Pre Canbus Were Any Car Parts Coded ?

[V8RX7]

Am I right in thinking that pre canbus, car parts couldn't be coded to cars, or were there any other systems ?

[Caddyshack]

I can’t think of any. I seem to remember the Audi TT era being the first of the coded things I am aware of? (Vag 1.8t so probably around x reg)

[V8RX7]

Yes AFAIK parts can't be coded to a car without canbus but I wanted to check

I'm not so surprised when it appeared but by how late it appeared on some cars, it seems some didn't have it until 2008

[320d is all you need]

Did they not have radio codes for a long time? Granted, not coding in the same way one would code an ABS module for example. But still

Great question by the way.

[guards red]

Can't remember if it was the E28, or the E34 BMW M5, but I remember having to obtain "coding plugs" that one had to marry up to new instrument binnacles should they need to be replaced. The plug came in a anti-static bag.

[Penelope Stopit]

As posted above

Flashing an ECU has nothing to do with communication, although ECU's, clusters etc can be flashed using CAN

Off topic but, why CAN?

Multiplexing was used before CAN, ok it couldn't communicate as much data at the speed that CAN can (excuse the pun) but it was the start of greater things to come

[Penelope Stopit]

guards red said:

Can't remember if it was the E28, or the E34 BMW M5, but I remember having to obtain "coding plugs" that one had to marry up to new instrument binnacles should they need to be replaced. The plug came in a anti-static bag.

Know it wasn't the E28, seem to recall the E34 had a programmable DME ECU, possibly the E30 and definitely the E36