Not only has BMW electrical architecture modified over the past decade, but so has the gear to service them. The tools has modified, the interfaces have modified and in addition the complexity of setup and use.
Early tools
Back within the 1990’s, the Group Tester One (GT1) was introduced. There have been just a few variations, like DIS Plus (stationary setup), however the GT1 is the most typical and is what can be referenced here. The GT1 is a portable machine which contained a rechargeable battery. It has a contactscreen show for straightforward use. It contained software for Diagnosing and also had software called TIS (Technical Info Display) which is the Service & Repair Information. Early versions of Diagnostics additionally contained software called Coding, Programming & Individualization (CIP). So from the identical instrument, you would Diagnose the problem, search for the best way to exchange the part and then perform the wanted initializations for the new part. Two interfaces had been used: EDIC (yellow interface) and the OPS (orange interface). Later versions of the OPS were called OPPS, since they carried additional diagnostics for the Byteflite system and so they have been additionally yellow, however much greater than the EDIC. Genuine GT1s are on the portable touchscreen unit. There are numerous “cloned” items on the market, adapted to work on a PC. Both genuine or cloned, the interfaces work the identical and connect by way of an Ethernet port.
Later versions of the GT1 software removed CIP, and moved it to a separate pc (for storage), but nonetheless accessible from the GT1. This new software was called Progman (quick for Program Manager). This new software contained all of the CIP functions and added new features like a number of car programming and dual channel programming for every car (DIAGBUS and MOST bus concurrently).
Third Generation gear
Fast forward to about 2008 when the Third Generation (3G) of kit was launched: ISIS. The contents of ISIS are so large, that dedicated servers are put in on the dealership. A web based version is available to the aftermarket for a fee, called OSS. It may be discovered at BMW’s tech netsite. With the introduction of ISIS comes a new interface, called ICOM. Previous interfaces (EDIC & OPS) will not work with ISIS. ISIS consists of a few parts, because it utterly changed GT1 & Progman. The primary part of ISIS that’s used in the shop is called “ISTA”, which could be further damaged down into two components: ISTA/D for Diagnosing vehicles and ISTA/P for Coding, Programming & Individualization.
Comparison
GT1s can be found just about anyplace, together with eBay for very cheap. BMW realized that the device was easily cloned and sold worldwide. Many levels of security have been put into the creation of ISIS to forestall this, in both resident servers and online versions. This makes it much harder for non-vendor shops to work on the newer cars. One would think that because the GT1 was discontinued in 2009, you possibly can just maintain utilizing that for a number of more years until the newer system turned more available, nonetheless, BMW stayed one step ahead! At any time when a automobile is programmed with the new ISTA/P, it upgrades the software beyond the extent of what Program can recognize. Meaning, once a automobile has been updated with ISTA/P, you possibly can NEVER use Progman on it once more, rendering the “cloned” variations useless on that exact car. Additionally, when a new module is put in, the software that is pre-installed on that module can be newer than what Program can recognize, which can cease your complete programming process, forcing the automobile to be programmed by ISTA/P.
So what does that mean for the BMW owner? Because of the newer systems, many BMW house owners can no longer repair the cars themselves. Many aftermarket shops are also sending the cars to dealerships as a result. However, not all aftermarket shops have fallen behind. There are a select few of BMW specialty shops that stay on high of producer know-how, so that no car is turned away! When in search of a place to service your BMW, ensure they can do ALL points of restore, including Diagnostics and CIP!