Bootmod3 Flash to stock and other questions

[Nick7700]

Originally Posted by WordOnRoad

I can't speak to SW updates outside of the dealer, but I'm pretty sure OP had his update done via Kubax and he was able to pass without issue.

Nick7700 you had BM3; did you have your DME relocked as well?

I'm due for inspection early next year, so I'll be flashing back to "stock", checking CVNs/IDs, and then determining if I need a SW on top of that.

So here's my recollection of the issue. Since being a newbie with tuning and BM3 was recommended by my mechanic after he did the crank hub on my F83 last year. He did the flashing on it after I purchased BM3. So fast forward to this year when my annual inspection is due. I had reached out to him about flashing back to stock and he said it was simple (just click on the flash to stock option) or come down to his shop and he would do it. I decided to give it a shot and flash it back to stock on my own. Upon logging in BM3 I saw the Flash to Stock icon and the Re-lock DME icon. I wasn't sure what the Re-lock DME would do, so I posted this thread (see first post) and asked that question. I flashed back to stock and then tried re-lock DME and it errored. So basically I just did the flash back to stock. Couldn't get the re-lock DME to work. Then did the drive cycle to get the readiness to be ready for the inspection. I went in and it failed for the mismatch CVN.

Also the car wasn't bought in to the dealer for any updates during that timeframe. It is out of warranty. The only time it was bought into the dealer for updates was for to get the update so that I can have kubax86 install full screen Apple car play. That was over 2 years ago when I still had warranty.

[2sporty]

After reading all of the threads and posts so far, it sounds like nobody here has actually flashed back to stock with BM3, locked successfully, and tried to smog in CA.

[theweebabySeamus]

Originally Posted by 2sporty

After reading all of the threads and posts so far, it sounds like nobody here has actually flashed back to stock with BM3, locked successfully, and tried to smog in CA.

This is also what I’m getting.

[TopJimmy]

Originally Posted by theweebabySeamus

This is also what I'm getting.

Probably because few do the +Lock…

[2sporty]

Originally Posted by TopJimmy

Probably because few do the +Lock…

Also, why are there several people who have tried and failed to lock? It is very hard to make sense of this when we understand very little about how the internals of the system work.

[chmura]

So why wouldn’t someone no be able to relock? What’s the reason? Is it because they did a bench unlock so BM3 cannot relock?

I remember couple years ago people had no issues relocking their DME with BM3 since the older DME’s were tuneable from the factory with the older sw.

Maybe this is the case?

[Cedric1513]

Hi Guys,

thank you for this information. I am currently in the same situation. I’ll be switching everything back to stock and after that I will make an appointment with bmw for the flash tune, and lastly the infamous “MAC”. Luckily, I live in Norwood and everything seems to be nearby. I have an m340i 2020, and had to bench unlocked my ecu in order to install the BM3 tune. After this headache, I don’t think I’ll be using BM3 any longer. Any suggestions on how to proceed if I was to tune back the vehicle? It sounds like MHD would be the way to go, or maybe getting a second ecu.

[Phoenix9110]

2014 328i SULEV. I'm in California and using BM3 stage one as a daily driver. My DME wouldn't relock this morning. I didn't bench unlock or force unlock my DME originally.

No SW updates since I've owned the car around mid 2020.

All monitors are green with the 'stock' flash after a drive cycle. No DTC.

At 1:30 PST I have a smog. Just a couple hours away. I'll let you guys know what the verdict is.

[Phoenix9110]

In the end, I lied. I cancelled my appointment after buying a reader that displayed mode $09 info. My CVN and CAL ID are clearly going to fail me.

As an update, I'm waiting to hear back from the service advisor at the dealership to get a brand new DME flashed to my car that I can just swap out, drive cycle, then smog when it's required.

It'll beat the headache of trying to fight with a permanent flag at the referees station and bench unlocking a DME every time you want to reinstall tunes.

On top of that, tomorrow morning one of the guys at PTF is going to remote to my laptop and try locking my DME. If it relocks, I'll give details here whether or not it changes my CVN over.

