Coded Her!

[MMMM6GC]

Originally Posted by Opie55

Also, roughly how long does this process take? Bimmercode recommends doing it with the ignition on and engine off. Once I select my options and start coding, is it 5 minutes or 30?

Preface - I used a newer android device, with latest version of bimmercode and their recommended Veepeek (sp?) adapter.

Followed the procedure per instructions, ignition on and engine off. Something I hadn't read up before was how long it took to initialize each group of coding options.

So for example, the process is as follows:
1. You initialize the connection between your phone and the adapter, then you're ready to code (1-3mins)
2. You then open the first coding group "Active Sound Design". This will take anywhere from 30secs to several minutes to open up the options, depending on which coding group it is.
3. You then have a poke around the menu to see what you can code, decide what specifically you want to code (or google what you're unsure of) - another couple minutes pass
4. Done picking options? Hit the code button - another 1-3mins as that coding group is applied to your car.

So just running through each coding group can take 5-10mins depending on how long you take and how fast the connection happens to be. In addition, if the connection drops or the app gets stuck (happened once or twice), you have to restart the app and do step 1 again. Oh and if you come out of an option group and want to go back into it, you have to repeat step 2 again.

Multiply that by the 10-15 coding groups there and you're easily looking at 45mins+ if you want to go through every menu and see every coding option...and then my low battery warning came on

So I started the car and carried on the coding - no issues at all and easily the best $55 I've spent. Can't believe some places charge that much to code one single item!

[rxryanm.]

Originally Posted by Opie55

Does anybody know what the coding option to switch on the "Empty Menu Item in Board Computer" does?

Also, roughly how long does this process take? Bimmercode recommends doing it with the ignition on and engine off. Once I select my options and start coding, is it 5 minutes or 30?

Not even 1 minute

[Frupal]

Originally Posted by Opie55

Does anybody know what the coding option to switch on the "Empty Menu Item in Board Computer" does?

Also, roughly how long does this process take? Bimmercode recommends doing it with the ignition on and engine off. Once I select my options and start coding, is it 5 minutes or 30?

Sorry, I don’t know

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Opie55

Does anybody know what the coding option to switch on the "Empty Menu Item in Board Computer" does?

Also, roughly how long does this process take? Bimmercode recommends doing it with the ignition on and engine off. Once I select my options and start coding, is it 5 minutes or 30?

The length of time can vary depending on which module you're coding and how many selections you've made. Some modules like the BDC or FEM control a lot of things and have a lot of coding options...so they take a bit longer to "read" before loading up so that you can make coding selections. If the module has only like 2 or 3 coding options...it takes like 15 seconds for it to load...where as the BDC or FEM or FRM can take 30 seconds to a minute.

The OBC empty space I would assume is for people that like a clean instrument cluster that doesn't necessarily have data (clutter). For example, there was a thread a few days ago where some forum members were describing themselves as OCD about the VOL knob's indicator line always being straight and not turned at an angle. If you have people that feel that way...I'm sure there are some that like to clean off the OBC display where nothing appears.

If you have a battery tender/charger...you can hook it up to the jump start terminals in the engine bay...this can help NOT drain the car's battery if you're new to coding (hence you may be a while as you play around with your new app ).

Once you've played around in the app and see what can be done...then if you need to go back in and redo or do some tweaking to what you've already done...then that probably won't take that long.

But personally...I hooked up my battery tender because I didn't want a drop in power (to any control module) while I was coding.

[Opie55]

Thanks. I also think it dawned on me what the empty menu item is. When you scroll though the various items with the button on the end of the turn signal stalk - date, mileage, average mpg, etc - there is a blank one before it starts over. I've always thought that was weird, so I think I'll get rid of it.

[Opie55]

So I coded mine today. One question. For those of you who coded the doors to unlock when the engine is shut off, do all the doors unlock? I only have two doors, but only my driver's door unlocked. It may be that I need a passenger for that door to unlock. I'll try that, but wondered what others observed. Also, I really wanted to get rid of the nanny alarm at 37 degrees outside temp. That is in expert mode, but I figured out how and will try it tomorrow. However, I think it only turns off the alarm at startup if it is already 37 or below, but the alarm still sounds if it drops to 37 while driving. Lame.

I left the seat belt chime alone for now because it was made for nitwits like me. I did all the other standard stuff you have all done - warnings and shutting off iDrive, etc. I also did:

Deleted the speed limit for the side view cameras. Totally useless but totally weird to watch both sides of the road on a split screen at 50 mph.

Added the tire temps in the TPMS display. Why not?

