Diagnostic cable from EBAY

[Die_Miek]

I’ve been looking at diagnostic cables on ebay and found they are fairly cheap. You can get a cable and software (INPA) for $40-$55.

I was specifically looking at thisone.

What do you guys think about it?

If anyone purchased a diagnostic cable and software from ebay, can you please share your experiences and maybe post a link to where/from-who on ebay you purchased it from.

Cheers

 

[zaleonardz]

This is what we call the VAG COM cable, its a generic dual K-Line OBDII cable. Will also work on VW AUDI MERC bla bla bla.

Will it work, yes it will, INPA is genuine BMW software that leaked to the market, so expect zero support for it, but its very capable, much more intuative and useful then Carsoft, as its genuine OEM.

I am just sure it can be had for cheaper though. will NOT work on E36/E34 so if you have an older car, you need a special cable, and I think this is good up onto about 2007 manufacturing.

 

[Die_Miek]

thanks

i have a 2003 318 N42

so you reckon it can be purchased for cheaper.

 

[zaleonardz]

fleabay... seen them as low as $20.

 

[Die_Miek]

does the fleabay $20 one also come with software?

 

[zaleonardz]

INPA is easily downloadable.... but i cant remember..

 

[andrewbuch]

INPA is easily downloadable.... but i cant remember..

:nono::nono::nono:

Thats illegal.. but so possible I just dont have a cable.. & OBD 1

 

[zaleonardz]

And that cable will not give you OBDI, the cable will make you able to read OBDII

And is it really commercial theft if BMW never released it publically, considering that its a factory tool

 

[rick540]

As good as INPA is I have seen it do some strange things to late model E46's. At leat it cannot program stuff, so is relatively safe from that aspect.

Downloads don't bother me as legally you most likely cannot force a person to pay you to diagnose hardware sold to an individual that can only use specific software. In the states BMWNA are required by law to sell the software to anybody who wishes to diagnose a BMW. It is available through the BMWNA dealerships.

A very grey area anyhow and this is not Windows we are talking about.

Guys selling incomplete buggy versions of INPA with their interfaces does really bug me though.

 

[Die_Miek]

And that cable will not give you OBDI, the cable will make you able to read OBDII

And is it really commercial theft if BMW never released it publically, considering that its a factory tool

whats the difference between obd1 and obd2

 

[rick540]

And that cable will not give you OBDI, the cable will make you able to read OBDII

And is it really commercial theft if BMW never released it publically, considering that its a factory tool

whats the difference between obd1 and obd2

One Vs two K lines, but I think LZ meant to say the older BMW's need a special interface called ADS. They won't work with OBD

 

[zaleonardz]

Indeed Rick

 

[andrewbuch]

Found a place selling a cable for OBD2 in USA.. It plugs into a iPhone/iPad.. think it was $99 and the app for the iPhone is free.. says it reads error codes & gives you a English version of what it wrong...

http://www.amazon.com/goPoint-Techn...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305733261&sr=1-1

 

[zaleonardz]

Waste of time...

Error reading is 10% of the functionality that you need.

You cannot interact with modules.

So lets say your window is not working,

You have no error codes,

You want to check the switch contact, with INPA you can read switch position, you can actuate the motor, both up and down, you can force bus comms.

Another is, aircon is not working, you can with INPA change indivual flap levels, you can turn on aircon clutch past the normal operation, you can engage the aux fan, you can........

Possibilites are virtually endless, but the crux of the matter is you can do stuff, generic code readers are lame, thats why i hate carsoft and the others....

 

[andrewbuch]

So what would be awesome is having a tablet Computer running inpa.

 

[rick540]

Waste of time...

Error reading is 10% of the functionality that you need.

You cannot interact with modules.

So lets say your window is not working,

You have no error codes,

You want to check the switch contact, with INPA you can read switch position, you can actuate the motor, both up and down, you can force bus comms.

Another is, aircon is not working, you can with INPA change indivual flap levels, you can turn on aircon clutch past the normal operation, you can engage the aux fan, you can........

Possibilites are virtually endless, but the crux of the matter is you can do stuff, generic code readers are lame, thats why i hate carsoft and the others....

+1

They are only usefull in the USA for diagnosing basic generic codes. Most of them will give "P" errors like P024 which needs further decoding

 

[Beast_Power]

You can get Vag Com 409.1 Cable locally for around R350.00, a small mod to it and you can use it.
I am having problems getting INPA to work in English Completely (Work in progress but getting there) , but am running GT1 which gives much more diagnostic detail than INPA.

 

[zaleonardz]

You can run DIS and SSS on that same R350 vag com cable as well

 

[andrewbuch]

Someone here must start selling the cable.. already modded... so that all we need to do is buy cable, install software (we will acquire it ourselves) and plug cable in

 

[netercol]

Someone here must start selling the cable.. already modded... so that all we need to do is buy cable, install software (we will acquire it ourselves) and plug cable in

if i remember correctly rick540 wanted to do just that, and everybody jumped on him.. :dunno: