[ZPrime]

I don't know that you'd want to restore a backup from one car to another; who knows what car-specific stuff (map licensing? I dunno) is stored in those that is not going to work when you try to put it into a different car...

[Nezil]

I've been talking with the BimmerCode developer overnight, and after looking at some logs from his app, he's saying that the issue is caused by the fact that my Vgate dongle, even though the correct version, is communicating too slow. This is causing the car ECU to time out if the coding command doesn't finish in a reasonable time.

This would explain a lot... Why my first attempt at coding failed and left me with no navigation, and why my backups won't restore correctly.

I'm not asking for a Bimmercode backup, in looking for a backup of the original ncd data from FEM and HU taken with E-SYS. I can use the compare tool to see what differences there are before flashing.

I most likely wouldn't flash someone else's ncd, I just want to know what the default factory coding was for those two ECUs because I cannot use Bimmercode to get me back there, even though I have my own backups.

[Almaretto]

Originally Posted by Nezil

Is there any way in E-SYS to put the car back to factory state, with the correct factory coding, or is this only possible if you made a backup of your NCD files right at the start? I'm hoping Almaretto might be able to help with the answer to this question...

Another option is if someone has a backup of factory NCD files from a 2018 LCI 6MT / Executive Package / Apple CarPlay that I could compare to. I'm hoping ZPrime might be able to help with this...

VO coding will set to factory.

E-sys Coding-Verification can create Factory NCD's to compare.

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by Almaretto

VO coding will set to factory.

E-sys Coding-Verification can create Factory NCD's to compare.

Is there a walkthrough of this process already posted somewhere Almaretto.

I did try using NCD compare to compare some NCD files to what it believes are defaults, and there were a lot of differences highlighted there which weren't correct.

Is NCD compare using a different method to determine 'default' values?

HU ECU has lots of important values for maps, Bluetooth etc that NCD said was different from default in my NCD, but I'd not changed any of those values.

I'm nervous to blast a default file with E-SYS if it's going to set the wrong set of defaults, though I do have a backup I suppose.

[Almaretto]

Originally Posted by Nezil

Is there a walkthrough of this process already posted somewhere Almaretto.

I did try using NCD compare to compare some NCD files to what it believes are defaults, and there were a lot of differences highlighted there which weren't correct.

Is NCD compare using a different method to determine 'default' values?

HU ECU has lots of important values for maps, Bluetooth etc that NCD said was different from default in my NCD, but I'd not changed any of those values.

I'm nervous to blast a default file with E-SYS if it's going to set the wrong set of defaults, though I do have a backup I suppose.

Fxx-/Ixx-/Gxx-series Coding: Getting Started Guides, Tips, & Cheat Sheets

NCD Compare is accurate, but only if using side-by-side.

Default = Uncoded state. Factory = applying values based on VO.

[akkando]

Originally Posted by Nezil

I've been talking with the BimmerCode developer overnight, and after looking at some logs from his app, he's saying that the issue is caused by the fact that my Vgate dongle, even though the correct version, is communicating too slow. This is causing the car ECU to time out if the coding command doesn't finish in a reasonable time.

This would explain a lot... Why my first attempt at coding failed and left me with no navigation, and why my backups won't restore correctly.

I'm not asking for a Bimmercode backup, in looking for a backup of the original ncd data from FEM and HU taken with E-SYS. I can use the compare tool to see what differences there are before flashing.

I most likely wouldn't flash someone else's ncd, I just want to know what the default factory coding was for those two ECUs because I cannot use Bimmercode to get me back there, even though I have my own backups.

I wonder if that's an issue with the car, the Vgate, or the ipad/iphone you are using. Most people I don't think are seeing this issue so there must be something up with one of those elements. Do you have a spare iphone/ipad to try? Order another vGate?

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by akkando

I wonder if that's an issue with the car, the Vgate, or the ipad/iphone you are using. Most people I don't think are seeing this issue so there must be something up with one of those elements. Do you have a spare iphone/ipad to try? Order another vGate?

Yeah, you're right, as I said, the developer off Bimmercode thinks it is a vGate issue. I have an email out to the Amazon store that I bought the vGate from, and I'm hoping to be able to exchange it.

The vGate uses CAN bus rather than ENET to communicate, which is inherently slower. I don't blame Bimmercode anymore, but if I'm having these problems, others could too, and it could be pretty serious. If I didn't have E-SYS ready last night, I may not have been able to drive this morning... That level of seriousness is worrying that it's even possible, even if unlikely.

[XProject]

FYI, my Vgate (from Amazon by ediag Tools) had the connection dropping issue. It kept losing connection while reading the code. So, I had it replaced and the second one have no issues.

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by XProject

FYI, my Vgate (from Amazon by ediag Tools) had the connection dropping issue. It kept losing connection while reading the code. So, I had it replaced and the second one have no issues.

