As a car enthusiast who enjoys tinkering with my vehicles, I’m always on the lookout for tools that can enhance my DIY capabilities. Recently, I decided to try out the Carly OBD2 scanner for my BMW, primarily to address some airbag fault codes that popped up after I removed my front seats (without disconnecting the battery – lesson learned!). I had heard about Carly and its coding capabilities, and wanted to share my personal experience to help others considering this tool.
Initially, my main goal was simple: clear those pesky airbag fault codes. A quick call to the local BMW dealership revealed they would charge me $120 just to clear the codes, quoting an hour of labor for a task that seemed like it should take minutes. Knowing I tend to explore and modify things on my car, I figured investing in a tool like Carly could save me money and hassle in the long run.
I purchased the Carly unit from Amazon for $50, and it arrived the very same day. The Carly app, which is essential for using the scanner, required a separate subscription costing another $50. While some might hesitate at the subscription model, considering the dealership’s quote and my inclination to tinker, the cost seemed justified.
Setting up Carly was incredibly straightforward. I downloaded the app on my phone and plugged the Carly adapter into the OBD port in my BMW. The Bluetooth connection was almost instantaneous, pairing seamlessly between the app and the device.
My first task was to clear the airbag fault codes. To my surprise, the process was lightning-fast, taking only about 5 minutes. In that short time, Carly had already paid for itself by saving me the exorbitant dealership fee. Everything else from this point on was a bonus.
Intrigued by Carly’s coding features, I started exploring what else it could do. The app interface is user-friendly, making it easy to navigate the various coding options. I decided to experiment with a few customizations, and I was impressed by how flawlessly everything worked.
One of the first things I coded was the iDrive system to turn off automatically as soon as I opened the driver’s door. I’ve always found it slightly annoying to have to press the start/stop button twice to ensure the system is fully off, often accidentally leaving the stereo playing. This single coding tweak alone significantly improved my daily driving experience and, in my opinion, was worth the price of the unit.
Next, I enabled the feature to automatically fold and unfold the side mirrors when locking and unlocking the car. On a vehicle in the luxury price range, I was always puzzled why this wasn’t a standard, readily available option. Carly made it incredibly simple to activate this convenient feature.
Continuing my customization journey, I then coded the windows to roll up and down by simply holding the lock and unlock buttons on the remote key fob. This is especially useful for quickly airing out the car on a hot day or ensuring all windows are closed with a single long press of the lock button.
Finally, I coded the door locks to unlock automatically as soon as the vehicle is turned off. Similar to the start button and iDrive behavior, I never quite adapted to having to pull the door handle twice to unlock and open the door. Carly allowed me to streamline this process to my preference.
These seemingly small but impactful coding adjustments have truly personalized my BMW and made it feel perfectly tailored to my preferences. The entire coding process with Carly was remarkably simple, intuitive, and, most importantly, worked without any hiccups.
For anyone looking to diagnose issues, clear fault codes, or customize various features on their BMW, based on my experience, Carly is an excellent investment. It’s user-friendly, cost-effective compared to dealership services, and unlocks a range of convenient and personalized settings. For me, Carly has undoubtedly been worth every penny.
