[Terraphantm]

Originally Posted by rjahl

I friend dropped me a line and suggested the following:

"try changing build date to #0911 in NCS and recoding in expert mode"

I am useless when it comes to Coding but the source is very knowledgeable. I can PM the contact if you need.

That's not going to do anything. #0911 isn't a valid criterion for the E60.

[Jacks60r]

I'm guessing to get the gear number in D and S that two flags would need to be set in the egs flash, one for each item? The reason I say this, is I get the number in D, but not in S. Although I do get a red gear warning symbol in the kombi, but there is no DTC set. Could it be that the flag to get gear numbers in the S mode is wrong, and instead the flag is telling the kombi to show the red gear symbol?
The reason I say this is because I've done a fair bit of fiddling with an e39 instrument cluster, and all the warning lights can be operated by setting the appropriate bit in the canbus messages. Ie, the warning lights can be operated without an actual DTC present.
The main reason I am thinking on these lines is because D shows gears, and S doesn't. Surely it'd be either both, or neither working?

[Terraphantm]

Originally Posted by Jacks60r

I'm guessing to get the gear number in D and S that two flags would need to be set in the egs flash, one for each item? The reason I say this, is I get the number in D, but not in S. Although I do get a red gear warning symbol in the kombi, but there is no DTC set. Could it be that the flag to get gear numbers in the S mode is wrong, and instead the flag is telling the kombi to show the red gear symbol?
The reason I say this is because I've done a fair bit of fiddling with an e39 instrument cluster, and all the warning lights can be operated by setting the appropriate bit in the canbus messages. Ie, the warning lights can be operated without an actual DTC present.
The main reason I am thinking on these lines is because D shows gears, and S doesn't. Surely it'd be either both, or neither working?

Oddly enough it's just the one flag. There is a separate flag somewhere (at least on newer transmissions) to send just the S#. I don't know if there's one that can do D# only.

The signal is being sent over, but your cluster (or its software) is old enough that it doesn't know how to interpret the S# signal, which is why it's throwing the red gear symbol. Updating the cluster with WinKFP may fix the problem. Otherwise you might need to retrofit a newer cluster.

[rjahl]

Originally Posted by Terraphantm

Oddly enough it's just the one flag. There is a separate flag somewhere (at least on newer transmissions) to send just the S#. I don't know if there's one that can do D# only.

The signal is being sent over, but your cluster (or its software) is old enough that it doesn't know how to interpret the S# signal, which is why it's throwing the red gear symbol. Updating the cluster with WinKFP may fix the problem. Otherwise you might need to retrofit a newer cluster.

I have a good idea where the Canbus data is stored in the calibration file and I've studied it somewhat. I have a similar issue with my E85. I lost the D when the active gear display is turned on. Only the D, S and M are still active.

I was looking at the Daten files last night and got lost in the forest but I was hoping to find the Kombi program for the E60 Alpina. If it's the same as the standard 535D Kombi program than we might be able to find the answer in the two GKE 191 calibration files.

[Terraphantm]

Originally Posted by rjahl

I have a good idea where the Canbus data is stored in the calibration file and I've studied it somewhat. I have a similar issue with my E85. I lost the D when the active gear display is turned on. Only the D, S and M are still active.

I was looking at the Daten files last night and got lost in the forest but I was hoping to find the Kombi program for the E60 Alpina. If it's the same as the standard 535D Kombi program than we might be able to find the answer in the two GKE 191 calibration files.

Again, I believe the software of the Kombi is the issue more than the transmission. If a contemporary Alpina is able to display the D and S without issue, then it stands to reason the Kombi software can be flashed to do so.

Edit: I have found a couple videos of the 2005-2006 Alpina B5 displaying the gears, so I'm pretty confident the cluster can be coded/flashed to work.

[rjahl]

Originally Posted by Terraphantm

Again, I believe the software of the Kombi is the issue more than the transmission. If a contemporary Alpina is able to display the D and S without issue, then it stands to reason the Kombi software can be flashed to do so.

Edit: I have found a couple videos of the 2005-2006 Alpina B5 displaying the gears, so I'm pretty confident the cluster can be coded/flashed to work.

Does the Alpina use the same kombi hardware as the Early 335D/325D?

I did take a hard look the calibration file again last night. Comparing the CanBus and Kombi data areas of the Alpina and Standard Diesel file and nothing jumped out at me. The data is very similar, except the one byte that we change.

[Terraphantm]

Originally Posted by rjahl

Does the Alpina use the same kombi hardware as the Early 335D/325D?

I did take a hard look the calibration file again last night. Comparing the CanBus and Kombi data areas of the Alpina and Standard Diesel file and nothing jumped out at me. The data is very similar, except the one byte that we change.

E60 and E90 don't use the same Kombi hardware. E60 Alpina and standard E60 for a given build date should in theory have the same Kombi hardware minus the cosmetic bits.

[Jacks60r]

Updated kombi today. Now on zb nr 9126643. No change whatsoever. Still just shows the red gear symbol in S.

[Terraphantm]

Originally Posted by Jacks60r

Updated kombi today. Now on zb nr 9126643. No change whatsoever. Still just shows the red gear symbol in S.

