OBD theft fix

[ian.j]

My car is going into the dealer tomorrow for the OBD key cloning fix, as far as i am aware this is a software fix, Does any one know it this means that they flash the ecu to a newer version. (which i dont want) or is it some other part that is upgraded.

[Ian///M]

BMW Integration Level upgrades are a full flash of all modules. E.g. ABS, DME, etc. It will update the DME (ECU)

For example, in 2010, I had a faulty parking sensor unit on my 135i and when the re-programmed it updated ECU, ABS etc

[ian.j]

does this mean i might end up with the throttle lag i keep reading about? i hope not

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by ian.j

My car is going into the dealer tomorrow for the OBD key cloning fix, as far as i am aware this is a software fix, Does any one know it this means that they flash the ecu to a newer version. (which i dont want) or is it some other part that is upgraded.

It's only the CAS module that's updated, not the ECU.

[dtwyim]

Anybody in North America getting that done?

Last I heard, this started in the UK.

[Cozy]

Not necessary for LHD cars. The reason that the cars are so easily stolen when RHD is that the interior alarm sensors do not always pick up movement on the drivers side as the sensors only cover a limited amount of the right-hand side of the car, allowing a theif to smash the driver's window, reach down to the OBD port and reprogram a key as the OBD port does not sleep while the car is locked. In BMW's wisdom they only thought to provide sensors that cover the driver's side of the cars when LHD, a real oversight as someone at BMW obviously forgot that they sell LHD versions too.

You'd probably find that if any of you LHD guys smashed your passenger side window that the alarm may not sound but that's not a big deal when it comes to theft as a theif would set the alarm off the moment they reached anywhere near the centre console.

The CAS module update disables the comfort access, or parts of it, and sends the OBD port to sleep when the car is locked and without a key in the ignition. For example with this update the car will not let you drop the windows when holding the key in the lock however, it will still let you drop them via the remote.

The way I see it is that theis must have originally start as a tip of from inside BMW, either that or a thief got lucky a couple times smashing driver's windows on RHD cars and dreamt the plan up.

[ian.j]

well ill have to wait a bit longer as bmw forgot what my car was in for today and decided just to give it a service

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by JamJay

Not necessary for LHD cars. The reason that the cars are so easily stolen when RHD is that the interior alarm sensors do not always pick up movement on the drivers side as the sensors only cover a limited amount of the right-hand side of the car, allowing a theif to smash the driver's window, reach down to the OBD port and reprogram a key as the OBD port does not sleep while the car is locked. In BMW's wisdom they only thought to provide sensors that cover the driver's side of the cars when LHD, a real oversight as someone at BMW obviously forgot that they sell LHD versions too.

You'd probably find that if any of you LHD guys smashed your passenger side window that the alarm may not sound but that's not a big deal when it comes to theft as a theif would set the alarm off the moment they reached anywhere near the centre console.

The CAS module update disables the comfort access, or parts of it, and sends the OBD port to sleep when the car is locked and without a key in the ignition. For example with this update the car will not let you drop the windows when holding the key in the lock however, it will still let you drop them via the remote.

The way I see it is that theis must have originally start as a tip of from inside BMW, either that or a thief got lucky a couple times smashing driver's windows on RHD cars and dreamt the plan up.

I do not believe that to be true. Both LHD and RHD cars are vulnerable to key fob cloning thru the OBD-II port.

[Cozy]

Yes, if course but the difference being that you have an alarm covering the crucial area of the car, RHD falls short. I think you'll have to fight for the update, it took massive media coverage here in the UK to even get BMW to think about it. Previously it was a denied fault, they just turned their backs but after involvement of the media they finally looked into the problem. This fix is free at a dealership to the customer but paid for by BMW to the dealership, I'd not think they'd roll it out worldwide unless their hand was forced.