BMW Forum - BimmerFest BMW Forums banner

Retrofit active cruise control / ACC / 5DF

25K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  ramez75  
#1 ·
I just pulled the trigger on a 2016 F31 with everything except the ACC w/Stop & Go option (5DF). We really wanted that option, but the overall deal was just too good to say no to.

I just spent an hour searching the forums, and it seems that people have tackled an ACC retrofit for the F10, but not for the F3*.

My other car is a 2015 MBZ, and the autonomous emergency braking on that thing has been awesome. It's saved me from one crash, and provides great peace of mind. It looks like the closest BMWs get to equalling the IIHS's MBZ crash prevention tests is if the 5DF option is installed. Apparently, that makes a huge difference in automatic braking versus just the PA+ package. At 12mph, PA+ reduces the impact speed to 7mph, while ACC prevents a crash altogether. And at 25mph, PA+ only reduces impact speed to 19mph, while ACC reduces it to 1mph.

My question is: if I just want to upgrade the AEB and don't actually need the ACC function itself, could a retrofit actually be affordable?

I wouldn't need to change out the steering wheel, for instance, since I'd never need to turn the ACC on. I'd just want the upgraded AEB to work in the background.

What do you guys think?

PS: First BMW! Very excited!
 
#2 · (Edited)
So, I forged ahead and tried to figure out on my own what parts would be needed for an F3* ACC retrofit. As could be expected, the effort would be similar to the F10 ACC Retrofit discussed previously on this forum.

One confounder is the frequent updates of certain parts, which gives me multiple part numbers for the same item. That could actually be advantageous, since there might be a better deal/discount on a slightly older part vs. the newer one.

Here's a list of required parts that I put together (based on my 10/15 build date):

Part / Part Number / Qty
  1. ACC-Sensor / 66316876327 / 1
  2. Bracket F. Sensor / 66316853978, 66316864379 / 1
  3. Oval-head machine screw, self-threading / 07146777838 / 4
  4. Screw self-tapping / 07146973023 / 2
  5. Blind rivet / 66316777308 / 2
  6. DXC pulse generator, front / 34526869321 / 2
  7. DXC pulse generator, rear / 34526869322 / 2
  8. Pipe - brake master cylinder-front / 34326864080 / 1
  9. Pipe - brake master cylinder-rear / 34326864081 / 1
  10. Pipeline with pressure hose / 34306864173 / 1
  11. Pipeline with pressure hose / 34306864174 / 1
  12. Hydro unit DSC / 34516871115, 34516881178 / 1
  13. Control unit ICM high / 34526867171 / 1
    OR
    ICM control unit / 34526868601, 34526879836 / 1
  14. Set of cables, front apron / 61129313606 / 1
  15. User-control, driver assistance systems / 61319268479 / 1
  16. Switch, MF steering wheel, M-Sport / 61317849406 / 1

I've highlighted the particularly expensive parts in bold. On the other hand, the cheaper parts may actually be the most labour-intensive to install (e.g. $50 brake lines).

Here are the cheapest prices I found on the bolded parts:
ACC Sensor (66316876327): $435
Hydro Unit DSC (34516871115): $1,569
ICM Control Unit (34526879836): $991

That ACC Sensor price is already at a heavy discount, so that's probably the floor price. The DSC and ICM units are the real cost drivers.

As it stands, a retrofit would cost $3,600 without labor. Waiting patiently for cheap control units to show up on Ebay could maybe bring the parts cost down to $2,100. Add a conservative estimate of 10 hours of labour for installation/coding, and we'd be back at $3,100.

My next step will be to check the actual control unit parts numbers on my car. The F10 owners found that LCI F10s fitted with DA+ already have the upgraded DSC & ICM control units installed. Fingers crossed that it's the same with my F31. That would bring the parts cost down to ~$1,100 and make it feasible.

Any feedback would be appreciated. I'm probably missing a vital, expensive part on that list, etc.
 
#3 ·
My next step will be to check the actual control unit parts numbers on my car. The F10 owners found that LCI F10s fitted with DA+ already have the upgraded DSC & ICM control units installed. Fingers crossed that it's the same with my F31. That would bring the parts cost down to ~$1,100 and make it feasible.
Aaaand...no luck. Checked the part numbers during lunch break.

DSC is labeled "DSC MK100 LK Basis", part #3451 6871109
ICM is part #3452 6867168

Weirdly, neither part corresponds to my VIN on RealOEM, but I'm sure they'd both require an upgrade for ACC. Time to save up some cash, or time to move on?