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      04-16-2012, 01:21 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by rhouck View Post
There is hardware. The secret (which was uncovered by Andy (BMWM.D.) after he scoured the factory diagrams to determine what was different between M-drive and non-M-drive cars) is simply the steering unit switch column.
Great info. And big props to BMWM.D. too then.

For my own curiousity, do you know what the differences are between these switches? Rain sensing nonsense aside, obviously there is a difference between the ones with MDrive and those without. Is it just to allow the button on the steering wheel to function as the M Button? I.e. the physical switching hardware is indeed different between the M Button and the "wildcard" button, (or in the case of those of us without iDrive, the "Audio Input Source" button)?

Quote:
I can't see why it wouldn't work on a non-iDrive BMW, with the caveat that you may likely need to pick hard-coded settings (that is, until someone donates an M3 GTS or a 2011.5+ model for Mike to play with). That is something that will need to work out with Mike, however, as the non-iDrive does make it more of a pain to double-check whether things are working, etc.
I sure hope you are correct. Even if it doesn't allow programming, like I said before, I would happily take hardcoded settings for now (MDM, Sport Servotronic, Sport Power, S5 Drivelogic, Shift Lights on).


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It feels like the car I always wanted it to be.
Awesome.

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I actually had pretty bad buyer's remorse for awhile solely due to this issue (I was not aware that iDrive with no M-drive was even an option... uneducated buyer ).
Oh wow, so you were one of those who got duped, like I mentioned earlier. Look at the bright side - now you have MDrive and didn't have to pay for ZTP nor opt for EDC to get it. Just like the folks in Europe could do from day 1.

Quote:
The servotronic steering is kind of overrated. I went to the track yesterday and while it feels heavier, it mainly just made my wrists tired faster But I can see how it probably smooths out steering inputs so I will leave it.
LOL.

Quote:
I haven't even tried Sport+ as everyone seems to say it is too sensitive. Plus I am so used to regular Sport, that I don't really want to relearn throttle control (I leave it on Sport all the time as even going back and forth between Normal is annoying). It does seem like it would be easier to rev-match... but not sure if that is worth it being touchier. I'll have to experiment with it.
Yeah, even with MDrive, those of us without iDrive don't get Sport+, and that's fine with me. I don't have to worry about rev-matching either, so I don't think it will be mised.

Quote:
The MDM though is really the bread and butter and worth it alone. I got used to driving with DSC off on the track, but there are certain SoCal tracks that are not particularly safe IMO and having that extra insurance is nice. And on the street, DSC on is fine a lot of the time (i.e., sitting in rush hour traffic on the way to work), but there are times where you want to get on it a little bit and the complete power cut off DSC ruins the car (and I don't turn DSC off on the street).
MDM is something I really want to have as well. I rarely turn DSC Off anymore, I just don't like the idea of having no safety net on the street. I guess I am getting old. But yeah, the power cuts do ruin it a lot of the times. I have taken a lot of time to learn how to break the car loose without getting the DSC into too big a hissy fit. MDM will be great.

Quote:
The top button automatically becomes the M button and only the bottom one is a wildcard. I could get one that says M, but that really is the only difference... the label I need to replace my trim anyway at some point due to a cosmetic blemish, and if I do then I will look into it then. Otherwise I'll have M-drive sleeper mode
Heh heh, I like it. But yeah, its a minor thing. Actually, I was thinking it would be cool to make one that has the actual M logo in color. Maybe I will look into that at some point.

Do you know if Mike ever goes on the road? Maybe a group-buy would get him motivated?
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      04-16-2012, 01:25 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by mkoesel View Post
Do you know if Mike ever goes on the road? Maybe a group-buy would get him motivated?
Mike has a whole remote coding solution; he sends you a cable, you download a VM that he remotes into, and boom, coded. He's got the whole process outlined in his FAQ doc, the link for which is in his sig. His thread is here: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472123
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      04-16-2012, 01:29 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by jphughan View Post
Mike has a whole remote coding solution; he sends you a cable, you download a VM that he remotes into, and boom, coded. He's got the whole process outlined in his FAQ doc, the link for which is in his sig. His thread is here: http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472123
That's awesome, thanks.

