Diagnostic tools & software

[Censorious]

Hi folks;

I posted this in the Mini forum but it's not exactly busy over there, so I posted it here and an over zealous moderator moved it to the Home Mechanics forum despite me politely requesting to leave it in GG.

Has anyone ever visited the Home Mechanics forum (it's had 5 posts in the past 2.5 days) so, even quieter than the Mini forum!

Can the Mods please leave this in GG and not duplicate my post by moving it over to ANY other Forum; cheers!

I'm after some basic software to download onto my laptop, or a diagnostic codes reading tool so that I can scan and clear any codes from my Mini R50 Cooper. I don't wish to tinker with any settings, so basic is fine.

Does anyone have any links or sources to good software or good readers for this purpose?

Many thanks!

[liner33]

What about bluetooth obd reader and an app like Torque?

A basic obd reader can be had for less than £20

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-AUTEL-MaxiScan-MS309...

Bluetooth adapter

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-Mini-ELM327-v1-5-O...

[Censorious]

liner33 said:

What about bluetooth obd reader and an app like Torque?

A basic obd reader can be had for less than £20

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-AUTEL-MaxiScan-MS309...

Bluetooth adapter

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-Mini-ELM327-v1-5-O...

Many thanks for this.

I'm new to these, so just to clarify....

The reader on the first link is a cable one and gives codes that you then look up?

The second link is a bluetooth diagnostic port tool that you then use with the Torque app that you mention?

Thanks

[thescamper]

First thing I would check is that the ELM 327 bluetooth reader will actually read from the MINI the cheap ones sometimes dont work well.

The torque app is available from the android market and is brilliant in its free version.

Other Aps may be available for Idevices but as bluetooth on Idevices is a little perculiar sometimes I have never used it.

[Krikkit]

ELM327 will read generic OBD2 from the BINI, but it won't be able to use the manufacturer software (if you happened to download such a thing onto your laptop), as it needs a different cable (K-CAN iirc). This looks pretty good value, includes a bucket-load of software etc.

[callmedave]

I have trouble getting the ELM software to work via the USB port on my laptop.

It really needs to run via a parallel port, but not many laptops have this.

Dont skimp on the software/hardware is my advise, try and find stuff with plenty of support - not just a ebay seller.

[Times5]

From memory this works on Mini's I used this when I had a X5 and it gave fault codes for things the generic code reader don't such as the tyre pressure sensor batteries

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-USB-Diagnostics-OBD-...

[rigga]

I have a odb Bluetooth reader and Android torque app, and it works fine on my mini.

[Censorious]

rigga said:

I have a odb Bluetooth reader and Android torque app, and it works fine on my mini.

Excellent!

Thanks all for the input.

I think this is what I'll try, and then see how it works out.

Any more recommendations on a BT reader?

[Krikkit]

callmedave said:

I have trouble getting the ELM software to work via the USB port on my laptop.

It really needs to run via a parallel port, but not many laptops have this.

Dont skimp on the software/hardware is my advise, try and find stuff with plenty of support - not just a ebay seller.

Generic OBD2 should work fine over USB, with a bit of fiddling to sort the COM ports out etc, which one have you got?

[callmedave]

Krikkit said:

Generic OBD2 should work fine over USB, with a bit of fiddling to sort the COM ports out etc, which one have you got?

I had 2 different ELM327 adaptors, 3 different (free) software and 3 laptops. Sometimes the com port would work, sometimes it wouldn't. It was completely random. Would it create a more reliable connection if it's plugged in the OBD port on the car?

[Stevedore]

I have just invested in one of those obd2 diagnostic tool jobs as the other halfs shed Skoda just had the cam chain changed and the engine light is now on. Fingers crossed when it arrives it it nothing too sinister!

Cheers for the recommendation.