bmw-digest V9 #855

["Brant M. Miller" <brant@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim -

It would appear that our sick government has sunk to a new low.  If have
followed the thread and read you correctly, ownership of a device that is=

capable of performing an illegal act, but which a legitimate purpose, has=

been made illegal.  That would be good precedent for making modified chip=

ownership (unless certified for California), knife ownership, et cetera a=
d
nausium, illegal.  Surely that can not be true.

The problem that we have here is that by holding needed tools off the
market, BMW has created an opportunity for after-market vendors.  A vendo=
r
has included too much capability in its device, but that device has plent=
y
of legitimate uses.

Re ABS manipulation during flushing, I would like to be able to do that. =

My brakes are squishy and I don't like it.  If I could flush the ABS, I
could at least eliminate one possible cause.  My dealer said that he
manipulated the ABS while flushing when I had it done a while back, but t=
he
brakes are still squishy.  Since I do not get to talk to the Technician a=
t
the dealer, only to a service rep, God-only knows what was really done. =

Where do I get one of the devices?  (For a '95 E34)

Re the training issue, that does not mean that the owner should not have
access to the codes.  It means that he should have access to better
information.

Cheers

Brant

>Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 07:59:35 -0700
From: Land Shark <lndshrk@domain.elided>
Subject: Possession of this (odometer) device

is a federal felony..

You get caught with one.. you got to jail.. 5 years
in a nice federal prison.

They violate the US laws on odometer tampering.

If you attempt to import one, it will be siezed and
you might get charged!

As far as diagnostic equipment.. there are TONS of =

devices that will manipulate the ABS for flushing
and NONE of them are needed.

When's the last time your dealer used one?!?

The problem with all these "fault code readers" so =

prevalent now is that the user/owner doesn't have
the training needed to interpret what the codes mean

They are nowhere near as simple as the old 4 digit
flash codes on pre-OBD-II vehicles :(

Jim<

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