Reddit reviews Original Carly WiFi GEN 2 OBD Adapter for iPhone - BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Renault, Toyota

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X3UYXM0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$82.90

Yeah, 87,000 is close enough that it wouldn't hurt to do the spark plugs now. With that bad vibration/check engine light it's hard to say what might have caused it.

Over the years I've had a few occasions where I've had something similar, but it's been so few and far between that it's usually easiest to chalk up to a computer glitch that's resolved by the restart and not something with a mechanical cause. If it happens again try to read the code. An inexpensive code reading solution is any cheap ELM327 bluetooth OBD II adapter from Amazon (around $10) and the Torque app for an Android phone. A more powerful solution that can give you BMW specific codes and also lets you do lots of coding to customize features in your car is to buy the Carly adapter (Android adapter, iOS adapter) and their app.

They're all DIYable, some with a higher skill level than others of course. If you have a place to do it and can read and follow instructions you can do any job and save lots of money even if you need to buy the tools first. Lots of people are intimidated by it but with just a bit of care it's something anyone can handle. One of the big things I follow that solves the biggest problems new DIYers face is using a torque wrench when tightening fasteners. If you do that you won't need to worry about overtightening anything and breaking off a bolt, or undertightening and having it come out. If you aren't comfortable with it or you can't afford to take the time to do it yourself, a good independent shop will be a much better bet than the dealership.

Here are DIYs for the ones I mentioned:

Spark Plugs (Easy)

Ignition coil removal - Part of spark plug DIY.

Valve cover gasket (Challenging)

Motor Mount (Moderate challenge, but more in the getting to bolts way than complexity) Couldn't find a Youtube video I liked, this has lots of pictures and good step-by-step though. The only thing I would change from their DIY is to use this or similar engine support bar rather than supporting the engine from below.

I'd say the spark plugs and coils are absolutely something you can do yourself but read and watch the DIYs on the motor mounts and VCG carefully before deciding to tackle that. If you see no oil down in the spark plug you likely don't need the VCG anyway, and the motor mounts would just cause you to feel the misfires more and you can actually see it on the tach.

This is what I got:

OBD transmitter:
https://www.amazon.com/Original-Carly-BMW-Adapter-Generation/dp/B00X3UYXM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492533694&sr=8-1&keywords=carly

App:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/carly-for-bmw-pro/id467343427?mt=8

I loved the app, it let you program a bunch of different things (including folding the mirrors when the car is locked). It also would let you see live information from the ECU when the car was running.

Amazon is: https://www.amazon.com/Original-Carly-Adapter-Generation-Iphone/dp/B00X3UYXM0