[jasindude1]

I currently dont own one, but am looking into one. I have a 07 X3 with multiple misfiring cylinders according to autozones scanner. Since i barely made it home with the car dying on me a dozen times i want to invest in a scanner for home. Anywho, I read on here the Foxwell 510 is good and BMW specific, my questions is what is this scanner able to do that lets say a harbor freight $70 scanner cant? I have read BMW specific codes, but i dont understand that, are those codes more specific for diagnosis? or will they just say "misfire cylinder 1" like the one at autozone did.

[Bilbofraggins]

The latest version of the Foxwell series most used is the 530... A pro model let’s you add up to 5 different brands (at about 40 bucks a shot). The first vehicle specific load is included. Some online sellers do this but you can do it yourself when you get your unit by connecting to the Foxwell site.

No sense buying anything less than a 530 unless it’s a very good deal... A 520 won’t fully play with a F series or newer.... but is fine on older models such as my E71 X6M. They advertise as having free updates but in reality that means little. We own an F and a G series and I’ll be dammed if I give them another cent.

As for function, way more capable than a normal OBD2 scanner - you will find a few you tube videos to fill you in.

[nick9one1]

I pulled this from another forum -

Generic OBD II code reader only pulls codes (SAE & BMW) for the electronic emissions systems...and will give the generic 5 digit "P_ _ _ _" codes aka DTC (diagnostic trouble codes) that is required by the federal OBD II mandate. You can see the ares (control modules) that are accessed using these aftermarket (generic) code readers :



A dedicated BMW tool (DIS/GT-1/etc) will give access to BMW proprietary systems (all the control modules) and will no doubt use different codes that are specific to BMW and not the generic federal mandate DTC codes.

In the diagram below...again you can see how limited the OBD II access is compared with the entire communication bus system. A generic OBD II reader/scanner can only access the TXD II lines that you see in the topological chart below...whereas BMWs proprietary hardware allows access to all the communication buses: