7 OBD1 to OBD2 Adapters Ranked by Connector, Not Popularity

What matters in daily use

The 17-pin male connector mates with the Mazda-specific diagnostic socket, and the 16-pin female end accepts any OBD2 scan tool. Autel states the adapter handles the OBD1 translation itself once connected, so the scanner side sees a normal OBD2 port. The 1-year warranty is the longest stated coverage among the picks here, which suits a part that lives under the hood and gets plugged and unplugged repeatedly.

Compatibility is the catch, and Autel says so directly: the adapter only makes the physical connection, and reading data still depends on whether the scan tool supports the specific Mazda model and its protocols. That makes it a narrower buy than the XJVSS OBD1 to OBD2 Adapter, which covers the GM 12-pin socket. If your Mazda has the 17-pin port, this is the correct fit; if it has a 16-pin OBD2 port already, you need no adapter at all.

Specifications

What matters in daily use

Autel targets a narrow window: Ford EFI vehicles from 1985 to 1991 with the 7-pin diagnostic port usually found below the brake master cylinder. The cable ends in a 16-pin OBD2 connector, so a universal scanner can physically attach. Autel is explicit that this is interface conversion only, and that the scanner must support early Ford protocols such as EEC-IV for any data to flow.

That limitation is the whole story for this pick. The 16 PIN connector value describes the scanner end, and the 247 in length gives more reach than the XJVSS OBD1 to OBD2 Adapter, which helps when the port sits deep in the engine bay. Buyers should expect mixed results: the adapter does its job when the tool behind it speaks EEC-IV, and does nothing when it does not.

Specifications

What matters in daily use

A round 20-pin socket under the hood is what this cable solves: the AMHTDOL adapter is a 20-pin to 16-pin converter aimed at BMWs built before the OBD-II mandate, with the manufacturer listing coverage from 1992 to 2001 across the E36, E46, E39, E38, Z Series and E53 X5. That range matters because those cars carry the round diagnostic connector rather than a dash-mounted 16-pin port, so a current scan tool has nowhere to plug in without a converter.

The published length of 151 inches gives enough reach to run the cable from the engine bay connector to a tool resting outside the car.

The tradeoff is that the adapter only changes the shape of the plug, not the language the car speaks. Whether a BMW of this era answers depends on the scan tool supporting the older protocols, and the listing frames the cable as needing a diagnostic device to work at all.

Specifications

What matters in daily use

Reach is what separates the Hirificing adapter from the XJVSS OBD1 to OBD2 Adapter: it converts a GM 12-pin OBD1 socket into a standard 16-pin OBD2 port, and its published length of 841 inches dwarfs the 16.0 inches listed for the top pick. That suits a setup where the scan tool sits well away from the diagnostic connector. The manufacturer also notes that multiple cables can be daisy-chained for longer distances, which is useful for a shop working around a lift or a bench.

The main tradeoff is that length does not add capability. This is still a passive cable, and the listing is explicit that it is not a scanner or diagnostic tool, so the car only responds if the connected tool supports the older GM protocols.

The housing is metal and PVC with molded connectors, which the manufacturer presents as durable for repeated plugging. Against the XJVSS pick, the Hirificing gives more cable but carries a mixed buyer record, so a buyer who wants the shortest, simplest path to a GM port may prefer the top pick.

Specifications

What matters in daily use

The SWQS adapter converts a 6-pin OBD1 diagnostic port to a 16-pin OBD2 socket for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles. That 6-pin shape is the reason this pick exists: the XJVSS OBD1 to OBD2 Adapter and the Hirificing OBD1 to OBD2 GM Adapter both use 12-pin connectors, and the AMHTDOL BMW 20 Pin Adapter uses a round 20-pin plug, so none of them fit a Chrysler-family car.

The molded connector and corrosion-resistant pins are described as built for the heat and vibration of the engine bay.

Buyers should read the length carefully. The published length is 1.4 inches, and the product dimensions of 4.8 x 1.8 x 1.4 inches describe the whole item, so this is a short converter rather than a long extension.

Specifications

What matters in daily use

A 12-pin OBD1 plug on one end and a 16-pin OBD2 socket on the other make the Girnfac a straight male-to-female extension, so an existing OBD2 code reader or scan tool can physically reach a 12-pin vehicle port. The PVC jacket and molded ends suit a cable that lives in a toolbox and gets plugged in a few times a year rather than daily shop use.

Buyers who expect the adapter to unlock ABS or live data on an older car will be disappointed: the car still speaks its older protocol, so the scanner on the other end must support that protocol or it will power up and report nothing. That is the same limit the XJVSS OBD1 to OBD2 Adapter carries, and the reason the XJVSS takes Best Overall is its longer 16.0-inch lead and copper-core construction rather than any diagnostic advantage.

Specifications