[2sporty]

Originally Posted by Phoenix9110

In the end, I lied. I cancelled my appointment after buying a reader that displayed mode $09 info. My CVN and CAL ID are clearly going to fail me.

As an update, I'm waiting to hear back from the service advisor at the dealership to get a brand new DME flashed to my car that I can just swap out, drive cycle, then smog when it's required.

It'll beat the headache of trying to fight with a permanent flag at the referees station and bench unlocking a DME every time you want to reinstall tunes.

On top of that, tomorrow morning one of the guys at PTF is going to remote to my laptop and try locking my DME. If it relocks, I'll give details here whether or not it changes my CVN over.

Thanks for providing us with more information.

The guys at PTF should really know why so many people are failing to re-lock their cars, even when they did not bench unlock in the first place. It's rather confusing as to why people are failing the re-lock. Please let us know if they provide you with an answer.

[Phoenix9110]

Originally Posted by 2sporty

Thanks for providing us with more information.

The guys at PTF should really know why so many people are failing to re-lock their cars, even when they did not bench unlock in the first place. It's rather confusing as to why people are failing the re-lock. Please let us know if they provide you with an answer.

Yeah, for whatever reason, once I click lock and it opens the page to confirm the lock, it doesn't allow me to click the lock button. You can see the button depress on the screen but nothing happens and it acts like you didn't press the button at all.

I'm not as hopeful that the relock will happen or that CVN will revert. It's definitely worth a try and it seems to be a concerning factor in this test though.Tomorrow afternoon we'll know. My appointment with PTF is at 1PM EST.

[chmura]

Originally Posted by Phoenix9110

Yeah, for whatever reason, once I click lock and it opens the page to confirm the lock, it doesn't allow me to click the lock button. You can see the button depress on the screen but nothing happens and it acts like you didn't press the button at all.

I'm not as hopeful that the relock will happen or that CVN will revert. It's definitely worth a try and it seems to be a concerning factor in this test though.Tomorrow afternoon we'll know. My appointment with PTF is at 1PM EST.

Keep us posted!

Also ask PTF why you can’t relock and so many others can’t relock that never did a bench unlock in the first place.

[WordOnRoad]

Originally Posted by Phoenix9110

In the end, I lied. I cancelled my appointment after buying a reader that displayed mode $09 info. My CVN and CAL ID are clearly going to fail me.

As an update, I'm waiting to hear back from the service advisor at the dealership to get a brand new DME flashed to my car that I can just swap out, drive cycle, then smog when it's required.

It'll beat the headache of trying to fight with a permanent flag at the referees station and bench unlocking a DME every time you want to reinstall tunes.

On top of that, tomorrow morning one of the guys at PTF is going to remote to my laptop and try locking my DME. If it relocks, I'll give details here whether or not it changes my CVN over.

Your CVN and CAL ID will not be "correct" until you have factory BMW software loaded onto the DME if you're using BM3. There's a lot of people confirming that their "backup" is not actually a true backup. I can't speak for MHD yet. I personally think swapping a DME each year is excessive.

You can simply flash back to stock and then have the dealer (or someone on here, much cheaper) update the software, complete the drive cycle and pass no issue.

At least that's my plan going forward.

[theweebabySeamus]

Originally Posted by WordOnRoad

Your CVN and CAL ID will not be "correct" until you have factory BMW software loaded onto the DME if you're using BM3. There's a lot of people confirming that their "backup" is not actually a true backup. I can't speak for MHD yet. I personally think swapping a DME each year is excessive.

You can simply flash back to stock and then have the dealer (or someone on here, much cheaper) update the software, complete the drive cycle and pass no issue.

At least that's my plan going forward.

Yeah I agree, seems like buying a new DME would be more expensive than simply having the dealer reflash, even if the car was owned for awhile.

[Phoenix9110]

Originally Posted by WordOnRoad

Your CVN and CAL ID will not be "correct" until you have factory BMW software loaded onto the DME if you're using BM3. There's a lot of people confirming that their "backup" is not actually a true backup. I can't speak for MHD yet. I personally think swapping a DME each year is excessive.

