Best Affordable Code Scanner for 2002 E46 318iS
Discussion
I am considering buying a code scanner for my E46 318iS.
I borrowed a pal's Snap-On Modus Ultra but I think that they are about £1000 which is far too much for me.
He runs a Taxi fleet so it makes sense for him as it saves him more that the cost.
Any recommendations : I would pay up to about £100.
I realise that the more expensive the scanner the more precise the results.
Also is the Carly one any good: I keep seeing these used on various Youtube sites , but they are mainly based in the US and IIRC they have a subscription fee ?
Thanks in advance
I borrowed a pal's Snap-On Modus Ultra but I think that they are about £1000 which is far too much for me.
He runs a Taxi fleet so it makes sense for him as it saves him more that the cost.
Any recommendations : I would pay up to about £100.
I realise that the more expensive the scanner the more precise the results.
Also is the Carly one any good: I keep seeing these used on various Youtube sites , but they are mainly based in the US and IIRC they have a subscription fee ?
Thanks in advance
Krikkit said:
Cheap OBD cables, laptop and the copies of INSTA/INPA/BMW Scanner 1.4 etc that are available would be my choice.
That's ok if you're computer savvy and know how to use MS 
I'm fine with a Mac, useless with MS now - so the plug n play types are much easier to use
And then find someone who has INPA and abuse them when needed
Thanks for the replies all.
I have a mac computer so I am a bit limited !
This sort of electronic diagnosis stuff is all new to me, but quite interesting all the same.
I recently changed over my car from a 2010 Volvo 1.6D ( ie Ford Focus ) to an older BMW partly because of all the electronic dash lights ( DPF issues etc etc) and cost that I had with a 'modern' car.
And also because I miss the build quality of the BMW !!
I have a mac computer so I am a bit limited !
This sort of electronic diagnosis stuff is all new to me, but quite interesting all the same.
I recently changed over my car from a 2010 Volvo 1.6D ( ie Ford Focus ) to an older BMW partly because of all the electronic dash lights ( DPF issues etc etc) and cost that I had with a 'modern' car.
And also because I miss the build quality of the BMW !!
Paul S4 said:
Thanks for the replies all.
I have a mac computer so I am a bit limited !
This sort of electronic diagnosis stuff is all new to me, but quite interesting all the same.
I recently changed over my car from a 2010 Volvo 1.6D ( ie Ford Focus ) to an older BMW partly because of all the electronic dash lights ( DPF issues etc etc) and cost that I had with a 'modern' car.
And also because I miss the build quality of the BMW !!
SameI have a mac computer so I am a bit limited !
This sort of electronic diagnosis stuff is all new to me, but quite interesting all the same.
I recently changed over my car from a 2010 Volvo 1.6D ( ie Ford Focus ) to an older BMW partly because of all the electronic dash lights ( DPF issues etc etc) and cost that I had with a 'modern' car.
And also because I miss the build quality of the BMW !!
Hence why I have the Creator C310 and Carly for BMW (which is about to expire & I won't be renewing)
For simple code reading and seeing liove date; the Creator C310 is unbeatable IMO - c£50 on Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Creator-C310-System-Engin...
So....I have just bought a Creator 310+ scanner from Amazon for £50 delivered.
Literally just used it for the first time...
My EML is on, and I have a couple of error codes :
2738 Catalytic Converter conversion, bank 1
2781 Camshaft Sensor , intake
I have deliberately left them on, because the car is booked in tomorrow anyway for gearbox/diff oil changes ( I would do them myself but I don't have the space/facilities !), so I shall ask them to delve a bit deeper with their professional scanner.
However, I am curious to know if anyone else has had these codes and if so are they quite common ?
(as mentioned its a 2002 E46 318i with 74,000 miles)
As mentioned in the post above, I am new to all this electronic diagnosis.... I had quite a lot of diagnostic stuff to sort out on a previous car.... that I had for over 12 years but that was a 1970 Lotus Elan with OEM points/condensor/coil/solonoid etc etc ...!!! Clockwork really compared to the modern era.
Although that car did at one time have 'electronic ignition'.....which proved unreliable (!!) so I reverted back to the old points/rotor arm etc etc. ...Which I could understand !
This code reading is a whole new world for me...but interesting though.
Literally just used it for the first time...
My EML is on, and I have a couple of error codes :
2738 Catalytic Converter conversion, bank 1
2781 Camshaft Sensor , intake
I have deliberately left them on, because the car is booked in tomorrow anyway for gearbox/diff oil changes ( I would do them myself but I don't have the space/facilities !), so I shall ask them to delve a bit deeper with their professional scanner.
However, I am curious to know if anyone else has had these codes and if so are they quite common ?
(as mentioned its a 2002 E46 318i with 74,000 miles)
As mentioned in the post above, I am new to all this electronic diagnosis.... I had quite a lot of diagnostic stuff to sort out on a previous car.... that I had for over 12 years but that was a 1970 Lotus Elan with OEM points/condensor/coil/solonoid etc etc ...!!! Clockwork really compared to the modern era.
