There are three main cable interfaces used for BMW coding - the K-Line, K+DCAN, and ENET cables. In this blog post, we’re going to show the functionalities of the three cables and the compatible BMW models for each cable interface.

K-Line Cable Interface for BMW Coding

The K-Line cable is a diagnostic tool USB device that allows access to BMW vehicles with the K-line interface from 1996-2007. It's a stand alone programming tool that connects automatically to your vehicle and works in conjunction with a BMW diagnostic software of your choice. The cable supports all BMW diagnostic software (Windows and Android native), such as INPA, ISTA, Rheingold, EDIABAS, NCS Expert, DIS, Progman, Carly for BMW etc. 

The K-Line cable is mainly used for coding E-chassis BMW vehicles. The compatible BMW models are as follows:

1-Series - E81 up to 03/2007

3-Series - E36 from 1996, E46, E90/E91/E92/E93 up to 03/2007

5-Series - E39, E60/E61 up to 03/2007

6-Series - E63/E64 up to 03/2007

7-Series - E38, E65/E66/E67/E68 up to 03/2007

X3 - E83 up to 03/2007

X5 - E53, E70 up to 03/2007

Z-series - Z3: E36/E37/E38, Z4: E85/E86 up to 03/2007

BMW Motorbikes

K+DCAN Cable Interface for BMW Coding 

The K+DCAN cable is a USB device with FTDI 232RL / 232RLRQ chip for full diagnostic and coding. It comes with a 2-in-1 switch interface functionality. It allows you to switch between (left flip) older models (1998-2007) using K-Line and (right flip) the newer models (2007-2018) using the DCAN interface. It runs on Windows XP/7/8/10 and works with INPA, EDIABAS, NCSexpert, NCS Dummy, SSS Progman, Tool32, WinKFP, and many other BMW software.

The compatible BMW models are as follows:

DCAN Interface (right flip switch)

1-Series - E81, E87 after 3/2007

3-Series - E90/E91/E92/E93 after 3/2007

5-Series - E60/E61 after 3/2007

X3 - E83 after 9/2006

X5 - E53, E70 after 3/2007

Mini - Z3: R50/R52/R53/R55/R56/R57/R58/R60/R61

K-Line Interface (left flip switch) 

1-Series - E81 up to 03/2007

3-Series - E36 from 1996, E46, E90/E91/E92/E93 up to 03/2007

5-Series - E39, E60/E61 up to 03/2007

6-Series - E63/E64 up to 03/2007

7-Series - E38, E65/E66/E67/E68 up to 03/2007

X3 - E83 up to 03/2007

X5 - E53, E70 up to 03/2007

Z-series - Z3: E36/E37/E38, Z4: E85/E86 up to 03/2007

BMW Motorbikes

ENET Cable Interface for BMW Coding

The ENET cable is equipped with an RJ45 Ethernet connector and a 16-pin OBD connector to connect with a BMW vehicle.  With this diagnostic tool, you can choose to program a single module or hide multiple modules. This all works through the ENET data line and the E-SYS ICOM coding. It works with many different software options, letting you take the approach to your vehicle that makes the most sense to you. You can try out ECOM, ICOM, INPA, ISIS, ISTA Rheingold, and many others to find the software that feels most intuitive and functional for your needs.

The ENET cable is primarily used for coding F-chassis BMW vehicles. The compatible BMW models are as follows: 

1-Series - F20/F21, F40, F52

2- Series - F22/F23, F45/F46, F44

3-Series - F30/F31/F34/F35, M3, G20/G21

4-Series - F32/F33/F36, G22/G23/G26

5-Series - F10/F11/F07/F18, G30/G31

6-Series - F06/F12/F13, G32

7-Series - F01/F02/F03/F04, G11/G12

X3 - F25, G01, G08

X4 - F26, G02

X5 - F15, F85, G05, X5 M

X6 - X6 M

Mini - Z3: 2014+ Mini Cooper (all variants with iDrive controller)

i3 - all variants

i8 - all variants

If you need some assistance in your BMW coding and programming, you can request for remote coding assistance for a flat fee here: https://bit.ly/RemoteCodingAssistance