You can simply flash back to stock and then have the dealer (or someone on here, much cheaper) update the software, complete the drive cycle and pass no issue.

At least that's my plan going forward.

I'm not sure what it's like it other states, but here in California its a smog only every 2 years. The DME in a lot of BMW's is readily accessible and swapping is a 10 minute job, including disconnecting the battery ground.

I have to add too, for confirmation to anyone stumbling onto this thread, that using the dealer to 'reflash' your DME updates to the latest version, locking you out of tunes and requiring a bench unlock. People don't really understand the headache that this is until you find yourself stuck in California or NY and have to deal with this. Also, I can imagine this new law being found in the rest of the states soon. I wouldn't get caught up in this problem at the last possible second.

[Phoenix9110]

DME locked this morning. The CVN is still a mismatch.

I'm also getting a new code I've yet to see. U1164

EDIT:

Car sat for the time in between my original post and this update(about 15 minutes) and the DME is now showing a CVN MATCH with the CAL-ID.

No more mismatch. I'm going to go for a drive and see what other codes pop up. The U1164, I'm leaning towards fresh spark plugs. The car was due for plugs a couple of months ago due to a slightly off idle and misfire via BM3 dashboard. This code shouldn't be a big deal.

I'll update once I get new spark and take it in for a smog.

Also I'd like to add that Firefox was my issue. I've been in such a panic with registration being due that I never tried Chrome, which did the trick.

[chmura]

Originally Posted by Phoenix9110

DME locked this morning. The CVN is still a mismatch.

I'm also getting a new code I've yet to see. U1164

EDIT:

Car sat for the time in between my original post and this update(about 15 minutes) and the DME is now showing a CVN MATCH with the CAL-ID.

No more mismatch. I'm going to go for a drive and see what other codes pop up. The U1164, I'm leaning towards fresh spark plugs. The car was due for plugs a couple of months ago due to a slightly off idle and misfire via BM3 dashboard. This code shouldn't be a big deal.

I'll update once I get new spark and take it in for a smog.

Also I'd like to add that Firefox was my issue. I've been in such a panic with registration being due that I never tried Chrome, which did the trick.

You had issues with Firefox and you were able to relock the DME using the chrome browser? Was that the only problem?

[Phoenix9110]

Originally Posted by theweebabySeamus

Yeah I agree, seems like buying a new DME would be more expensive than simply having the dealer reflash, even if the car was owned for awhile.

The new DME would have been a fresh slate in case I couldn't get my original DME to factory settings.

The dealers around here see no action. The dealer an hour from my house told me they've only dealt with this twice and both times they bricked the DME. Is that a dealer you'd want to "simply having the dealer reflash."

All situations are different in regards to the access to help.

I have a local shop willing to set me up with a used DME to run my flash on. I will no longer unlock the current DME in the car. It'll just be used for smog every 2 years.

[Phoenix9110]

Originally Posted by chmura

You had issues with Firefox and you were able to relock the DME using the chrome browser? Was that the only problem?

That was the ONLY issue. If you relock, don't panic when it hangs up at 1%(deleting files), it may look frozen, but its not.

[chmura]

Originally Posted by Phoenix9110

That was the ONLY issue. If you relock, don't panic when it hangs up at 1%(deleting files), it may look frozen, but its not.

Thank you. This is great information. let us know how the smog check goes!

[Phoenix9110]

Originally Posted by chmura

Thank you. This is great information. let us know how the smog check goes!

I updated my post above with a photo of Vehicle ID that shows the match just in case you didn't see it. I'll be back on to post my results of the smog most likely at the start of next week. Depends on the time it takes for my spark plugs to arrive. Also, just so everyone knows fully what I'm doing, I'm using standalone laptop for my car running Windows 10 Home. It cost me around $150 about 2 years ago.

[TopJimmy]

Phoenix9110
So just to confirm:

You successfully flashed BM3 with Stock+Lock using Chrome (Firefox failed) and after a 15min wait with Power Off then the IDs matched, and you could pass Smog?