[Oldwiggy]

I’ve read through a lot of the retrofits of front pdc and it seems relatively straight forward and I’m up for a go at it so I’m currently gathering parts details. I’m covered with most of the bits, apart from coding, that’s the stuff you do with smoke and mirrors right?! I’ll get someone to do this for me as I’m not as tech savvy as I used to be.
However I’m looking for a front and rear pdc control unit and I’ve found a couple but they’ve got different part numbers to each other, in fact I’ve found 4 or 5 and not one has the same part number, so are they all going to work the same or is it a case of needing a certain unit for a certain month/year of production. The car is a 2008 with prof cic nav and rear pdc already fitted.
Thanks for taking the time to read through my ramblings, I’ll be off for my coco shortly.

[pmorg4]

There have been quite a number of revisions of the PDC control unit with different part numbers for each. However these are shown as exchangeable retrospectively on the BMW parts catalogue so it's quite likely that it will work with your car even if it's from a different year.

You can check the part numbers yourself on realoem.com or bmwfans.info and see whether they are exchangeable with the corresponding part number for your car.

[Oldwiggy]

Thanks for that buddy, since the first post I’ve done some reading on this and I did check realoem and that’s how I read it too. It’s always handy to have some conformation though. I’ve collected all the parts to do the front pdc retrofit now, the control unit was a late model one used, the sensors I found new at £30 for 4, I’ve got a tin of paint mixed to spray the sensors, I’ve picked up the sensor mountings too. Although the retrofit kit is not available any more the wiring harness from front to rear is available from BMW and I’ve got that now. All I need is to wait till I can get the car inside then I can start to instal it all, then I’ll have to find someone to code it all on for me, that’s the stuff of smoke and mirrors for a half blind old fool like me.

[pmorg4]

Sounds like you've got it just about sorted out then. Keep us posted with how the installation goes. I have rear PDC and would consider adding front PDC depending on the amount of work involved running the wiring etc, as I struggle to find time for doing any work on the car.

The coding part is easy, you're just changing the VO (vehicle order) from one that has rear PDC to one that has F+R PDC then recoding the relevant modules to their factory settings. Unfortunately you're a bit far from me otherwise I'd offer to help in person.

[Oldwiggy]

I’m fine with fitting the new parts, I’ve had a look on YouTube and there’s a few helpful videos showing how best to route things and it all looks straightforward enough. I’ll let you know the full costs and part numbers needed and anything else I pick up along the way. As for the coding, yup sounds easy enough, IF I had a clue what it all meant but sadly it’s all Dutch to me, mechanical engineering I understand and electrics to a point but coding/programming is beyond me. I’m sure I’ll find someone local to do it for me but I do appreciate the help brother.

[pmorg4]

Good luck! If you get stuck with coding and can't find anyone local post back on here and I'm sure I (or another forum member) can give you a step-by-step guide using NCS Expert. That assumes you already have the cables and software, otherwise we'll need to get that part sorted first

[Oldwiggy]

Thanks brother, sadly not only do I not have the cables ets, I don’t even have a laptop anymore. I used to be ok with computer's back in the 90s and passable in the 2000’s but Ive not used one for years, an iPad does all I need for that interweb net thing. On the RS forum in the 90s when I had a 3door cosworth I was wiggy, being as I now don’t have hair or the sight in one eye Oldwiggy seemed more fitting. I’ll give a shout on here when I’ve found a lock up with a lift and fitted all the hardware and I’m ready for a software kind of chap.

[pmorg4]

No probs. I bet you wish you still had the 3 door, looking at the price of them these days! When I was a kid I always wanted my dad to get a Cosworth (although the Sapphire was the current model at the time) as it was the "family supercar". I've never driven one unfortunately but they do say don't meet your heroes so maybe I should leave the mythical memory intact

[Oldwiggy]

They’re worth a lot of cash these days, over the years there have been plenty of cars I wish I still had, the 3 door was my biggest money pit though. Engine was rebuilt with all the right bits and a lot of other vehicle mods back in the late 90s and was mapped at a shade over 400bhp, not a lot by today’s standards but it was quick back then and was featured in a magazine in 99. I know what you mean about meeting your hero’s, a good friend took me out in his countach, loud, uncomfortable and hard to see out of, still made me smile when he pulled 70 before grabbing second gear.