Only thing is, the idea of installing the new switch hardware make me a bit nervous. Though I suppose that's not Mike's area of expertise to begin with. Plus, I don't necessarily want to just jump in and do this without him testing it on a non-iDrive car first. Although I wouldn't be totally opposed to trying it blindly either.
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      04-16-2012, 01:37 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel View Post
Great info. And big props to BMWM.D. too then.

For my own curiousity, do you know what the differences are between these switches? Rain sensing nonsense aside, obviously there is a difference between the ones with MDrive and those without. Is it just to allow the button on the steering wheel to function as the M Button? I.e. the physical switching hardware is indeed different between the M Button and the "wildcard" button, (or in the case of those of us without iDrive, the "Audio Input Source" button)?
Keep in mind that the M button itself (as addressed below) is somewhat irrelevant, as it itself does not have any hardware difference. The button appears to send an identical signal if it says M or is a diamond.

What is contained inside the switch column is the SZL module (as I understand it) which is what takes the signal from the button and then interprets it. Thus, the difference is in the interpretation by that module (which I assume is purely a programming difference, I guess firmware). That is why people have been unsuccessful in the past tackling this purely through coding, as you need to change how this SZL module actually functions.

Quote:
Oh wow, so you were one of those who got duped, like I mentioned earlier. Look at the bright side - now you have MDrive and didn't have to pay for ZTP nor opt for EDC to get it. Just like the folks in Europe could do from day 1.
Yup. I asked if anything was missing besides EDC (which I didn't care about; I have coilovers anyway) and comfort access (which is neat, but again not a deal breaker) and was told no. I don't believe the SA was being deceptive, just that he was not as familiar with the M models as he could have been.

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Actually, I was thinking it would be cool to make one that has the actual M logo in color. Maybe I will look into that at some point.
That would actually be pretty cool and I would probably be interested. I assume you could replace the plastic cap (though not 100% sure; didn't take it apart).

Quote:
Do you know if Mike ever goes on the road? Maybe a group-buy would get him motivated?
He does if there are enough interested people, although he can do coding remotely. However, I am not sure if 100% of this can be done remotely... he has a TON of equipment and I'm not sure if all of it could be done remotely. Best bet would be to talk to him directly on that.

Although for the first person trying it on a non I-drive car, he probably would want to be local.
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      04-16-2012, 01:41 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel View Post
That's awesome, thanks.

Only thing is, the idea of installing the new switch hardware make me a bit nervous. Though I suppose that's not Mike's area of expertise to begin with. Plus, I don't necessarily want to just jump in and do this without him testing it on a non-iDrive car first. Although I wouldn't be totally opposed to trying it blindly either.
I will update post 3 that I reserved with a "how-to" on the hardware install side, but really if you look at the performance steering wheel guide (http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242963), that is 99% of the process. Basically you get to the part where he says "Make sure not to pull the whole assembly out of the column. Very Important".... and ignore him and pull it all out

There is no re-wiring either. It is purely just taking things off (airbag is the trickiest if you haven't done it before, but it's pretty straightforward) and then put it back together. Basic screws and plugs. I have not done a single thing to my car previously and I did this in probably an hour and a half (including taking photos and going slowly). (that is just for the hardware, obviously, not including Mike figuring out the coding)
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      04-16-2012, 01:42 PM   #28
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I have M-Drive and I love it. MDM really is a great feature since I often trigger DSC when driving "spiritedly".

Also, Sport+ throttle is great because it allows me to rev-match my downshifts much more quickly.

Great job on the retrofit, I'm surprised no one did it sooner!

- KJ
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      04-16-2012, 02:02 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rhouck View Post
What is contained inside the switch column is the SZL module (as I understand it) which is what takes the signal from the button and then interprets it. Thus, the difference is in the interpretation by that module (which I assume is purely a programming difference, I guess firmware). That is why people have been unsuccessful in the past tackling this purely through coding, as you need to change how this SZL module actually functions.
Thanks for the explanation. So cool that someone(s) figured it all out.

I have to believe there would have been quite a bit more single hump M3s ordered between MY2008 and MY2011.5 if this had been known back then.

Quote:
He does if there are enough interested people, although he can do coding remotely. However, I am not sure if 100% of this can be done remotely... he has a TON of equipment and I'm not sure if all of it could be done remotely. Best bet would be to talk to him directly on that.

