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      11-22-2014, 12:28 PM   #23
lazyrhino
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com View Post
I don't have a full panel or roof wrap but I have racing stripes on my MINI. It's not as "reversible" as people say it is because of weathering of the paint. I had a section of the stripes that were damaged and had to be replaced. When the vinyl was removed there was a very clear shadow effect where they had been. That is, that section had not been exposed to the sun and other environmental contaminants and it was obvious. If you wrap the roof and decided in a couple of years that you wanted to take it off, it's likely that your roof would be a slightly (but noticeably) different shade than the rest of the car. At least that was my experience with the stripes which are the same material that would be used in a full wrap.
Thanks for the advice. This was another concern of mine for sure.
Supposedly, with new water based paints, colour change through weathering is practically non existent, but I'm sceptical about it still.

It's a tough choice really.
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      11-22-2014, 12:54 PM   #24
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Maybe the key word there is "practically" but I can tell you that the installer had no trouble positioning the new stripes. He just followed the lines in the paint where the old ones were.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCrisco View Post
Thanks for the advice. This was another concern of mine for sure.
Supposedly, with new water based paints, colour change through weathering is practically non existent, but I'm sceptical about it still.

It's a tough choice really.
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      11-22-2014, 12:59 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chaswyck@yahoo.com View Post
Maybe the key word there is "practically" but I can tell you that the installer had no trouble positioning the new stripes. He just followed the lines in the paint where the old ones were.
You're probably right. Not sure how to proceed really. I plan to get the whole M Performance parts set (minus the rear spoiler), so I do think it'd blend in rather nicely. Tough call.
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      04-12-2015, 11:33 AM   #26
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Another progress update, and door pull/handle trim replacement DIY

So again, thanks to work commitments, it's been a while since my last update - apologies!

But, to fill in the gaps, since my last post...

Paint and Bodywork:
Unfortunately, whilst parked, my M235i has had its bumper driven into not once, but twice. I've left it parked, and returned to it on two separate occasions to find nasty paintwork damage. Neither times was a note left by whoever caused the damage - what a lovely society we live in.
The first time, the front of the bumper (nearby the plate) was all scuffed, taking some of the paint off down to the plastic. The second time, the whole front passenger corner had been hit, scraping nearly the whole of it down to plastic. Since then, the front bumper has been entirely repaired and repainted by a professional private bodyshop near my home, who've been fantastically helpful.
Since the results from their bumper repair were so fantastic, I decided to bite the bullet in the end and get them to repair my damaged roof, and take out the nasty gouges out of both wings, caused by stones being thrown up by lorries through the winter. Honestly, the costs have been incredibly reasonable, and the results are fantastic.

M Performance Parts and New Equipment:
Unfortunately, no changes here. I've been limited both by time, and money, but my plans still remain firm, so watch this space!


A job I've completed today though that I thought I'd post a little DIY for, was replacing my passenger side interior door pull/handle (brushed aluminium). My girlfriend kindly completely destroyed the original one by clambering in and out of my car rather carelessly whilst wearing rather excessive amounts of entirely unnecessary "finger bling" as I like to call it. Needless to say, she is now banned from the car, and can damn well stick to using her own and ruining that instead.

I purchased the part from my usual supplier (Cotswold BMW - Cheltenham), and as always, they delivered it immediately the next day. The part number for the brushed aluminium trim is B51.41.7.240.417 (I'm assuming there will be a different part number for the other side, as they're not symmetrical - for all American readers out there, this part number applies to the left hand door).
Supposedly, the trim was a simple 'ping off' job, but I couldn't find any guides for its removal anywhere online, so I had no choice but to operate a 'slowly and carefully' approach, learning as I went.

So you can see some of the damage my girlfriend kindly caused below here:


I used the flat end of an old bicycle tyre lever I had in my tool box, wrapped in tape to protect plastics, to start prying the original off (nothing like a good 'bodge it' tool). I started towards the bottom, as you can see below:


With a bit of careful leverage, the first clips started to release fairly easily. I then worked my way up the outside edge of the trim, prying carefully, releasing each clip. I then worked my way up the underside of the trim as well, doing the same. Once all clips were loosened, a gentle tug released the trim - no clips damaged or broken in the process:


Fitting the new replacement was of course a very simple task indeed - simply pushed it into the existing fittings, until it all 'clicked into place'. I did start by inserting the bottom 'hooked clip' first, to ensure it fitted correctly. So here below, is the fitted replacement. Good as new:


And here is the old damaged part, ready to be wrapped up neatly and given to my girlfriend as her Christmas present - you break it, you buy it and all that:


So hopefully that's at least a little bit helpful to anyone who's attempting to do the same on their 2 series. My supplier did kindly send me over the workshop fitting guide for the part also, so I thought I'd scan that in and upload it for anyone who wanted it (I didn't really follow the instructions within it, and sort of took my own route, but it's still useful). Please see .PDF attached in this post.

Hopefully I'll have some more cheerful and interesting updates soon!
Attached Images
File Type: pdf 2 Series - Door Trim Door Pull Removal.pdf (994.0 KB, 274 views)

Last edited by lazyrhino; 02-19-2017 at 06:33 AM.. Reason: Corrected Picture URLs
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      10-15-2015, 12:45 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCrisco View Post
Right, time for a proper update to my thread, as things are certainly moving along nicely now!

