This isn't a great video on the process, but it helped me when nothing else did.
After months of trying to figure out why I couldn't get my FTM to initialize, following this guy's coding instructions is what got it done. He goes over them a little fast, and there's a lot of fluff in the beginning, but the coding part is spot on once you realize you need to pause and look at what he's actually clicking/doing. I've written it up below if you'd rather print it and follow it that way (much easier than trying to keep up with dude when his camera 'dies' in the middle of showing you a pretty important step).
My problem was that FTM wasn't showing up in my comm center between my speedometer and tach, so I couldn't "reset" it. Once I followed his instructions, there it was and once I reset it from there, the menu on my iDrive screen ungreyed and the message about FTM having an issue went away.
If you're having that issue like I did, here's the steps:
1. Open INPA to get your EDIBAS sever running
2. Open NCS Expert and load your preferred profile and get your car recognized
3. Click <F2> Enter FA, choose E89 and click okay when it displays your VIN in the popup.
4. Delete '$2VB' from the VO. In the video he doesn't add '$265', but you can if you want.
5. Click <F6> Back, <F4> Process ECU, and choose 'CAS'.
6. Click <F2> Change Job, choose 'FA_WRITE', click <F3> Execute Job, wait for 'Job Ended' to show up.
7. Click <F1> Change ECU, and choose 'NFRM'. Ensure it still says 'FA_WRITE' and then click <F3> Execute Job, and wait for 'Job Ended'.
8. Exit NCS Expert and reopen it, reload your profile. (I'm not sure if this is necessary, but he did it and it worked when I did it, so I'm sticking with it)
9. Get NCS Expert to recognize your car like before and click <F6> Back
10. Click <F4> Process ECU, select DSC, click 'Ok', click <F3> Execute Job wait for your dash to ding and 'Coding Ended' to show up.
11. Click <F1> Choose ECU and select 'KOMBI', click 'Ok', <F3> Execute Job, dash dings, 'Coding Ended' comes up.
12. Click <F4> Read ECU and dismiss the popup. From here you'll move to your 'WORK' folder you've already set up for NCS Expert.
13. Select 'FSW_PSW.TRC' and open it with Notepad
14. Search for 'RDC_ALIVE' and if it isn't already, switch it to 'nicht_aktive'. You must spell it that way for it to take.
15 Then search for 'MMI_ENA_RPA_RDC and if it's 'nicht_aktiv' delete the 'nicht' and make it just say 'aktiv'. Just under that should be 'RDC_VERBAUT' (if not, just search for it) which you need to make 'nicht_aktive'.
16. Click 'File', 'Save As' and save it as 'FSW_PSW.MAN'. Close the notepad program and return to NCS Expert. Doule check it's still on the KOMBI ecu (it should be).
17. Click <F6> Basic Functions and select 'coapiReadSgGetFswPsw'. DOUBLE CHECK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT ONE. Check again. Check once more. Click 'Ok', then 'Ok' again, and when it pops up press 'Ok' a third time.
18. Double check it is still on the KOMBI ECU. Click <F2> Change Job, select 'SG_CODIEREN' and click <F3> Execute Job.
19. Go into your message center between your tach and speedo and select to Reset your TPMS/FTM from there. If you have iDrive, it will take a few miles (like 50 or so) for it to show 4 green tires but they'll show up eventually.
20. Enjoy the freedom of putting whatever set of wheels you want on your car and not spending money on worthless sensors that just go bad anyway.