M3 Guy's 2012 Monte Carlo Blue X5M Journal

[Cattivo]

Originally Posted by m3 guy

Update:

Not so much a mod update this time around, more of a cool tool one.

Bmwhat App and Wifi OBDII Adapter

The company's site:

http://www.ivini-apps.com/


So the other week my edc went off again on the commute home due to a bad connection of one of the KW resistors. This had been an ongoing problem for awhile now and I've never been able to tell what side needs to be looked at. I was also thinking of getting some coding done as well, but the guy here couldn't connect to my car for whatever reason.

My boss came in the next day and showed me his new wifi obd2 adapter that he just got and some free software he downloaded for his corvette. I thought that was the coolest thing and asked to try it out on my car. So I did and it worked. It showed I had no faults though, which made me think I might need a more specific software program. This got me thinking maybe there is a BMW specific app to go along with these adapters so I could finally read my edc code.

I began searching and BMWhat immediately popped up. It advertised bmw specific fault code reading and clearing. It also advertised coding as well. This practically sold me right there as having an app on your phone that could read/clear fault codes and actually do some minor coding was something I never thought possible. Low and behold it was. I instantly downloaded the free version to test compatibility.

The free version pulled 10 faults, but would not tell me what they were. There was an email link to send the log though. So I did thinking I would never hear anything. That night I received an email back from the owner explaining all of the faults and that with the full version you would not need to send in your logs. I was so impressed by this customer service that I bought the full app.

At $50 it was not the cheapest piece of software but for something that does not vin lock, can read/clear fault codes, code, and work on the new F series cars was worth it to me. I also bought the wifi adapter off of Amazon as they actually have a little store there as a further means of support. It was not the cheapest wifi adapter, but I felt it important to support them as they are constantly improving the app and I feel it is an excellent product for our little bmw community. Iphone users will need to order the wifi adapter while android users need to order the bluetooth one with cable. The cable is needed to code for android platforms.

Link to the Amazon page:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=bl_sr_au...&node=15684181

Go Time

I received the adapter yesterday. It took a week for it to get from Germany to Hawaii. Packaging was good and it fit in the mailbox.

Pic out of the mail package:



Plugged into the car:



For reading fault codes you can have the engine running as that will have the most amount of ecu's on to read. For coding you are going to want to have the car in position two (everything on except engine, just start the car without holding the brake) while hooked up to a battery tender. So just like doing a performance tune in other words. Below you will find pictures of the app doing it's thing:

Wifi network it creates. It's also recommended that you turn your bluetooth off on your iphone while using the program for increased connectivity.:



The setting menu of the app. I chose additional diagnostics to make sure I read every code:



Fault code reading time. I selected all ecus. It spoke to 62 of them:





My edc faults. I now know I need to work on the front left and right connections for the resistors. The rears are fine:



Everything cleared:



Coding time!



5 modules can be coded for my car:



A taste of the options that can be coded!!! The nice thing about the app is it creates a backup file in case anything happens:
















There are a lot of options within the 5 modules for coding. Do keep in mind there are more options that an actual coder can do that this can not yet. However I think this product speaks for itself in terms of value. Works on your phone, uses a tool that creates it's own wifi, read/clear faults, does simple coding, and can work on the new F series cars is a win in my book. I highly recommend this tool if you guys are into this stuff. Any questions ask away. The owner is also working on additional coding options to add so that section will keep getting better!

Hi Kimo, do I need to hook up a battery tender while coding or can I just run the engine? A couple of guys on the M3 forum code while running their engine, is it any different for our E70's given how quickly our batteries drain?

[m5 guy]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

Hi Kimo, do I need to hook up a battery tender while coding or can I just run the engine? A couple of guys on the M3 forum code while running their engine, is it any different for our E70's given how quickly our batteries drain?

Just coding a couple things then no. Coding everything then I would. I coded with the whole car on minus the engine. Btw they came out with led light bulb coding. Now you can disable the bulb check so corner, reverse, turn led bulbs no longer strobe or give errors.

[Cattivo]

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure... that's why your V5's look brighter than mine lol. Glad I didn't spend $200 to get my truck coded

[windtendo]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

Thanks, I just wanted to make sure... that's why your V5's look brighter than mine lol. Glad I didn't spend $200 to get my truck coded

Wait, you can code them brighter??

