Originally Posted by oldskewel (Post 1138279)

Some of this is not right, and I will guess that what wpoll is saying is exactly right. It makes sense. I would take that as the truest thing on this page so far.

I have a 2001, built pretty late, like June 2001, I think, and it definitely has the 16-pin only. No round 20-pin under the hood.

I've never had any problems at all (successful twice so far) getting it smogged here in CA. But I have had a problem on another car (Porsche) where the smog tech did not know exactly what to do until I had to very carefully and patiently explain it to him. Then it worked only after a long debate when he finally listened to me. Typical smog techs aren't exactly out-of-the-box thinkers and your situation and mine (with the Porsche) may require that.

If your car is stock (I'll assume it is, but if not, all bets are off), I really doubt that any law would expect you to make it non-stock so you can pass a test like this. I expect it is the smog station's responsibility to make it work, but they probably don't know as much as wpoll about this.

You might try phoning around first to see if you can find anyone who knows about this. Of course the standard thing is they'll act as if they have a Ph.D. in smog testing and you're in kindergarten, so be ready for that. But you'll probably either need to do what wpoll says and don't mention anything, or you'll need to find a place that knows to do that.

EDIT - I just noticed you're in Canada, right? If so, then I don't know. Completely different laws, so I don't know what they'd expect a private citizen to do. Somehow I had thought you were in CA (the Democratic Peoples Republic of Kalifornia).

Originally Posted by andrewwynn (Post 1138280)

I just re read your post.

You are simply missing the cap to jumper the 20 port to the 16 port. I can find the pinout for you and you can make your own jumper set.

My wife has a 2000 1/2 x5 with the 20 pin port. (stupidly obly uses like FIVE or seven pins.

I call it 2000 1/2 because the 2001 officially has 16 pin yet hers has 20 and 16. I did notice recently when I was resetting her oil Service light the cap has jumpers in it. Are you saying your cap doesn't?

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Originally Posted by wpoll (Post 1138295)

As long as that cap in installed (plugged in) the 16-pin OBD port in the car should work 100% for emission testing.

With the addition on the small wire link shown in the other pictures, the 16-pin ODB port in the car should work 100% for all diagnostics, emission testing included.

Ensure the 20-pin cap is on and go for the test. At least, that's how it should work.

If the emission testing station is trying to connect via the 16-pin when the 20-pin cap is off (open) it will fail.

Originally Posted by cuban_bmwx5 (Post 1138299)

when i went in for the test the emission computer would not communicate with the car and the 20 pin cap was closed not open so i got a fail and i went to another place and i got the same thing.. but i just seen that picture u posted and my cap does not have that jumper i see that u have is that what i need?

Originally Posted by wpoll (Post 1138300)

You shouldn't need the jumper for just emissions testing - the jumper on the cap is to enable access to the modules other than the engine and trans (via the 16-pin ODB connector), as the later E53 cars have.

Emission testing via the 16-pin connector was a legal requirement in some countries from as early as 1995, hence BMWs half-arsed solution to get it working on the early E53 cars.

In your case either the cap is incorrectly installed, faulty or you may have some other issue. I guess adding the jumper can't hurt, so why not try it?

Originally Posted by wpoll (Post 1138300)

You shouldn't need the jumper for just emissions testing - the jumper on the cap is to enable access to the modules other than the engine and trans (via the 16-pin ODB connector), as the later E53 cars have.

Emission testing via the 16-pin connector was a legal requirement in some countries from as early as 1995, hence BMWs half-arsed solution to get it working on the early E53 cars.

In your case either the cap is incorrectly installed, faulty or you may have some other issue. I guess adding the jumper can't hurt, so why not try it?