Strange message on dash

[xracingdude]

Hi,

I have a 2000 528i sedan and it doesnt have EHC, but i got a permanent message about the Air Suspension is Inaktive. Btw. if i want to disable this message with NCS Expert, is this contained in the LCM module?

[geargrinder]

Somebody must have coded the car wrong, or, swapped an LCM for a Touring into the car. Do you have any problem with your trunk opening as well?

Don't 'disable the message', use NSCExpert to recode the module (read the VIN, select LCM module, then execute job 'SG_CODIEREN').

There also may be some suspension error related coding in the cluster as well, I don't recall, but most of the alerts are indeed controlled by the LCM.

[RuskiE39]

Somebody must have coded the car wrong, or, swapped an LCM for a Touring into the car. Do you have any problem with your trunk opening as well?

Don't 'disable the message', use NSCExpert to recode the module (read the VIN, select LCM module, then execute job 'SG_CODIEREN').

There also may be some suspension error related coding in the cluster as well, I don't recall, but most of the alerts are indeed controlled by the LCM.

It sounds like I could really use your help coding my Ike from an e38 into my e53 x5. PO did it and as a result I have a tamper dot, abs and dsc light on.

[geargrinder]

For that you want blacknight530i honestly. You need to virginize the cluster to get the dot gone. I theoretically have the stuff to do it but haven't really gotten it all setup yet, and Paul is a pro w all the experience

[xracingdude]

Somebody must have coded the car wrong, or, swapped an LCM for a Touring into the car. Do you have any problem with your trunk opening as well?

Don't 'disable the message', use NSCExpert to recode the module (read the VIN, select LCM module, then execute job 'SG_CODIEREN').

There also may be some suspension error related coding in the cluster as well, I don't recall, but most of the alerts are indeed controlled by the LCM.

Hi geargrinder, thanks for the help. What i did was that i used NCS to download the data already in the LCM since i was unsure if i had the original in my car. I downloaded the file and yes it was from a Diesel M57d30 type of e39. I did change only the air susp message and uploaded it to the LCM. I thought then i probable didnt change was already there except the air susp msg. But after i've lost what we call driving light function which means the light goes on when i turn on the ignition and off when turning it off. So i always leave the switch in on on the car. Now i need to control that manually. Also the rear lights stay on cause of the "prouf" tests are "medelen". I got all the tests msgs on the cluster after turning off the ignition. It looks like the settings in the LCM file is executed, but strange i didnt have any of that before the upload. Any ideas what to to?

[geargrinder]

Yep. Do same thing I already said. Much better than copying your old coding especially of you had doubts about the old coding anyway. It will write all the correct factory coding for your car to the LCM.

Now if you want more custom edits to the coding afterwards that's another thing but you should just do a factory recode (by reading the VIN/ZCS and do Sg_CODIEREN) first.

[xracingdude]

Yep. Do same thing I already said. Much better than copying your old coding especially of you had doubts about the old coding anyway. It will write all the correct factory coding for your car to the LCM.

Now if you want more custom edits to the coding afterwards that's another thing but you should just do a factory recode (by reading the VIN/ZCS and do Sg_CODIEREN) first.

Yeah, im new to this and i wonder a few things. Lke where is the default data for the VIN located which is going to be sent to the LCM by me and can i get a readthrough (file) of that BEFORE i upload it? I've just purchased this car and zero history and i can already see that the oil level warning is deactivated in the file (not good), there are other interresting things in the LCM file like timers etc, So would be nice to go through them first so i dont need to reprogram several times...adds to risks of things getting messed up somwhere :-)

[geargrinder]

OKey DOKEY.

1. Sure. There are plenty of things in the LCM file that are "interesting" - but first of all, if the module you have is forked up and wrong esp if it was coded for the wrong car, then the last thing you want is to waste too much time 'manually saving' the wrong settings. Because...
2. Setting each setting one-by-one manually is A. painstakingly labor intensive waste of time, B. can't be done right really without a "known good" unit side by side, because C. you can't always see what the proper setting should be so you can end up having to guess and have no idea what the setting should be. Related to this...
3. Some / lots of the settings in these modules may not apply to your car. So while they may "sound interesting" like "SEND XYZ INFO OVER CAN BUS!" or "TRANSMISSION OUTPUT SOLENOID PRESSURE WARNING ALERT!" and "ANTI-BALLISTIC PROJECTILE WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATION!" ( <-- made up things but you get the idea) they very well may not apply to what you have in your car at ALL because these modules went in lots of cars, and even moreso BMW seems to have config'd the software to be so flexible they could have even put them in other cars that didn't get them in those cars ever...

So... You want to look at the options and play with custom coding? Great. Wonderful. Have at it. But since it's clearly setup for wrong car, AND possibly screwed up, I STRONGLY suggest you follow this procedure (for the 3rd time basically although if you insist we can backup your settings...) to start from a 'good factory base' first.

I assume you're using NCSDummy? If not, then do it will make everything a lot easier.

1. NCSExpert - open profile with proper coding privileges
2. NCSExpert - read the car VIN/ZCS. select the LCM module.
3. NCSExpert - Read the LCM module coding.
4. Using NCSDummy shortcuts or manually - save the FSW_PSW.TRC file that is in the WORK folder. Save it with a name like "E39.LCM.usedmodulestupidcodingthatisofnousetoanyo ne.TRC". This is your 'backup' of the current module as-is, which probably is pointless and useless but if you insist, there you go. There's your backup. To be honest and to be fair and less obnoxious - I definitely also usually do this myself "just in case" but 99% of the time its completely waste of time and the least of our concerns.
5. NCSExpert - now - run SG_CODIEREN just for the LCM module. When this completes the module should now have all the proper default factory settings for your car.
6. NCSExpert - read the module AGAIN, and save THIS TRC as your backup labeled "E39.LCM.freshOEcoding.TRC". . Honestly I'd suggest you drive the car now for a bit to see if all is working properly before you go playing around for fun with other stuff.
7. NCSDummy - now read the TRC file again, and start playing with whatever you think you want to play with. As above - realize some settings may not apply or do anything. For example there will be "active cruise control" settings in some modules on these cars despite the fact they were never equipped with it. There are sometimes options that seem like "they should work" but don't, like 'Brake Force Display' stuff, which it seems like it could work but doesn't without adding X5 rear light wiring or something (I forget the exact details).

Now - about the VIN. All of the above is unrelated to the VIN, and NCSExpert re-coding will not and can not ever change the VIN. So that's a completely different operation.

Most DIY'ers use PASoft BMW Scanner 1.4 to rewrite the VIN. It may also be possible with Tool32 however Tool32 is far from friendly and PASoft is much more of a "type it in and click the mouse" operation.

[xracingdude]

Thanks alot for the very long info!

Just wanted to say that i was not going to mess around with alot of customs setting, i just thought that if it was easy and quick i wanted to back up the file with current setting since i know the basic stuff works with it.

Anyway, im not sure if i got one of the answers i wanted which was where is the default data for my car located in NCS or a module? I know NCS reads something either in a file or from a module when i choose the button VIN/ZCS.
How does SG_CODIEREN (which is just a jobscript) know what/where the default values are? Maybe in some ROM chip or...im just wondering :-)

EDIT:

I guess its in the SGDAT directory, and if so its ok since their all binary :-)

[geargrinder]

Good question.

Yes the bmw software installation has the database of various info that it uses to look up the right values based in the cars options.

It starts the process for that - for these cars - based on the "ZCS" code which is stored in a couple modules in the car that details what equipment the car should have. Later cars like E46 etc have an "FA/VO" code... Same idea but a bit more sensible in its implementation.