Problem passing emissions - E39 M5 (Dinan S3)

[Robb12]

Hello, I'm having a bit of a problem getting my '03 Dinan S3 M5 to pass my local emissions test (in Utah). There are only a couple independent shops that are authorized Dinan dealers, both about 45 minutes away and up until recently have I encountered a problem passing emissions. I'm not fully savvy in this subject so please bear with me in case I have any misinformation conveyed. It’s my understanding that in order to pass emissions with the S3 package, the ecu must be taken out of my M5 and sent to Dinan for proper software checks and/or updates. In the meantime, Dinan sends an ecu to the shop and plugs it into the M5 in order for them to pass readiness and get the go-ahead to pass emissions.

I've done this process for about 10 years now. My problem came up this year when the authorized dealer mentioned Dinan had recently changed ownership and moved locations and it would be best if I buy a separate ecu to have Dinan configure for me to avoid this whole switcharoo process in the future. Present day - my M5 has been sitting in the shop for over five months and communication with Dinan is piss-poor. I have been getting one excuse after another that their original technician who helmed this process quit, or their software coding machine crashed, or the chips they are trying to code are still throwing readiness codes, etc….

I'm reaching out to see if there's any insight you can provide because it seems every time I get a little hopeful of the M5 being finished, there's another excuse as to why it still hasn't passed. The shop has been more than helpful throughout this whole process and I can attest that Dinan is the source of the headache.

Also, pics for clicks – thanks in advance guys. Sorry for the novel (I wrote this on my iPad, apologies for any grammatical mistakes).

[edjack]

Contact Dinan directly.

[geargrinder]

LOL. I think the shop was taking you for a ride in the past. That probably wasn't a different ECU (DME), it was your ECU (DME) being flashed back to stock and being mailed back and forth. Which is kind of silly overkill.

If Dinan copy protects / encrypts that tune somehow, at worst case you'd need a local guy who could BDM read your DME, back up the S3 tune, then put a factory one on, let you get inspected, and restore.

If Dinan isn't copy protected somehow, its even easier, and would be a :15 minute reflash to 1. save the Dinan tune, 2. put factory calibration back on your DME, 3. set readiness, get inspected, then 4. restore the Dinan.

But yes the 'even easier' route - get a used eBay DME, get a tuner to use public info to delete the EWS (or pay for MartynT's tool which makes it a mouse click affair I believe...) on it, then just keep that around for annual inspection time.

Honestly if the shop and Dinan hasn't taken your DME out and reflashed it and screwed it up already or anything, I'd go that last route almost for certain.

Its basically what the shop are suggesting to you (i.e. get a spare junk DME), except, don't use Dinan to do it (they wont want to have anything to do with disabling EWS on a DME...) find a local pro tuner or forum enthusiast who has the cables and gear to do that sort of thing.

I do this for guys for super cheap around here... honestly I used to do it for free or beer but it got to point where guys I was helping were getting money for it so it was a bit bogus for them to get paid while I did it for free. I still do it for beer for my buds but I'll ask for a few bucks for 'strangers' to keep them honest...