Used LCM coding
 

Hi all,

My E53 (01/2002; M54) has been having some issues which I correctly identified as being a dead/dying LCM. I replaced the LCM with one I grabbed at the junkyard and pulled out the laptop to try and get it coded up. I thought I could just load up NCS Expert, load the VO, and get NCS expert to flash the factory coding up to the LCM. It hasn't worked that way, and when I try and write to the LCM I get an error that googling has told me is linked to the VIN not matching..

I ordered a PA Soft today, but I've found references (but no how-tos) on changing the VIN with Tool32 or WinKFP. The writeups I can find are for gauge clusters and I don't have the same options. Anyone know how to do this? I guess it's not an emergency since the LCM seems to have all the typical functions working, but it's bothering me that it's possible and I can't do it.

Also, my LCM and the used one are both LCM-III. I've seen references to swapping in LCM IV, etc. Is there much advantage to going that route? Is it essentially plug and play?

Some years have passed since last time. As far as I can remember there should be quite direct box in Scanner where to change the VIN. E53 LCM can't be flashed so WinKFP is out of the question and I suspect this can't be done with Tool32 either.

The PA Soft should be here tomorrow and like you said it's supposed to be pretty straightforward so hopefully that will let me take care of things.

Thank you for confirming that it probably won't work and I should stop trying to figure it out

According to this, you need to write VIN with Tool32 then code it with NCS when installing a used LCM.

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...-for-an-E53-X5

Those instructions look more like for E70 or similar era. On E53 ZCS/VO is stored on instrument cluster and EWS module, not on LCM. It is possible that writing VIN to LCM is possible with Tool32, never personally tried, but for certain can be done with BMW scanner (P.A. Soft).

I used this guide when I replaced my LCM.
Tamper dot went away

Thanks all.

The PA Soft changed the VIN and Mileage so tamper dot went away. I tried to do a full factory restore in NCS Expert but it really doesn't like the module for some reason (It may think it's not compatible -- can't find solid answers on google about errors) so I wasn't able to do that. I ended up going back to PA Soft and manually turning off all the options my truck doesn't have and everything seems to be fine. I'm headed out to junkyard again in few minutes and may see if there's an LCM that may work there.

Thanks again!

So what error was NCS giving? If the coding index is different than original, easiest to just do "Read ECU" first before actual coding so it changes the default coding index to code the current module.

Sorry, I go to school about 3 hours away from my garage and only make it back on the weekends. There error is in German, so I couldn't reconstruct it that well.

I tried it again today with updated SP-Daten files to see if that helps, but still no luck:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1p...ptHUrUvs=w1000

Happens with pretty much any job action in NCS Expert. (I think there was one--Info?-- where I actually got a result back)

So you tried "Read ECU" first like I mentioned on my previous post? On the box where is shows used coding index and prg and iso files you can change the coding index manually to correct one if needed.
.

I've tried Read ECU and get the same error. I didn't know that I could/should change the coding index. I'll give that a shot. Thank you for your help and ideas.

You may find this thread helpful.
https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/...#post-18752565

Curious what we’re your “problems” that led you to think it’s the LCM that’s the problem?
I’m having strange lighting issues with my indicators and fog light… ‘06 4.8is
Someone mentioned it might be a bad LCM module.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sure, some of the symptoms came and went, but my parking lights on one side turned on randomly when the car was sitting in the garage, turn signals stopped working, headlights were permanently on and the switch wasn't working, no gauge lighting, and a few other things. I thought maybe it was a low battery, and the symptoms went away for a bit when I changed it, but came back pretty quickly.

@Clavurion I think you're on the right track. I tried changing to .C18 and .C20 to see if those worked and got a different error message (with .C20). I grabbed another LCM at the junkyard last week with the same PN as the original one, and it coded right up on the first try at everything, so I'm sorted for now. When I have more time I'll plug the other one back in and see if I can't figure it out. Thanks for your help!