First things first, just to clear up on a few of the questions I'd posted previously:
- Side M Badge Accents: As you may have spotted my mentioning of this before, having investigated this at length (and checking out some other M235i/M135i cars at my local dealership), I was able to confirm that, the side accents that had been fitted to my car were indeed wrong! They're not meant to be bright chrome, they're supposed to match the 'Smoked Grey' colour of the boot badge! I raised this with the dealership, and after showing them the evidence, they agreed that the badges fitted were indeed wrong. For some reason though, their parts search was only bringing up the badges in bright chrome for the car, none in the smoked grey. The situation looked as though I might either have to leave the current badges applied, or just go without, but after a week or so of my dealership doing some digging however, they did fortunately manage to find the correct part number, but listed under only one model of car - the current shape X5 M Sport. These were then ordered and fitted yesterday (26/10/2014), so I'm pleased that's now resolved!
- Fuel Gauge Needle Illumination: So to summarise here, I'm a muppet. The needle never lit up in daylight, since new, and I was just imagining it. My genius astounds me.

But as an update on how things are moving forward, I've now managed to check two things off of my original list:
- Enhanced Bluetooth retrofit (Via E-Sys)
- Cruise Control retrofit (Parts installation and E-Sys)

I completed the Cruise Control retrofit myself yesterday, despite being told by BMW it wasn't possible! You should never say never, because I now have full Cruise Control (with Brake) function installed and running in my M235i, which previously only had the speed limiter function available! The process was in fact fairly straightforward, so for anyone else who wants to have a crack at it...


Parts
For the install, you'll only realistically need two parts from BMW - the new switches themselves, and possibly the screws that are used to apply them (I ordered these as a 'just in case I lost any' fallback, but didn't end up using them). There are actually two different versions of the switches - a set for post 03/2014 cars, and pre 03/2014 cars:
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...92&hg=61&fg=35

As my car is a post 03/2014 build, it required the slightly newer switch version, but I've listed both switch part numbers below:
Switch Unit (Up to 03/2014) - 61317849407
Switch Unit (From 03/2014) - 61317849411
Screws - 32307848333

So here are the parts I ordered below:


The parts, altogether, set me back a grand total of £185.11 - many thanks to Cotswold BMW (Cheltenham) for your generous discount!


Tools
Very few tools are actually required for the job, although, it's important to remember that physically fitting the new switches is just one part of the process - in order to actually make them functional, they must be coded to the car using E-Sys. If you don't have E-Sys, or aren't sure how to use it at all, I advise asking someone else to help you code the car!

You'll need:
- A T20 Torx screwdriver or equivalent bit set
- A very small flat head screwdriver
- 16mm socket and ratchet (preferrably with some decent leverage)
- A computer running E-Sys to code the new switches (no Token is required, as only VO coding is involved)


Step 1
As the process of fitting the new switches requires the removal of the driver airbag, and ultimately the steering wheel, it's VERY IMPORTANT to disconnect the battery as a safety precaution (not doing this could result in some serious injuries).
So, first things first, disconnect the negative battery terminal, see picture below. I advise putting at least one of your rear seats down, just in case the boot somehow shuts, because if it does with that battery still disconnected, you won't be getting it open again very easily!


Step 2
A. Firstly the airbag needs to be released or 'unlocked' from the steering wheel. Locate the two opening holes on the underside of the steering wheel (on either side), and using a long and fairly flat ended implement (i.e. your T20 screwdriver or key), push firmly upwards into these. You might have to move the tool around a bit until you find the right angle, but when you're pushing it in the right direction, you should feel a 'spring like' resistance - these are the airbag release clips.


B. Once you push the clip in the right direction against the spring, the airbag should pop forwards out of its mounting automatically.


C. Repeat this for both sides, and the airbag should come free. The first side is always easier than the second, as the second takes all of the weight once the first side is released. Have a hand ready to catch the airbag as it loosens, as I'm sure you don't want to scratch that steering wheel!


D. Once the airbag has come free, you'll need to disconnect it. Remove the clip shown in the photo below.
E. As the steering wheel is going to be removed next as well, be sure to remove the other electrical connector to the right of the airbag connector, as otherwise this will snag when trying to remove the wheel. You may need to use your small flat screwdriver to help loosen this clip.


Step 3
A. Next the steering wheel needs to be removed. Removing the airbag will have revealed the central bolt that connects the wheel to the steering column. Use your 16mm socket to undo this bolt.


B. Remove the bolt securing the wheel once fully unscrewed, but be sure to hold the wheel in place, to stop it from falling.


C. The wheel is now free to be removed. Be sure to take a photo, or mark where the wheel sat initially in terms of the notches on the thread/seat of the steering column. If you do not do this, your steering wheel may end up misaligned when refitting it later! When ready, remove the steering wheel.



Step 4
A. On the lower underside of the wheel, remove the T20 screw.


B. With the wheel facing towards you, remove the T20 screws on the inside of the wheel, either side of each button cluster (silver screws).


C. The front facia of the wheel is now ready to be removed. Carefully free the plastic clips holding it in place, and it should lift free. There are 3 on the top part of the ring, two on either side of the lower half of the ring, and two either side of the lower spoke towards the bottom M Badge. Be VERY careful undoing the clips, as otherwise, a replacement facia will be needed!


