I have been trying to find clear instructions on how to achieve this installation successfully over the past few months, I kept giving up due to confusion, frustration, misleading threads and bad information. However, after much research, I have finally got it working and hope to help others searching for solutions. I can't guarantee that this is absolutely perfectly described but the process below worked in my case, hopefully it'll get you up and running too.
My specific use is to diagnose codes on my E46 M3 (2004) and so I can confirm that it works fully with this car. If someone wishes to take screenshots, I'll add them to the guide.
Assumptions and Clarifications
1. Buy a cable
I purchased a USB cable from EBay, it came with software but I didn't use it and instead used online resources that I downloaded for which I'll provide links. The cable I purchased is a USB to OBD2 connector that plugs into your BMW to the right hand side of the steering wheel, in the foot-well area.
This is the specific cable that I purchased and that I can confirm works:
BMW Diagnostic Software Cable lead Ediabas Inpa DIS SSS | eBay
2. Download the software
There are many sources on the internet for INPA/EDIABAS, some seem to work, others do not - I used these specific downloads and they worked perfectly:
** UNFORTUNATELY THE DOWNLOAD LINKS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE - BUT I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO **
If for any reason the above links are missing/broken, PM me and I'll see what I can do. Thank you to whomever is hosting the above files and I hope that you do not mind me providing these links.
3. Setup/Configure your OBD2 USB Cable
4. Install INPA/EDIABAS 6.4.3 and 4.4.7
5. Verify environment variables
6. Prepare Installation Files
7. Install BMW Tools
8. Install INPA/EDIABAS 6.4.7 and 5.0.2
9. Install OBD Setup
10. Complete Installation
In theory, you'll now have an INPA icon on your desktop and Start Menu - right-click on it, select 'Troubleshoot Compatibility', it'll select 'Windows XP SP3', click 'Next' and 'Save'. This step isn't necessarily required, however it apparently provides a little more stability for the application.
Now, with your interface connected via the USB port (remember NOT to plug the cable into any port other than the port that you originally configured the cable with) - and the other end connected to your car, fire up INPA and hopefully you'll have a working diagnosis tool
Apologies for any inaccuracies, please do PM me and I'll make corrections, but to my knowledge the above is the exact process that I used to get mine up and running.
Finally, I'd like to thank FAL for his help/assistance with getting my setup fully working
Good luck! - PLEASE POST YOUR FEEDBACK/SUCCESS (oh, and any failures)
My specific use is to diagnose codes on my E46 M3 (2004) and so I can confirm that it works fully with this car. If someone wishes to take screenshots, I'll add them to the guide.
Assumptions and Clarifications
- This setup/installation DOES work on Windows 7 64bit.
- This setup/installation DOES NOT require VM/Virtual Machine images.
- This setup/installation DOES work on an E46 (my car).
- This setup/installation DOES give you INPA and EDIABAS 6.4.7 and 5.0.2.
- This setup/installation DOES NOT give you NCS Expert or anything other than above mentioned.
- This guide assumes that you have a basic knowledge of Windows, Control Panel and Device Manager.
1. Buy a cable
I purchased a USB cable from EBay, it came with software but I didn't use it and instead used online resources that I downloaded for which I'll provide links. The cable I purchased is a USB to OBD2 connector that plugs into your BMW to the right hand side of the steering wheel, in the foot-well area.
This is the specific cable that I purchased and that I can confirm works:
BMW Diagnostic Software Cable lead Ediabas Inpa DIS SSS | eBay
2. Download the software
There are many sources on the internet for INPA/EDIABAS, some seem to work, others do not - I used these specific downloads and they worked perfectly:
** UNFORTUNATELY THE DOWNLOAD LINKS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE - BUT I WILL SEE WHAT I CAN DO **
If for any reason the above links are missing/broken, PM me and I'll see what I can do. Thank you to whomever is hosting the above files and I hope that you do not mind me providing these links.
3. Setup/Configure your OBD2 USB Cable
- Put the DVD that arrived with the cable into the DVD drive on your PC.
- Plug in the cable into a USB port on your computer, you must ONLY use this USB port from here-on for this cable. If your computer is connected to the internet it should automatically search and install in the USB cable drivers. If your computer does NOT automatically detect the cable, you may need to use 'Device Manager' to manually update/select the driver.
- Once installed, go to Control Panel -> System -> Then click on the Hardware tab, then click on Device Manager.
- Locate the entry 'USB Serial Port' in the 'Ports' section of Device Manager. It should read ‘USB Serial Port (COMX)'.
- Right-click on the above and select ‘Properties’, then click on the ‘Port Settings’ Tab and then click on ‘Advanced’.
