BMW Diagnostic Tools

aumz · 6 Oct 2013 at 02:35

I am looking to get a BMW diagnostic tool to use at home...plenty on ebay but has anyone got one/used one that they can recommend. I will be using it on a 2000 E46 318i that has the 20 pin plug under the bonnet.

Thanks for any help.

[Darkend]Viper · 6 Oct 2013 at 08:15

I've got a chinese clone of the edibias interface and it runs progman, bmw sss, disman, and GT1. I've not got a BMW anymore but can't bring me to part with it as I often do things on friends BMW's, and it works on upto 2006 models. Cost me £65 from the bay and have made that back in beer tokens.

What is it your wanting to diagnose exactly? As you might be able to get a cheap code scanner and use that.

InvaderGIR · 6 Oct 2013 at 08:27

You shouldn't need the BMW diag port, instead the OBDII port under the dash near the pedals is the port you want. You can use the under bonnet port but there is no real reason to when you have the interior one available.

E: there is a good kit available that a few on here have bought from but I can't remember the site, gives all the software you need, cables etc.

rodenal · 6 Oct 2013 at 08:30

Are you going to use an all in one type diag tool or the BMW software suite and a BMW compatible obd2 ?

If the latter then the absolute biggest pain in the arse is getting inpa etc to talk properly with windows 7 - I've managed it without a virtual machine but it took me so long to get it sorted ( and it still isn't quite right) I would have been better just putting an xp partition on for it and retrospectively fixing the boot loader

InvaderGIR · 6 Oct 2013 at 08:36

rodenal said:
If the latter then the absolute biggest pain in the arse is getting inpa etc to talk properly with windows 7 - I've managed it without a virtual machine but it took me so long to get it sorted ( and it still isn't quite right) I would have been better just putting an xp partition on for it and retrospectively fixing the boot loader

Worked fine for me on my Windows 7 laptop, got it all running fully, DIS & INPA both ran well, just my E30 doesn't have the ability to be read, a multimeter is a better diag tool.

aumz · 6 Oct 2013 at 08:44

Well I have 2 BMW in the household a 5201 on a W plate and a 318i on a W plate too.

The 318 has the Engine Fault light on so want it to read that. Also thought it can help for future as we have the 2 cars and save some money hopefully.

scratch · 6 Oct 2013 at 09:43

I was just about to recommend the cable and software kit from bmtechnic.co.uk, but it looks like they are no longer trading.

Not too happy about it as they've taken their software activation servers offline as well..I'd deactivated the license on my old laptop, but hadn't got round to installing the package on my new one, so I'm left with a cable but no software.

[TW]Fox · 6 Oct 2013 at 09:54

InvaderGIR said:
You shouldn't need the BMW diag port, instead the OBDII port under the dash near the pedals is the port you want. You can use the under bonnet port but there is no real reason to when you have the interior one available.

E: there is a good kit available that a few on here have bought from but I can't remember the site, gives all the software you need, cables etc.

The early e46 does not have the port under the dash.

rodenal · 6 Oct 2013 at 10:02

InvaderGIR said:
Worked fine for me on my Windows 7 laptop, got it all running fully, DIS & INPA both ran well, just my E30 doesn't have the ability to be read, a multimeter is a better diag tool.

Oddly enough I got both working fine and quickly on a vista laptop a couple of years ago - but getting DIS to recognise the cable on the windows 7 machine was an almighty pain this time.

InvaderGIR · 6 Oct 2013 at 10:12

[TW]Fox;25064954 said:
The early e46 does not have the port under the dash.

Everything I read said the 200 onwards cars did? Fair enough though.

[TW]Fox · 6 Oct 2013 at 10:15

The changeover was midway through the year.

Pabl0 · 6 Oct 2013 at 13:02

I got the BMW Cables one because its £25 odd pound (your need the adaptor by the sound of it) and it installs straight from the auto run rather then having to mess about getting all the programs.

Sure its cheaper to buy the cables separate and download all the programs separately but thats just wasted time.

Mr Gimp · 6 Oct 2013 at 13:09

I'm very interested in this as I need to recode my IKE to have the correct VIN as a previous owner changed the cluster for whatever reason.
The mileage looks correct according to the service history too, but I wouldn't mind reading it from the LKM to make sure.
Has anyone had any experience doing this? I'm thinking of going for PA Soft 1.4 if that'll do the job?