Once the facia is removed, your wheel should look like this:


Step 5
NOTE - I advise completing the removal of the switches illustrated in this step one side at a time, so as to ensure you've got enough free hands to hold/support loose parts! Furthermore, this step illustrates the process used for a steering wheel with paddle shifters. The method may vary for vehicles with a manual transmission (more than likely just skip section A.).
A. Remove the T20 screws from either side of the inside of the wheel just below the switch panels, which release the paddle shifters.


B. Lifting the paddle shifters off the back of the wheel will reveal the T20 screws that secure the switch panels you are replacing. Remove these screws to release the switch panels. You can disconnect the cables for the paddle shifters if you wish and remove these, however this is not necessary to complete the install.


Step 6
A. The switch panels on either side should now be free, and should fall away from the wheel easily. Lift the right hand side one gently, as this houses the connector that needs to be removed next.


B. Remove the cable connector from the back of the right hand side switch panel. This connector was quite stiff for me, and took some force to remove. Be careful.


C. Remove the earth cable (brown), by lifting the spade connector from its contact. This gives you the room you need to remove the switches and their bridge cable.


D. Remove both switches, carefully freeing the bridge cable connecting them from its housing around the bottom of the steering wheel centre. Take a picture of how the cable was threaded if you wish, to make it easier when threading the new bridge cable into the wheel.


Step 7
A. Firstly, connect the cable connector you removed in Step 6, B. to your new switches, and then place them in their mounting positions either side (leaving the bridge cable free initially), and secure them by reinserting their T20 fixing screws that you removed in Step 5, B. (on the underside of the wheel). Next, thread the bridge cable carefully back into place, making sure it's out of the way as the previous one was. Be sure to remember to reconnect the earth cable you removed earlier too (Step 6, C.).


B. Reposition the paddle shifters (if applicable), and then secure these by reinstalling the T20 screws you removed in Step 5, A.
Next, reinstall the facia you removed in Step 4, by clipping it back into place first, and then re-adding the two T20 screws either side (Step 4, B.), and the one T20 screw the lower underside of the wheel (Step 4, A.).


C. Reinstall the steering wheel by reversing the instructions from Steps 2 & 3. Be sure to remember to align your wheel correctly, according to the picture/record you took before you removed it, and to reconnect all relevant cable clips. Make sure the steering column bolt is done up tightly too. The airbag should simply push/clip back into place - you do not need any tools for this. Before you install the airbag, make sure all wires are tucked reasonably well away, to avoid any snags or breakages! Lastly, reconnect your battery. Once complete, give yourself a pat on the back, and observe your newly installed Cruise Control switches!


Step 8
Last, but by all means not least, you need to code the car to allow the usage of the new switches, and ultimately enable Cruise Control to operate successfully.
Prior to coding the car, the LIM button will still work as normal, and you won't see any IDrive or dash errors, so you don't have to do the coding immediately if you don't want to.
WARNING - If you do not understand the below terminology, or are unfamiliar with E-Sys, get someone else to do it for you. Mistakes could be costly, and result in a car that won't even start!

Once you're ready to go, get yourself connected up to E-Sys (with the car running on idle of course), and add option 544 to the FA. Once you've done this, you'll need to VO code the new FA to the below ECU trees:
- FEM_BODY
- ICM
- KOMBI


Whilst coding, my IDrive showed me a few errors, one of which was a DSC error, asking me to take the car for immediate service. As alarming as these may be, ignore them, and proceed. They'll be gone once you restart the car.

When the coding is completed (with no errors), you should have some working Cruise Control buttons. Restart your car, and you should end up with something like this:


Take her out for a test drive, and enjoy your newly retrofitted Cruise Control with Brake functionality!


I'll be sure to keep adding more updates as and when anything else moves forward, but that's all for now! Hopefully the above guide is helpful too!

WOW NICE work!!!

Code you please post the E-SYS coding?
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      10-15-2015, 09:56 AM   #28
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Do you guys not have cruise control in the UK, or am I missing something?
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      04-29-2016, 08:04 AM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCrisco View Post
Right, time for a proper update to my thread, as things are certainly moving along nicely now!

First things first, just to clear up on a few of the questions I'd posted previously:
- Side M Badge Accents: As you may have spotted my mentioning of this before, having investigated this at length (and checking out some other M235i/M135i cars at my local dealership), I was able to confirm that, the side accents that had been fitted to my car were indeed wrong! They're not meant to be bright chrome, they're supposed to match the 'Smoked Grey' colour of the boot badge! I raised this with the dealership, and after showing them the evidence, they agreed that the badges fitted were indeed wrong. For some reason though, their parts search was only bringing up the badges in bright chrome for the car, none in the smoked grey. The situation looked as though I might either have to leave the current badges applied, or just go without, but after a week or so of my dealership doing some digging however, they did fortunately manage to find the correct part number, but listed under only one model of car - the current shape X5 M Sport. These were then ordered and fitted yesterday (26/10/2014), so I'm pleased that's now resolved!
- Fuel Gauge Needle Illumination: So to summarise here, I'm a muppet. The needle never lit up in daylight, since new, and I was just imagining it. My genius astounds me.

