BMW scanner - opinions

[Gabe79 410]

Just now, Young Thrash Driver said:

The 520i is a 1998 model and has "Pac-man", the 530i's are early 2003 and very much 16pin OBD2, no pacman to be seen there

I'm thinking a K-Line cable with an additional Pacman to serial adapter for  the older car

I'm happy to help with software setup for the car with a proper connector. I suggest you sell that other one. ?

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Why no love for the poor 520...

From BimmerFest, "Note that E39s (built from 1998 onward), do NOT use the ADS interface"

[Gabe79 410]

Just now, Young Thrash Driver said:

Why no love for the poor 520...

From BimmerFest, "Note that E39s (built from 1998 onward), do NOT use the ADS interface"

There is an in between option where you need an adapter from obd to pacman whilst keeping the USB cable. That might be you. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by Gabe79

[M3AN 4016]

6 minutes ago, Young Thrash Driver said:

From BimmerFest, "Note that E39s (built from 1998 onward), do NOT use the ADS interface"

Good to know.

I'll edit my earlier posts so there's no (additional!) confusion.

Edited August 14, 2017 by M3AN

[Gabe79 410]

4 minutes ago, M3AN said:

Good to know.

I'll edit my earlier posts so there's no (additional!) confusion.

Let's collate the info here into one post and make it a sticky. We can link to the original threads on other forums too. We can include VM settings and OS ideas too. For the USB cables for example, you can run them all under windows 7/8/10 in 64 bit just fine, you just need to install the right drivers and those don't come with the programs that use the cables. I'm on my phone now, can start a document later  tonight or tomorrow. 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

1 minute ago, Gabe79 said:

There is an in between option where you need an adapter from obd to pacman whilst keeping the USB cable. That might be you. 

I was thinking something like these guys have. To start with, anyway! Like @Olaf, I'm not looking to set the world on fire- fault codes and maybe some options fiddling (auto-up windows while door open etc)

 

Just now, M3AN said:

Good to know.

I'll edit my earlier posts so there's no confusion.

This assumes the Interwebs is right, and there's no kind of US specific nonsense around this issue for us in NZ!

This 5h1t is starting to hurt my brain

[Gabe79 410]

1 minute ago, Young Thrash Driver said:

I was thinking something like these guys have. To start with, anyway! Like @Olaf, I'm not looking to set the world on fire- fault codes and maybe some options fiddling (auto-up windows while door open 

The kind of thing you want is clear PA Soft BMW scanner territory. You can find it cheaper than that price on eBay and it'll work just fine. Mine was $20nzd on trademe. 

[M3AN 4016]

7 minutes ago, Gabe79 said:

Let's collate the info here into one post and make it a sticky. We can link to the original threads on other forums too. We can include VM settings and OS ideas too. For the USB cables for example, you can run them all under windows 7/8/10 in 64 bit just fine, you just need to install the right drivers and those don't come with the programs that use the cables. I'm on my phone now, can start a document later  tonight or tomorrow. 

I'll contribute what I can as long and the admins are okay with it. Back in the day some forums had issues with discussing specific software, not so much now it seems.

[Olaf 3317]

On 8/14/2017 at 10:44 AM, SmithyInWelly said:

Something like this looks like it'll suit my needs (which are pretty basic). Can't be running to Supercheap every time a CEL comes on (as it did this morning).

Hang on a minute mate.  You can't quietly slip in here looking for a BMW code reader, cite a CEL light, and not disclose what your new BMW is!

or have I missed your *big reveal* post elsewhere on this fine forum??

[SmithyInWelly 212]

5 minutes ago, Olaf said:

Hang on a minute mate.  You can't quietly slip in here looking for a BMW code reader, cite a CEL light, and not disclose what your new BMW is!

or have I missed your *big reveal* post elsewhere on this fine forum??

 

[HardBall66 135]

15 hours ago, Gabe79 said:

There is an in between option where you need an adapter from obd to pacman whilst keeping the USB cable. That might be you. 

The BCables solution I'm using has has a PacMan adaptor for my 1997 528i and connects to my 64bit windows 7 machine via USB no problem. 

[Gabe79 410]

25 minutes ago, HardBall66 said:

The BCables solution I'm using has has a PacMan adaptor for my 1997 528i and connects to my 64bit windows 7 machine via USB no problem. 

Sweet. That is exactly the kind of cable/adapter I am referring to.

 

What software do you use?

[Olaf 3317]

I just want to take this opportunity to say, you guys are fab.  I'll have a more detailed read through this weekend, so that I can get the right solution together.

thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. And thanks in advance for your assistance.

[will 169]

4 hours ago, HardBall66 said:

The BCables solution I'm using has has a PacMan adaptor for my 1997 528i and connects to my 64bit windows 7 machine via USB no problem. 

Mine [blue cable with adaptor] works on 64 bit windows 10, I have the silver cable as well for later cars. I also have the ADS interface but this is more for programming, not for diagnostics.

The blue cable setup works on all cars up to 2007. Silver cable overlaps and does up to 2010 and beyond depending on model.

