Advice please! Is it a good idea to use an inexpensive scan tool to evaluate cars as I shop for a Gen 1 2005-2006 Mini Cooper S?

I have been looking for the least expensive tool I can use to decently evaluate R53's. I'm not looking for a service tool for after I buy a car.

I'm pretty good with technology but I have zero experience reading car codes. I would like to read all of the car's modules if that is practical.

I'm information overloaded. I used NAM search, read NAM threads, watched Mod Mini's excellent video about code readers, and looked at a zillion options on amazon. But without experience I am having difficulty understanding what functions I need or which devices will work well on a Gen 1 Mini.

I guess the device that makes the most sense to me right now is the for about $54. Or do I need a different version C310?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Inpa! See my post on same

 

WiFi obd2 reader and an iPhone app like Car Scanner that’s free to try. Cheapest way to do it I think. I just picked one up but haven’t tested it yet.

 

I have the creator C310 and would recommend it. I also have a wifi dongle and I like it, but it's not as thorough as the creator. If I was good with computers, I'd go with INPA, but I'm not.

 

Terrific! That's my direction for for maintenance and troubleshooting after I find an R53. I took a quick look at several related software packages, NCS, DIS, Progman and a couple others. I wonder how many of them work on an R53, but all that is for another time. What a rabbit hole!

For the purposes of this thread, evaluating R53's for purchase, the Creator units are still looking good. Eventually I'd carry that kind of device in the car so that would be useful in the long term.

I want to read the Mini specific codes and not just the OBD2 codes so generic code readers aren't going to work.

 

Sounds to me that all you need is an OBD II reader if you're simply searching for thrown codes on a prospective buy. They're cheap at Harbor Freight.

 

For INPA do you need to drag a laptop with you on your search?

Does the INPA s/w read all of the codes or just the basic ones like most cheap code readers?

 

If I have my info correct from a very detailed BMW site detailing these tools, INPA is older BMW Factory software (from ~2010?) that "made it out into the wild". The download is widely available for free and it connects via a $30 cable between a laptop and a BMW or Mini. It is not trivial to install, but doable. And it is powerful software that goes way beyond a code reader even if the code reader reads BMW/Mini specific codes. If I'm wrong someone please correct me.

 

I ordered the $54 that I was thinking about in the first post here.

This Code Scanner reads generic OBD2 error codes from most any car and specific codes for BMW model series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, I, X, Z and MINI model series: R50/52/53, R55/56/57/58/59/60/61 and F54/55/56/57.

For the R53 that I'm concerned about the codes that are covered are:

MINI R50/R52/R53:

Drive:
ECM(EngineControlModule-DME/DDE)
ECM2(EngineControlModule2-DME2)
TCM(TransmissionControlModule-EGS)
EWS(Elec.immobilizesystem)

Chassis:
ABS(Anti-lockBrakingSystem-DSC)
LEW(Steering-anglesensor)
RDC(TyrePressureControl)
EHPS(Electricallyassistedsteering)

Body:
AIC(AutomaticIntervalControl)
BM(On-boardmonitor)
CVM(Convertible-topmodule)
IHKA/IHKR(AC/heater)
IKE/IKI/KOMBI(Instrumentcluster)
MFL(Multi-functionsteeringwheel)
NAV(Navigationsystem
PDC(ParkDistanceControl)
RAD(Radio)
SHD(Sliding/tiltingsunroof)
SRS(Airbag)
ZKE(Centralbodyelectronic)
STVL(Satellite,Door,FrontLeft)
STVR(Satellite,Door,FrontRight)

The R50/52/53 model seems to be the only MINIs that don't have any codes that can be reset using this device. All other MINIs have some resetible codes that seem to be the maintenance required codes.

The full list of models and codes for the Creator C310+ v11.7 is here.

 

Public service post here.

Well, first impressions of the Creator C310+ v11.7 are not good. This unit had no useful documentation. It came with an update CD that wasn't even for a C310+, it was for a C110. There were no updates available on the website for v11.7. There are no instructions on how to use the device. There is no way to determine what the device is supposed to do and what it won't do.

Some menu functions apparently do not communicate with the car and some menu functions do communicate with the car. Device offers to reset codes and then apparently those functions do not work. The lack of documentation is a real pita for a novice code reader like me. I'm keeping the device because I need something to read codes and I can read some codes using this device, but this device sucks.

 

Send it back if it sucks... make sure you comment on why. If we all just kept crap that came from retailers nothing would ever improve...

 

Cory
I've been going through the same process. It's hard to tell from eBay ads which OBD devices do what functions. I'm leaning toward the C110+ V6,2. I'll be interested to see other folks' experiences & opinions.

 

The Creator C310+ I bought turns out to be pretty good after all, just like Mod Mini said in one of his videos - what do you know?

There is no useful documentation with the product as I said in this thread already. I had to sit down with the thing and map out the device's menu tree in a notebook, kind of making my own documentation. When I did that I could get the device to do pretty much everything it was supposed to do even though I'm a complete novice. Some of the menu functions don't do anything but give a communications error when there is no error, the car just doesn't have that option like a convertible top module or CVT transmission. I bought my car with 3 error codes present. I reset two of them easily and forgot to reset the third.

The device has a lot of screens that read the data stream live. I didn't have the slightest idea about those functions. I didn't know what the baseline values were supposed to be, but the device seemed to be handling those functions well.

Very good device I think. For the money I don't know what would be better unless there's a similar product with good documentation.