1996 diagnostic computers

RE: diagnostic computers

A generic connector for accessing OBDII diagnostics is located under the dash near the parking brake pedal as legislated by Federal law. All other diagnostics are read from a round 38-pin connector located behind the 2nd firewall close to the left-side strut mount in the engine compartment.

The scan tool you need depends upon which computer codes you are trying to read and what level of access you wish to achieve. The '96 SL has many different systems each of which is controlled by a dedicated computer.

Are you interested in generic OBDII data? For that you can buy an interface to a PC for less than $100 or a hand-held unit for about $140.

Do you want to communicate with the Bosch Motronic injection? For that you would want something more sophisticated like one of the baumtools.com or asttool.com products which cost a grand or two.

Finally, if you want to access the computers which control the convertible top, infrared locking, anti-theft alarm, etc., then you would need a very sophisticated scanner like the Bosch KTS300 or the diagnostic PC offered from M-B. The latter option will cost you $19,000 plus $8,000/year.

NOTE: '90 to '95 SLs require nothing more than an LED and a pair of wires to retrieve most of the available diagnostic information.

LED and a pair of wires to retdiagnostic computers

I have a friend that purchased a 1995 SL320 last week that croped up with a Check engine light.
I just removed a huge mouse nest out of the air box and would like to know if the check engine light error points to air flow problem or what?

I have an electronics background and would like to make up following tool if someone can offer a few pointers?
I also need to find the list of codes and try to make sense of them if this works.

Is the following Note something I can go with?
NOTE: '90 to '95 SLs require nothing more than an LED and a pair of wires to retrieve most of the available diagnostic information.

Thanks guy for any direction offered,
Jack in Iowa