Dealer Update to ECU, etc.

cooolone2 · 10-10-2020, 09:01 AM

So, here's a naive question...

When does a dealer check or perform an ECU update? Is it with any visit? Do they check the car ECU versions and update if behind without your knowledge? Say, bringing the vehicle in for an Oil Change? Standard maintenance...? I don't have any piggy backs or anything I'm worried about them finding, this isn't the issue.

I'm an old school guy, and firmly believe if it isn't broken, don't fix it! I reluctantly update my phone's even and usually wait a long time so all the kinks are out when updates are even released before considering it at all. So my brain is the same here... Everything is working as I want it to and don't want the thing touched other than what I want done to it when I bring it in for it's first dealer visit. Please advise.

Thank you!

DistantTea · 10-10-2020, 09:48 AM

Depends on the dealer but yeah. I went in for an oil change once and said I would wait for it and they told me an hour later that they were doing an update and it would be several more hours. Communication with your service department is key. If it's a service bulletin they will probably require the update for warranty purposes.

cooolone2 · 10-10-2020, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DistantTea

Communication with your service department is key. If it's a service bulletin they will probably require the update for warranty purposes.

Yeah, figured as much, but it's interesting... Would they notify you that your warranty is invalid absent the update if you were forgoing the free maintenance and just doing it yourself (keeping records of course)... And although outside of paying for the car cash, they only have a lean in the property, it's still yours technically!

Would be like a bank mandating you to update your home furnace because they were carrying the note on the property!

In any event, yes, I will have a conversation about what exactly is to be done to vehicle as it is it's first visit. No unauthorized changes to Vehicle at all as far as I'm concerned, just drop oil, save some for my Blackstone Lab container, put new oil and filter, that's it! Thanks, see you next time, lol.

MarcoZandrini · 10-11-2020, 09:33 AM

Dealers update the various electronic modules, including the engine computer (DME), when the factory notifies them of the change. Some software changes do not require a special trip to the dealer. As noted above, the software was checked during a routine visit. On the other hand, a dealer or BMW NA can contact you to tell you that some electronic module needs an update pronto. I picked up my car in mid-September 2017. About a month later I was called by the dealer and asked to bring my car in for a gauge cluster software update. I took about 2 hours to update the software. They must has used rs-232. /s

cooolone2 · 10-11-2020, 01:19 PM

Thanks for the information... I guess one of the things I'm concerned about, not that I'm planning it any time soon, but is the recent update to the ECU thats interfering with any of the "Tunes" or tuning ... Lol, guess I might be worrying too much right now as by the time I'm ready, I'm sure it will all be settled.

10-10-2020, 09:01 AM	#1
cooolone2 Captain 625 Rep 706 Posts Drives: 20' M240iX B58, 01' 330XI E46 Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NY, USA iTrader: (0)	Dealer Update to ECU, etc. So, here's a naive question... When does a dealer check or perform an ECU update? Is it with any visit? Do they check the car ECU versions and update if behind without your knowledge? Say, bringing the vehicle in for an Oil Change? Standard maintenance...? I don't have any piggy backs or anything I'm worried about them finding, this isn't the issue. I'm an old school guy, and firmly believe if it isn't broken, don't fix it! I reluctantly update my phone's even and usually wait a long time so all the kinks are out when updates are even released before considering it at all. So my brain is the same here... Everything is working as I want it to and don't want the thing touched other than what I want done to it when I bring it in for it's first dealer visit. Please advise. Thank you!
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10-10-2020, 09:48 AM	#2
DistantTea Private First Class 101 Rep 170 Posts Drives: Oops Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Nowhere iTrader: (0)	Depends on the dealer but yeah. I went in for an oil change once and said I would wait for it and they told me an hour later that they were doing an update and it would be several more hours. Communication with your service department is key. If it's a service bulletin they will probably require the update for warranty purposes.
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10-11-2020, 09:33 AM	#4
MarcoZandrini Major 444 Rep 1,264 Posts Drives: 2018 M240i Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Dealers update the various electronic modules, including the engine computer (DME), when the factory notifies them of the change. Some software changes do not require a special trip to the dealer. As noted above, the software was checked during a routine visit. On the other hand, a dealer or BMW NA can contact you to tell you that some electronic module needs an update pronto. I picked up my car in mid-September 2017. About a month later I was called by the dealer and asked to bring my car in for a gauge cluster software update. I took about 2 hours to update the software. They must has used rs-232. /s
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10-11-2020, 01:19 PM	#5
cooolone2 Captain 625 Rep 706 Posts Drives: 20' M240iX B58, 01' 330XI E46 Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: NY, USA iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the information... I guess one of the things I'm concerned about, not that I'm planning it any time soon, but is the recent update to the ECU thats interfering with any of the "Tunes" or tuning ... Lol, guess I might be worrying too much right now as by the time I'm ready, I'm sure it will all be settled.
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