J2534 is an interface standard designed by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and mandated by the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for vehicle ECU reprogramming. Its target is to create an API (Application Programming Interface) which would be adopted by all vehicle manufacturers, allowing the Independent Aftermarket (IAM) the ability to reprogram ECU’s without the need for a special dealer-only tool.
The EPS regulation mandates that automotive OEMs must comply with SAE J2534 pass-through reprogramming from model year 2004 and forward for their Powertrain ECU’s. Additionally, the specification includes a provision that allows OEMs to use the J2534 reprogramming method on 1996 through 2003 model year vehicles as long as OEMs make all necessary additional hardware (i.e. cables) available to the aftermarket. If an OEM cannot retroactively implement the J2534 pass-through reprogramming solution with or without special cables, they must make available to equipment and tool companies any information needed to develop aftermarket equivalents of their OEM-specific reprogramming hardware and software. J2534 pass-through reprogramming is mandatory on all vehicles from model year 2004 and onrward, but it is only required for emissions-based ECU’s (e.g. Powertrain, Engine, Transmission). Additional ECU support (Chassis and Body) will be dependent on each individual manufacturer’s implementation priorities and reprogramming application capabilities. Many of manufacturers introducing J2534 not only like reprogramming standard they using it like standard for common diagnostic activities.