But as an update on how things are moving forward, I've now managed to check two things off of my original list:
- Enhanced Bluetooth retrofit (Via E-Sys)
- Cruise Control retrofit (Parts installation and E-Sys)

I completed the Cruise Control retrofit myself yesterday, despite being told by BMW it wasn't possible! You should never say never, because I now have full Cruise Control (with Brake) function installed and running in my M235i, which previously only had the speed limiter function available! The process was in fact fairly straightforward, so for anyone else who wants to have a crack at it...


Parts
For the install, you'll only realistically need two parts from BMW - the new switches themselves, and possibly the screws that are used to apply them (I ordered these as a 'just in case I lost any' fallback, but didn't end up using them). There are actually two different versions of the switches - a set for post 03/2014 cars, and pre 03/2014 cars:
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...92&hg=61&fg=35

As my car is a post 03/2014 build, it required the slightly newer switch version, but I've listed both switch part numbers below:
Switch Unit (Up to 03/2014) - 61317849407
Switch Unit (From 03/2014) - 61317849411
Screws - 32307848333

So here are the parts I ordered below:


The parts, altogether, set me back a grand total of £185.11 - many thanks to Cotswold BMW (Cheltenham) for your generous discount!


Tools
Very few tools are actually required for the job, although, it's important to remember that physically fitting the new switches is just one part of the process - in order to actually make them functional, they must be coded to the car using E-Sys. If you don't have E-Sys, or aren't sure how to use it at all, I advise asking someone else to help you code the car!

You'll need:
- A T20 Torx screwdriver or equivalent bit set
- A very small flat head screwdriver
- 16mm socket and ratchet (preferrably with some decent leverage)
- A computer running E-Sys to code the new switches (no Token is required, as only VO coding is involved)


Step 1
As the process of fitting the new switches requires the removal of the driver airbag, and ultimately the steering wheel, it's VERY IMPORTANT to disconnect the battery as a safety precaution (not doing this could result in some serious injuries).
So, first things first, disconnect the negative battery terminal, see picture below. I advise putting at least one of your rear seats down, just in case the boot somehow shuts, because if it does with that battery still disconnected, you won't be getting it open again very easily!


Step 2
A. Firstly the airbag needs to be released or 'unlocked' from the steering wheel. Locate the two opening holes on the underside of the steering wheel (on either side), and using a long and fairly flat ended implement (i.e. your T20 screwdriver or key), push firmly upwards into these. You might have to move the tool around a bit until you find the right angle, but when you're pushing it in the right direction, you should feel a 'spring like' resistance - these are the airbag release clips.


B. Once you push the clip in the right direction against the spring, the airbag should pop forwards out of its mounting automatically.


C. Repeat this for both sides, and the airbag should come free. The first side is always easier than the second, as the second takes all of the weight once the first side is released. Have a hand ready to catch the airbag as it loosens, as I'm sure you don't want to scratch that steering wheel!


D. Once the airbag has come free, you'll need to disconnect it. Remove the clip shown in the photo below.
E. As the steering wheel is going to be removed next as well, be sure to remove the other electrical connector to the right of the airbag connector, as otherwise this will snag when trying to remove the wheel. You may need to use your small flat screwdriver to help loosen this clip.


Step 3
A. Next the steering wheel needs to be removed. Removing the airbag will have revealed the central bolt that connects the wheel to the steering column. Use your 16mm socket to undo this bolt.


B. Remove the bolt securing the wheel once fully unscrewed, but be sure to hold the wheel in place, to stop it from falling.


C. The wheel is now free to be removed. Be sure to take a photo, or mark where the wheel sat initially in terms of the notches on the thread/seat of the steering column. If you do not do this, your steering wheel may end up misaligned when refitting it later! When ready, remove the steering wheel.



Step 4
A. On the lower underside of the wheel, remove the T20 screw.


B. With the wheel facing towards you, remove the T20 screws on the inside of the wheel, either side of each button cluster (silver screws).


C. The front facia of the wheel is now ready to be removed. Carefully free the plastic clips holding it in place, and it should lift free. There are 3 on the top part of the ring, two on either side of the lower half of the ring, and two either side of the lower spoke towards the bottom M Badge. Be VERY careful undoing the clips, as otherwise, a replacement facia will be needed!


Once the facia is removed, your wheel should look like this:


Step 5
NOTE - I advise completing the removal of the switches illustrated in this step one side at a time, so as to ensure you've got enough free hands to hold/support loose parts! Furthermore, this step illustrates the process used for a steering wheel with paddle shifters. The method may vary for vehicles with a manual transmission (more than likely just skip section A.).
A. Remove the T20 screws from either side of the inside of the wheel just below the switch panels, which release the paddle shifters.


B. Lifting the paddle shifters off the back of the wheel will reveal the T20 screws that secure the switch panels you are replacing. Remove these screws to release the switch panels. You can disconnect the cables for the paddle shifters if you wish and remove these, however this is not necessary to complete the install.


Step 6
A. The switch panels on either side should now be free, and should fall away from the wheel easily. Lift the right hand side one gently, as this houses the connector that needs to be removed next.


B. Remove the cable connector from the back of the right hand side switch panel. This connector was quite stiff for me, and took some force to remove. Be careful.


C. Remove the earth cable (brown), by lifting the spade connector from its contact. This gives you the room you need to remove the switches and their bridge cable.