Got rid of the empty menu item when scrolling the cluster menu.

Made the rain/light sensor one step more sensitive. The rain sensor not being sensitive enough is one of my pet peeves about BMW, but if it makes the headlights turn on way earlier then I may not like the new setting. We'll see.

Enabled video in motion. Probably won't ever use it - besides today - although it might be funny to have the top down on a summer night and hear people next to me at stops lights say "Hey, that guy is watching Stars Wars on his nav screen!"

[doggboy]

I have been unable to find a way to show what gear the transmission is in at all times, not just when in sport plus or when using paddles. Has anyone found a way to do this?

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Opie55

So I coded mine today. One question. For those of you who coded the doors to unlock when the engine is shut off, do all the doors unlock? I only have two doors, but only my driver's door unlocked. It may be that I need a passenger for that door to unlock.

Go into iDrive>>>SETTINGS...then look for the lock/unlock option and remove/delete DRIVER'S DOOR from the selection box. This should deselect the "selective locking" setting off the driver's door being preferred over all other doors & make all doors unlock at the same time.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Go into iDrive>>>SETTINGS...then look for the lock/unlock option and remove/delete DRIVER'S DOOR from the selection box. This should deselect the "selective locking" setting off the driver's door being preferred over all other doors & make all doors unlock at the same time.

I figured that out. I did not realize that the coding had erased certain settings. It also erased all the button presets.

[sdlsky18]

could i ask if you have any kind of good bimmercode expert mode coding guide source? Curious what options i could tweak! Mine is 2014 650i coupe

Thx

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

In regards to #7...I wonder if you'll need to go into EXPERT MODE to select the correct model. It appears that there are just a few modules that they've put on the "front page" (aka easy mode). Dink around in some of the coding forums and you may find the correct coding to use as a tutorial map to change the model from M550d.

But still be careful in expert mode because the instructions may be for a model/model year that has a slightly different communication bus & module...so it may not work for your situation in that case...or you may not even be able to find it.

For example, I was watching one of ThicF30's youtube videos where he was coding the BRAKE FORCE flashing light feature...and there were multiple comments that they didn't see the module or the code number in expert mode...but they also failed to mention what BMW model/model year they had. In his f30 3 series...he had a FEM an REM (front electronic module & rear electronic module) that required coding to activate the 3 or 5 flashes when BRAKE FORCE braking activates. I knew immediately that the coding for my f06 would not be the same because it doesn't have an REM nor FEM (I have an FRM aka "footwell module) which controls all the front and rear lighting.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by sdlsky18

could i ask if you have any kind of good bimmercode expert mode coding guide source? Curious what options i could tweak! Mine is 2014 650i coupe

Thx

I have poked around some and not found one. Bimmercode just tells you that you can mess up your car, which is totally not helpful. And they say it's for those with experience, but don't say how such experience is obtained. I had figured somebody would have created a list of what is in there but I can't find one. And you can't even look though it and guess because it's in German, but mostly abbreviations.

[Qsilver7]

There are threads on some of the BMW coding forums that can be used as a guide if you want to try your hand in EXPERT mode on the BimmerCode app.

The traditional software apps like Esys was used for coding prior to the online apps...and again there are cheat sheets. If you google "BMW coding cheat sheet"...you'll probably find it quickly.

You'll see that the control module is listed, then the area within that module...then some other data. Be careful because not all BMWs use the same modules...so the coding "cheat" may not apply. You can also use the search feature in EXPERT mode by typing a key word from the cheat coding stream.

But again...use BC's expert mode with extreme caution if you don't know what you're doing.

[Opie55]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

There are threads on some of the BMW coding forums that can be used as a guide if you want to try your hand in EXPERT mode on the BimmerCode app.

The traditional software apps like Esys was used for coding prior to the online apps...and again there are cheat sheets. If you google "BMW coding cheat sheet"...you'll probably find it quickly.

You'll see that the control module is listed, then the area within that module...then some other data. Be careful because not all BMWs use the same modules...so the coding "cheat" may not apply. You can also use the search feature in EXPERT mode by typing a key word from the cheat coding stream.

But again...use BC's expert mode with extreme caution if you don't know what you're doing.

I have seen some cheat sheets, and they don't seem much longer than the list of coding options you can do in the user-friendly part of BC. I'm sure a deeper dive by me would find more lists, but as you say, some are not derived from BC. Given that coding is so popular, and people who are generally 90-130 years younger than I am are so computer literate, I just assumed somebody would have created a "here's what you can do in BC expert mode you can't do in dumb old guy mode" thread. It may be out there.