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BMW Service Technology – The Evolution of Diagnostic Equipment

Not just has BMW electrical architecture changed over the last decade, but so gets the equipment to service them. The gear has evolved, the interfaces have changed along with the complexity of setup and use.


Early tools

Within the 1990’s, the audience Tester One (GT1) was introduced. There have been a couple of versions, like DIS Plus (stationary setup), nevertheless the GT1 is regarded as the common and is what is going to be referenced here. The GT1 is a portable device which contained a rechargeable battery. It features a touchscreen display for straightforward use. It contained software for Diagnosing as well as had software called TIS (Technical Information Display) which is Service & Repair Information. Early versions of Diagnostics also contained software called Coding, Programming & Individualization (CIP). So from your same tool, you could Diagnose the situation, lookup how you can replace the component after which perform the needed initializations for that new part. Two interfaces were utilized: EDIC (yellow interface) and the OPS (orange interface). Later versions of the OPS were called OPPS, simply because they carried additional diagnostics for your Byteflite system and so they were also yellow, but larger compared to EDIC. Authentic GT1s are saved to the portable touchscreen unit. There are lots of “cloned” units on the market, adapted to work over a PC. Either genuine or cloned, the interfaces work exactly the same and fasten with an Ethernet port.

Later versions with the GT1 software removed CIP, and moved it with a separate computer (for storage), but nonetheless accessible from the GT1. This new software was called Progman (short for Program Manager). This new software contained all of the CIP functions and added additional features like multiple car programming and dual channel programming for each car (DIAGBUS and a lot bus simultaneously).

Third Generation equipment

Fast forward about 2008 if the Third Generation (3G) of equipment premiered: ISIS. The items in ISIS are so large, that server colocation are installed on the dealership. A web-based version is accessible to the aftermarket for a small fee, called OSS. It may be bought at fsc tools & generator for bmw navigation updates. With the introduction of ISIS comes a new interface, called ICOM. Previous interfaces (EDIC & OPS) will not work with ISIS. ISIS includes a few parts, as it completely replaced GT1 & Progman. The main part of ISIS that is utilized in the shop is known as “ISTA”, which is often further divided into two parts: ISTA/D for Diagnosing vehicles and ISTA/P for Coding, Programming & Individualization.

Comparison

GT1s are available just about anyplace, including eBay for very cheap. BMW realized that the tool was easily cloned and sold worldwide. Many amounts of security have been put in the roll-out of ISIS to stop this, in the resident servers and internet based versions. It is then much harder for non-dealer shops to work about the newer cars. One could feel that since the GT1 was discontinued in ’09, you might just keep using for many more years before newer system became more available, however, BMW stayed one step ahead! Each time a car is programmed with the new ISTA/P, it upgrades the program past the degree of what Program can recognize. Which means, after a car may be updated with ISTA/P, you’ll never use Progman about it again, rendering the “cloned” versions useless on that particular car. Also, each time a new module is installed, the program that is pre-installed on that module can also be newer compared to what Program can recognize, which may stay away from the entire programming process, forcing the vehicle being programmed by ISTA/P.

So what does that mean for the BMW owner? Due to the newer systems, many BMW owners can’t repair the cars themselves. Many aftermarket shops will also be sending the cars to dealerships as a result. However, don’t assume all aftermarket shops have fallen behind. There’s a select few of BMW specialty shops that stay on top of manufacturer technology, so that no car is averted! When searching for a location to service your BMW, make sure they can do ALL aspects of repair, including Diagnostics and CIP!

One particular shop is Auto Specialties of Lake Norman: Auto Specialties of Lake Norman. If you are looking at a potential shops website, try to find signs they will have the most recent equipment. BMW Repair Shops that can’t “do it all” can often cause increased expense and time after they learn everything has been incorrectly diagnosed or parts installed now need programmed or initialized.
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