D. Remove both switches, carefully freeing the bridge cable connecting them from its housing around the bottom of the steering wheel centre. Take a picture of how the cable was threaded if you wish, to make it easier when threading the new bridge cable into the wheel.


Step 7
A. Firstly, connect the cable connector you removed in Step 6, B. to your new switches, and then place them in their mounting positions either side (leaving the bridge cable free initially), and secure them by reinserting their T20 fixing screws that you removed in Step 5, B. (on the underside of the wheel). Next, thread the bridge cable carefully back into place, making sure it's out of the way as the previous one was. Be sure to remember to reconnect the earth cable you removed earlier too (Step 6, C.).


B. Reposition the paddle shifters (if applicable), and then secure these by reinstalling the T20 screws you removed in Step 5, A.
Next, reinstall the facia you removed in Step 4, by clipping it back into place first, and then re-adding the two T20 screws either side (Step 4, B.), and the one T20 screw the lower underside of the wheel (Step 4, A.).


C. Reinstall the steering wheel by reversing the instructions from Steps 2 & 3. Be sure to remember to align your wheel correctly, according to the picture/record you took before you removed it, and to reconnect all relevant cable clips. Make sure the steering column bolt is done up tightly too. The airbag should simply push/clip back into place - you do not need any tools for this. Before you install the airbag, make sure all wires are tucked reasonably well away, to avoid any snags or breakages! Lastly, reconnect your battery. Once complete, give yourself a pat on the back, and observe your newly installed Cruise Control switches!


Step 8
Last, but by all means not least, you need to code the car to allow the usage of the new switches, and ultimately enable Cruise Control to operate successfully.
Prior to coding the car, the LIM button will still work as normal, and you won't see any IDrive or dash errors, so you don't have to do the coding immediately if you don't want to.
WARNING - If you do not understand the below terminology, or are unfamiliar with E-Sys, get someone else to do it for you. Mistakes could be costly, and result in a car that won't even start!

Once you're ready to go, get yourself connected up to E-Sys (with the car running on idle of course), and add option 544 to the FA. Once you've done this, you'll need to VO code the new FA to the below ECU trees:
- FEM_BODY
- ICM
- KOMBI


Whilst coding, my IDrive showed me a few errors, one of which was a DSC error, asking me to take the car for immediate service. As alarming as these may be, ignore them, and proceed. They'll be gone once you restart the car.

When the coding is completed (with no errors), you should have some working Cruise Control buttons. Restart your car, and you should end up with something like this:


Take her out for a test drive, and enjoy your newly retrofitted Cruise Control with Brake functionality!


I'll be sure to keep adding more updates as and when anything else moves forward, but that's all for now! Hopefully the above guide is helpful too!
hopefully going to be fitting my switches this weekend . will probably need some help doing the coding though if worst comes to the worst I may have to attempt myself.
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      05-25-2016, 11:45 AM   #30
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KurtCrisco, thanks a million for such a wonderful write-up on the cruise control retrofit! Just a couple of points to add for others who come across your post:

1) Smart man to think of marking the steering wheel upon removal; however, I discovered that the toothed retaining gear is notched in such a way that the wheel can only be installed and removed one-way. Still good practise to be prepared to mark for those doing this the first time, or perhaps on a different model.

2) The old switch (B61.31.7.849.407) specified for models 'Up to 03/2014' has been superseded by the new part number. This means owners with cars 'Up to 03/2014' are advised by the manual to use the new part number (B61.31.7.849.411). Further, dealerships are likely instructed to try and liquidate old stock where applicable, so those with vehicles 'Up to 03/2016' may want to specifically request the new part number in their order.

3) Mounting screws are not required for this retrofit, as you can always use the ones in place. As KurtCrisco mentions in his post, the screws were ordered just in case some were lost during the process, or an additional discovery necessitated their use.

Glad to hear all went smooth KurtCrisco, thanks again for your amazing gift to the community!!

P.S. To anyone interested, I am selling my 100% working, tested, and like new B61.31.7.849.411 BMW Multi-function Switch (needed for both LIM and Cruise Control w/Braking). This is due to my company-hire F20 going back to the programme administrator 15-July-16. Part is in perfect working order with no blemishes, scratches, etc. Includes original box, packaging and official BMW invoice from BMW Nine Elms in London.
Original Price: £197.84
DISCOUNT: 25%
Asking £150.00 + Free P&P (within UK)

Of course, coding services and installation are available at an additional cost for buyers located in Central London. PM me, or you can email SW7guy@gmail.com
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      05-28-2016, 08:31 PM   #31
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A tip for removing those door Trim pieces, There is a Small Slot at the very bottom you can slip the trim tool into to ease the process.
Gently Prying tho, Some of the trim pieces crack easily (speaking from experience :P)
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      07-20-2016, 06:15 AM   #32
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2015 BMW M235i  [0.00]
I would like to get my car retro-fitted with the Driver's Plus option. Is it possible using the same method that you used for the cruise control? It would be nice if my car unlocked when I walk up to it automatically and my headlights automatically changed from high to low.
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      01-30-2017, 11:13 AM   #33
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Hi All,

Kurt. Do you still have the photos to see how you have done it. I've just got my 64 M235i and I want to get cruise control on it. Wondering how to go about what parts I need and see how its done.
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      02-19-2017, 05:27 PM   #34
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Good afternoon friends!

