Before you say 'search the forums' know that I've spent more than 10 solid hours of my life working on this *@#$ already, and checking the forums was first on my list. I've found PLENTY of people with the same error, but either 1) nobody replies or 2) they come back with 'got it fixed' without saying how.

I need some help fixing this error so I can program the window up and alarm light through NCS. The problem is NCS won't recognize my car!

2005 MCS, I have the cable that is supposed to work for 1998-2007 models. It came with a ton of software, which I installed (multiple times) to the letter of the directions.

INPA recognizes the car to the point it has the two black circles filled in, but when I try to read modules (like airbag) I get communication errors (SYS-0012?)

When I open NCSexpert and have it read my vin, I get:

"VIN is faulty!
COBIAS-2020 something about connectivity
IFH-0009 something like no communication"

I found a number of tutorials addressing how to download/install/run the programs, and followed the steps exactly. I downloaded the INPA FAQ PDF and checked the error messages I'm getting, but those things have been addressed.

I have the most recent drivers for my cable. I added the BIN and INI files to the places they are supposed to go. The COM ports match. The latency and FIFO are correct. The cable has a glowing red light at the OBD end, showing it has power.

What the heck is wrong?!?!?! I'm about to try to pay some BMW dealer to program this stuff at $125/hr because I'm tired of dealing with it.

 

Romanian sold cable was a POS held together by glue, and the soldered parts were $&^@ed. Gotta order a new cable or get really good at soldering now so I can finish my coding...

 

I bought a new cable, and it doesn't work any better. In fact, the new cable doesn't even register a connection in INPA. I have a code reader that connects fine, but the iPad OBD cable I bought didn't work very well (on/off again).

I'm wondering if there is an issue with my car also/instead? I found a video on youtube suggesting the communication line (K-line?) from pin 7 could be damaged or grounded somewhere along the way, likely near the radio. I think I'm going to pull the radio, check the connectors back there and see if I can figure it out.

Otherwise, I'm done with this crap and I'll just pay the labor to have the features I want programmed. It's not worth any more of my time messing with junk that doesn't work.

 

Did you ever get this fixed/working?

 

Nope. Bought an obd/iPod cable and using dash command on my iPad with no problems, so it isn't my car. Not worth more of my time trying to get this $&@# to work.

 

The install for the software is extremely complicated. I just spent hours getting everything to work. In the end I reset an airbag light for the wife and set the car to auto unlock when the engine is turned off. Both great and worth the $$$. My car gets the auto unlock next and reset of the oil change (mine says -18394 ... overdue by a bit.)

The ebay cable came with software, but I still had to hack into the config to enable the mini features. Between resizing partitions on the laptop, getting ERD commander to work in a virtual machine, it was hours and hours. Luckily the laptop moves with me and much of the time was waiting for the machine to extract or install something. Even the reboots take time on my old laptop. I am glad it is over with (well almost, still defraging now that it is done), but it already paid for the cable, it might be a long time before my time is paid off, but sooner or later, that will happen too.

 

Which software did you install and which guide did you use? I don't remember exactly how I did it but I don't remember needing virtual machine for just NCS Expert and INPA - Progman yes though.

 

No Vm for those two, just progman and DIS. I got the software and guide with the cable on ebay for $50 or so. The DIS needed to change mini = true in a config program before mini became a choice in the interface. Not terribly hard, but had to track down ERD commander etc.

I know I could have gotten things online free, but I was hoping it would be easier with it all in one place. Disks were bad they sent and had to download the programs anyway, extract, burn to disk so I didn't save any time it turned out.

BMW USB OBD Cable lead Ediabas Inpa GT1 SSS DIS Progman searched on ebay should get you there.

 

HRM, did you reset the airbag light with INPA or with DIS?

 

I am pretty sure it was INPA and then find SRS, then test or check codes then reset codes. Just took a few minutes while I was looking around I found it accidently, so there wasn't a lot of conscious thinking involved.

Sorry, but having just experimented a few times, I am far from expert.

If you find a "test fans" portion, make a note and pass it on. I rewired a power steering fan and wondered if there is a way to make it spin up with the programs.