Hmm, that's unfortunate. You may be SOL without getting a newer cluster then.

Digging into it a little further, it seems there were 3 distinct hardware versions of the E60 cluster. Pre-LCI models could come with either the 1st or 2nd versions (probably depending on build date and whatever BMW's inventory status was), but all of the Alpinas and M5s came with version 2.

Your ZB# corresponds to the newest software for the 1st generation cluster.

[Jacks60r]

Ahh, makes sense! Not to worry, would be nice to have, but not really a deal breaker, I'm more interested in the way it drives, particularly the slow response to manual input in M

[rjahl]

Seems like every day I make headway on this tune. I was able to remove the terrible upshift delay exiting corners in sport mode.

It now holds the lower gear through the turn and will upshift immediately after the corner. If I'm in a real hurry and get back into the throttle as I exit the turn, the TCU will hold the the lower gear like it should.

This was one of the main reason I never used sport mode before.

Sometimes I wonder if the people who wrote the TCU calibration files tested or drove the cars they set up.

[rjahl]

Originally Posted by Jacks60r

Ahh, makes sense! Not to worry, would be nice to have, but not really a deal breaker, I'm more interested in the way it drives, particularly the slow response to manual input in M

Not to worry, we have the ability to tune your TCU. It will just take a little time before we can go public with anything.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by rjahl

Seems like every day I make headway on this tune. I was able to remove the terrible upshift delay exiting corners in sport mode.

It now holds the lower gear through the turn and will upshift immediately after the corner. If I'm in a real hurry and get back into the throttle as I exit the turn, the TCU will hold the the lower gear like it should.

This was one of the main reason I never used sport mode before.

Sometimes I wonder if the people who wrote the TCU calibration files tested or drove the cars they set up.

They tuned them for moms. Also, dads who dont know a butterknife from a screwdriver.

[PORTMOODY]

Originally Posted by rjahl

Seems like every day I make headway on this tune. I was able to remove the terrible upshift delay exiting corners in sport mode.

It now holds the lower gear through the turn and will upshift immediately after the corner. If I'm in a real hurry and get back into the throttle as I exit the turn, the TCU will hold the the lower gear like it should.

This was one of the main reason I never used sport mode before.

Sometimes I wonder if the people who wrote the TCU calibration files tested or drove the cars they set up.

don't tease us.

[Jacks60r]

Originally Posted by rjahl

Not to worry, we have the ability to tune your TCU. It will just take a little time before we can go public with anything.

Well if there's anything I can do, let me know!

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by rjahl

Seems like every day I make headway on this tune. I was able to remove the terrible upshift delay exiting corners in sport mode.

It now holds the lower gear through the turn and will upshift immediately after the corner. If I'm in a real hurry and get back into the throttle as I exit the turn, the TCU will hold the the lower gear like it should.

This was one of the main reason I never used sport mode before.

Sometimes I wonder if the people who wrote the TCU calibration files tested or drove the cars they set up.

Hey, that's pretty awesome. That's one of the main things that frustrates me about driving the automatic e90. The other bmws with the 5-speed auto never had that annoying hitch.

[rjahl]

My work on this is going to be limited from now on. I'll support test tunes via a few friends but my Z4 -N52 is gone. At 205,000 miles it was time. I joined the dark side and picked up another Z4 but an E89 35is. Crazy quick but it cheats and uses twin turbos. Trans is a dual cutch 7 speed.

I do have a few additional reports regarding GKE 211 tuning. Just need some time to review the last logs first. I need to get those notes out before my memory gets too foggy.

[rjahl]

One question that has come up while trying to maximize the performance of the GKE 211 is how much torque reduction can I apply?

As one of my last tests, I added another 15% more torque reduction to the maps and it seems to have made little difference to the power produced by the engine during the shift. I've looked at the logs and the gearbox did request a big reduction in power but I'm still getting the "slingshot" affect when shifting from high RPMs under load. This tells me the engine is still producing power during the shift.

Knowing that the N52 kills power by reducing the ignition advance, I wonder if there is a limit to how much change in advance the DME will allow and if that is enough to truly cut power output by something like 75%.

I recently had a rental Toyota 4 banger and it could shift quickly by cutting engine power to nearly nothing.

[hassmaschine]

I think there's a maximum ignition retard value - but, probably best not to mess with it.

Didn't you play with the torque reduction during shifts on the DME end of it ages ago?

[rjahl]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

I think there's a maximum ignition retard value - but, probably best not to mess with it.

Didn't you play with the torque reduction during shifts on the DME end of it ages ago?

With the DME, I could set the maximum time the torque reduction was active. I could not change the amount of torque reduction

[varoadking]

Man...I was hoping this would actually be a thing. Thanks for your efforts...

[rjahl]

Originally Posted by varoadking

Man...I was hoping this would actually be a thing. Thanks for your efforts...

It's not dead, I have notes to finish and I'll still be developing tunes through "test" cars and that will be a little slower.

At some point in the near future, we hope to make some basic files available to all.

Actually working a few things tonight.