BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted February 13, 2019 Looking to recalibrate the temp gauge in my M54 so that it is actually of some use; does anyone around Wellington have the software to do this? I think you need PA Soft 1.4 but I could be wrong. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allanw 1071 Report post Posted February 13, 2019 5 hours ago, BozzaFC said: Looking to recalibrate the temp gauge in my M54 so that it is actually of some use; does anyone around Wellington have the software to do this? I think you need PA Soft 1.4 but I could be wrong. Thanks! It is. ? Just buy it - it's super useful anyway. https://www.xcar360.com/bmw-scanner-1-4-0-car-diagnostic-interface-tool-code-reader.html US$19.99 shipped ? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dom. 5 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 Does anyone happen to have a battery charger (10A or higher) that I could hire to use when I do the XHP and MHD flashes? Located in AKL. Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 31 minutes ago, Dom. said: Does anyone happen to have a battery charger (10A or higher) that I could hire to use when I do the XHP and MHD flashes? Located in AKL. Cheers 10 amps??? What size battery do you have? I have an 8A car battery charger and a 10A multi-purpose charger running off a 20A (13.8v) bench power supply if any of that interests? To be honest I'd think 8A would be fine but a proper charger will drop the current when the battery is near capacity anyway (right down to below 1A) and most will not automatically wake from trickle mode (which will be triggered if the battery is fully charged). That's where the power supply might be useful, it'll provide continuous power regardless of battery level. Without knowing why you need 10A though I can't make a firmer recommendation. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 You need a battery charger that will maintain a minimum of 13.7 volts with the ignition on throughout the whole process of flashing without interruption of that supply. Especially if you don't know how good you car battery is. Diagnostic/ coding chargers are quite different to a battery charger and they are expensive. but they are safe. I sold mine. You may not find what your looking for on here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 TBH I've never used a 'diagnostic charger' and I don't know the technicalities of them but for simply providing reliable power any power supply worth its salt will provide constant, regulated voltage... as long as it can provide the required voltage and more amps than you need I don't see why that wouldn't work? Just don't leave it hooked up overnight lol. Up to you Dom if you want to try my power supply 13.8v 20A. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sobanoodle 45 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 I was looking for a power supply too without much luck. Wanted to borrow one so I can update my i-step, seems like a much safer option is to just pay a workshop to do it (~$200). 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 15 hours ago, sobanoodle said: I was looking for a power supply too without much luck. Wanted to borrow one so I can update my i-step, seems like a much safer option is to just pay a workshop to do it (~$200). Heaps of them on Trademe... and you can borrow mine if you still need one. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sobanoodle 45 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 18 minutes ago, M3AN said: Heaps of them on Trademe... and you can borrow mine if you still need one. Don't really want to spend money on something that'll be only used once or twice. Thank you for the offer, from what I've read I need at least 50A power supply for an F-series. Would suck massively if the car goes to sleep mid process... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 Fifty amps? I can't imagine any circuit being used comes anywhere close to that. Sounds like it's just an idiot-proof recommendation for those that try and start the car during the procedure... but then the battery would supply that power in the first instance anyway. All good though. ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dom. 5 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 20 hours ago, M3AN said: 10 amps??? What size battery do you have? I have an 8A car battery charger and a 10A multi-purpose charger running off a 20A (13.8v) bench power supply if any of that interests? To be honest I'd think 8A would be fine but a proper charger will drop the current when the battery is near capacity anyway (right down to below 1A) and most will not automatically wake from trickle mode (which will be triggered if the battery is fully charged). That's where the power supply might be useful, it'll provide continuous power regardless of battery level. Without knowing why you need 10A though I can't make a firmer recommendation. Hey! Thank you for the offer and sorry for the late reply. I was intending to use the charger to fully charge my car battery before flashing (although it might be best to replace my battery altogether - the low battery light comes on within a couple of minutes of turning on the ignition if the engine is not running... if anyone has advice on how I can tell if the battery needs replacement I would appreciate it!), and then to maintain it while I flash my ECU and TCU. I picked 10A from my research on other forums, but what Glenn has said appears to be correct from looking at the xHP manual: "We also recommend a proper voltage supply during the install. (“Long-Flash”) The car can draw up to 30 Amps during the flash, so we recommend a supply able to deliver at least 30 Amp@13,8V. (e.g. Maas SPS-30) The voltage supply needs to be connected in the engine bay. DO NOT connect directly at the vehicles battery. A normal battery tender or charger does not help to stabilize the voltage during the process. It can only help to pre-charge the battery in advance. • The very first flash on your vehicle will “Install” xHP on your car. This procedure takes approx. 30 min. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND using a vehicle charger for the first flash. After installing, the following flashes will take no more than approx. 5 minutes. These flashes can be carried out without a charger, but you do not want to see voltage levels below 12V when starting a flash. xHP will display your battery voltage in the car information section. It is NOT possible to flash the TCU while the engine is running." Meanwhile MHD recommends anything above a 12A charger but is not very specific. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 Give me a call Dom...021921377 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 Interesting text, says a charger is not suitable then recommends using a charger lol. Possibly a poor translation to English so overlooking that it makes sense. I'm pretty confident 30A is way overkill but can't be 100% - I'd be interested in the size of the various fuses in the relates circuits and would be surprised if they're 30A. However, certainly it's preferable to err on the safe side. Either way your battery sounds shot. Before replacing it determine if your alternator is working properly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGB6ZEjGm7Q). