I have a OBD2 Cable that i have been using for my Jag/Mercedes/LndRover Disco ll and it works fine, Until i put the cable into my 02 Mini ,Computer says its connected but cant read the Mini ECU.

is there a diff. kind of cable with diff. pins on the mini?? the one i have fits right into the OBD port and lights up.

 

I don't understand what you're trying to do, odds are it's not the cable but the software you're using, not BMW/Siemens compatable.

 

I have the software....works on my pals BMW, ive downloaded it from here:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?p=6289024

 

software i have, got it from here
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho....php?p=6289024

works on a pals BMW

 

Ive used 2 cables on my mini nothing reads the ECU, has power but cant read it.
also the smog check station cant read the car also, he said there must be a fuse somewhere?

from a car that was made by bmw this is by far the worst car i ever owned!! first month ive owned it the glove box broke. must of been made from recycled plastic water bottles.

 

I can tell you from experience that this guy works with my 2005 R53. The software is a ***** to use, but that cable works. AFAIK, any cable that is BMW EDIABAS-compatible will work. Not just any OBD2 cable will work beyond the very basic OBD2 code reading.

 

Very interesting - I've been looking for something like that (cable, software).

Are you using the software included with that particular cable? Even though it's pain to use, does it get the job done? Are you able to get the most recent ECU software updates from somewhere too?

 

All OBD 2 cables must be compatible, by law. If yours doesn't work, there must be something wrong either with the cable or with the OBD 2 port, maybe a bent pin?

Dave

 

I have been trying to use the DIS/SSS software that came with the cable. It's the actual BMW maintenance program, and it's not designed to run on a pd laptop. It's wonky to get running, but it does seem to work/get the job done. I haven't had a ton of time to play with it, though. No dice on the ecu firmware, though.

 

OBD2 != specialiaty ECU access. Any OBD2 cable will read and clear the most basic codes, but you need a special cable that is compatible with BMW's EDIABIAS standard to access the more detailed codes and to access ecu and other module programming.

 

Good to know - it's at least better than what I have (which is nothing!). Thanks!

 

From your discreptions:

Looks like your OBDII port is bad.
Have you looked for bent corroded pins in it?

ab

 

I don't think this is the case. I think it's a case of using a "good" cable with software that doesn't support it. I suspect if he used the same cable with a bare-bones OBD2 scanner that it would work fine. He's trying to use the cable with a very specialized BMW maintenance program that has to properly detect and initialize the "diagnostic head." My guess is that either the cable isn't EDIABAS-compatible or he doesn't have the software setup properly (it's a real ***** to get to work right). If the OBD2 port was bad I don't think he would be getting the "power" light on the cable.

If you haven't used the BMW DIS/SSS software before, it's easy to see why you wouldn't understand. The BMW Diagnostic software isn't made to run on a PC; it's made to run on a specialized computer running a special version of Linux. To get it to work on a PC, you have to run a virtual machine that hosts the BMW software. From there, you have to setup virtual network connections that are mapped to the USB or Serial port, because the "real" BMW diagnostic head is actually connected via network rather than USB. There are a number of background "Emulator" programs that have to be running to pull everything together. If you don't have very, very detailed setup instructions and a good bit of intuition you'll never get it working right. It really boils down to the fact that you're using hacked software on a computer it wasn't designed to run on.

 

I thought about the PC/Software… but keep going back to “the smog check station cant read the car”
This leads me back to his OBD port.

Sounds like he needs to run down to an auto supply that will check for codes for free, and go from there.

Trouble clearing procedure #1: Always test (calibrate) the tester first.

ab

 

I over-looked the smog-check station part, but I still think if the cable is showing power the port is probably fine. Taking it to an auto-parts store and borrowing their actual reader is probably the best step here.