To start, please let me apologise for my total absence from the forum for near enough a year and a half.

In my defence, A LOT has happened during that time. At the hands of my extremely malicious now ex-partner, I found myself not only struggling financially, but with my health also. I got viral menigitis, and my digestion became so poor that I started to lose weight rapidly - doctors were beginning to believe I might have Crohns disease. Turns out, after eventually managing to leave the vile moosepig whom I used to call my girlfriend, all of my symptoms were directly related to extreme stress/adrenaline - funny that!

And so, needless to say, during my 2 years of discovering that women are just as capable of domestic violence/abuse as men, my passion/love for my M235i had to take a bit of a backseat! But, now that all is on the up, finally, I can get back to it - and to think that b*tch tried to make me sell the car just so she could afford a few more handbags and sun bed trips!

First and foremost, let me respond to some of your questions/comments.

Quote:
Originally Posted by juniortabak View Post
WOW NICE work!!!

Code you please post the E-SYS coding?
To be honest, no. For two reasons:
- It's been such a long time since I did the install that I can't actually remember exactly what exact steps I took to do the coding. I'd have to go back and work the exact syntax/steps out again.
- I only attempted the e-sys coding as I'm an IT professional with a reasonable degree of programming experience in multiple different languages. The fact that you're looking for an absolute step by step guide to do the e-sys coding suggests that you don't have much prior programming experience - in my opinion, attempting to do e-sys coding would be a BIG risk therefore. On this basis, I feel you'd be safest getting someone else to complete the coding element for you.
(I mean no offence whatsoever, so please don't think otherwise. Also, I'd rather not be held responsible for anyone bricking their car!)

Quote:
Originally Posted by crbalch View Post
Do you guys not have cruise control in the UK, or am I missing something?
We certainly do, but it's not fitted as standard on an M235i (or at least it wasn't back when I purchased mine). It's part of an optional package, a package that wasn't specified on my build, hence my retrofitting it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by telshena View Post
KurtCrisco, thanks a million for such a wonderful write-up on the cruise control retrofit! Just a couple of points to add for others who come across your post:

1) Smart man to think of marking the steering wheel upon removal; however, I discovered that the toothed retaining gear is notched in such a way that the wheel can only be installed and removed one-way. Still good practise to be prepared to mark for those doing this the first time, or perhaps on a different model.

2) The old switch (B61.31.7.849.407) specified for models 'Up to 03/2014' has been superseded by the new part number. This means owners with cars 'Up to 03/2014' are advised by the manual to use the new part number (B61.31.7.849.411). Further, dealerships are likely instructed to try and liquidate old stock where applicable, so those with vehicles 'Up to 03/2016' may want to specifically request the new part number in their order.

3) Mounting screws are not required for this retrofit, as you can always use the ones in place. As KurtCrisco mentions in his post, the screws were ordered just in case some were lost during the process, or an additional discovery necessitated their use.

Glad to hear all went smooth KurtCrisco, thanks again for your amazing gift to the community!!

P.S. To anyone interested, I am selling my 100% working, tested, and like new B61.31.7.849.411 BMW Multi-function Switch (needed for both LIM and Cruise Control w/Braking). This is due to my company-hire F20 going back to the programme administrator 15-July-16. Part is in perfect working order with no blemishes, scratches, etc. Includes original box, packaging and official BMW invoice from BMW Nine Elms in London.
Original Price: £197.84
DISCOUNT: 25%
Asking £150.00 + Free P&P (within UK)

Of course, coding services and installation are available at an additional cost for buyers located in Central London. PM me, or you can email SW7guy@gmail.com
Many thanks for the kudos telshena!

I like to share write ups when I do techie/mechanical jobs. It's partly thanks to other people before me who've written write ups about other retrofits that I've learnt the methods behind doing them myself, so it's only fair I give something back!

1. Agreed. I found this out after I did it actually, felt like a bit of a goose. But hey, better safe than sorry!

2. Had no idea the part numbers had changed for later builds, so thanks a bunch for this info! Anyone looking to complete the retrofit, refer to telshena's comments!

3. I don't know about you, but I definitely was not willing to get stuck without a steering wheel on my car thanks to me losing a screw! I stand by my original advice - order the spare screws pack. Better safe than sorry!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Taunto View Post
A tip for removing those door Trim pieces, There is a Small Slot at the very bottom you can slip the trim tool into to ease the process.
Gently Prying tho, Some of the trim pieces crack easily (speaking from experience :P)
Tried the slot at the bottom first, couldn't get the leverage/purchase needed to get the thing off, hence my prying from a different angle!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike_3674M235i View Post
I would like to get my car retro-fitted with the Driver's Plus option. Is it possible using the same method that you used for the cruise control? It would be nice if my car unlocked when I walk up to it automatically and my headlights automatically changed from high to low.
Not a clue what the "Driver's Plus" option is. This isn't a UK option for sure.
It sounds as though what you're trying to retrofit is what's referred to over here as "Comfort Access". Theoretically the process would be the same, fit the parts, then code the option in, though I reckon Comfort Access would be a heck of a lot more difficult than a Cruise Control retrofit. You'd be looking at fitting sensors, possibly even changes to the keyfob. Personally, I wouldn't want to mess around with locking electronics on my vehicle, but each to their own!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephy View Post
Hi All,

Kurt. Do you still have the photos to see how you have done it. I've just got my 64 M235i and I want to get cruise control on it. Wondering how to go about what parts I need and see how its done.
I only realised today that, during a quest to enhance my online security, I randomised all the URLs of my pictures on PhotoBucket, which of course meant that they no longer showed in the original post! Doh!

