[djcarbon]

Hello everyone. I’m trying to become more self sufficient with my UK Spec, 2008, 320i E90 and also be able to help others out in my neck of the woods if I can. Mechanically I’m coming along reasonably well and can do the basic, obvious, or well documented repairs or service on my car. I have an ICOM A+B+C and have been able to use ISTA+ to do my diagnosis for some time now. Where I’m looking for direction/help/assistance is with beginning to understand BMW coding and tuning. I have gotten my hands on a Kess V2 (Red) to add to my hardware/software toolbox.

My first entry into DIY is a practical one. I had a major N43B20 issue where I spun a bearing and rebuilt the engine as the block was fine and the head was not warped. The crankshaft and all the bearings were replaced and all was well again. The root cause was discovered to be an oil breakdown issue because of heat which was traced back to the catalytic converter of all things that was clogged. To minimize or remove the chances of a repeat in the short term we removed the cat and surely the heat that was being contained in the engine bay is no more. I can run soft; I can run hard; I can run and actually stand next to the car without melting shoes or clothing lol. So no cat… great (or not but we can debate the merits of a cat in another thread)! BUT the engine light! The infernal oxygen sensor fault. Both oxygen sensors that are after the cat are new sensors so I know that its not the sensors. I’ve put spacers on them. Engine light. I’ve put a spacer on the spacer to move the oxygen sensor further out of the main exhaust stream. Engine light. So I’m thinking that I should be able to delete/kill the sensors with some coding/programming/tuning.

• What’s the difference in coding, programming, and tuning? I don’t want to use the terms interchangeably if they’re not the same.
  
• Where do I start?
  
• What can I do? How can I get into my first ‘project’ - removing the engine light after having de-catted the car?
  

Thanks in advance to the hive.

[PhilipM]

Coding - setting up configuration switches already in the module
Programming - usually updating or changing official software versions
Tuning - modifying official software versions.

You will need to read your ECU (KESS) and find the way to disable the fault codes for the lambda.
Maybe if you are lucky, you could find an official software version that does not use the check engine light for catalyser monitoring, but they are rare on modern cars.

[djcarbon]

Coding - setting up configuration switches already in the module
Programming - usually updating or changing official software versions
Tuning - modifying official software versions.

You will need to read your ECU (KESS) and find the way to disable the fault codes for the lambda.
Maybe if you are lucky, you could find an official software version that does not use the check engine light for catalyser monitoring, but they are rare on modern cars.

Thanks PhilipM. This is a start. I'm also seeing/reading about INPA and NCS Expert as ways of possibly removing the code from the list of errors maybe. The hunt continues...

[Patrick11021979]

Only possible with modifying the dme software file... Read it with your Kess, and let other guys remove the faultcode....

[finesse]

Coding is just selecting or switching available options. I.e. you can't code a module that's not installed. I would say the term coding is interchangeable with programming.

Tuning is adjusting the map table to suit installed modifications - exhaust, intake, injectors, turbo, intercooler etc.

As far as I know, there are ECU brand e.g. Bosch specific applications to modify ECU images. Using kess, download your image. Head of over to tuning section of the forum.

[willisodhiambo]

Well, I will be trying this lambda delete this weekend. Reading with kess them manipulating DME dump and writing back. I will report back if I succeed.

Interestingly tool32 can do lambda delete but I have no idea how they do it.

[djcarbon]

Well, I will be trying this lambda delete this weekend. Reading with kess them manipulating DME dump and writing back. I will report back if I succeed.

Interestingly tool32 can do lambda delete but I have no idea how they do it.

Very cool. Let me know how it goes. I’ve installed Tool32 and planned on following some tutorials this weekend. I also need to install Kess and test that too so You’re much further along than I. Keep me posted please and thanks!

[willisodhiambo]

Well, I will be trying this lambda delete this weekend. Reading with kess them manipulating DME dump and writing back. I will report back if I succeed.

Interestingly tool32 can do lambda delete but I have no idea how they do it.

Very cool. Let me know how it goes. I’ve installed Tool32 and planned on following some tutorials this weekend. I also need to install Kess and test that too so You’re much further along than I. Keep me posted please and thanks!

Well, yesterday I started with VVDI Pro. Soldered to the ECU board of a CAS 2 and read eeprom and flash. Loaded eeprom into tango and extracted ISN? Cool. So I think I can now clone a key from the CAS data.


Over the weekend I want to try revive a dead frm along with the lambda delete. I will keep you posted. So far I have ISTA, INPA Tools, Kess, Ktag, Tango, VVdi pro and Useless Xprog 5.74 clone that keeps asking for certificate so unusable

[djcarbon]

Dang. Keep it coming. I’m sure this will help others as well as whatever I can try to glean from it.

[willisodhiambo]

Dang. Keep it coming. I’m sure this will help others as well as whatever I can try to glean from it.

---------------------------------

Did my first FRM recovery successfully. Very fulfilling..

So this car's FRM3 just went dead. Red in ISTA. I have VVDI pro
Got a dump from some good chap, first convert the Pflash to EEprom, then created an EEprom sector in the FRM. Then wrote to the EEPROM. Success. FRM back to life.

Next I wand to clone a CAS 2. Still waiting to try the lambda delete.