SAE J1962
Last reviewed 2026-08-31
ISO equivalent: ISO 15031-3
Defines the 16-pin Data Link Connector (DLC) used to attach a scan tool. Pin assignment is what lets an ELM327-class adapter talk CAN, K-line, or SAE J1850 depending on the vehicle.
Scope. Physical access: passenger cars and light trucks with OBD-II.
ISO 15031-3 is the ISO counterpart. Pins 6 and 14 are CAN High/Low (ISO 15765-4).
16-pin connector
| Pin | Signal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. Not a generic OBD signal. |
| 2 | J1850 Bus + | SAE J1850 positive. Unused on most EU CAN cars. |
| 3 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. |
| 4 | Chassis ground | Vehicle chassis / battery negative reference. |
| 5 | Signal ground | Clean signal ground for the scan tool. |
| 6 | CAN High (ISO 15765-4) | CAN_H. Required on EU CAN diagnostics. |
| 7 | K-line (ISO 9141-2 / ISO 14230-4) | K-line. Present on older EU cars; unused on pure CAN. |
| 8 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. |
| 9 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. |
| 10 | J1850 Bus − | SAE J1850 negative. Unused on most EU CAN cars. |
| 11 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. |
| 12 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. |
| 13 | Manufacturer reserved | OEM use. |
| 14 | CAN Low (ISO 15765-4) | CAN_L. Pair with pin 6. |
| 15 | L-line (ISO 9141-2 / ISO 14230-4) | L-line initialization. Rare on later EU CAN cars. |
| 16 | Battery positive | Unswitched battery + (typically 12 V) to power the scan tool. |
Sources
Provenance for this page. Official standards outrank community notes. See the confidence policy.
Official standard · high trust
SAE J1962 / ISO 15031-3 OBD-II connector pinout (public assignment)
sae-j1962