Although for the first person trying it on a non I-drive car, he probably would want to be local.
Thanks. I am sure someone out West with no iDrive and no MDrive will be eager to try this ASAP. But I will contact him about it.

By the way, in reading his thread more, I notice he has identified that Euro cars have a more generous MDM mode. Did you opt for that? It actually opens up some questions for me, never having had either.

As an aside, on top of that, I also know that ZCP cars have a more aggressive MDM as well. I wonder how that differs from the Euro MDM mode (if at all), and whether he can code that too. If it is different and codeable, it might be an interesting third MDM option, making things even more complicated. I will have to ask him about all this.
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      04-16-2012, 02:43 PM   #30
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel View Post
By the way, in reading his thread more, I notice he has identified that Euro cars have a more generous MDM mode. Did you opt for that? It actually opens up some questions for me, never having had either.

As an aside, on top of that, I also know that ZCP cars have a more aggressive MDM as well. I wonder how that differs from the Euro MDM mode (if at all), and whether he can code that too. If it is different and codeable, it might be an interesting third MDM option, making things even more complicated. I will have to ask him about all this.
I did opt for the Euro mode. I can't comment since I never drove with regular, but figured I might as well go for it (especially since my prior experience was DSC off so even a more "liberal" MDM mode would still seem somewhat constrained by comparison). I am actually trying to get it installed on a friend's M3 who has significant MDM tracking time and see if it affects his laptimes at all.

I am unaware of the ZCP differences. Perhaps the ZCP is just the same as the Euro version, but any guesses on my part would be pure speculation. Would seem unlikely that it is more liberal than the Euro mode though. Remember that you an only have one installed at a time.
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      04-16-2012, 02:57 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rhouck View Post
Remember that you an only have one installed at a time.
Exactly. Given the choice, I think I will take more slip.

BTW, as far as the different MDM flavors, having thought more on it, I think there is indeed just two of them, and all Euro cars get the more aggressive one, while in the US only ZCP cars do (don't quote me on that though).
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      04-16-2012, 09:30 PM   #32
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Very cool. Congrats!
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      04-16-2012, 11:02 PM   #33
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Nice. If under 1k I'd do this for mdm. I track with dsc off, but on the street mdm would be nice.

I have a non I drive car. The m button controls the stereo source select instead. Would loose that easy.

Mdm with no edc nor servotrinic would be nice. I also don't like sport anything. Normal gives the most linear throttle response.

The real kicker is turnin off the damn bongs! I'd pay for that alone

Btw do you know if it's possible to set the default to mdm or dsc off instead of full nanny mode?
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      04-16-2012, 11:22 PM   #34
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Great news, if mike was on the east coast i would be the first one to give him my car for trial and error. Mike, please post some info if this can be done for non Idrive cars. As far as I care, I only need MDM ALWAYS ON as default, and 2nd mode ALL nannies OFF for that time when I become the instructor. ALL IN FOR GROUP BUY......
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      04-16-2012, 11:35 PM   #35
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Whoa! I didn't know that an M car could come without the M settings lol!

Very nice work!
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      04-17-2012, 01:39 AM   #36
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Give me some time to reply.. I will offer this retrofit remotely.

Just am behind on work and need to catch up first. I think I scared the OP when I took his car out to make sure it worked

Didn't want to release the car back to him without making sure it wasn't 'just' a light coming on and nothing more..

It was definitely all there.

Today I discovered some additional differences between Competition package MDM and normal MDM.
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Last edited by BPMSport; 04-17-2012 at 01:45 AM..
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      04-17-2012, 05:29 AM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dizzyj View Post
Mdm with no edc nor servotrinic would be nice.
All M3s have Servotronic steerting. I assume you mean you don't care about the additional Sport setting that your car does not have. Not trying to be a dick or anything, BTW.

Quote:
Btw do you know if it's possible to set the default to mdm or dsc off instead of full nanny mode?
Good question! I think the answer is probably "no" but I will let the expert chime in. Same question would hold for DCT - can we make the default something other than S3 (D2 in Europe)?

