[WinstonE92xi]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share my experience and impressions upgrading to 2TB (sport automatic) with bimmercode. I have a 11 535i xdrive base with (steptronic) 205 transmission.

This was the best thing I have done to the car, vast improvement in shifting quality and more intuitive even in just D, even better in S and Manual mode. Before this the car was ok but did feel lazy and too smooth(hard to explain). But for anyone with the 205 my suggestion is go get 2TB coded ASAP! You wont regret it.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share my experience and impressions upgrading to 2TB (sport automatic) with bimmercode. I have a 11 535i xdrive base with (steptronic) 205 transmission.

This was the best thing I have done to the car, vast improvement in shifting quality and more intuitive even in just D, even better in S and Manual mode. Before this the car was ok but did feel lazy and too smooth(hard to explain). But for anyone with the 205 my suggestion is go get 2TB coded ASAP! You wont regret it.

For what it's worth, VO coding 2TB on my 2011 did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No change in shift points, shift programs, or feel whatsoever.

Yet, I read stuff like the above.

I have a theory. I do not have a DEC switch (econo/comfort/sport switch). Do you? I have a feeling that anyone without this switch gets no benefit from any coding.

XHP transmission tune, however, made a world of difference.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share my experience and impressions upgrading to 2TB (sport automatic) with bimmercode. I have a 11 535i xdrive base with (steptronic) 205 transmission.

This was the best thing I have done to the car, vast improvement in shifting quality and more intuitive even in just D, even better in S and Manual mode. Before this the car was ok but did feel lazy and too smooth(hard to explain). But for anyone with the 205 my suggestion is go get 2TB coded ASAP! You wont regret it.

I was under the impression VO coding wasn't available in Bimmercode. How did you do it?

[WinstonE92xi]

Originally Posted by Surly73

For what it's worth, VO coding 2TB on my 2011 did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No change in shift points, shift programs, or feel whatsoever.

Yet, I read stuff like the above.

I have a theory. I do not have a DEC switch (econo/comfort/sport switch). Do you? I have a feeling that anyone without this switch gets no benefit from any coding.

XHP transmission tune, however, made a world of difference.

I dont have the sport/comfort switch. For me it was a noticable improvement. There is a certain crispness in the shifts now.

[WinstonE92xi]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

I was under the impression VO coding wasn't available in Bimmercode. How did you do it?

I just went to trans control module and activated.

[WinstonE92xi]

This was just from the demo mode from bimmercode as Im not connected to the car now.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

I just went to trans control module and activated.

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

This was just from the demo mode from bimmercode as Im not connected to the car now.

Huh....

So it looks like it isn't VO coding like in ESys. Thanks!

[Unspec]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Huh....

So it looks like it isn't VO coding like in ESys. Thanks!

Bimmercode doesn't do VO coding, it just does an en masse FDL coding for all the relevant parameters.

[WinstonE92xi]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

Huh....

So it looks like it isn't VO coding like in ESys. Thanks!

I dont know what VO means. I just saw the SAT activation from youtube with people using bimmercode to their cars.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

I dont know what VO means. I just saw the SAT activation from youtube with people using bimmercode to their cars.

Stands for Vehicle Order. IIRC, it tells the car (computer) how the car is configured.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

I dont have the sport/comfort switch. For me it was a noticable improvement. There is a certain crispness in the shifts now.

Well, I'm stumped. My 2011 535i X-Drive had no difference of any kind when VO coding 2TB from 205. I did it as a shortcut to retrofit paddles instead of FDL coding lesser known entities in SZL.

[WinstonE92xi]

Originally Posted by Surly73

Well, I'm stumped. My 2011 535i X-Drive had no difference of any kind when VO coding 2TB from 205. I did it as a shortcut to retrofit paddles instead of FDL coding lesser known entities in SZL.

Maybe it is time for fluid change for the tranny? Mine is close at 55k miles and planning to do it by 60k.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

Maybe it is time for fluid change for the tranny? Mine is close at 55k miles and planning to do it by 60k.

For me? Already done this past spring, and when I was first doing these experiments I think the car had 20,000km on it.

I've made several rounds of posts in coding forums years ago, never a conclusion why some people report significant change and for others (including me) no difference other than paddles worked and the cluster showed S1,S2,S3 when in sport mode (all signs that it's coded properly).

[Unspec]

Originally Posted by Surly73

Well, I'm stumped. My 2011 535i X-Drive had no difference of any kind when VO coding 2TB from 205. I did it as a shortcut to retrofit paddles instead of FDL coding lesser known entities in SZL.

Just to confirm, which ECU did you VO code? IIRC you need to VO code quite a few for 2TB.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Unspec

Just to confirm, which ECU did you VO code? IIRC you need to VO code quite a few for 2TB.

When I did it in ESys all I had to do was replace 205 with 2TB in the VO. I swapped out my old wheel with one with paddles and they worked immediately. For them to work properly with the SAT I had to code a couple of modules; though I don't remember which (check the coding forums).

[Unspec]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

When I did it in ESys all I had to do was replace 205 with 2TB in the VO. I swapped out my old wheel with one with paddles and they worked immediately. For them to work properly with the SAT I had to code a couple of modules; though I don't remember which (check the coding forums).

Correct, all you have to do is replace 205 with 2TB. The actual process of coding the ECU's is called "VO coding", to differentiate between VO coding and FDL coding.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by Unspec

Just to confirm, which ECU did you VO code? IIRC you need to VO code quite a few for 2TB.

I'd have to check my notes - ICM, EGS, SZL, KOMBI I believe it was.

[Unspec]

Originally Posted by Surly73

I'd have to check my notes - ICM, EGS, SZL, KOMBI I believe it was.

That sounds about right, just making sure you coded the right ones. Would have been a bit awkward if you didn't feel the difference because you forgot one of the modules :P

[WinstonE92xi]

It all sounds very complicated. I guess it is good somebody made bimmercode for the not computer savvy people like myself.

[Unspec]

Originally Posted by WinstonE92xi

It all sounds very complicated. I guess it is good somebody made bimmercode for the not computer savvy people like myself.

It's a lot more complicated but it's the proper way to retrofit 2TB. It also ensures that if your car gets ECU updates, they'll be specific to 2TB and not 205, which might matter.

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by Unspec

That sounds about right, just making sure you coded the right ones. Would have been a bit awkward if you didn't feel the difference because you forgot one of the modules :P

Confirmed - according to my notes, those were the modules I coded.

[WinstonE92xi]

Originally Posted by Surly73

Confirmed - according to my notes, those were the modules I coded.

I am not versed in coding in any way other than the bimmercode. I was looking at bimmercode's frequently asked questions and saw this. I wonder if yours has this control unit model number listed.