Toyota Mini VCI on 64 bit Windows

Mini VCI

I purchased a Mini VCI cable to perform diagnostics on a Toyota from an online site and it arrived with a cd containing drivers, the Techstream software, and some PDF documents with instructions.

The main files of interest on the cd were ‘MVCI Driver for TOYOTA’ and ‘Toyota Techstream 8.00.034’.  Reading the instructions it required me to install the MVCI driver followed by the Techstream software.

The MVCI driver repeatedly failed to install so after a quick search it appeared that other people also had this issue when using 64 bit versions of Windows 7, I was running 64 bit Windows 8.

BMW E46 Heater Fan Not Working Correctly

If you have a BMW E46, E39, X5, and I think the E36 with climate control and your heater fan has a mind of its own it is most likely the final stage resistor that is causing the problem.  In my case the fan stopped blowing, then after a day or two worked fine again for weeks, then stopped completely.  Other people report the fan changing speed for no reason.  The final stage resistor located just to the left of the clutch pedal on RHD cars.  It is located in an awkward location but it is possible for you to replace this with no special tools.

Repairs worth trying, iPhone and Car Keys (update: XBOX360)

Image by Andrew Burgess via Flickr

Update: XBOX360 repair

I don’t own and XBOX360 but a friend had an issue with 3 red lights flashing on the front of the unit.  After a small time searching the web it appears that this is a huge problem with XBOX360’s.  This fix involves replacing spring clamps for the heat sinks with screws and then overheating the unit.  I was pretty skeptical but there was a lot of references on the web.