[Cattivo]

Originally Posted by windtendo

Wait, you can code them brighter??

You can code the DRL's from very low to very bright

[windtendo]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

You can code the DRL's from very low to very bright

Are the DRL's the angel eyes? Meaning, you can code the LUX bulbs to be brighter?

[m5 guy]

Originally Posted by windtendo

Are the DRL's the angel eyes? Meaning, you can code the LUX bulbs to be brighter?

DRL's are the angel eyes. There is quite a bit of stuff you can code now with BMWhat. Plus it reads fault codes and lets you clear them too. Should look into it, especially since it works for multiple BMW's and does not lock to your car.

[Cattivo]

So that means if I have the LUX V5's I could make them even brighter? And if someone has the LCI LED's they will be even brighter?

[m5 guy]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

So that means if I have the LUX V5's I could make them even brighter? And if someone has the LCI LED's they will be even brighter?

Not sure about the Lux's since they have a feature that supposedly makes them max brightness regardless, but for any other angel eye yes. That said I have mine on max brightness.

[m5 guy]

I have been getting some questions about the oem front lip so I think it's best I answer them here. Yes it comes with the hardware needed. Yes it is a simple install. I did the install in my garage and it only took a couple hours. Install would be much quicker a second time. The only other thing you would need to order is some betalink if you wanted to make it permanent. For ordering the lip try your local dealer first as most will be willing to match places like getbmwparts.com. Lastly it's gloss black vinyl I have on the center lower bumper to help with the look.

Attached are the official pdf instructions as well. Hope this helps everyone.

[Cattivo]

Originally Posted by m3 guy

Not sure about the Lux's since they have a feature that supposedly makes them max brightness regardless, but for any other angel eye yes. That said I have mine on max brightness.

Thanks Kimo

[gixxerboy63]

...so I could use this tool to code my new LED Headlights?

[m5 guy]

Originally Posted by gixxerboy63

...so I could use this tool to code my new LED Headlights?

I don't think so. You might be able to ask the developer if he is willing to look into it, but as I understand it the coding procedure for the oem led headlights is quite complex. New FRM, changing vehicle build dates etc.

The BMWhat coding just turns off the check function for the lights so there are no bulb errors or strobeing on start up.

[UnicornM]

Quick one on your front lip. Did you bond it on? If so if you had to take it off would it destroy the lip or could it be free'd off with care?

[JackieChiles]

could you confirm the offsets on your wheels? were you unable to fit an 11 inch wheel?

the car looks amazing. I am really liking our new x5m as well.

[m5 guy]

Originally Posted by X5_MSPORT

Quick one on your front lip. Did you bond it on? If so if you had to take it off would it destroy the lip or could it be free'd off with care?

Yeah I used the betalink so it is permanent now. It would most likely break upon removal.

Originally Posted by JackieChiles

could you confirm the offsets on your wheels? were you unable to fit an 11 inch wheel?

the car looks amazing. I am really liking our new x5m as well.

Thanks! Offsets are in the mid teens.

[Cattivo]

Aloha Kimo, were you able to get rid of the annoying seatbelt chime with the BMwhat app? I just coded my truck and besides the seatbelt chime I couldn't figure out how to get the digital speedometer on the dash...is that even possible for the E70's? The app is definitely worth the $

[m5 guy]

Originally Posted by Cattivo

Aloha Kimo, were you able to get rid of the annoying seatbelt chime with the BMwhat app? I just coded my truck and besides the seatbelt chime I couldn't figure out how to get the digital speedometer on the dash...is that even possible for the E70's? The app is definitely worth the $

Yep got rid of the chime and did the digital speedometer on the obc.

[Cattivo]

I'll have to try it again later, thanks brother

[Cattivo]

I figured out how to get the digital speedometer on the dash but still can't figure out how to disable that annoying seat belt chime lol...Is this how I should set it to disable it???

[m5 guy]

Good job on the speedo!

For the seat belt chime if I remember correctly it's in a completely separate ecu module. When you go to the coding there are 5 ecu's it can code and it's in one of the last ones. There are very little options in it. I'll try and find it myself later for you if this does not help. Let me know.

[Cattivo]

Thanks Kimo, I think out of the 5 ecu's, the last 2 were only used for some sort of back up or saving files but I'm not really sure since I have no idea whatsoever about coding lol