Coding the E53 with NCS expert

[TerminatorX5]

when you connect the USB cable, it is recognized by the computer as a USB device and the windows will start installing drivers for it. when you plug the OBD end into the car, the INPA (or other sofware) will recognize that something has connected, reach out, find a car, and you can take it from there...

the main thing is to properly identify the ports, like COM1 or COM3 or whatever... theoretically, the computer should do it automatically, but we all know the windows!!! lol...

[Gurjit]

any luck on the AE drls?

im going to try to add the line for highbeam and bixenon at same time

[sykocis]

About to go code some LCM parameters. Term, did you ever figure out what the difference between Denmark DRLs was?

As for AEs as DRLs, I think a custom Keyword or Parameters may have to be coded for this. Not sure yet. I am focused now on figuring out of to get my sidemarkers to function as sidemarkers. I turned of the front corner turn signals already. I need to get a copy of Rosetta Stone or something to figure out all this German.

[mrbmwx5]

You will the LCM2 to able to turn on the AEs as DRL.

[sykocis]

Originally Posted by mrbmwx5

You will the LCM2 to able to turn on the AEs as DRL.

Yeah. I know it will be in LCM. I've been scouring the lines in t. module all day. It's just a matter of finding the code or programming the feature. It is possible. They turn on with low beams as drl active and also as parking lights. So... I've been looking at the code for cold monitoring of the AEs hoping it will lead to something.

Update- Some things i've noticed when playing with DRLs parameters that may or may not already be known (I'm sure they are). Turned on my DRL's and used the low-beam for them. I noticed that this either appears to bypass the auto light selection on the light switch or something else because the green LED is illuminated, stating that it's active. Only way of disabling this is to use the extremely ugly US version of the DRLs (not going to happen). Any ideas?

On another note - what is the difference between standing lights / front turn signals / and side markers because there doesn't seem to be any as far as NCS is concerned. I figured the side markers would be the signal lights on the 1/4 panels which is not the case. I am getting so confused. I did manage to get the front signals to not function as parking lights though, which looks so nice since the AEs are the only thing lit when the switch is set to parking lights. Anyway, back to Google Translate.

[TerminatorX5]

these abbreviations are used in the trace files for the lights... most are 2 letters, some are 3. if there is a specific Left or Right, a letter L or R is added...

FL - HIGH BEAMS (L-LEFT; R-RIGHT)
NSW - FRONT FOG LIGHTS (L-LEFT; R-RIGHT)
AL - LOW BEAMS (L-LEFT; R-RIGHT)
BL - BRAKE LIGHTS (L-LEFT; R-RIGHT; M-MIDDLE)
BLK - TURN SIGNALS (LH-REAR LEFT; LV-FRONT LEFT; LZ-SIDE LEFT; RH-REAR RIGHT; RV-FRONT RIGHT; RZ-SIDE RIGHT)
KZL - LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS
NSL - REAR FOG LIGHTS (L-LEFT; R-RIGHT)
RFS - REVERSING LIGHTS (L-LEFT; R-RIGHT)
SL - PARKING LIGHTS (H-REAR; V-FRONT; LH-REAR LEFT; LHI-REAR LEFT; LV-FRONT LEFT; RH-REAR RIGHT; RHI-REAR RIGHT; RV-FRONT
RIGHT) - if i remember correctly, this is where the angel eyes should be looked at, SL_V, SL_RV and SL_V, SL_LV

the Dannish DRL were giving just the full intensity low beams, i suspect that the actual dannish DRL are half-intensity lowbeams, and since the HID can not produce half a beam or whatever, it just glows at full intensity.

one of the possible scenarios was (did not work out), to set up regular DRL with the high beams but set the intensity to 0%, and have the AEs just glow on their own - the plan did not work, as the angel eyes do NOT come on with the regular DRLs... unless there was another line to be activated in conjunction with this one...

another scenario would involve rewiring at the LCM level - actually switch the pins feeding to AEs with the corner lights... however, this accomplishes nothing, as you still need to turn the lights on and the goal is, to have the lights turn on with the engine, a la DRLs...

an extension of this scenario was to wire the rear fog lights pins to the AEs and have the AEs operate from the rear fog light switch S8, but this falls into the same category, the rear fog lights do not come on with engine, only with the rest of the lights, which is not what we are after...

is there an exterior light in these cars that comes on with the engine and it is NOT the highbeam?

and one more option, since these lights can be controled by a microcontroller via the iBus, stick a microcontroller that will do all of the above plus some other things, like unlocking the car on ignition off, folding mirrors on Park, etc, etc.... the problem is (or, the solution?), such a device already exists, it is called eLight module and is sold by a german company... BMW X5 E53

[sykocis]

Thank Term. That helps a great deal. I have found some interesting settings within the LCM. Let's list some of the things I have done within the last 2 hours but, in my fit of new found excited, made no effort to document (like and idiot).

DRL
Low-Beams on (w & w/o AEs) - if your theory is true regarding setting the beam intensity, maybe we can set the low-beams intensity to 0 for no shine and the AE's will be left on.

Fun stuff

Fog lights as turn signals
AEs as turn signals
Both of the above as turn signals simultaneously
(I have to really pay attention here because, I actually like this. I think when you have these enabled, having the front signal lights enabled sets the parameters back to nicht-aktiv. Not sure yet.)

Rear-Brake lights as signals.

I have been reading countless other forums and have seen it said that the AEs can be enabled as DRLs so... on to more searching.

[sv1cec]

TerminatorX5, how did you manage to code the driver seat to move to a predefined position, when you unlock the car? I 've been trying to do that for weeks now, and for the name of Lord, I can't.

I am using NCSExpert, SSS/Progman etc do not work on my Mac.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[TerminatorX5]

you need to program the code (don't remember the lines, but they are in this thread somewhere) in the SM module and also you need to program the keys - inside the NCS there should be a way to get to the key programming - you don't program the keys per se, you program everything inside the car, to react to a specific key...

play with the NCS, you should be able to see those keys i am talking about... the seats, the autolock, the steering wheel, they all go along with the keys individual programming...

[sv1cec]

For what it is worth, I had the X5 checked out at the Bulgarian BMW dealer, and they gave me the same answer as the Greek importer did. We can't program the seats to return to a predefined position, probably due to the fact that your radio is not a BMW one.

While we were in Bulgaria, we also bought another X5 for our son, this one is a more upscale model than ours, and it has the original BMW radio. That one, has the proper parameters in the car's Key/Memory and you can change them to work as you like (either have the seats moved when you open the door, or have the moved as soon as you unlock the car with the remote). But that car has a Seats Module, which our car doesn't have. I am wondering where is the Seat Module located and if it can be added to our car.

Apart from that, our car needs a couple of lower suspension arms and a couple of front suspension bushings, plus a rubber ring at the exit of the intercooler and it will be in perfect condition.