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 22, 2019 Dave.... this was mine. Google and read what this can do and why you should use it. It might help you understand what is required when working on vehicles later than E36 & E39 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dom. 5 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 39 minutes ago, B.M.W Ltd said: Give me a call Dom...021921377 Thanks again for the chat @B.M.W Ltd. My interest in cars is fairly recent and I'm still learning, so I really do appreciate people like you going out of your way to give me advice. @M3AN Thanks again for the offer. After giving it some more thought for now I'm going to hold off on flashing the car until I've done a bit more research and sorted any potential issues with the battery or other components. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 (edited) On 2/23/2019 at 12:48 PM, B.M.W Ltd said: Dave.... this was mine. Google and read what this can do and why you should use it. It might help you understand what is required when working on vehicles later than E36 & E39 I've never been in doubt that there are differences between what you've used and a basic power supply Glenn. I am sceptical about the minimum requirements to perform some of the tasks described in this thread. You need to start with a good battery and if you do then it'll supply all the power you need, the charger/power supply is to stop the voltage dropping to an unacceptable level, you shouldn't need more than 8A for that (with a good battery). As I said above, it is better to err on the safe side and if you have purpose built, professional equipment then all the better! That does look like a good unit, I'd very much like one of those but I suspect they're hella-expensive! No worries @Dom. learning is a journey. Edited March 29, 2019 by M3AN Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 Sorry Dave... you are wrong with regard to the OP's flashing requirements. The battery fully charged rate will not continue to give the required voltage over a period of time without the correct type of support. If the voltage drops it can take out the flashed module and others using the same circuit. Did you actually read the manual for the above GYS unit ? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 1 minute ago, B.M.W Ltd said: ...The battery fully charged rate will not continue to give the required voltage over a period of time without the correct type of support... That's exactly what I said... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 This is what is wrong: "I am sceptical about the minimum requirements to perform some of the tasks described in this thread. You need to start with a good battery and if you do then it'll supply all the power you need, the charger/power supply is to stop the voltage dropping to an unacceptable level, you shouldn't need more than 8A for that (with a good battery)." Read the GYS manual . 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 I'm not going to read the manual - if you have a point to make from the manual then go for it, I may learn something. If you're arguing that you need a multi-hundred dollar, purpose built, 100A power supply to do what's being discussed then I'm not convinced. And that's the only point of disagreement I can see here, I've agreed with you on everything else. ?♂️ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_ethrty-Andy_ 2132 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 25 minutes ago, M3AN said: I'm not going to read the manual - if you have a point to make from the manual then go for it, I may learn something. If you're arguing that you need a multi-hundred dollar, purpose built, 100A power supply to do what's being discussed then I'm not convinced. And that's the only point of disagreement I can see here, I've agreed with you on everything else. ?♂️ bear in mind Glenns past is in a workshop environment where you are accountable to the customer and need to keep the cost down. he does not have the right to cut corners in the workshop, and risk blowing up components, and can depreciate all the gear as well. Whereas at home on ones own car, one can take that risk. I too, would use a normal battery charger. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 57 minutes ago, _ethrty-Andy_ said: bear in mind Glenns past is in a workshop environment where you are accountable to the customer and need to keep the cost down. he does not have the right to cut corners in the workshop, and risk blowing up components, and can depreciate all the gear as well. Whereas at home on ones own car, one can take that risk. I too, would use a normal battery charger. Yeah, I had that in mind even though we were talking about DIY... nevertheless, even for DIY I'd love the unit in his pic, that looks like the bee's knees (~AU$1700+GST!). My car battery charger wouldn't be suitable for flashing because once it senses the battery is full it drops down to a mA trickle charge and will not step back up to charge mode without manual intervention. This might not be a limitation for all consumer chargers but I'd want to check that before using a (consumer) charger. (I think this is actually the most important consideration to come out of this discussion.) I would however be happy to use my 13.8v 20A "dumb" power supply because, as I said before, I'm not convinced you'd need more than 20A for battery support for a flashing procedure if your battery is good to start with. I don't even think cranking would require an immediate 20A injection (support -> battery) and there's no way flashing will require as much current as cranking. But yeah, if you're doing it yourself then you carry the risk... and if I were doing it for somebody else I'd want to be super-duper safe. It all comes to naught if you have a power cut during the procedure... so perhaps you need a battery backup for your charger too... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 This is 2019.. you can't offer 2000 repair procedures for vehicles that have entirely different operational and repair requirements . People come on here trying to find out what the correct procedures are. Not guesses or ... I think you could do this or that. DIY is not an excuse to offer such advice. The advice I gave to the OP is correct and I stand by that. You can offer what you like but your in the wrong sand pit with your advice. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 You're getting worked up over nothing Glenn, the red mist is causing you to see things that don't exist. Relax. I've just read back, the only advice you've offered (except "call me") is: Quote You need a battery charger that will maintain a minimum of 13.7 volts with the ignition on throughout the whole process of flashing without interruption of that supply. Especially if you don't know how good you car battery is. Which I've agreed with from the beginning, in fact I stated that before you chimed in. And a 13.8v power supply with sufficient amps will do exactly that (and some consumer chargers may do that, mine will not). So, we're all left not knowing what you actually recommend unless you're suggesting you need a $2000 device to flash when most people get away with spending a fraction of that. If so, go ahead and state that explicitly. You're fabricating an arguement that doesn't exist... I've agreed with everything salient you've said so far... Now, if you have specific knowledge that 20A isn't sufficient as a support supply, even though the OP only asked for 10A, then do share it, that might actually be helpful. I'd certainly be interested. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
B.M.W Ltd 950 Report post Posted February 23, 2019 44 minutes ago, M3AN said: You're getting worked up over nothing Glenn, the red mist is causing you to see things that don't exist. Relax. So now you are going to use my near death experience that i shared on here to try and win a disagreement.... wow 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
