My new toy -E90 320d LCI

Ratslaaf

///Member
Haha, that was my mate's Audi.

I've been meaning to have that spot cleaned, but whenever my mate comes for a visit I remind of the spot and ask him to park outside :)
 

Ratslaaf

///Member
Ok, so to complete the DIY I would like to share some of my thoughts on the coding side of things. I've done quite a bit of messing around with Esys on my F10, but have never used NCS Expert on E90's.

Firstly, it took me hours to get it all setup. And when I want to get something done and in a hurry, I really don't feel like reading page after page of tutorials. So sometimes I just wing it. Here's my first bit of advice: don't do it. Spend some time and understand NCS first.

So, let's get to the meat of coding for this upgrade. In order to make the process go smoothly, it's better to assign options to the car's Vehicle Order (VO) than to try and make the individual changes yourself. In fact, when installing a MULF, you don't have a choice but to add the options to your VO - I'll get to the reason for this later.

Enabling Bluetooth is option $644 and enabling USB is option $6FL. I added both these options to the CAS an NFRM modules, but here I hit the first snag. When I added the VO options to the CAS, the VO stored in the CAS ended up getting corrupted. It turns out I forgot to lower the latency on my serial port. Grrrrr. I'm sure I set this before, so it took me a while to sort this out. Once I got my comms corrected, I had to figure out how to fix the CAS. As I said before, the VO gets stored on both the CAS and the NFRM. So I simply read the VO off the NFRM and wrote this to the CAS.

After this, I hit my second snag: I can't write the VO to the RAD2 module (the Radio). The reason for this is that I'm using a D-Kan cable for coding, but the RAD2 module can only be coded through the MOST port. So I need an ICOM interface. Fcuk.

It turns out it's possible to wipe the RAD2 module, after which it would pick up the new coding setting from the VO list stored on the CAS. Problem with this is that there's a very real risk that you will brick your radio. Also, I wasn't sure exactly how to do it, as I can only read settings off the radio, not write settings to it.

After much messing around (it's already 1am) I finally get to wipe the radio with a workaround, which I won't share as it's a seriously last resort, and luckily the radio starts up with the correct VO loaded. Once the radio started up, the MOST bus came alive and the radio configured the MULF in the background. As you may recall, I was worried about compatibility but this turned out to be automatic.

Now, you should actually change the VIN stored on the MULF, but because I don't have an optical diagnostic interface, I can't do that. Why you may ask? Well, when pairing a BT device, the MULF send out its stored VIN as part of the device name on the BT connection. If the MULF has the incorrect VIN, it will use the incorrect VIN as its device name. In reality this is not a problem, as its just a device name. But I'm a stickler for little details like this so I'll get hold of Leonard's ICOM to get this sorted. It doesn't otherwise affect the setup at all, so it's not essential to do this.

Anyway. The last task left for tomorrow is doing a little housekeeping in the fault memory using ISTA/D (Rheingold) and then this is job done.

The next project will be retrofitting PDC. I have heard that it's not possible to have PDC on an MSport kit, can anyone else confirm this? Anyone with an E90 LCI, with PDC and a MSport kit?

Thanks!
 

samman325

///Member
Gbyleveldt said:
While I had the inside in a million pieces, I decided to change the trim as well. I found a nice set of gloss black trim at MD House, I like this a lot more than the standard silver trim
Any chance you looking to sell the silver trim? I'd be interested.

Pop me a PM if you are
 

moesaley

///Member
Gbyleveldt said:
Ok, so to complete the DIY I would like to share some of my thoughts on the coding side of things. I've done quite a bit of messing around with Esys on my F10, but have never used NCS Expert on E90's.

Firstly, it took me hours to get it all setup. And when I want to get something done and in a hurry, I really don't feel like reading page after page of tutorials. So sometimes I just wing it. Here's my first bit of advice: don't do it. Spend some time and understand NCS first.

So, let's get to the meat of coding for this upgrade. In order to make the process go smoothly, it's better to assign options to the car's Vehicle Order (VO) than to try and make the individual changes yourself. In fact, when installing a MULF, you don't have a choice but to add the options to your VO - I'll get to the reason for this later.

Enabling Bluetooth is option $644 and enabling USB is option $6FL. I added both these options to the CAS an NFRM modules, but here I hit the first snag. When I added the VO options to the CAS, the VO stored in the CAS ended up getting corrupted. It turns out I forgot to lower the latency on my serial port. Grrrrr. I'm sure I set this before, so it took me a while to sort this out. Once I got my comms corrected, I had to figure out how to fix the CAS. As I said before, the VO gets stored on both the CAS and the NFRM. So I simply read the VO off the NFRM and wrote this to the CAS.

After this, I hit my second snag: I can't write the VO to the RAD2 module (the Radio). The reason for this is that I'm using a D-Kan cable for coding, but the RAD2 module can only be coded through the MOST port. So I need an ICOM interface. Fcuk.

It turns out it's possible to wipe the RAD2 module, after which it would pick up the new coding setting from the VO list stored on the CAS. Problem with this is that there's a very real risk that you will brick your radio. Also, I wasn't sure exactly how to do it, as I can only read settings off the radio, not write settings to it.