 

4 hours ago, Gabe79 said:

Sweet. That is exactly the kind of cable/adapter I am referring to.

 

What software do you use?

The cable kit comes with a host of programs on disc. Basically a one-click install for each. Includes INPA, NCS Progman, SSS.. This link shows what comes with the cable.. Software.

 

[Gabe79 410]

1 hour ago, will said:

The cable kit comes with a host of programs on disc. Basically a one-click install for each. Includes INPA, NCS Progman, SSS.. This link shows what comes with the cable.. Software.

Thank you for that.

 

Seeing this and based on the discussions on this thread, I think the best thing for most people is probably PA Soft BMW Scanner.  It's cheap and simple and does what most people want. Expanding from there, and once you have learned a bit from breaking all kinds of things... then move on to the other programs as needed (unlikely for most people, tbh...) and see how you go. It's basically "Starting Small" from my perspective.

[dirtydoogle 383]

On 8/14/2017 at 7:12 PM, Young Thrash Driver said:

Cheers for that Dave. Sadly (or not) the laptop I was going to use isn't that old.

I'll give Andy a bell, he was talking about old laptops going cheap for this job a while ago

Mine has serial port, ol' Patty bro should have something. 
AFAIK the usb to serial port adapters may not work with an ADS interface. 
I'll order me up a cable seeing as 3 of my 5 piles of rubbish need some scan tool loving 

[HardBall66 135]

7 hours ago, Gabe79 said:

Sweet. That is exactly the kind of cable/adapter I am referring to.

 

What software do you use?

I'vehad a bit of a play with most of it except NCS Expert - I'm working my way up to being brave enough to use everything that came with the BCables DVDs.  INPA is good for starters, and I found Navcoder great for programming my LCM (although there is a (reasonable) extra charge to activate that particular app so it can write as well as read). Googling will get you most of the info you need, and then it's a matter of carefully building up your experience.

@Olaf or anyone in the greater Wellington area - I'd be happy to demonstrate for you if you happen to be passing thru Otaki.  My wife makes awesome coffee.  I can't come to you because it's installed on a desktop & I stick the cable out thru the spare room window 

[hotwire 352]

9 minutes ago, HardBall66 said:

 

@Olaf or anyone in the greater Wellington area - I'd be happy to demonstrate for you if you happen to be passing thru Otaki.  My wife makes awesome coffee.  I can't come to you because it's installed on a desktop & I stick the cable out thru the spare room window 

Just make up an extension lead...

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

38 minutes ago, dirtydoogle said:

Mine has serial port, ol' Patty bro should have something. 
AFAIK the usb to serial port adapters may not work with an ADS interface. 
 

I have a serial port too. Everything else I remember reading says ADS + USB = No

I won't annoy him with this, I am about to lump him with two broken desktops with a request to recover data haha

Yo @hotwire are we on the right track here? Or don't you know coz you only use the real deal

[hotwire 352]

Only taking the p..s. I don't have one for programming & just use the work scanner for talking to the cars

[dirtydoogle 383]

9 minutes ago, Young Thrash Driver said:

I have a serial port too. Everything else I remember reading says ADS + USB = No

I won't annoy him with this, I am about to lump him with two broken desktops with a request to recover data haha

Yo @hotwire are we on the right track here? Or don't you know coz you only use the real deal

I'll fax me up an ADS interface thingymabab off the interballs and get it working on my junk, and bring it up when I eventually take time off 

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

I ended up getting one of the blue, K-line cables with an additional OBD adapter from BCcables. It arrived yesterday so I am hoping to work on setting it up over the following week. It took just over two weeks to ship from the UK, if anyone is interested.

[qube 3570]

bit of a thread dig but whats the opinion on one of these?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2015-Newest-V4-8-Creator-C310-for-BMW-Multi-System-Scan-Tool-Creator-C310-Code-Scanner/32373741750.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.549a213cCv1SI0&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10065_10068_10547_319_10059_10884_317_10548_10887_10696_321_322_10084_453_10083_454_10103_10618_10307_537_536,searchweb201603_16,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=015f7962-00d4-4d0f-a64f-fc20d5669a47-0&algo_pvid=015f7962-00d4-4d0f-a64f-fc20d5669a47&transAbTest=ae803_3

 

looking to get a new/cheap code reader tool 

[Jacko 2154]

15 minutes ago, qube said:

bit of a thread dig but whats the opinion on one of these?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2015-Newest-V4-8-Creator-C310-for-BMW-Multi-System-Scan-Tool-Creator-C310-Code-Scanner/32373741750.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.1.549a213cCv1SI0&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_4_10065_10068_10547_319_10059_10884_317_10548_10887_10696_321_322_10084_453_10083_454_10103_10618_10307_537_536,searchweb201603_16,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=015f7962-00d4-4d0f-a64f-fc20d5669a47-0&algo_pvid=015f7962-00d4-4d0f-a64f-fc20d5669a47&transAbTest=ae803_3

 

looking to get a new/cheap code reader tool 

Whats the benefit over an OBD2 adapter and ISTA, other than no laptop needed? Ive got a carly and carista too, welcome to have a play with them if you want.