- Change the 'Com Port Number' entry to 'COM1'.
- Change the 'Latency Timer (msec)' to '1'.
- Click on ‘OK’ and close all the windows, restart your PC to confirm all the changes.
4. Install INPA/EDIABAS 6.4.3 and 4.4.7
- Extract the contents of the downloaded file 'INPA-6.4.3-full.rar' and you'll find a .NRG file. This is a CD image that you'll need to either burn to a CD or extract to a folder using a tool such as ISOBuster.
- Once extracted, go into the following folder '/REFERENZ/INSTALL/', right-click on 'INSTPROG.exe' and select 'Properties', click on the Compatibility tab and change the dropdown to Windows XP SP3 as the Compatibility Mode, also tick 'Run As Administrator', then click 'Ok', then double-click the file to run the installation.
- Select 'English' as the language and click 'Next'.
- Select 'Next' until asked for 'Configuration', scroll to 'BMW Group Rectification Programs UK', click 'Next'.
- Tick the option 'Complete' for all of the options shown.
- Select 'Next' and allow the installation to start.
- After a minute or so, installation will complete, close the Window.
5. Verify environment variables
- Go into Control Panel -> System -> Advanced System Settings.
- Select 'Environment Variables' and then verify that the System Variables 'TMP' and 'TEMP' both contain the path 'C:\EDIABAS\Bin' within the 'Value' string - for instance "C:\Windows\Temp;C:\EDIABAS\Bin".
6. Prepare Installation Files
- Extract the contents of the downloaded file 'INPA_502_Updated.rar'.
- You'll use the contents of this archive during the next three steps.
7. Install BMW Tools
- From the above extracted file set, find the file 'Step 1_ Install BMW Tools.exe', right-click on it and select 'Properties'.
- Click on the Compatibility tab and change the dropdown to Windows XP SP3 as the Compatibility Mode, also tick 'Run As Administrator', then click 'Ok'
- Double-click on the above file to start the installation.
- Set the Destination Path C:\BMW Tools (Don’t change this path) -> 'Install' -> 'OK'.
- Select 'English' -> 'Continue' -> 'Continue'.
- Select 'C:' -> 'Continue'.
- Select 'Skip' -> 'Next'
- Accept the defaults for programs to update, then click 'Next'.
- Select 'Com1', 'OBD' and 'USB to Serial Adapter' -> 'Continue' -> 'Continue'.
- The installation will begin and complete.
8. Install INPA/EDIABAS 6.4.7 and 5.0.2
- From the above extracted file set, double-click the file 'Step 2_ Install INPA.exe'.
- The Destination Path should be 'C:\temp', leave as it is and click 'Next'.
- Choose 'English' and select 'Continue' and 'Continue'.
- Select 'C:\' and then 'Continue'.
- Select 'BMW Group Rectification Programs UK' and click 'Continue'.
- Tick 'Update' for all options where not grayed out, then 'Continue'.
- Select 'OBD', then 'Continue' and 'Continue'.
- The installation will begin and complete.
9. Install OBD Setup
- From the above extracted file set, double-click the file 'Step 3_Final Update.exe'.
- The Destination Path should be left as it is, then select 'Install'.
- Select 'Yes to all'.
- Once completed, the window will close itself.
10. Complete Installation
- From the above extracted file set, double-click the file 'serial port.reg'.
- When prompted, select 'Yes' and 'Yes'. You will receive confirmation that your registry has been updated.
- Locate the file 'C:\EDIABAS\Bin\obd.ini' and copy this file into your Windows folder.
- Edit the file 'C:\EC-APPS\INPA\CFGDAT\INPA.INI' in Notepad, locate the section that starts with '//F3', remove the slashes at the beginning of the three lines of text, and amend any instance of 'F10' to 'E46'.
In theory, you'll now have an INPA icon on your desktop and Start Menu - right-click on it, select 'Troubleshoot Compatibility', it'll select 'Windows XP SP3', click 'Next' and 'Save'. This step isn't necessarily required, however it apparently provides a little more stability for the application.
Now, with your interface connected via the USB port (remember NOT to plug the cable into any port other than the port that you originally configured the cable with) - and the other end connected to your car, fire up INPA and hopefully you'll have a working diagnosis tool
Apologies for any inaccuracies, please do PM me and I'll make corrections, but to my knowledge the above is the exact process that I used to get mine up and running.
Finally, I'd like to thank FAL for his help/assistance with getting my setup fully working
Good luck! - PLEASE POST YOUR FEEDBACK/SUCCESS (oh, and any failures
)
