I looking to buy bimmercode to 'code off' the 'auto start/stop' feature.
Has anyone on here done this with bimmercode? & which Bluetooth dongle is compatible with our '22 G05 4.0l X5? Will that dongle also work on my F15 X5?

 

I believe they list compatible OBD adapters on their website. The same one should work for both as it did for my F25 and E82.

 

Thanks for your reply. I was able to get my MHD black OBDII wifi adapter to connect to the cars (F15 & G05) & code several items on my G05 i.e. windows up after door opening & turn off idrive after door is opened.
But the deactivate start/stop didn't work on the G05. Any tips?

 

It depends on what your latest s/w version is...at some point, that functionality was blocked from being coded without a factory access code. That was a version from 2024, but I don't remember exactly which one.

 

I’m still learning my new X5 but it appears that driving mode SPORT defeats ASS. I tried ECO PRO on my drive to dinner yesterday and shortly went back to SPORT. I will try ECO PRO again when settled at speed on the interstate.

 

Good morning Doug....yes, sport mode does eliminate START/STOP. AND you can also set Sport mode INDIVIDUAL so that Comfort mode is set for 3 of the sub-modes (engine,trans&steering) BUT you have to remember to put it in sport individual every time you start the car.
I was wanting to disable it ALL the time & not be bothered with that stupid function.
Some mechanics/car guys feels that the S/S function actually put more wears on the engine due to the constant loss of oil pressure at each Stop/Start cycle. For a split second, pressure need to build up again. It may be OCD stuff but you never know and besides I don't like it. I'm too old to change. 😆

 

I would really hate to brick my G05.

I got a nice lump of backpay from the SSA a couple of months ago while here in Floral City, FL. I used some of it to replace my ten year old iPad. I reset the old one and gave it to Milady Wife. She promptly bricked it, and is waiting on Apple to work their magic. That includes days of intentional delay to frustrate thieves.

The lump really eased the pain of losing my old X5 35d. I have so much to be thankful for in general but in particular over these 100 days of ‘vacation’.

 

got one younger bro who cleanly popped his left little finger right off his hand using a joiner.

 

My boy sprout troop sponsor was a carpenter. We made money building camps and lodges in the Sierra, way out in cheap property. He was whacking a 1x4 with a Skil saw, holding the bitter end and took off the last knuckle of his left index finger. We rescued the finger, put it in a bag of snow and took him to the nearest hospital. The two or three hours travel was too much and the finger was lost.

 

Here are my experiences with Bimmercode and my '22 540i (G30):

Bought this car new. Bought Bimmercode and dongle when I could not get Carly to work with the G30. Bimmercode let me code out ASS (auto start stop), along with all of the other things I like to code. All was good with the world.

Perhaps six months in, dealer pushed a software update into the car, and I had to do my codings all over again. Turns out, ASS coding somehow not working at this point. So, I coded sport mode as the default, and that consequently disables ASS. This is not a problem for me or my wife, so that is my current solution.

Since then I have also turned off the over-the-air updates, because clearly BMW wants to prevent me from making changes to the coding. I love my BMWs, especially the older ones. However, I cannot promise my next new car will be a BMW.

 

Have come to the exact same thresh hold. The company is definitely attempting to force owners into dealerships for everything. Even personal preferences that could easily be settings.

 

with our 2020 x5 I needed to push the start stop button 3 times quickly to get the changes to take effect. I think this puts in into a mode.

 

I tried that. It went into 'diagnostic mode', coded S/S out & it still didn't work in Comfort mode. This is on our '22 X5 with mfg date of 12/21. Not sure what I'm doing wrong or what.

 

When addressing current BMW software, one must specify BMW iDrive OS 8, 8.5 (that my 2025 G05 has), or OS 9.

 

To state another way, to the best of my knowledge, it applies to current versions of all iterations still being actively updated by BMW including but not limited to ID7, 8, 8.5, and 9. Of course, it’s not applicable to electric or hybrid electric vehicles.

 

From what I hear, even on the Version 7x of iDrive, the later versions of OTA updates cannot code SS off by default. To do that, you would need access to BMW's servers and a keycode, otherwise, some modules are locked, and most of them are on the LCI with 8 and 8.5 are as well. So it really depends on which version you're running, and then, what the latest update that has been applied.

FWIW, BMW gets some federal credits for its efficiency numbers, and turning that off, or allowing it to be turned off all of the time, could affect what they pay the government, and ultimately, the customer as well since it's an additional cost to them. They have made it more seamless through hardware and software tweaks, but it still really annoys some people. It's better with the mild hybrid, and with the PHEV, but still not 'off' all of the time.

