--- title: "Can’t Pass Emissions With Your Pre-OBD-II Car? Have Claude Tune It for You" date: "2026-11-15" modified: "2026-11-15" authors: - name: "Stephen Edelstein" job_title: "Weekend Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/cant-pass-emissions-with-your-pre-obd-ii-car-have-claude-tune-it-for-you" categories: - "Car Tech" - "News" tags: - "AI" - "emissions" --- # Can’t Pass Emissions With Your Pre-OBD-II Car? Have Claude Tune It for You ![1994 Jeep Cherokee Claude tune hero]() *\Muhammad Zulali via YouTube\* Artificial intelligence has been crowned as the next big thing by whoever makes those decisions. It's now being [implemented across the auto industry](), and despite all the hype, we mostly seem to be finding out [what it can't do](), and that it [requires a lot of memory]() to achieve even that disappointing level of performance. But one YouTuber claims to have found a very good use for Claude. [Muhammad Zulali]() has a 1994 [Jeep]() Cherokee that failed California emissions tests. Because it's a 1994 model, this XJ Cherokee doesn't have an OBD-II port, so Zulali couldn't plug in a generic scanning tool to look for trouble codes. There was a Chrysler-specific scanning tool compatible with vehicles from this model year, but it's hard to find these days and doesn't provide much information anyway, Zulali explains in the video. ![1994 Jeep Cherokee Arduino diagnostic hookup]() *Muhammad Zulali via YouTube* Looking for an alternative way to read data from the car's onboard computer, Zulali says he asked Claude, which identified the computer's communication protocol and suggested using an Arduino Nano to translate it. Arduino makes open-source microcontrollers that are prized in the maker community for their flexibility, and they can come in handy [when doing engine swaps]() involving different manufacturers' computer controls as well. This one cost just $3. That allowed Claude to take readings from the Cherokee's computer, but the first ones created more questions than answers. Thinking that low fuel pressure might be the issue, Zulali began testing that—and found out that Claude could do more than just passively read data. He said the model asked to run the fuel pump, and was able to crank up the pressure on its own. While an interesting discovery, that didn't fix the problem, as Claude had suggested a fueling issue based on a faulty dataset. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPj3aQ-xxpI Up to this point, Zulali was having Claude take readings through a laptop plugged into the car while driving. He then had Claude copy the entire computer code so he could examine it outside the car. Determining that the XJ was failing emissions tests due to a fuel-mapping issue, he then had Claude reflash the computer with the help of Codex, OpenAI's coding agent. The second tool was needed because this computer lacked the hardware to be conventionally reprogrammed. With the new code, the Cherokee finally passed its emissions test. Zulali notes that this was all done without having to take the car to a shop, although it clearly requires a lot of programming knowledge. For most people, it'll probably be easier to have a mechanic suss out the problem, but for those curious about AI, it definitely hints at some possibilities. ## Author Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read. ### Author social links [Twitter]() ## More - [The Uten UT850 OBD2 Scanner Helps You Communicate With Your Car]() - [New Topdon One Lite: Dealer-Level OBD2 Diagnostics for $600?]() - [The Lotus Emira’s V6 Can’t Pass Emissions So It May Get a V8 Instead]() - [California’s ECU Tuning Policy: Your Questions Answered]() - [Your Next Car Could Have A Firewall]() - [How To Know When Your Map Sensor Is Failing]() - [The OBDLink MX+ Is a Loaded Bluetooth OBD2 Scanner With Fun Tricks, but It’s Not Super Cheap]() - [You Can’t Make Your Car ‘Perfect,’ and You Won’t Keep It Forever]()