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Originally Posted by Mike Benvo View Post
Give me some time to reply.. I will offer this retrofit remotely.
Great, and many thanks to you for all your hard work!
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      04-17-2012, 07:34 AM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mkoesel View Post
Yeah, even with MDrive, those of us without iDrive don't get Sport+, and that's fine with me. I don't have to worry about rev-matching either, so I don't think it will be mised.
sport+ is too sensitive IMO. The only time I use it is when I'm intentionally trying to snap the rear end out : ) Other than that, it feels like an on/off switch.

Quote:
MDM is something I really want to have as well. I rarely turn DSC Off anymore, I just don't like the idea of having no safety net on the street. I guess I am getting old. But yeah, the power cuts do ruin it a lot of the times. I have taken a lot of time to learn how to break the car loose without getting the DSC into too big a hissy fit. MDM will be great.
You will love it. MDM is pretty crazy really. It lets you go incredibly fast and allows slip in the name of forward momentum. I never drive aggressively with DSC on because I smell brakes when I get home and it annoys me : (

Quote:
Heh heh, I like it. But yeah, its a minor thing. Actually, I was thinking it would be cool to make one that has the actual M logo in color. Maybe I will look into that at some point.
That's a cool idea.

Quote:
Do you know if Mike ever goes on the road? Maybe a group-buy would get him motivated?
I want to try the MDM euro settings for sure if it allows a greater drift angle before interfering, as seems to be implied here : )
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      04-18-2012, 08:06 PM   #39
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Just a quick update:

1. I will be able to retrofit this to cars without iDrive. This will take further development, and I will need a car here locally to work on for a couple hours. I am 100% confident that I will get it to work like factory, even without iDrive.

2. I will be able to offer this remotely so you do not have to be local

3. There are a few differences between Competition package DSC and non competition package DSC. I am investigating this further when I have time.

4. Euro MDM is another change on top of what is listed above. Euro MDM is really incredible. A world of difference over the US version.

I will be working on this over the next few weeks. Right now I am nearing almost 500 unreplied emails. I thought it was closer to 300, but my junk mail folder in outlook seems a bit agressive. I promise to get to all of your inquiries, and thank you for your interest. Please accept my apologies for the slow replies. Those that need immediate answers, please feel free to call me.

Thank you,
Mike
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      04-18-2012, 08:13 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Benvo View Post
Just a quick update:

1. I will be able to retrofit this to cars without iDrive. This will take further development, and I will need a car here locally to work on for a couple hours. I am 100% confident that I will get it to work like factory, even without iDrive.

2. I will be able to offer this remotely so you do not have to be local

3. There are a few differences between Competition package DSC and non competition package DSC. I am investigating this further when I have time.

4. Euro MDM is another change on top of what is listed above. Euro MDM is really incredible. A world of difference over the US version.

I will be working on this over the next few weeks. Right now I am nearing almost 500 unreplied emails. I thought it was closer to 300, but my junk mail folder in outlook seems a bit agressive. I promise to get to all of your inquiries, and thank you for your interest. Please accept my apologies for the slow replies. Those that need immediate answers, please feel free to call me.

Thank you,
Mike
Thank-you for the update Mike. You will have a Canadian customer for this later.
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      04-18-2012, 10:42 PM   #41
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Updated post 3 with the hardware install instructions. PLEASE make sure you have setup an appointment with Mike (he is a very busy man, as noted above!) before you delve into this. The car will still run, but DSC will be disabled, so probably not something you want to do weeks in advance. It is likely a max of 1.5 hours of work (even for the technically disinclined), so don't think of this as a massive weekend project you need to get done well in advance.
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      04-19-2012, 01:17 AM   #42
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This is good stuff. I'm not sure that many will be enthused about taking apart their whole steering wheel / column to get the job done though, might not be worth that much trouble in the end.
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      04-19-2012, 06:51 AM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Benvo View Post
Just a quick update:
Thanks for the updates and MDM info, Mike. You're knowledge, efforts, and services are extremely appreciated.

By the way, what do you think about the possibility to code hold-to-program M Button functionality for those that have iDrive? Possible? Not that it effects me, just something I had wondered about.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JulieDriving View Post
Thank-you for the update Mike. You will have a Canadian customer for this later.
Great news isn't it JulieD? Now you can order your car the way YOU want it with no MDrive anxiety.
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      04-19-2012, 09:01 AM   #44
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This is awesome! I cant wait for this!
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