When it comes to re-coding BMWs, there really is a lot to know! I seem to get things figured out and then quickly forget some details... I should have taken better notes, but I at least saved some screen captures so I have a record of my original VO and the new VO. I also saved the coding files so I could revert back if needed.

If I understand things correctly, there are 2 ways to go about coding. You can read the coding and edit with something like NCS Dummy. (NCS Dummy is also nice for comparing coding files.) The other method is to use NCS Expert and tell it what the VO numbers are and let it recode based on the VO values (GM, SA, VN).

When you first use NCS Expert, you usually start out with reading the ZCS from the EWS or KMBI and this is simply pulling the VO from one of thoes modules in the car. When you want to set your own VO, you use the option "Enter ZCS" This prompts you to enter the VIN/FG and the other values (GM, SA, VN). With these values, NCS Expert now knows how to code everything in the vehicle to a stock configuration (without needing to read any modules).

I believe I did my coding with the VO values I figured out with ZEKO. When I changed the production date via ZEKO, the C3/VN number changed to something slightly different. I went back to NCS Expert and recoded based on the new VO values. I used the production date that was in the LCM IV (17.08.02). AIC and RLS are very different, so it makes sense there is a coding difference.

You mentioned the differences between the LCM III and the IV. I believe this is why I went the VO route as you don't have to pick and chose which settings to change. Use the VO values calculated with ZEKO and let NCS Expert code as the factory would. The LCM IV I used had coding for Xenon lights and other stuff that my X5 doesn't have, another reason to code via the VO and not just change individual settings. Once the stock configuration is set, I'll then tweak some setting I like with BMW Scanner v1.4 (light turning off the gong sounds).

The nice thing with coding is that you can always code back to the original setting, so don't worry too much about messing things up as long as you saved the original trace file.

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2001 x5 4.4 125k