# Warning with retrofits - New BMW policy



## Fooljam (Oct 2, 2007)

Hello,

Did a coding job for a local BMW dealer yesterday as the car I retrofitted the CIC in was under warranty and the EKP module went after a few months (Unrelated). MPM module had to be changed too. Again unrelated to the CIC retrofit.

So the owner dropped his car at the dealer to get this replaced, as usual the dealer uses ISTA/P to then update the car integration level once the parts were replaced.

Problem is that ISTA/P refused to continue as the option 609 was not an official BMW retrofit as they did not provide the FSC certificate to enable navigation. The VIN was not found in BMW system. Indeed, I enabled this using script.
So the owner called me to get 609 coded out and original radio installed back.

So word of advice to anyone with a car still under warranty or using the dealer exclusively when doing service etc, the BMW mechanic told me that BMW recently changed their policy with regards to retrofits that requires a FSC and that has not been provided by a dealer and recorded centrally, they will not be able to replace other faulty parts under warranty, as this require a full integration level update.

It will fail and you will have to restore your car to its original state before you go in to a dealer.


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## tankren (Oct 21, 2012)

It's not new. Unofficial retrofit always needs to be recovered to what it was before you go to the dealer for software updating or something.


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## Fooljam (Oct 2, 2007)

tankren said:


> It's not new. Unofficial retrofit always needs to be recovered to what it was before you go to the dealer for software updating or something.


Absolutely not. As long as the device is working fine and installed properly that's not a problem. Factory option list is then updated in the bmw backend. Done that many times myself.
My understanding is that they now check that they issued the Fsc certificate in the first place on specific retrofits such as cic, nbt. If they did not, the measures plan will not go ahead.


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## maisav (Mar 31, 2013)

Why don't update by yourself the whole ilevel before going to the dealer? So it will not find nothing else, different by broken part, to update!


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## TokenMaster (Jul 18, 2013)

maisav said:


> Why don't update by yourself the whole ilevel before going to the dealer? So it will not find nothing else, different by broken part, to update!


Thing is, there are ECU that isn't as straighforward to upgrade. I've coded my car more times than I care to remember, but I have put off flashing until about a year after I learned coding. I was too chicken to flash my ECUs


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## milkyway (Jan 28, 2013)

Hello!

If you manipulate your VO or retrofited ECUs in your car which are not in the original VO the problem will start. If you have to get an update due to broken parts or some other reasons the ISTA/P system will check your VO with the saved VO in the BMW database. It must not be the head unit with a fsc, a retrofited Touch Controller is enough. That is the normal behaviour of a BMW service station here in Germany and it could be that the US stations have now the connection to the server in munich to doublecheck the VO.

Here's one solution to ask BMW Puma (Produktions- und Maßnahmenmanagement Aftersales or in englisch production and management measures aftersales) to add the SA to the VO and to save this new VO in the database. I accompanied a friend with his F10 and he retrofited Xenons in his car (he had only Halogen). Puma added SA 522 and 524 in the VO and the dealer was able to flash the car with ISTA/P.

CU Oliver


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## Fooljam (Oct 2, 2007)

maisav said:


> Why don't update by yourself the whole ilevel before going to the dealer? So it will not find nothing else, different by broken part, to update!


That F10 broke down and because it is still under warranty, the owner got it towed to the BMW dealer to get it fixed (It is free), and when parts are changed, integration level needs to take place.


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## Fooljam (Oct 2, 2007)

milkyway said:


> Here's one solution to ask BMW Puma (Produktions- und Maßnahmenmanagement Aftersales or in englisch production and management measures aftersales) to add the SA to the VO and to save this new VO in the database. I accompanied a friend with his F10 and he retrofited Xenons in his car (he had only Halogen). Puma added SA 522 and 524 in the VO and the dealer was able to flash the car with ISTA/P.
> 
> CU Oliver


So that seems to affect an retrofit you are saying?
Not just those that require A FSC certificate?


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## pSyl0 (Nov 2, 2005)

3 months ago I had my gear selector switch replaced under warranty, during coding of the car after replacement BMW called me told that they had some problems programming and issued PuMA. BMW AG responded that there are unauthorized retrofits in HU_NBT (6NR) and because of that they revoke warranty for HU_NBT :/

I had 6NR added to VO and forgot to remove it before handing the car to service. I think if VO matched factory one there would be no problem.


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