Originally Posted by checkercoop

Also, I haven't played around with it enough, but it does seem to be missing all the stuff I/you really would want like changing brake pads, oil changes, inspection check lists, but again I have not looked through it enough to definitively say it does not contain that stuff

Originally Posted by rkw

I'm crazy enough to have all three: Bentley, TIS, and Haynes. All of them are focused on procedures for assembling and disassembling the vehicle. If you need information beyond that, you will find them lacking.

For me, getting the TIS was a no brainer -- my copy was $10 shipped. The Bentley covers essentially the same material as the TIS. Photos and descriptions are so similar that I am convinced Bentley simply took the TIS disc and translated the material to book form. The TIS software has an awkward user interface, the topics are not well organized and it is frustrating having to try several paths to find the information you are looking for. Between the TIS and Bentley, I'd say that it comes down to whether you prefer soft or hard copy. The high price of the Bentley is hard to swallow. I think they purposely printed on thick and heavy paper and formatted pages with a lot of white empty space to increase the size and heft of the book to make you feel like you are getting your money's worth.

The Bentley does have wiring diagrams and the TIS does not. However, Bentley simply reprinted wiring diagrams from BMW's WDS service disc and they are very difficult to use in printed form. Moreover, the WDS can be accessed online here (use Internet Explorer not Firefox, and you need to install Adobe SVG viewer).

I also have the Haynes and I like it. TIS and Bentley are essentially same but Haynes was written from scratch and gives a different viewpoint. As a book it is smaller and lighter than the Bentley and more convenient to use. Although the book is much smaller (not to mention cheaper) than the Bentley it covers very much the same material. For electrical work, the Haynes is worth getting just for the clear and redrawn wiring diagrams. See Ian Cull (GBMINI)'s review here: http://www.gbmini.net/wp/2005/11/the...ual_for_minis/

Originally Posted by rkw

The TIS does have all that stuff. That you didn't find it at first illustrates how awkward it is to find things in the TIS software. For example, do this to get the oil change procedure: Start with Vehicle Identification, then click on Document. For a 2007 R56 S, select Repair instructions ==> 00 Maintenance and General Data (N12) ==> RA 000610 Engine oil service incl. supplementary service (N12)

Originally Posted by condor27596

Well, then you have had better luck with the TIS manual than I have.
I got the one for E36 off ebay (listed under E36 I think it was supposed
to have more than that) and it was a non loadable program.
I had the IT people at work check on it for me. No go. I had a friend
that owns an engineering firm with super talented geeks check it out,
no go also.

I ordered the TIS disk for the mini from a member on this site.
Exact same order of events happened.

So it anybody has this thing working I would really like to know
how you got it to work or where you got it.

I've emailed the Bentley place a while back, and sent in a physical
mail card.

Originally Posted by checkercoop

Have you gotten the whole VIN thing to work? Mine always gives me an invalid note and I think it looked like I needed the vin to access the inspection service portion?