I'd avoid that for a couple reasons.
The BMW TCM 'tells' the car that there's a trailer attached so it can activate a different stability control program.
The TCM reports and stores any trailer related fault codes.
The TCM isolates the trailer electrics from the rest of the vehicle. In my view, this is pretty important. You don't want a fault in your trailer to fry $1000 worth of wiring.
It also seems to me that the electronics on these vehicles are already ridiculously complex and a bit fragile. The thought of introducing 'alien' electronics gives me the shivers. I was even reluctant to add a subwoofer amp in mine
If you need to get something hooked up in a hurry, a 3rd party kit would probably do in a pinch, but I'd still be keeping my eye out for a factory setup to replace it with. I found a TCM and the Westphalia harness for about $100... if you're patient, they're out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deansbimmer
I need to install a hitch on my X5... What do you guys think about those aftermarket modules made by companies like CURT etc, that do similar to the OEM module by taking battery power directly and taking signal only from the signals? There's a big price difference between one of those and an OEM type module/harness...
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