Diagnostic. Scanner
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2025
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Diagnostic. Scanner
Happy new year everyone! I have a quick question. I am going to purchase an OBD scanner for my 1995 C4. Can anyone advise me on which one I should get. I have looked online some sites say OBD one while others say OBD two. Thanks!
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 35
Likes: 3
From: Florida
From my understanding 1996 is the only year with OBD2 but in 1995 they started to use the OBD2 port while still being OBD1. You can short pins for codes atleast. I have also been looking for a scanner but, it seems hard to find. I need to just prototype a scanner with an arduino so I can make my own board.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,118
Likes: 1,994
From: St. Charles MO
Pretty much. No OBD2 scanner is going to work on any C4 prior to 96. I'm not aware any commonly available OBD1 scanner. As Jordan noted, the common way to pull codes is to short the pins in the OBD port and get the codes.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 1,801
Likes: 579
From: Mays Landing, NJ
I'm using the Actron CP9690 Elite AutoScanner which does I and II. I have used it to data log the 91 L98 I had. Unfortunately it is no longer made and I was lucky enough to find one on eBay. You can find a copy of its user manual online to see if its ability will provide what you are looking for. It may be difficult find but one may show up on eBay or Amazon
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 4,471
Likes: 1,224
From: Fredonia WI
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A GM Tech 1 or Snap-on MT2500 will read OBD 1.
Used ones sometimes popup on sale sites and even the For Sale section of CF.
Used ones sometimes popup on sale sites and even the For Sale section of CF.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 494
Likes: 242
Hi Celia,
I purchased an OBD1 cable from the website I have linked below which I could use with WINALDL on my laptop with success. (I have a 1988 160 baud car) In your situation you have either OBD1 or during a brief transitional period an OBD2 shell with OBD1 pins and protocol. If you have OBD2 though, the website below shows you how to distinguish all three connectors. In 10k mode I was able to get real time data (although the refresh rate was slow), which I thought was super cool either way to get it off of a 38 year old car!
The connector should be under the steering column of your car as you know and all three different connector types, luckily, have distinctive features that you can identify.
The funnest part was that the guy who runs this site lives literally in my town and I walked over to pick up my cable. He is a chill older engineer / surfer type that we have out here in SoCal due to all the aerospace that was in my area back in the day. Most of what you need is on his website and he was also available for questions. Here is the link:
https://obd2allinone.com/
I purchased an OBD1 cable from the website I have linked below which I could use with WINALDL on my laptop with success. (I have a 1988 160 baud car) In your situation you have either OBD1 or during a brief transitional period an OBD2 shell with OBD1 pins and protocol. If you have OBD2 though, the website below shows you how to distinguish all three connectors. In 10k mode I was able to get real time data (although the refresh rate was slow), which I thought was super cool either way to get it off of a 38 year old car!
The connector should be under the steering column of your car as you know and all three different connector types, luckily, have distinctive features that you can identify.
The funnest part was that the guy who runs this site lives literally in my town and I walked over to pick up my cable. He is a chill older engineer / surfer type that we have out here in SoCal due to all the aerospace that was in my area back in the day. Most of what you need is on his website and he was also available for questions. Here is the link:
https://obd2allinone.com/
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Verdad Gallardo
1994 LT1 1996 LT4
Joined: Sep 2024
Posts: 772
Likes: 730
From: East Front Range Colorado
What's folks opinions on Innova scanners? 5410, 5510, 5512, and 5610 models come with adapters to read OBD-1. I'm on the front end of researching scanners. I've also been researching the forum about Innova.
I'm learing that scanners designed for new/newer model cars have many amazing features -and- that they are not able to provide some of the diagnostic and service funtions on the '96, mainly, at least as i understand it, the '96 simply does not have the software sophisication that can interface with the features these new scanner offer, for example, bleeding ABS, bi-directional active testing to fuel pump, cooling fans, solenoids, etc...? I'm also wondering if the '96 can interface with, say for example the Innova 5610's advanced diagnosis programs?
What would be the best not crazy expensive and not cheap scanning tool for the '96? And are there scanners that would have cable adapters for scan OBD-1?
I'm learing that scanners designed for new/newer model cars have many amazing features -and- that they are not able to provide some of the diagnostic and service funtions on the '96, mainly, at least as i understand it, the '96 simply does not have the software sophisication that can interface with the features these new scanner offer, for example, bleeding ABS, bi-directional active testing to fuel pump, cooling fans, solenoids, etc...? I'm also wondering if the '96 can interface with, say for example the Innova 5610's advanced diagnosis programs?
What would be the best not crazy expensive and not cheap scanning tool for the '96? And are there scanners that would have cable adapters for scan OBD-1?
Last edited by Steve Swan; Jan 17, 2026 at 02:36 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,118
Likes: 1,994
From: St. Charles MO
I used an OBDLink product with their phone app on my 96 and it worked fine. The one I had isn't made anymore, but I would expect their newer products to also work fine. The main thing you need is to read/report DTCs and to be able to clear them, and it did those things.