What is the Purpose of Coding and Programming?

As a global manufacturer, BMW must design a large variety of control modules to meet numerous vehicle requirements pertaining to issues such as:

• Country Specific Regulations (U.S., Canada, Japan, UK, ECE, ...)
• Vehicle Equipment Level (Phone, Navigation, HiFi, IHKA, IHKR, ...)
• Vehicle Powertrain Configurations (Manual, Auto, TLEV, ULEV, SULEV, Diesel, ...)
• System Specific Operating Requirements (Nominal values, type of input signal, ...)

By using Coding and/or Programming, the large variety of control modules needed can be reduced to a smaller number of model specific hardware variations.

Codable control modules contain:

• A common operating program
• A large number/variety of specific operating data groups

In order to use this type of control module it must first be CODED to ensure that the operating data specific to that vehicle/model application is used by the operating program of the control module.

Programmable control modules contain:

• The required/specific operational data
• No operating program

In order to use this type of control module it must first be PROGRAMMED to ensure that the operating program specific to the vehicle/model application is used.

Prior to the availability of Coding and Programming in the workshop this task could only be performed at the factory.

Initially the factory installed Control Module(s) with a common operating program or data into vehicles and as theses vehicles reached various points in the assembly process the control modules were updated with the required operating data or program specific to the application for that particular vehicle. Since replacement parts always need to be available, parts inventory needed to contain all variations of preprogrammed control modules installed in all varieties of vehicles that were manufactured. This was not a big problem in the early years, when the variety/quantity of models was smaller.

As the number of control modules and the complexity of the various systems installed into vehicles increased, the number of modules that needed to be stored in parts inventory began to increase as well. Eventually this led to the stocking of hundreds of different control modules that were either pre-programmed or pre-coded for a specific application and model, but only differed slightly in the way they were coded or programmed.

Pre-programmed and pre-coded control modules always needed to be available in the event a control module failed once the vehicle left the factory floor, since this was the only place programming & coding procedures could be performed. In order for repairs to be made quickly, dealers were required to maintain a stock of several varieties of control modules, since technicians could only remove the failed module and installed a new preprogrammed or pre-coded module into the vehicle.

As a result of having to maintain a very large inventory of pre-programmed and pre-coded control modules in parts inventory, it was decided to make coding and eventually programming available in BMW workshops.

The following advantages have occurred since programming and coding can be performed in the workshop:

• Fewer control module hardware versions are needed (only need basic control modules)
• Lower parts and inventory costs
• Able to update software in a control module without having to replace the module (Re-Code/ Re-Program to address service Measures)
• Ability to add special equipment features to existing control modules (DWA, Day Time Running Lights, ...)
• Customization of vehicle operation (Conversions, VKM, A/C, ...)

The means by which coding or programming information is provided to a control module varies and is determined by the vehicle, model year and type of module(s) installed.

BMW currently uses the following methods to perform Coding or Programming:

• Coding Plug
• DME variant Coding
• Coding Code
• Central Coding Key (ZCS) or Vehicle Order (VO)
• EPROM Programming
• Flash Programming
• Vehicle and Key Memory (VKM)