USE.
I used ISTA+ with a regular DCAN cable, as that is the interface for the E Series. If you want to use it for a F or G series, you will need a ENET cable; this is just the same 20-pin cable but with a J45 interface, i.e. ethernet interface. Why did BMW decide this is beyond my scope of knowledge. As most modern laptops rely on simple USB's (or USB C) you may have to get a NEW ENET cable and a USB to ETHERNET adapter. The options are many. If you want to use this as a tool for servicing other vehicles, you will need multiple cables.
The interface for ISTA+ is way more modern than any of the other software I have tested. It is actually kind of pretty:
- ISTAStart.jpg (50.21 KiB) Viewed 2079 times
I can't tell how all the functions interact, because there are 92 pages of them (in the UM). One trick: the GUI has a fixed aspect ratio, so if you have a screen less than 14 In, the operation buttons will be not visible. There is no regular FULL SCREEN icon, so it took me a while to figure it out: DOUBLE CLICK on the top ribbon and you get the full view. That makes working with ISTA+ easier.
An initial screen will let you run a full diagnostics:
- ista GUI2.jpg (69.16 KiB) Viewed 2079 times
From then on, you are on your own, together with your manual. It is obvious that ISTA+ is the most powerful of all software.
Summary
It can be found for free, and it is very powerful. But some caveats are there:
1. It can diagnose E Series cars but WILL NOT PROGRAM ANYTHING in them. The software claims it can program F & G series, but not having one of them, I can't vouch for it.
2. This is pirated software. As I do not live in a civilized country, I could not care less; but if you are in Europe or some portions of the USA, you may want to consider this issue.
3. Buy the proper cable for YOUR type of car. E Series use DCAN, F & G use ENET. Or the DCAN plus the adapter. Your choice.
4. It is funny in that it works based on OPERATIONS. By that it means that you can start a diagnosis of one car, switch to another, and the operations in the first one remain in the memory. You can do as many as three. But when you are done, you need to delete them, otherwise it will not accept more operations. Not a big issue, but just a pointer.
5. I can't tell what sort of programming can be done in F & G series. But it looks like almost anything is possible.
6. I started this entire education on diagnostic tools because my TRANSPORT MODE was stuck. This software is a replacement for D57 (the previous standard) but, as ISTA+ it cannot program E-series, D57 could still be of use. But for that, I would rather recommend Scanner V1.4.
7. Read the manual, if you really want to work with this.
I did it on an external HD but, due to the size, I would recommend installing it on a removable SD. A 128 will do for only diagnostics (at 60GB) but if you want the full package, you will need another 100GB. So go for a 256GB.