 

ID7 i-level 03/2023.xx locked out the DME so coding ASS and any other DME functions are no longer available. All other modules are still codeable with current ID7 builds. Starting with ID8 (G05 LCI), all modules are locked and cannot be coded.

 

Thanks

 

In the USA (and probably elsewhere in the world), BMW markets the vehicle with the 'normal' operation using start/stop...it's part of their emissions and efficiency numbers they report to their respective governments. Being able to turn that feature off easily means those numbers won't be accurate anymore. That could result in fines or higher fees to BMW, and thus potentially to all vehicles sold by them to cover the costs. With my PHEV, I don't worry about it, but I understand some really hate that 'feature' that will end up saving them some money on fuel, albeit maybe small. Nearly 50-years ago when I was in Korea, all of the taxi drivers turned their vehicles off manually at a red light to save fuel...the concept has been around for decades, and the latest implementations are much better than those of old.

Choice is nice, but sometimes we should sacrifice for the betterment of society.

 

Only if it is a personal choice and not a mandated one.

 

 

S/S has been around now for quite a while, so prudent manufacturers have figured out how to make starters last longer. I at least, have not heard of many people with newer BMWs that have had to replace their starter motors. We're beyond the startup new product issues. That may not be true for all vehicles out there.

Most people these days tend to lease, and get a new one in 3-years or so, so really don't have a big consideration for long term ownership, but certainly some keep theirs a long time. They are not in the majority, though. A certified used one can come with a pretty substantial warranty, and BMW is not in the market of losing money on repairs under warranty.

Vehicles are changing and what may have been true previously, may not be today.

Anyway, there are ways to disable it. That may not be true forever.

 

Since when does the engine immediately rev up to several thousand RPM when you let off on the brake?

There are ways to prevent rapid oil drain down. Don't you think the engineers haven't designed things to account for S/S operation? It's not a cold start where lots more wear can occur in the first moments of operation...things are already primed.

At least there's a way to avoid this if it really bothers you.

 

I'm expressing what I have seen as a passenger in cars equipped with ASS. Car sits at red light for a minute. Then, foot off brake, motor starts, driver hits the gas, tach goes above 3k. Problems probably don't surface until the car is well out of warranty. So, I'm not bothered by it because I have it disabled in my cars so equipped.

 

For what it's worth, I think BMW's ASS on my X5 is much smoother than on my wife's volvo and my friend's Subaru. I hardly notice it it on the X5 compared with the volvo and subaru.

 

That's because it doesn't use the starter but the alternator

 

Thank you for this info. Mine is 2020 so pre LCI so I take it that it uses the same starter motor for all starts, ASS included?

 

What I was describing above was the pre-LCI/LCI mild-hybrid that was being discussed. In your case you do not have a mild hybrid so all starts are with the starter.

 

Ass, as in donky or mule is about right :-D

 

😆 🤣......looks like the current administration brought some common sense to the table & is looking to do away with this nonsense......not sure if any auto mfg with give us access to disable it. At least my work around with Bimmer Code hack is working for now.

 

So this post caught my attention. Just purchased a nice example of a 2017 F34 330i GT with 52k from a used car lot. Invariable so many BMWs on used lots can't possible keep the battery charged. Additionally, auction houses where these folks get their cars can't do it either. Owner neglect and these used car lot factors throw so many temporary fault codes, it's scary to trust they'll clear with no recurring fault. I cleared about 40 of them and none came back except 2 that seem benign (for now) and one where a part needs to be replaced at the used lot's expense.

But one item in the car, the ASS as it's liked to be called here will NOT function. That is it won't activate no matter the state of battery charge and any other ambient conditions. I brought it to a BMW dealer I use from time to time just to get some background on the vehicle in general (if I could) before I spent any effort to rectify it. The adviser surmised it may, note may, have been coded out before BMW prevented these measures. A histroy of BMW's service records showed no signs of having that done. He also thought if that was done it may not be reversible. This is not yet validated by me.

I like everything in my car to work as it was intended even if I don't like them or care to use them. I also own an E83 LCI and an E84.
But in the posts above I saw a recurring theme of wanting to hack various functions to make it individual or convenient for the current owner despite the capability of simply adjusting them with options or just getting into the Ultimate Driving Machine at hitting the pedal.
I looked up Bimmercode. Seemed scary. Looks a lot like solutions in search of a problem.

I'll close this lengthy post (apologies) by saying I hope I am never a victim of buying a hacked BMW.

 

I will assume the Previous Owner did in fact code it out. The dealers software can change that (toggle on or off).
Bimmercode 'should' be able to code this back on if u wanted it. Usually any independent bmw mechanic can do this.
What did u use to clear the codes?

