There are 3 diagnostic protocols that Nissan and Infiniti used over the years. They require different type of hardware adaptors and software. They are:
• Manufucture year 1989 to 2001. Consult I (DDL1) over Tx and Rx line. Some vehicles also require a Clock signal. 14-pin or 16-pin OBDII connector – NDS I software.
• Manufacture year 2002 to 2008. Consult II (DDL2) over k-line. 16-pin OBDII connector – NDS II software.
• Manufacture year 2009 to now. Consult III (DDL3) over CAN bus. 16-pin OBDII connector – NDS III software.
There are some exceptions to the manufacture years specified above. A newer vehicle might still use an older diagnostic protocol and an older vehicle use a newer protocol.
It’s also common for a vehicle to use a mixture of communication protocols. Some ecus might use one type of diagnostic protocol and others use another protocol.
For example. A 2007 model 350z with VQ35HR engine uses the CAN bus for engine ecu (ECM) and BCM diagnostics but the k-line for the rest of the ecus.
For a full list tested vehicles see the Supported Vehicles page.