User's Manual

2
1.2 J2534 - A Solution Arrives
In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had been
watching this issue and decided to take action. The EPA requested a
standard be developed within the SAE that led to J2534, a
mandated specification to which automakers who sell vehicles in
the United States must conform. The original J2534 specification
was later updated to J2534-1 in order to support all automakers.
The EPA mandate requires automakers to support aftermarket repair
shops with J2534-1 flash reprogramming for any emissions related
computer modules on a vehicle that can be reprogrammed by a new
car dealership. This mandate took effect for all 2004 and newer
vehicles.
SAE J2534 is a standard devised of two independent parts:
subscription software and a J2534 compliant Pass Thru vehicle
interface. The subscription software comes directly from the
automaker, runs on your shop PC or laptop, and can either be
web-based or CD-based. The subscription fees are charged
differently for each automaker.
1.3 Pass-Thru Vehicle Interface
The second part of the system is a SAE J2534 compliant Pass-Thru
vehicle interface. This device acts as a gateway between the
vehicle’s onboard computers and the technician’s personal computer.
It translates messages from the PC into the protocols used by the
automobile and vice versa.
Performing J2534 reprogramming requires computer knowledge
and experience. The technician will need to operate a laptop or
desktop, the Pass-Thru device, and the reprogramming software.
Operation will also require a good high-speed connection to the
Internet such as DSL, Cable, or T1.