Haha, mine came from ediag Tools as well! Mine isn't dropping connection, it's just really slow, and times out a lot. Both reading and writing.... It's annoying, hopeful they'll replace it, but I've had it for over a month because my car was delayed in arriving, and it took a while to find out what was wrong.

[AndrewC1989]

Originally Posted by Nezil

Haha, mine came from ediag Tools as well! Mine isn't dropping connection, it's just really slow, and times out a lot. Both reading and writing.... It's annoying, hopeful they'll replace it, but I've had it for over a month because my car was delayed in arriving, and it took a while to find out what was wrong.

i have this one and it works fine

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by andrewc89

i have this one and it works fine

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's the same thing we're talking about, sold by the same seller. There seems to be some quality control issues...

Edit: wow, auto correct did a number on that post initially!

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Maybe it is just better to pay Alex@Alpine 100 bucks to code my car remotely and then i know it will start

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by m2ruder

Maybe it is just better to pay Alex@Alpine 100 bucks to code my car remotely and then i know it will start

Actually I've got to be honest... I think full E-SYS is better. The very first thing you do is read the full data from your car, and from that you have a file based backup of where you start. It's also far easier to see what you're doing rather than trusting that what's going on behind the scenes is what you want to be happening.

I'm actually not a fan of cheat sheets either, except from the point of view of using them as a reference to know what to code, again, because I want to know what I've done.

With E-SYS, I was able to recover a big issue created by the ECU timing out when I was using BimmerCode... BimmerCode may not have been able to solve this at all, but for E-SYS, it was a 30 second job.

ENET also seems a somewhat more reliable interface than a mobile WiFi connection to a cheap WiFi bridge to a CAN bus.

In any case, I have a replacement VGate iCar2 WiFi coming my way, and I'll see if that solves the speed issues. I'm still going to be sticking with E-SYS I think, but it's nice to have an alternative that's with me at all times on my phone, and of course the iCar2 can be used for things other than BimmerCode.

[Perp]

Originally Posted by Perp

Has anyone tried this yet?

Tried this and mixed results. On my phone, it has new permissions in BT to have access to my contacts and messages. In idrive, I do not have the Office item, so I don't think I can configure "office" to see my sms, emails, etc

[ZPrime]

Ironically, I was considering sticking a wifi AP in the car and using it in client mode to attach the car to my home wifi. Then I could code from inside the house (my garage isn't heated)...

Although I'd still have to go out there to put the key in the car and put it into run/accessory mode and slap a charger on it (just in case).

[Nezil]

Originally Posted by ZPrime

Ironically, I was considering sticking a wifi AP in the car and using it in client mode to attach the car to my home wifi. Then I could code from inside the house (my garage isn't heated)...

Although I'd still have to go out there to put the key in the car and put it into run/accessory mode and slap a charger on it (just in case).

Good luck with that... I am pretty nervous to actually code anything now with anything other than a wired connection.

If you really wanted to code remotely, I'd set up a laptop with E-SYS and RDP to it from inside. That way the connection to the car is still wired, and the only think that is wireless is your link to Windows, which is totally safe.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by Nezil

Good luck with that... I am pretty nervous to actually code anything now with anything other than a wired connection.

If you really wanted to code remotely, I'd set up a laptop with E-SYS and RDP to it from inside. That way the connection to the car is still wired, and the only think that is wireless is your link to Windows, which is totally safe.

Good point, that would be much safer. Wouldn't even need to be RDP at that point, could be VNC or other remote control software too, like what all of the remote coding guys do.

[ScottFree_]

Originally Posted by gmzanatta

You can only adjust the angel eye brightness, pretty sure we can?t make changes to the lights themselves. I have done the change to bump angel eyes to 100% and it looks great. Hopefully others can chime in.

So is it the same with the new LED angel eyes?
Was interested in increasing brightness but not sure if that works with the new versions.u

[gmzanatta]

Originally Posted by ScottFree_

So is it the same with the new LED angel eyes?
Was interested in increasing brightness but not sure if that works with the new versions.u

What do you mean by new LED angel eyes? The angels eyes have always been LED...

[ScottFree_]

Originally Posted by gmzanatta

What do you mean by new LED angel eyes? The angels eyes have always been LED...

I guess I meant the newer redesigned LEDs from 2016 (see previous pic).
I thought I read somewhere these only had one brightness level.

[///M²]

Originally Posted by ScottFree_

I guess I meant the newer redesigned LEDs from 2016 (see previous pic).
I thought I read somewhere these only had one brightness level.

Yes they can be coded to 100% brightness with the headlights on.

[ScottFree_]

Originally Posted by ///M²

Yes they can be coded to 100% brightness with the headlights on.