problem area. I'm not into complex wrenching myself it does tell me IF I need to take it in for a more detailed reading of the codes or IF I can investigate the issue further myself.....well worth the $25 price tag.

But, IF you're a real DIY'r then by all means spend the big bucks to get a professional, model specific, analyzer.