[d3mon]

Met up with Chetan today, who had kindly agreed to code up a few features in my recently acquired pre-owned 320d using Bimmercode. Here's what got enabled on my car:

1) Sports Automatic Transmission
This has changed the characteristic of the car completely. Shifts are now much more decisive in D mode, the shift RPMs are slightly higher too. Gone is the engine drone that used to occur as the shifts happened too early, causing RPMs to drop too low in D mode. Also, the transmission would decide to not downshift while braking either, which would force me to downshift manually to get any engine braking.

Shifts in sports mode are positively super quick now. While they used to be gentle and smooth earlier, they are absolutely brutal now, and give you a kick every time you shift up or down. And oh, you get gear readouts (S1,S2 etc) when the gear selector is in S mode too, not just in manual mode. Anyone who doesn't have Sports automatic transmission on their ZF should absolutely get this mod enabled - like I said, the difference is night and day!

2) Sports+ mode
This just turns off DSC in sports mode - so not much new here, but good to have anyway.

3) Auto-start stop off by default

4) Digital speed display in the instrument cluster

5) Cornering fogs
This doesn't seem to be working, or maybe I haven't tried hard enough.

Along with these, there were a few other minor mods that we did too. Thanks to Chetan again for helping me out with this!

[nigr]

Originally Posted by d3mon

Along with these, there were a few other minor mods that we did too. Thanks to Chetan again for helping me out with this!

What others did you code, could you list them? I’m looking for nice ones for my 320d

[d3mon]

Other stuff was really minor; don't even remember that now. The things that I've listed are actually making a difference to my car in a noticeable manner. Sports Auto Transmission dominates the updated experience, especially in manual mode where even my wife (who has pretty much zero interest in cars) noticed the huge difference.

Other stuff was minor things like - % the passenger mirror tilts down by when in reverse", speed at which mirrors fold out automatically etc. If you have access to the bimmercode app, these options show up as per your car automatically, so you can code them on the fly without any prior preparation.

Another note - the cornering fogs are actually working on my car - they were hard to notice before as they come on and go out gently.

[Turrrb0]

Can this be done for the E90 320d as well?

I find the shifts from 2nd to 3rd in D to not be as smooth as it were before. Maybe this minor mod will fix that?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Turrrb0

Can this be done for the E90 320d as well?

I find the shifts from 2nd to 3rd in D to not be as smooth as it were before. Maybe this minor mod will fix that?

Do a transmission reset for your issue. Keep the car on ignition (engine off), press the accelerator all the way to the floor for 30 seconds. After that just sit in the car, for about 2 mins (don't fiddle with anything, don't even open a door). Then start the engine and drive off. You should find the transmission is smoother.

[Turrrb0]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

Do a transmission reset for your issue. Keep the car on ignition (engine off), press the accelerator all the way to the floor for 30 seconds. After that just sit in the car, for about 2 mins (don't fiddle with anything, don't even open a door). Then start the engine and drive off. You should find the transmission is smoother.

Will try this out, thanks!

A couple of months ago I had gotten the 8yr service done with my mech and had asked for the trans oil and diff oil to be changed. Though the shifts improved it was still a little jerky. I guess he hadn't done the reset.

Quick question.. Do you get any notification/chimes on the iDrive/mid saying the transmission has been reset?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Turrrb0

Will try this out, thanks!

A couple of months ago I had gotten the 8yr service done with my mech and had asked for the trans oil and diff oil to be changed. Though the shifts improved it was still a little jerky. I guess he hadn't done the reset.

Quick question.. Do you get any notification/chimes on the iDrive/mid saying the transmission has been reset?

When the transmission oil is changed, its best to reset all adaptations. Even the clamping forces of the various gears are adjusted over a period of time. And now that the new fluid is in its best for a full reset with a diagnostic.

[Turrrb0]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

Its best for a full reset with a diagnostic.

Thanks, will look into getting this done.

Btw a little more info. The car has covered around 66k km, and is almost completely driven in the city, very occasional highway runs. At least in the past 2 years.

[d3mon]

Originally Posted by Turrrb0

Can this be done for the E90 320d as well?