After much messing around (it's already 1am) I finally get to wipe the radio with a workaround, which I won't share as it's a seriously last resort, and luckily the radio starts up with the correct VO loaded. Once the radio started up, the MOST bus came alive and the radio configured the MULF in the background. As you may recall, I was worried about compatibility but this turned out to be automatic.

Now, you should actually change the VIN stored on the MULF, but because I don't have an optical diagnostic interface, I can't do that. Why you may ask? Well, when pairing a BT device, the MULF send out its stored VIN as part of the device name on the BT connection. If the MULF has the incorrect VIN, it will use the incorrect VIN as its device name. In reality this is not a problem, as its just a device name. But I'm a stickler for little details like this so I'll get hold of Leonard's ICOM to get this sorted. It doesn't otherwise affect the setup at all, so it's not essential to do this.

Anyway. The last task left for tomorrow is doing a little housekeeping in the fault memory using ISTA/D (Rheingold) and then this is job done.

The next project will be retrofitting PDC. I have heard that it's not possible to have PDC on an MSport kit, can anyone else confirm this? Anyone with an E90 LCI, with PDC and a MSport kit?

Thanks!

Great write-up, very informative :ty:
i have an E90-LCI Msport, and it does have PDC
surely you should be able to do a retrofit, but that would also entail changing your bumpers to ones with PDC cutouts, or you'd have to modify your existing bumper

all the best mate
 

Ratslaaf

///Member
^^^ Thanks man, just wanted to confirm. The BMW retrofit guide stated that it specifically excluded PDC on MTech. Just wanted to make sure there are MTech bumpers out there with PDC.

The marks for the PDC sensors are on the inside of the bumpers already - I checked ;)
 

Teezy_F30

New member
also can confirm that our E90 335i lci was M Sport with PDC ..

Great work on setting up the USB connection man .. def something i'd wanna do on the E90 :ty:
 

DeanoBlado

Member
Gbyleveldt said:
If I understand correctly, it's the piece of trim that goes all the way from the passenger side to the Start button? The part that I replaced in the pics above? If so, you basically pry it off, starting from the passenger side. I strongly recommend you get plastic trim removal tools to do this. Using a screwdriver will just end up leaving marks. If you in the Benoni area you can pop past and use the stuff I have.

Hey man no further up on top of the dash in the centre. the two air vents and plastic cover barley seen in your pic. But no worries. my car is going for a service tomorrow at BMW and i will ask them to check, thanks for the offer.
 

Ratslaaf

///Member
Ash ok, I see it now. Hmmm, should clip out with a bit of fiddling. But ja, get BMW to sort it out if the car is already going there.
 

Andy1GP

///Member
Bench Flash!!

It must be flying now...

I'll be visiting soon so you can educate me on the usb install on my Pre LCI E90.

Then I Might take your wheels at the same time :fencelook:
 

Ratslaaf

///Member
Yeah sure! In fact you lucky as most of the hard work is done for you on a pre LCI for BT. And another cable then you sorted on USB.

The wheels, I'm afraid, rolled out of here this morning ;)

And the car goes like sh1t off a stick. Only to realize my auto box is a little duff! I see an Auto Box DIY in my future :roflol::roflol:

Ashley did his as well, and been Whatsapping me the whole morning about all the F30's he's been smoking!:rollsmile:
 

Ratslaaf

///Member
While I had the whole front of the car stripped to get the headlights out, I figured I'll upgrade to some LED Angel eyes as well. See thread here for the whole process of the headlight restoration process:

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=62402

This is the result of all that effort.


I think I'm about done with the front of the car, although I might fit some splitters if I can find plastic ones I can get sprayed gloss black. For the back, I still want to add a spoiler (can't make up my mind between the slim one or Performance one), get the bottom part of the bumper painted gloss black and have a new tailpiece fitted.

Anyway, I'm starting to see the light at the end of this project, although I have a feeling I'll never be done :rollsmile:
 

Ratslaaf

///Member
^^^ Nope, I want to first get the tranny sorted out. To be honest, I couldn't be bothered about the Dyno data as I can get it to spin from pull away with 255 tyres on the back. With traction turned off the tail happily swings out around corners as well ;)
 

AshG108

///Member
Gbyleveldt said:
While I had the whole front of the car stripped to get the headlights out, I figured I'll upgrade to some LED Angel eyes as well. See thread here for the whole process of the headlight restoration process:

http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=62402

This is the result of all that effort.


I think I'm about done with the front of the car, although I might fit some splitters if I can find plastic ones I can get sprayed gloss black. For the back, I still want to add a spoiler (can't make up my mind between the slim one or Performance one), get the bottom part of the bumper painted gloss black and have a new tailpiece fitted.

Anyway, I'm starting to see the light at the end of this project, although I have a feeling I'll never be done :rollsmile:


I will go in sequence:
1. I want those LED headlights also, what globes did you use and from where?
2. Performance spoiler and nothing less for this car!!! :RedNo:
3. ChipLogic sticker looks sexy on your car!
4. Do Full exhaust & DP :rollsmile:
5. Do double tail-piece, i might be taking mines off and going back to stock...so have a think about it if you want them (I have also offered Jenich, but nayone can take it)
6. Get some H&R springs :rollsmile:
7. Love your car!!!

:clapper:
 
Top