You know how there's that plug down by the coffee cup holders to insert a diagnostics device?

Do any of you have diagnostoc computers to plug into this? Would you mind sharing brand names and opinions?

On my dash when I start up, I get something like 6 green lights but the two on the right are not green. One sort of makes a 7 (half a square) in red.

I don't notice anything about the vehicle not operating properly, but it would be good to have the piece of mind of some device that said everything is working fine.

Doug

Oil change and service interval lights. Six greens are a good thing, you've got quite a bit of time until your next oil change.

jake

Do any of you have diagnostoc computers to plug into this? Would you mind sharing brand names and opinions?

How much do you want to spend? $ 150 or 10.000 ?
The more you spend, the more you get.

Do any of you have diagnostoc computers to plug into this? Would you mind sharing brand names and opinions?

How much do you want to spend? $ 150 or 10.000 ?
The more you spend, the more you get.

Well, certainly not $10,000. I guess I want to spend enough that it would pay for itself by keeping me from getting ripped off at a dealer or indy service center?

Something that would tell me...

"All of a sudden a rod started knockin';
Down in the depths she started a rockin'."

... and a special prize if you supply the last two lines of those lyrics.

I looked in my mirror 'n' red lights are blinkin...
The cops was after my hot rod Lincoln....

jake

BTW, thanks, brother, for your 20+. Semper Fi!!

I lived/loved all 24 of mine....retired at Kadena in '83....stayed on as a charter boat captain, and returned to the ZI in '85. Spent the next 18 just north of you between Bal'more and DC.

jake

Actually, the 'last' two lines are:

He said: "Son, you're going to drive me to drinkin'
If you don't stop drivin' that hot rod Lincoln....

jake

1. ...that plug down by the coffee cup holders ...Do any of you have diagnostoc computers to plug into this?

2. On my dash...I get something like 6 green lights but the two on the right are not green. One sort of makes a 7 (half a square) in red.

Doug

Some Answers:
1. That would be your OBD II port connector. Check out OBD II readers, some are rather inexpensive like Actron, and some are very expensive like Peake... they will allow you to connect to this port and retrieve codes. You don't have to worry about things going wrong and not knowing it. Your car has a Check Control System that monitors crap all over the car. As soon as something goes wrong with any of these multitudes of sensors...they will register a fault and the car will communicate with YOU. The OBD II port and the (large round) diagnostic port under the hood is how you retrieve the info your car has stored.

When you read post where someone is asking about their SES or CEL light is illuminated...this is the car communicating that something is going wrong...or if one of the Priority 1 or Priority 2 messages appear in the CCD (check control display)...again, the car is communicating to you that something is wrong. :)

2. Those lights are the Service Interval Lights [5 Green/1 Amber/1 Red] are again, the car communicating to you how near it is to an Oil Service or Inspection I/II. This link explains it in detail (further than the info in the owners manual): http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/maintenance.htm

>>>>>>Normal<<<<<>>>>>>Oil Service<<<>>>>>Inspection<<<<>>>>Service Overdue<<<
http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/service_normal.gif http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/service_oil.gif http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/service_inspection.gif http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/service_overdue.gif

Some Answers:
1. That would be your OBD II port connector. Check out OBD II readers, some are rather inexpensive like Actron, and some are very expensive like Peake... they will allow you to connect to this port and retrieve codes. You don't have to worry about things going wrong and not knowing it. You car has a Check Control System that monitors crap all over the car. As soon as something goes wrong with any of these multitudes of sensors...they will register a fault and the car will communicate with YOU. The OBD II port and the (large round) diagnostic port under the hood is how you retrieve the info your car has stored.

When you read post where someone is asking about their SES or CEL light is illuminated...this is the car communicating that something is going wrong...or if one of the Priority 1 or Priority 2 messages appear in the CCD (check control display)...again, the car is communicating to you that something is wrong. :)

2. Those lights are the Service Interval Lights [5 Green/1 Amber/1 Red] are again, the car communicating to you how near it is to an Oil Service or Inspection I/II. This link explains it in detail (further than the info in the owners manual): http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/maintenance.htm (http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/maintenance.htm)

Thanks very helpful indeed.

Actually, the 'last' two lines are:

He said: "Son, you're going to drive me to drinkin'
If you don't stop drivin' that hot rod Lincoln....

jake

I guess you win the prize twice. I was meaning the last two lines of that particular stanza, but said lyrics. You got them both. I just sent an original .45 of the song as sung by Charlie Ryan as a present to my cousin Fritz who introduced us all to it circa '56. You might be interested in this link... and there are several others.

http://www.rockabillyhall.com/HotRodLncln1.html

Yeah, I heard that song many, many times driving the highways of Texas listening to Wolfman Jack out of Oklahoma....what a great time to be alive!!!

jake