I've corrected this today Stephy, so they should all be showing now for you. I have seen your PM also, I will reply ASAP.


And so, onwards - an update on my progress with my M235i!

I'm afraid to say, there isn't really one.

What I can do though, is tell you about a few reasonably dreadful things that have happened to my car in the last 2 years!
  • It's had the whole roof, both front wings (fenders), and the front bumper repainted. The roof was damaged by what I can only assume was an enormous dragon like creature with diamond claws, as the scratches were so deep. The situation with the front wings (fenders) was similar. The front bumper has actually been repainted twice now, and needs doing again! The first time some careless oaf hit it in a car park and drove off - charming. The second time seemed to happen mysteriously whilst the car was parked at my old address (I think it was my psycho ex girlfriend, but she never admitted it), and I don't even know how the most recent one happened. I'm yet to be able to afford to repair it!
  • It's absolutely covered in door dents. For those of you who're from the wonderful US of A, think of one of your typical parking bays/spaces. Now imagine that halved. What you're imagining now is a parking bay/space that's still bigger than an average one in the UK. I'm sure I'll manage to get her booked in with my friends down at Dent Rewind sometime in the near future, when time allows!
  • Randomly, the drivers side seat started puffing foam from the outer bolster into the rear footwell every time it was moved. The car has been into my local dealership twice now for this but they're yet to actually repair it (typical). Each time it comes out they say it's fixed, then two days later my rear footwell is starting to fill up with lots of little white bits of fluff again (and no, it's not dandruff. I've been religious with the Head & Shoulders).

This weekend just gone however was the first time in ages that I actually found myself able to spend some proper time on the car, and so I set about fixing a problem that's bugged me since day one of ownership - the frankly ridiculous location of the car's USB connection (tucked away in the centre arm rest).

Thanks to this moronic design, if you wish to use the car's USB connection, you either have to tuck your phone/MP3 player away in the arm rest, or you have to trail a cable out the side of the arm rest down to your centre console.
Any fellow F series BMW owners that are even half as OCD as I am will totally empathise when I say that the design is extremely irritating.

So, after finding myself a nice little adaptable phone holder that sits in one of the cup holders, my mission was to run a cable from the centre armrest USB connection and up to my new phone holder, totally hidden from sight. After a couple of hours of tinkering, mission accomplished!

Being the kind soul that I am, I photographed the job from start to finish in order to document it all for you, in case any of you wanted to do the same yourselves! In addition, it'll serve as a handy step by step guide on how to remove the central trim pieces!

Parts
The nifty little cup holder phone cradle I managed to pick up can be found here - Belkin Car Cup Mount
Since I'm an iPhone user through and through, I grabbed myself a 3 metre lightning cable from the local Halfords also - Halfords Lightning to USB Cable 3m

Step 1
Firstly, I needed to lift/remove the long centre trim piece that houses the iDrive controller. This was a little tricky to start with. Start at the bottom end near the centre armrest, and whilst forcing the plastic below the armrest back a little with one hand, try to slide a screwdriver/prying tool into the gap. I couldn't manage to get my prying tool into the gap, so screwdrivers were the only option.



After a little careful leverage, the trim piece started to come away. See below.



Be careful not to rip the trim up too quickly, as the cable for the iDrive controller is fairly short. The blue connector clip on the end of the cable is your standard 'squeeze and pull' type affair. Once disconnected, remove the trim piece completely. See below.




For anyone wishing to remove the iDrive controller, there are a few screws that hold it to the trim piece. I didn't need to do this for my task, but if you needed to remove it, should be pretty straightforward!

Step 2
Once you've removed the trim piece above, you'll be left with something that looks a little like this.



Next step is to lift/remove the larger plastic trim that contains the driving mode switches, and the gear select gator surround. For me, this came away with ease - no prying needed whatsoever. However, I did find that the trim piece snagged on the gear selector on its way up. I was able to overcome this by pushing the selector back towards me whilst lifting the trim.
Again, slow and steady wins the race here, as the cable for the driving mode switches will still be attached. Carefully remove the blue clip and you're away. See below.






Step 3
Once that second piece of trim is removed, it should all be looking a little like so.



Next step is to remove the cup holder recess containing the 12V socket. Simply undo the two torx screws either side, and the unit will easy lift.

NOTE - I discovered as I started to lift the unit that the proximity sensor for the wireless key is located on the front of it! It's connected by a cable with another standard squeeze and pull clip, but once you disconnect this, be advised, you won't be able to start the car until you reconnect it!

Disconnect the connector for the proximity sensor, and then carefully remove the connectors for the 12V socket underneath the cup holder recess (these just pull, and slide off their spade connectors).






Once you've removed the cup holder recess, you should be left with this:



Step 4
After earlier discovering (by accident with the vacuum cleaner) that the car's cup holders contain small removable rubber floor covers, my plan was to remove one of these covers, and drill a small hole in the plastic below, large enough for the cable to fit through. Floor covers shown below.