I find the shifts from 2nd to 3rd in D to not be as smooth as it were before. Maybe this minor mod will fix that?

No, the programming is specifically for the ZF 8 speed transmission.
Anyway, this mode wouldn't improve your shift smoothness - try a reset like Akshay has suggested, and observe over the next few hundred kms as the transmission adapts slowly over time.

If that doesn't help, you can connect your car to the BMW diagnostic system (ISTA) which will tell you if there is anything wrong with it. That system is so detailed that it will tell you exact clutch clamping pressures, and the adaptation values for each of the clutches & brakes in your transmission.

[dustDevil]

Hey guys,

Just took delivery of my new X4 30d. And got hit in the face with the beep every time I cross 80kmph and the unrelenting speed alarm after 120 kmph. (Apparently, I have been living under a rock and had no idea this was coming)

I'm wondering if Bimmercode can be used to remove this. Bimmercode supports the new X4 but I am assuming there won't be an existing coding option for removing the speed alarm as this is a feature specific to India.

Any advice on how to go about doing this? I find it really painful to have that gem of an engine and having to listen to the chimes every time I even touch the throttle!

TIA, for your replies!

[hserus]

If it is a new car just don’t tinker with it like this. You will invalidate your warranty.

[bottle]

Originally Posted by dustDevil

Hey guys,

Just took delivery of my new X4 30d. And got hit in the face with the beep everytime I cross 80kmph and the unrelenting speed alarm after120kmph. (Apparently, I have been living under a rock and had no idea this was coming)
!

How bad is the alarm ? Can you share a clip. This is putting me off any future car upgrades

Someone I spoke to recently is buying an X3 and was told by showroom that disabling the alarm voids warranty

[VaidhiR]

Be warned that tampering with an OEM installed component as a workaround for a legally required regulation, may be considered a felony and could render future insurance claims void.

If your car is involved in an accident on the road, and the insurance finds out that you have illegally disabled this "accoustic warning" feature, they will simply and straightforwardly reject your claim because you might've been speeding. In which case, the onus will be on you to prove that you weren't speeding instead of the other way.

BTW, Disabling does not void the warranty. It voids the insurance.

[hserus]

Just think you're in Singapore. Whether you drive a BMW, Merc or those 2 liter Renault sedans they use as Taxis there, they all stay at 40-50 kmph within city limits and 80-90 kmph on the "expressways". Get close to the limit and you have a loud audible warning, exceed it and your insurance will soon let you know what they think, as will the cops as every road is well taped with speed guns and cameras.

[dustDevil]

Originally Posted by bottle

How bad is the alarm ? Can you share a clip. This is putting me off any future car upgrades

Someone I spoke to recently is buying an X3 and was told by showroom that disabling the alarm voids warranty

So I figured out that the chime itself can be turned down to a bearable volume in the iDrive settings. However, when you have music playing, the system increases the volume of the chime so that it can be heard. I'll try to take a video and post it.

As far as the warranty is concerned, there's been quite a lot of discussion both on this thread and on coding forums, clarifying what is likely to be caught and what is not.

Originally Posted by VaidhiR

Be warned that tampering with an OEM installed component as a workaround for a legally required regulation, may be considered a felony and could render future insurance claims void.

BTW, Disabling does not void the warranty. It voids the insurance.

I agree with the possibility of having an insurance claim denied. That's an angle I had not thought about.

Originally Posted by hserus

Just think you're in Singapore. Whether you drive a BMW, Merc or those 2 liter Renault sedans they use as Taxis there, they all stay at 40-50 kmph within city limits and 80-90 kmph on the "expressways". Get close to the limit and you have a loud audible warning, exceed it and your insurance will soon let you know what they think, as will the cops as every road is well taped with speed guns and cameras.

Haha... I wish it was so simple to train one's mind.

In general, I feel we all do things to our cars that may not strictly be "legal". For instance, changing the colour or wrapping, engine mods, piggybacks, free flow exhausts and so on to name a few.

I'm still trying to figure out how it can be done. Will post the work around if I find one.