[gugin]

Does the X3 have some kind of a log or ledger containing all coding changes done to the vehicle? Suppose I code legal disclaimers off but code them back on before bringing the car in for service. Will the shop technician be able to tell that I made those two changes, or will the car appear "normal" to him?

What about Connected Drive? I have not yet signed up for it in fear that once I sign up, the car will communicate to BMW the coding changes I plan to make.

[nogren]

Originally Posted by gugin

Does the X3 have some kind of a log or ledger containing all coding changes done to the vehicle? Suppose I code legal disclaimers off but code them back on before bringing the car in for service. Will the shop technician be able to tell that I made those two changes, or will the car appear "normal" to him?

What about Connected Drive? I have not yet signed up for it in fear that once I sign up, the car will communicate to BMW the coding changes I plan to make.

There are threads already about this. Conclusion; don't worry. Especially if you only want to turn off disclaimers.

[JamRWS6]

Originally Posted by gugin

Does the X3 have some kind of a log or ledger containing all coding changes done to the vehicle? Suppose I code legal disclaimers off but code them back on before bringing the car in for service. Will the shop technician be able to tell that I made those two changes, or will the car appear "normal" to him?

What about Connected Drive? I have not yet signed up for it in fear that once I sign up, the car will communicate to BMW the coding changes I plan to make.

They can tell but do they care? Unless you change the VO and it causes them issues while trying to update software you won't have issues. FWIW I have mine changed to a Euro spec car and since they've never updated software it has not been an issue. Disclaimers are nothing.

[cvee]

Originally Posted by JamRWS6

They can tell but do they care? Unless you change the VO and it causes them issues while trying to update software you won't have issues. FWIW I have mine changed to a Euro spec car and since they've never updated software it has not been an issue. Disclaimers are nothing.

What’s a VO?
I use bimmercode to change some settings, and also paid for a 3rd party unlock of Carplay.
Would those change vo?

My car was in recently to check some recall items, and they were also going to update the software. They had to keep my car for 7 days because they could not successfully complete the software update. They had to contact Germany for codes and assistance.

When I took the car in.... I did not have any issues... so I didn’t take the car in with any coding faults/issues/problems.

Now that car is back I coded less options and as reported on these forums the Carplay unlock doesn’t work anymore after recent car software version.

[gugin]

I second that, what is VO? Cvee, your experience does not give me much encouragement. I guess I need to think about coding more carefully than I was planning to. I really don't want to find out that my dealer is a jerk and will invalidate my warranty when my car gives them trouble.

[teaston]

VO coding is when you retrofit something, as opposed to FDL coding which is what bimmercode does.

[Yobyot]

I'd strong recommend that people search the forums (and the "other" BMW forums) to learn what they are doing with their cars BEFORE you starting changing things.

Here's how I understand the available processes. Let's hope Almaretto sees this and chimes in; he's the real expert.

VO coding is used to add/change the factory order in the car. For example US-spec cars with high-beam assist will have a code in the "vehicle order" like this:

5AP Decode Antiglare FLA Highbeam Assist

If you want to enable the European "light tunnel technology", you might (as part of many other changes) delete this feature code in the vehicle order and write it back to the car as part of the coding process. (It's also possible to just VO code the control until without writing it back to the car.)

Changing what the car thinks it has from the factory is where people run into trouble when their car is hooked up (presumably to ISTA+) at the dealer. The car no longer agrees with what BMW thinks it built and since nobody but BMW is supposed to retrofit our cars, there's no provision for this possibility in the BMW maintenance system and all bets are off. Dealers know less about coding than the online hobbyists do and what I believe they'd generally do is throw up their hands and blame you.

OTOH, what Bimmercode and, presumably, Carly do is called "FDL coding." FDL coding only changes options in existing control units. You're just turning stuff that was already there on or off. It's analogous to making registry changes in Windows. You're not supposed to but, in general and as long as you don't tell Windows to destroy itself, when you update Windows the changed registry entries don't matter.

Back at the dealership, if you have just FDL coded things like no disclaimers, changing the startup animation or remembering ASS state at startup unless the tech is amazingly observant, there should be no problem because when the car is connected to ISTA+, the factory order and the car's readout of what's installed will match.

[cvee]

Thanks for that great explanation.
It still leaves a question re the 3rd party Carplay unlock I originally had installed.
Is that a VO config.... or since it’s a purchasable item from connected store... is it something else?

[codex57]

I'm curious too about the 3rd party CarPlay. I'd like to know how that's resolved. Have you contacted the website you got the CarPlay unlock from to see what they say?

[Almaretto]

Originally Posted by gugin

Does the X3 have some kind of a log or ledger containing all coding changes done to the vehicle? Suppose I code legal disclaimers off but code them back on before bringing the car in for service. Will the shop technician be able to tell that I made those two changes, or will the car appear "normal" to him?

What about Connected Drive? I have not yet signed up for it in fear that once I sign up, the car will communicate to BMW the coding changes I plan to make.

It depends on how coding is done.

Dealership does not have tools to detect. But, BMW does have master technicians with special tools to analyze vehicles. These are called in for remote sessions when service department runs into an issue as well as when determining whether to resell as CPO.

Not signing up will not prevent telematics.

Originally Posted by cvee

What’s a VO?
I use bimmercode to change some settings, and also paid for a 3rd party unlock of Carplay.
Would those change vo?

My car was in recently to check some recall items, and they were also going to update the software. They had to keep my car for 7 days because they could not successfully complete the software update. They had to contact Germany for codes and assistance.

When I took the car in.... I did not have any issues... so I didn’t take the car in with any coding faults/issues/problems.

Now that car is back I coded less options and as reported on these forums the Carplay unlock doesn’t work anymore after recent car software version.

VO is acronym for English translation of Fahrzeugauftrag (FA), German for Vehicle Order. It contains all the information you would find if you decoded VIN.

No. Bimmercode is FDL coding.

Carplay activation via USB removes OEM FSC codes, patches head unit, inserts custom FSC set, and makes necessary FDL changes. This process changes vehicle file signatures as well as can cause issues during flash programming. Sometimes, it blocks updating. Post update, car will not have OEM FSC codes so certain functions will be disabled. This requires FSC repair.

November 2018 (or newer) vehicle software prevent use of USB bin files.

[SROC3]

They don't care about coding. If anything, they will care about ECU tuning. I've coded all my cars for the past 10 years.....never had an issue.

[tonyb15re]

I had an M140i, it didn't come with a reversing camera so I had an aftermarket installed and coded into the head unit, it wasn't an OEM one either, it was never questioned at the service which I assume they ran a diagnostics check and if they were worried would have challenged me. I also believe that if you get an official FSC code from BMW and have the changes programmed correctly then you will be unlikely to be challenged but of course Im not the expert on this .

[Rhidium]

I talked to a genius guy about this. He said some BMW dealerships may care, but they have cool people people there so unless all the employees change out then they wouldn't say anything about it. The guy was pretty cool about stuffl