My idea was to pull the cable up through the hole, and sit the Belkin car mount into the cup holder as normal, disguising the hole and positioning things perfectly. Furthermore, if ever I needed to remove the cable, this way I'd be able to re-insert the rubber floor cover I'd removed, and the hole would then be totally covered!

Worked like a charm, see below.






Step 5
Next I needed to connect the USB end of the cable within the centre armrest.
The rubber tray that houses the aux/USB connectors pulls up real easy with a small tug, revealing the connectors below.



Both connectors are housed within a smaller plastic unit, which is removed by simply squeezing the fixing on either end. This smaller plastic unit then comes away from the rubber tray, upwards.



Removing each individual connectors is again similar. Simply squeeze the clips, and they'll come away.



To give myself a little more room, I found it helpful to remove the larger rubber tray beside the connectors as well. Of course this only applies to those who haven't got the phone prep pack fitted!



Next, I pulled the USB end of the cable through from below the front of the centre armrest, and connected to this to the car's USB connector. To hold things in place, I used a couple of small cable ties to make sure the now lose USB connector wouldn't end up catching the handbrake mechanism.



Next, I pulled the rest of the cable down the left hand side of the centre trim, following the path of the iDrive controller cable. I was even able to tuck it into the same recess.




Next, I curled the rest of the cable's length into a nice circular coil, and sat it down in the recess below where the cup holder unit sits. I chose to coil the cable up so that it could wrap neatly around the outside edge of one of the cup holders, to keep things tidy and secure.



Next, I refitted the cup holder unit, re-connected the 12V plug and the proximity sensor, and poked the cable through the hole I'd drilled.



And this was the result - all neat and tidy!



Step 6
Next it was time to put everything back together, and admire my handiwork!



And here pictured with the phone holder and phone once added!




To close, below is a picture showing how the connector tray in the centre armrest now looks with the USB tucked below. Frankly, to the untrained eye, it's not noticeable!




And so, job done! Now I can actually use the BMW ConnectedDrive app on my iPhone, and no longer have to suffer the painful bugs with bluetooth audio streaming!

Boy, it's good to be back!
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      07-20-2017, 02:38 AM   #35
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Many thanks

Thank you for the 'how to' guide on retrofitting cruise control ! I just did it to my 2013 F31: it works like a charm !

I ordered the part from leebmann24.de (with 10€ discount I got when subscribing to their newsletter).

I took me 4 hours in total (it took me some time to figure out where the battery was hidden and to release the airbag).

While changing FO, I saw there was an opportunity to enable sport auto transmission (2TB, instead of 205). I wonder what benefit I would get doing it (I already have Sport+ mode enabled as factory default option).

Thanks again !
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      08-10-2017, 07:27 AM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by philpeter View Post
Thank you for the 'how to' guide on retrofitting cruise control ! I just did it to my 2013 F31: it works like a charm !

I ordered the part from leebmann24.de (with 10€ discount I got when subscribing to their newsletter).

I took me 4 hours in total (it took me some time to figure out where the battery was hidden and to release the airbag).

While changing FO, I saw there was an opportunity to enable sport auto transmission (2TB, instead of 205). I wonder what benefit I would get doing it (I already have Sport+ mode enabled as factory default option).

Thanks again !
My pleasure! Thanks for the kudos!

I wouldn't know on the sport auto transmission front - never heard of this!
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      08-10-2017, 07:30 AM   #37
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The end of an era!

So all, bad news I'm afraid.

About a month or so ago I said goodbye to my beloved M235i - unfortunately, now that I'm an adult (apparently), the mortgage has to come first!

For those of you still enjoying your N55 engines, I salute you. I can honestly say, my M235i was the most reliable, entertaining and exciting car I've ever owned. I shall miss it dreadfully.

Thank you all for your kudos and compliments surrounding my writeups and guides!
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      08-10-2017, 02:18 PM   #38
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Poorboys do a red paste wax which I used on my z4, not expensive and with the right prepping looks ace.
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      02-26-2018, 10:29 PM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtCrisco View Post
Right, time for a proper update to my thread, as things are certainly moving along nicely now!
Hi Kurt, this is a fantastic post but it would be great if the image links could be updated or if somehow you could make a PDF of the instructions. I'm looking to do this 'upgrade' on a 2014 116i with M Sport package so really keen on the step by step guide.

Thanks in advance from Auckland, New Zealand.
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      02-27-2018, 11:49 AM   #40
Ron Jeffries
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What do all these Photobucket logos mean? Is the problem me, or OP?
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      02-27-2018, 12:10 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Jeffries View Post
What do all these Photobucket logos mean? Is the problem me, or OP?
It's a photbucket thing they started a few months back and is very annoying.
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      08-09-2018, 03:19 AM   #42
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Hi Lazyrhino,

I'm looking to do the cruise control retrofit, happy with the coding etc but to make my life easier I was wondering if it would be possible to get the photos which are now missing from your post

Thanks in advance
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      02-19-2020, 02:31 PM   #43
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Hi lazyrhino,

Same question as royaluk, is there any chance you could upload the photos again? About to attempt the cruise control retrofit and it would be super handy to have the photos!

Cheers
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