2000 E39 523i ASC / ABS airbag lights on, BMW scanner advice

This post begins with one car owner’s Euro version of a 2000 E39 523i and its ASC/ABS/airbag lights on symptoms, then followed with the BMW scanners advice.

Car model and year:

Euro version of a 2000 E39 523i

Car symptoms:

• ASC/ABS/airbag lights on but, had no the codes read
• some of the door locks are not working
• reverse distance sensor is also non-functional

BMW scanner advice

INPA – need rework and soldering

For your use INPA will be the best, because of the ease of install, and simple repair needs.

If I were you, I’d buy this cable http://www.ebay.com/itm/301504092069 (for E39 you should bridge pin 7&8, soldering is fine) and just in case you should get the 20 pin adapter

https://www.chinaobd2.com/wholesale/bmw-20pin-to-obd2-16-pin-connector-free-shipping-1446.html

Do not install anything on the disk that comes with that cable. You will just use this driver pack http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/…0Certified.exe, and then set up INPA.

You’ll be able to do everything to BMWs older than 2006 with that setup.

INPA (and friends NCSExpert, WinKFP, Tool32) is easy to set up, and very powerful to use for diagnostics and even programming, but it’s a little hard to navigate and figure out things at first because it doesn’t have an extremely easy user interface.

INPA K+CAN scanner with FT232RL Chip – plug and play

For the first beginners, or the technician who are not experienced with the retrofit and soldering mentioned last parts. The easier option is to buy one INPA K+CAN scanner with FT232RL Chip, it is plug and play tool without rework and soldering.

If I were you, I’d buy this one $25 free shipping:

https://www.chinaobd2.com/wholesale/bmw-inpa-k-can.html

It is an OBD2 to USB interface for BMW cars.BMW INPA K+CAN allows full diagnose of BMW from 1998 to 2008 cars.BMW INPA K+CAN is built in 2 lines K and D-can magisterial.

You will just use this driver pack http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1329lmik8g0c7nc

ISTA/D and ISTA/P – New and easy to use

Easy to use: Others like ISTA/D ISTA/P are very new, and some like ISTA/D are very easy to set up and use, but getting them to run on older cars (without the ISTA specific connection interface) is not always possible. But they’re very easy to use.

Keep update and fix bug: Besides, ISTA/D and ISTA/P keep updating, such as ISTA/D and ISTA/P already update to the newest Rheingold ISTA-D 3.48.30 ISTA-P 3.55.2.001, which is compatible with Win8 System.

With programming tool: NCSExpert, WinKFP, E-sys, EDIABAS, inpa

GT1/DIS – not available in the market

GT1/DIS is a huge pain to set up and run, dealing with VM and the slow speed of it. However it has a nicer user interface and easier to navigate, and GT1 /DIS is not available in the market in China so far.