Fixing FTDI OBD2 Cable Driver Issues on Windows: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you struggling to install the drivers for your inexpensive OBD2 cable? Many users find themselves in the same situation, where Windows fails to locate the necessary drivers, even after manual installation attempts. This guide provides a clear, step-by-step solution to get your FTDI OBD2 cable working, specifically tailored for Windows users. While this tutorial was created using Windows 8.1, the principles should apply to other Windows versions as well. If you’ve spent hours searching for a solution without success, especially for Windows, this tutorial is for you.

Let’s begin by accessing your Device Manager. You can easily find it by navigating through Control Panel — Hardware & Sound — Device Manager.

2. Locate Your OBDII Cable in Device Manager.

   Once Device Manager is open, look for your OBDII cable, which likely appears as an unknown device or under “Other devices” with a yellow exclamation mark. Double-click on it to open its properties.

3. Find the Hardware ID, Specifically the PID.

   In the properties window, navigate to the Details tab. Open the Property dropdown menu and select Hardware IDs. You’ll see a list of IDs. The PID (Product ID) number is crucial and is usually the last four digits after PID_. In many cases with generic cables, this is often listed as 0000. Note this PID value down.

4. Download the Correct FTDI Drivers.

   To proceed, you need to download the FTDI CDM (Certified Driver Model) drivers. A suitable version is CDM v2.08.30, which you can download from the official FTDI website or a trusted source. For convenience, you can use this link: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/…dows%208.1.zip. Download and extract the ZIP file to a location you can easily access.

5. Disable Driver Signature Verification in Windows.

   Windows requires digitally signed drivers for security, but for modified drivers, you’ll need to temporarily disable this feature. To do this, go to Settings — Change PC Settings — Recovery — Advanced Startup — Restart. Your PC will restart into the Advanced Startup Options menu. From there, navigate to Troubleshoot — Advanced Options — Startup Settings — Restart. After restarting again, you’ll see a list of options. Press F7 to select “Disable driver signature enforcement.”

   Your computer will now restart with driver signature verification disabled, allowing you to install the modified drivers.

6. Modify the FTDI Driver Files.

   Open the downloaded and extracted driver files folder. Locate two important files: ftdibus.inf and ftdiport.inf. Open ftdibus.inf with a text editor like Notepad.

   Inside ftdibus.inf, find and replace every instance of PID_6001 with PID_0000 (or the PID number you noted down in Step 3 if it’s different from 0000). Use the “Find and Replace” function (Ctrl+H) to ensure you replace all occurrences throughout the document. Save the modified file.

7. Repeat the Driver File Modification for ftdiport.inf.

   Perform the exact same modification process for the ftdiport.inf file. Open it with a text editor, replace all instances of PID_6001 with PID_0000 (or your specific PID), and save the file.

8. Update the Driver in Device Manager.

   Return to Device Manager and double-click on your OBDII cable device again. This time, select Update Driver. Choose Browse my computer for driver software. In the next window, click Browse and locate the folder where you modified the FTDI drivers (the folder containing the modified ftdibus.inf and ftdiport.inf files). Click Next to install the driver. You might need to do this process twice, once for “USB Serial Converter” and again for “Ports & COM” if your OBDII cable appears under both categories or if the driver update process identifies both components separately.

9. Final Setup and Enjoy!

   After successfully installing the drivers, your FTDI OBD2 cable should now be recognized by Windows. You can now proceed with setting up your OBDII software and using your cable as intended.

   For certain white chip OBD2 cables that require D-CAN mode, you might need to manually activate it. The following file can assist with this: http://www.mediafire.com/download/35…vf3w/D-CAN.exe. It’s normal for the LED on the cable to turn off when using this D-CAN activation tool.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you resolve the driver installation issues for your FTDI OBD2 cable. Enjoy diagnosing and working on your car!