Foxwell NT530... definitely not impressed

[clarker63]

I'm posting here because I have an e89 and I have seen quite a few people recommending the NT530. I was interested because I have another car that I also want to use it with, and it appeared to be a good way to have both cars supported via a scanning/fixing device.

About 10 days ago I started the "journey", and was immediately completely confused with the range of solutions they have, and what each one does. I guess its easy if you just want the BMW one, but I also wanted a Suzuki, which isn't on their list, so I started a dialogue with their customer services. Despite what it says on their chatbox (we typically respond in a few minutes), it took days to get to the bottom of which one to buy (they suggested the NT530 with BMW+1 extra car). So I decided to do that. £165 for the pleasure no less.

Even buying that one on their website is confusing. you have two boxes to choose your configuration. the first "language" - which includes english, but also a list of vehicle manufacturers (go figure!). the second, version, which contains only a list of manufacturers. I chose English, and BMW (as suzuki is not on that list).

Ordered about 8 days ago. the tracking suggests that its coming from the UK as it provides a royal mail tracking number. so you watch the tracking (which says royal mail has been notified of the package) of the but nothing happens. I chased after 6 days, then "miraculously" it started moving. 2 days later it turned up, obviously shipped from China.

The website suggests they have some sort of UK presence although it also looks like a Czech company. I guess the slow response from their customer services should have given me some confirmation that it wasnt local.

I havent used it yet, as I have no codes on the Z4, and wanted to add the Suzuki version. I requested it being added (yet another day goes by) and today I have managed to add the suzuki to the scanner. Hurrah, you might think. but no, it doesn't have BMW "pre-installed" as you would expect (as that is what I ordered)... so yet another email to their customer services, and now I am waiting again.

this may indeed be a great tool, but now about 12 days into the experience, and yet to actually use it, I am losing patience with it.

Just a cautionary tale for those who might be considering buying one...

[clarker63]

So I now have tried it with the 2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.9 DDIS , I have a light on the dash that I wanted to investigate more - which appears to be reporting water in diesel fuel filter, but I have checked and there isn't any. Some searching suggests it could be the dreaded DPF.....hence I thought this would be a helpful tool for that.. However,

1) it doesn't automatically recognise the VIN (although I supplied this to Foxwell and they said it was supported).
2) their list of suzukis is baffling, and whilst there are quite a few grand vitaras, none appear to have the same prefixes I have...
3) using a generic "grand vitara" selection, it then asks for which engine type. 1-3, 4 or 5. No idea what that relates to and never seen anything that would help me work it out.

They now have enabled the BMW version for me, and I'm downloading it as we speak. interestingly the BMW file is 700mb, whereas the suzuki is 10mb (in this case I suspect that less is definitely NOT more).

I have no codes showing for the Z but I thought it might be useful for the future as mines a keeper (certainly for some time).... but doesn't bode well in terms of it being particularly useful.

I'll try connecting it to the Z once its running. maybe it'll be more exciting then.

[Pbondar]

For less money, for a dedicated BMW tool Bimmergeeks Protool is far far better..assuming you have a cheap android device to load it with..

As I said elsewhere Foxwell is ok as a general purpose broad range tool but falls short as soon as you start to wander too far from stock errors..

As a side note I was at Durham Daves yesterday getting new pump/injectors fitted and there super duper Snap-On £3,500 reader with a £150 a year subscription couldn't code a BMW injector fitted to dozens of BMWs..of course Protool did it no sweat!

[R.E92]

Pro Tool really is amazing, I don't bother using my laptop for anything other than module updates anymore.

It does pretty much everything and it's not VIN locked so you pay for it once and you have unlimited use for as many BMWs as you want. I have a friend who works as the workshop manager at a BMW dealer and he was seriously impressed how much can be done from a mobile phone, his staff are using the genuine BMW ISIS workshop system with ISTA+ and they spend hours just messing around updating the software every month and fixing IT problems which inevitably crop up with Windows and BMW software updates.

It does lack the ability to flash modules but it has some functions which are much more powerful than the genuine BMW suite. The ability to log sensor data from almost any sensor in the car makes it really useful for tracking down intermittent faults or issues that are only present when the car is being driven.

[clarker63]

It seems to work "ok" with the Z. its read a few codes and there look to be some useful features.. but I'm generally disappointed with it as I hoped to kill two birds with one stone. Seems like you need 2 stones, and the NT530 is not necessarily one of them , and I am not sure there's a good suzuki equivalent....

[Pbondar]

It seems to work "ok" with the Z. its read a few codes and there look to be some useful features.. but I'm generally disappointed with it as I hoped to kill two birds with one stone. Seems like you need 2 stones, and the NT530 is not necessarily one of them , and I am not sure there's a good suzuki equivalent....

Been there done that..I'm hoping my Jeep Wrangler from the Stone Age will be within its limits..

Both the E89/Mini and Volvo XC70 had faults it couldn't diagnose / clear..

[clarker63]

So two weeks later, I'm still waiting for the (useless) Foxwell team to make the NT530 talk to my Suzuki grand Vitara. they wanted pictures of every step and there are about 15 to get where it doesn't do what they promised. rather annoying. no response since I gave them that.

I'm not sure I'll get my money back either from them either, but I will be trying...

Just saying, as per other views, I think there are better, cheaper options that trying to do what I did.

I'm not sure I trust it enough to fix anything at the moment.

Thumbs down for the Foxwell!

[Pbondar]

So two weeks later, I'm still waiting for the (useless) Foxwell team to make the NT530 talk to my Suzuki grand Vitara. they wanted pictures of every step and there are about 15 to get where it doesn't do what they promised. rather annoying. no response since I gave them that.

I'm not sure I'll get my money back either from them either, but I will be trying...

Just saying, as per other views, I think there are better, cheaper options that trying to do what I did.

I'm not sure I trust it enough to fix anything at the moment.

Thumbs down for the Foxwell!

I'll strike the Grand Vitara off my 'yet to be sampled' list then

[clarker63]

I'll strike the Grand Vitara off my 'yet to be sampled' list then

I think the gv is a good 4x4, but i am not so sure about the foxwell!

[Pbondar]

I'll strike the Grand Vitara off my 'yet to be sampled' list then

I think the gv is a good 4x4, but i am not so sure about the foxwell!

I went with a better 4 x 4 and my Foxwell works perfectly

[clarker63]

I went with a better 4 x 4

Haha, maybe...

Anyhow, they've now given up answering my emails or a request for a refund just for the suzuki software. As mentioned its an expensive tool just for the BMW options, so don't be fooled (as I was from their responses to my emails requesting clarification before I purchased it) that it was great for anything else... Buy with caution.

[Pbondar]

If it’s any consolation when I tried to do something modest with my Chrysler version of the Foxwell it fell over..

So got another iOS/android product just for the Jeep