[rexmatt]

Hello
I've had my f30 car for a few months now, and I've done quite a bit of coding. Since I've had the car, it hasn't yet been to a BMW dealership, but I'm planning on doing that soon. My concern is the coding. I still have several months left on my factory warranty, and I'm worried that they'll notice/find my coding changes and void my warranty. Is this a possibility? If so, will restoring each module back to coding defaults erase all evidence
Thanks!

[eluded]

No

[chowser51]

they don't care about the coding.
if they do an update, it will reset all your coding.

i did all my coding then went in for the sos module recall and all my coding was wiped.

[Billfitz]

If they do a software update it will not only reset all coded items to factory default, it will also render some items no longer able to be coded. Even if you tell them not to update your software they may do so anyway. Between this issue and the exorbitant prices for service often charged by dealers you should reconsider going to one for anything other than warranty service.

[TheBingoBalls]

Depends. There was a PuMA case where a customer had issues with their head unit and navigation and when the they tried to reprogram the car, it would keep throwing faults for it. Case was sent to BMW and they found errors for missing microphone - owner had coded Extended/Enhanced Bluetooth. BMW declined any further troubleshooting and the owner's original issue was not covered.

This is not to scare you or anyone, so depending on what you consider programming/coding, you always have to be careful and cautious because you never know what happens once your car gets connected for diagnostics.

[rexmatt]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

If they do a software update it will not only reset all coded items to factory default, it will also render some items no longer able to be coded. Even if you tell them not to update your software they may do so anyway. Between this issue and the exorbitant prices for service often charged by dealers you should reconsider going to one for anything other than warranty service.

Interesting. Do you have any examples of what specifically would not be able to be coded after updates? What updating is being referred to, ECU, iDrive, All of the electronic modules? Isn't it illegal for them to update my software if I tell them not to?

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by rexmatt

Interesting. Do you have any examples of what specifically would not be able to be coded after updates? What updating is being referred to, ECU, iDrive, All of the electronic modules? Isn't it illegal for them to update my software if I tell them not to?

No because any sort of software update is only performed if there is an issue or fault that is currently present and update will fix it or if BMW found something that needs to be fixed - dealerships don't just update software for the sake of it and/or because there is a new software available.

[capt_slow]

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

No because any sort of software update is only performed if there is an issue or fault that is currently present and update will fix it or if BMW found something that needs to be fixed - dealerships don't just update software for the sake of it and/or because there is a new software available.

An I-Step update is generally avoided by dealers unless it's called for in a SIB, PuMA case, or an approved maintenance procedure. In those cases, time can be charged to BMWNA in case there is a consequential repair resulting from a failed programming session like a bricked ECU. The engineers on the other end of the PuMA case will also blindly call for a I-Step update to see if it fixes the problem. You can always ask the dealer for a I-Step update, but you will pay the labor and any consequential repair.

Originally Posted by TheBingoBalls

Depends. There was a PuMA case where a customer had issues with their head unit and navigation and when the they tried to reprogram the car, it would keep throwing faults for it. Case was sent to BMW and they found errors for missing microphone - owner had coded Extended/Enhanced Bluetooth. BMW declined any further troubleshooting and the owner's original issue was not covered.

This is not to scare you or anyone, so depending on what you consider programming/coding, you always have to be careful and cautious because you never know what happens once your car gets connected for diagnostics.

Above sounds like VO coding Enhanced Bluetooth, which does throw red flags as BMW can compare to their database when the car was built. As long as you go back to your factory VO when you take the car in, it should be fine. FDL coding will be wiped out upon I-Step update.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by rexmatt

Interesting. Do you have any examples of what specifically would not be able to be coded after updates?

Search 'locked DME' and 'Cannot change turn signal number of blinks'. Those are the two most publicized, I'm sure there are others.

[capt_slow]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

Search 'locked DME' and 'Cannot change turn signal number of blinks'. Those are the two most publicized, I'm sure there are others.

Strange. My car has been flashed to F020-20-11-540 and I can FDL and VO code just fine. The locked DMEs are a known problem now with the newer I-Step, but that's generally associated with flashing the DME with a tune. FDL and VO coding are settings changes within the existing software to turn on/off certain features.

[psyki]

Originally Posted by rexmatt

Interesting. Do you have any examples of what specifically would not be able to be coded after updates? What updating is being referred to, ECU, iDrive, All of the electronic modules? Isn't it illegal for them to update my software if I tell them not to?

There are two popular features that I'm aware of that were eliminated in istep versions that start in 2016, so if your car is newer than that you may already have these features disabled.

Coding a custom number of blinks when you use the turn signal lever, after 2016 it's always 3 blinks no matter what you code.

The other feature is for cars that have surround view cameras, in the early models you can store the desired behavior when you put the shift lever into reverse between the backup camera and surround view. After 2016 it defaults to the backup camera when you put it into reverse, no matter what you set it to last.