Although that car did at one time have 'electronic ignition'.....which proved unreliable (!!) so I reverted back to the old points/rotor arm etc etc. ...Which I could understand !
This code reading is a whole new world for me...but interesting though.
Paul S4 said:
So....I have just bought a Creator 310+ scanner from Amazon for £50 delivered.
Literally just used it for the first time...
My EML is on, and I have a couple of error codes :
2738 Catalytic Converter conversion, bank 1
2781 Camshaft Sensor , intake
I have deliberately left them on, because the car is booked in tomorrow anyway for gearbox/diff oil changes ( I would do them myself but I don't have the space/facilities !), so I shall ask them to delve a bit deeper with their professional scanner.
However, I am curious to know if anyone else has had these codes and if so are they quite common ?
(as mentioned its a 2002 E46 318i with 74,000 miles)
As mentioned in the post above, I am new to all this electronic diagnosis.... I had quite a lot of diagnostic stuff to sort out on a previous car.... that I had for over 12 years but that was a 1970 Lotus Elan with OEM points/condensor/coil/solonoid etc etc ...!!! Clockwork really compared to the modern era.
Although that car did at one time have 'electronic ignition'.....which proved unreliable (!!) so I reverted back to the old points/rotor arm etc etc. ...Which I could understand !
This code reading is a whole new world for me...but interesting though.
Firstly I'd replace the cam sensor (OEM BMW ONLY) and then clear the codes and then see what comes back...Literally just used it for the first time...
My EML is on, and I have a couple of error codes :
2738 Catalytic Converter conversion, bank 1
2781 Camshaft Sensor , intake
I have deliberately left them on, because the car is booked in tomorrow anyway for gearbox/diff oil changes ( I would do them myself but I don't have the space/facilities !), so I shall ask them to delve a bit deeper with their professional scanner.
However, I am curious to know if anyone else has had these codes and if so are they quite common ?
(as mentioned its a 2002 E46 318i with 74,000 miles)
As mentioned in the post above, I am new to all this electronic diagnosis.... I had quite a lot of diagnostic stuff to sort out on a previous car.... that I had for over 12 years but that was a 1970 Lotus Elan with OEM points/condensor/coil/solonoid etc etc ...!!! Clockwork really compared to the modern era.
Although that car did at one time have 'electronic ignition'.....which proved unreliable (!!) so I reverted back to the old points/rotor arm etc etc. ...Which I could understand !
This code reading is a whole new world for me...but interesting though.
The cam code can affect other things; the same with MAF errors, low battery voltages etc...
But the Creator C310 is a solid piece of equipment; so those codes will be genuine...
However, clear them and take the car for a drive and see if they come back! Always worth doing first...
Thanks for that d_a_n1979.
I bought the car in May this year, it had been sitting for a while I think and had not been used 'properly'..!
It had 69,000 on it, I have now done 74,500 and it is driven quite hard now...!
The EML light came on a few weeks after I bought it, but the performance was not affected.
It was cleared in July when I had the car in for some minor rust removal ( rear arches - no surprise there !) and the EML light came back on a couple of weeks after that.
I have owned a nice E36 318iS previously, ( I did a few track days with it at Croft ), which obviously has the same basic engine as my e46 318i, but the e36 seemed to get more power at higher revs than the E46 does...almost like it had VVT (which it didn't of course !)
I know that my E46 engine has a type of variable valve timing, and it has more lower end torque, but not the same sort of higher end torque.
Could this be due to the cam sensor fault ?
Or is it just a different characteristic of the later engine? Which is very much smoother, almost like the E36 328 convertible I had a while ago.
As mentioned above, I have not noticed any real difference either with or without the EML on/off.
I'm just curious really !
And appreciate any advice/information from the more knowledgeable BMW folk on PH ...!
I bought the car in May this year, it had been sitting for a while I think and had not been used 'properly'..!
It had 69,000 on it, I have now done 74,500 and it is driven quite hard now...!
The EML light came on a few weeks after I bought it, but the performance was not affected.
It was cleared in July when I had the car in for some minor rust removal ( rear arches - no surprise there !) and the EML light came back on a couple of weeks after that.
I have owned a nice E36 318iS previously, ( I did a few track days with it at Croft ), which obviously has the same basic engine as my e46 318i, but the e36 seemed to get more power at higher revs than the E46 does...almost like it had VVT (which it didn't of course !)
I know that my E46 engine has a type of variable valve timing, and it has more lower end torque, but not the same sort of higher end torque.
Could this be due to the cam sensor fault ?
Or is it just a different characteristic of the later engine? Which is very much smoother, almost like the E36 328 convertible I had a while ago.
As mentioned above, I have not noticed any real difference either with or without the EML on/off.
I'm just curious really !
And appreciate any advice/information from the more knowledgeable BMW folk on PH ...!
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