Since last May, I've been the proud owner of a 2011 E91 (Automatic, Premium Package, no iDrive). I've gradually realized my car probably has an intriguing backstory I'll probably never know. One chapter, though, is that I suspect one of the two previous owners either did an aftermarket engine re-flash, or bypassed the ECU altogether. And I'd like to at least find out what they did.
When I first learned about coding, and reading engine parameters, and all the other fun you can have via OBD-II, I was all over that. (I'm an IT support guy... I get paid to fight computers all day... Why stop when I get home?) I decided to start gently with Carly for BMW, so I bought a Generation 2 WiFi adapter, downloaded Carly for BMW Lite to verify that everything was working, and... everything wasn't working.
I can always connect to the adapter (that never fails, and my first connection updated the firmware). But, I always get a message saying that though I'm connected, my engine did not respond. In at least a hundred tries over several months I read my engine exactly once; this was roughly my third try, and I decided I had everything figured out and would come back later and gather info to send to myCarly. I never succeeded again.
After exchanging a couple of dozen messages (and sending a dozen session logs), Parvis says my engine responds to normal commands but not BMW-specific ones, which is usually a sign of an aftermarket tune intercepting them. As I know nothing about the previous two owners (or the dealer who imported my car as a demo) I can't rule that out. On one hand I feel like I may have gotten more than I paid for. On the other hand I don't know what I may have gained, but do know I lost the ability to read my engine parameters, which I want to do.
I don't know whether my engine "feels" tuned or not. This is the only BMW I've ever driven so I really can't tell whether I'm having more fun than I should be.
So, how can I find out what I have? A local German tuner shop offered to try to find out what's going on in there, but is that really feasible after-the-fact?
And what Carly communication settings work best under iOS for a 2011 328i xDrive Sports Wagon?
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