Thread: Cheapest OBD-II interface/adapter?

$82 here:
http://multiplex-engineering.com/products.htm

Some good info here:
http://www.guentchev.com/OBD-II/

Someone else posted this on another thread: http://www.scantool.net. It looks like you can buy a cable for only $25 and download the software for free. I am not sure if you need additional parts as I have not read in detail. Has anyone actually tried one of these?

Actually..I suspect you need the scan tool as well..which is a little bit more than tejesh83's post

From my reading, it looks like you need some sort of chip to decode the signal from the ecu.

The scantool kit seems to be the best deal. It comes with the cables for only a few bucks more over the multiplex. But, you do have to pay extra if you want a case for it.

The multiplex one comes in a case, but you need to get at least a serial modem cable. And, if you want to stealth it, you may need the odb cable to relocate the bulky adapter.

I've read that the chip doesn't cost much. I've also found some schematics on various sites. But I'm not sure if I'm ready to tackle such a project. I would hate to fry the ECU. Maybe a prefab is the way to go.

If you only got free usb ports, use a usb->serial adapter.

it looks like scantool.com sells most of the parts. I'm not ready for that task either. I am good with computers, but not electronics. I'll build a bunch of them, just not from scratch

Probably worth the $80 just for the peace of mind. It would cost you more then that just for installation if you didn't do it yourself, so it's a bargain!

Here's another one. And, as you see on the page, they offer a Serial to USB adapter.

http://www.dashmatics.com/product_in...products_id=61

I have the ScanTool and it is worth the money spent.

Serial is much easier to program for and a bit easier to manufacture.