Should I buy the R5B oil service tool or the R5/FCX 3 engine scan tool?
Most people who order the low cost oil service reset tool end up buying the R5/FCX 3 later. Why? Because check engine lights (also known as the MIL or “service engine soon” light) are simply unavoidable in BMWs. Unless you have the R5/FCX 3 you are put in the position of relying on or paying a repair shop or local BMW dealer to read the codes, but usually at a cost of about $100, which is the price difference between the R5B oil service tool and the R5/FCX 3. Sometimes you find out that the MIL was on for nothing more than a loose gas cap. But, when faced with a large, hard to understand repair bill and overly technical explanation, it becomes clear that the extra money for the R5/FCX 3 would have been money well spent. Scan tools are popular for a good reason. People who think that code scanning is too technical have not tried the R5/FCX 3, using one compares in difficulty to checking your oil or putting gas in you car! And for the shop techs reading this, you probably already know th