 

Several years ago used it to configure many settings and personalize.
First time using it is works flawlessley. You must follow the simple directions and it may be best
to configure a few settings at a time instead of doing all of the options. Then you can simple check to verify
that they are working as expected. Definitely want to have a fully charged battery and it is suggested that you have
a charger like Vtech on the car when coding.
Very inexpenive app working with Blue Tooth dongle. Bimmer Link is also extremely useful.
F22 has a on off button for the start stop, as mentioned just keep it off. Majorly annoying.

 

When you program certain things with BimmerCode, they warn you that to return it to 'stock', you have to use a backup file versus just trying to change that one parameter. I do not know if ASS is one of those, but they do exist for some, and the program does caution you about that prior to actually performing that action. But, since you aren't the one that did it, you would not have access to that backup file. Note, most things can simply be reversed by changing the option in BimmerCode, but there are some that cannot, or couldn't (that could change over time as the program gets updated).

Having a dealership reprogram the vehicle with the latest firmware should change everything back to 'stock', but unless it's a warranty issue, they would charge you for that. An OTA update MIGHT also change that module, but there haven't been all that many for older vehicles.

Note also that while it doesn't happen often, reprogramming anything can brick a module, and require hardware replacement. Had that happen once during a warranty repair.

 

Hi all,
Thanks for the follow ups. Yeah, I'm not touching Bimmercode with a ten foot pole. And yes, OS V.5 is pretty stale and/or nonexistent for updates. The ASS is the only unfortunate issue with an otherwise flawless example of this 2017 330i GT. I changed the air filter and cabin filter right away because used car lots don't know they exist. My E83 an E84 cabin filters are easily accessible under the hood over the cowl. This F34 requires a significant amount of contortion and an airbag dance, but it was worth it. I think it was only changed once before.

I use a Foxwell NT530 bought directly from Foxwell. Added fresh BMW software to it when I bought the F34. I bought it as an upgrade for a Foxwell NT510 (bought years ago from Pelican with a "Schwaban" wrapper). I had to get the NT530 because the NT510 didn't offer Nissan software which I needed and it got stale and stopped offering software anyway, hence the upgrade. It did save countless dollars and trips to shops over the years I used it. Added Ford and Chrysler software to it for cars I owned.

I like these models for two reasons, no charging required, just plug and play and the bi-directional nature to run live data and test functions. It's a very convenient tool for DIYer whose past his prime and not using it make a living.

 

you should not touch it with a 20 footer, taking the car for Updating at the dealership has consequences
Bimmercode updates for free, it has zero issues unlike "Foxster"

 

You can accomplish what you want by having the Auto Start Stop function remember what state it was in when you turned off the car. So it doesn't come on automatically.

I have coded my G05 successfully using BimmerCode App on ios

BimmerCode for BMW and MINI - Coding your BMW, MINI or Toyota Supra made simple.

bimmercode.app

and
Vgate vLinker MC+ Bluetooth OBD2 Car Diagnostic Scan Tool

Just follow the instructions to disable your wifi and cellular service on your phone when you are connecting via bluetooth. If you're going to need to reference resources (like I do), bring another device like an iPad with you in order to watch YouTube videos while you are connecting to the OBD.

The items I commonly code include:

Front Electronic Module -
Shut off iDrive when driver door opened: ACTIVE
Auto Start Stop function off by default: ACTIVE
Auto Start Stop function memory: ACTIVE
Auto Start Stop function in ECO mode: NOT ACTIVE
Horn signal when locking the car with engine running: NOT ACTIVE
Unlock doors automatically: NOT ACTIVE
Time until automatic lock: 10 MINTUES (or never)
Fog lights off with high beam: NOT ACTIVE
Fold/unfold mirrors automatically: ACTIVE

Headunit
Tire Pressure Control - Display Temp & Pressure
Video in motion - ACTIVE
Warnings - At start-up: NOT ACTIVE
Warnings - Camera Warnings: NOT ACTIVE
Warnings - Nigh vision warning: NOT ACTIVE

Integrated Chasis Management
Start in Eco mode: NOT ACTIVE

Seat Module Driver
Easy Entry Seat Movement: ACTIVE
Seat heating / cooling setting memory: UNLIMITED

--- EOM ---

 

Bad News: Unfortunately I performed the 11/2023.50 iDrive software update on my G05. This version prevents the [Auto Start Stop function memory] from working! You can still set the flags in BimmerCode, but it won't do any good. So ASS memory works up to the 2022 versions of software, then BMW introduced defects into the car IMO.
Only workaround as some have pointed out is to program the car to start in Sport Individual mode which will disable ASS.
I also tried coding the ECU with another software (not BimmerCode). Then the car would not start at all showing an ECU configuration error. Luckily I was able to restore ECU module codes from a Backup created by BimmerCode, so the car starts again.
Beware of hackers wearing shirts with rondels!