SOLVED: Strange brake light error in FRM after coding race seats-Help me coding gurus

[MineralWhiteF80]

I had a strange problem arise after I installed my race seats and coded out some seat belt tensioners and seat airbags. I am hoping some coding gurus might be able to help me.

The 'race seat' coding went fine and I have no airbag lights or any issues related to the seats or seat belts. However, after coding the ABG module and adding +RECA to the Vehicle Order (VO), I now have the two following fault codes and errors that show up on the iDrive screen:

00A8C3 FRM: Second Brake Light/Adaptive Brake Light, left, faulty
00A8C4 FRM: Second Brake Light/Adaptive Brake Light, right, faulty

To me, those codes shouldn't be related to anything I did, but I cant be for sure. I have tried to even code out any tail light related bulb warnings, but nothing seems to work.

Here is a curveball:
My car is a 2010 e92 m3 with a production date of October, 2009. My car seems to have all of the LCI updates like LED tail lights and updated iDrive controller, CIC module, etc., but I don't know if it's an oddball "in between" build date where part of the car's modules are pre-LCI and some of the car is LCI with some coding changes to make them compatible; if that makes sense. There are 10/09 build dates of pre-LCI and LCI VINs. In realoem.com, my car shows up as a pre-LCI model, despite all of the LCI components installed on it.

I have noticed that if I am standing outside the car with it running, that I will see some of the brake light bulbs flicker very quickly like the car is performing the "bulb check." This makes me wonder if the car thinks my tail lights are pre-LCI incandescent bulbs, when in fact they are LED, and that is what is causing my errors.

I just cant seem to find what coding is necessary to change to fix the warning messages. Since I changed the Vehicle Order (VO) to add "+RECA" to CAS and NFRM, I'm wondering if that changed something that relates to the LCI LED tail lights not operating correctly. Maybe I should try removing RECA from the VO...

To code the seat airbags and seat belt tensioners I coded the following:

Added +RECA to the car's VO in CAS and NFRM modules
Set the following to nicht_aktiv in ABG module:
SIDEBAG_LINKS_1 -Side Airbag (left)
SIDEBAG_RECHTS_1 -Side Airbag (right)
AKS_LINKS_1_CD -Active head restraint (left)
AKS_RECHTS_1_CD -Active head restraint (right)
OC3_1 -Seat occupancy mat
GK/OC3/POL - Occupancy mat
GURTKONTAKT_BEIFAHRER_1 -Seat belt contract/connection (passenger)
GURTSTRAFFER_BEIFAHRER_1 -Seat belt tensioner, active restraint (passenger)
GURTSTRAFFER_FAHRER_1 -Seat belt tensioner, active restraint (driver)
SPSBF_1 -Seat position sensor (passenger)
SPSF_1_CD -Seat position sensor (driver)

I have attached my trace file and FA vehicle order text files to this thread.

I'd greatly appreciate your insight!

[derbo]

It sounds like you need to check your FRM for cold/hot checks for the tail lights. Did you do a default coding on your FRM after adding +RECA?

Your PO installed LCI tails on your Pre-LCI since LCI 2011 started around 03/2010 build dates.

[yardbro]

Need to know the answer to the last question in order to narrow this down.

Originally Posted by derbo

Did you do a default coding on your FRM after adding +RECA?.

If so, we will need to find out if your PO put in an FRM3 or if your car still has FRM2. You can check for this in INPA based on its part number.

Looking at your VO it doesn't have the option added for the LCI retrofit which would explain why you have errors if you coded over your FRM. If you have FRM2 try adding +MUEB, and if you have FRM3 add +MUH2. After that default code your FRM again.

[sdbmwcoding]

You might’ve factory coded the frm on accident, not just written VO to it. If you truly didn’t factory code the frm, then what you are experiencing is a coincidence and has no relation to the airbag coding you did.

Your car being a 2010 coupe did not come with lci tail lights from the factory. So the fact that you have errors for the tail lights and you also see the flickering makes me believe you 100% factory coded the frm on accident.

Do you have frm3 or frm2? If you have frm3 you can just add a VO option for lci tail lights and code frm. If you have frm2 just go through and turn off the voltage monitors for the tail lights (both cold and warm checks)

[yardbro]

yeah......what he said lol

[MineralWhiteF80]

derbo yardbro sd*********

SOLVED because of you guys. THANK YOU, I greatly appreciate your help. Everything yall said was right.

My mistake was accidently default VO coding my NFRM, which removed the LCI tail light coding without me realizing it. I confirmed I had an FRM3 module. So after adding +MUH2 to the VO and coding the FRM module, all my warnings are gone and I have a quiet cluster/iDrive screen now!

I completely overlooked the possibility of modifying the VO and letting the car work out the details. I was under the impression I just had to change specific bulb checks and whatnot.

[yardbro]

Originally Posted by MineralWhiteF80

derbo yardbro sd*********

SOLVED because of you guys. THANK YOU, I greatly appreciate your help. Everything yall said was right.

My mistake was accidently default VO coding my NFRM, which removed the LCI tail light coding without me realizing it. I confirmed I had an FRM3 module. So after adding +MUH2 to the VO and coding the FRM module, all my warnings are gone and I have a quiet cluster/iDrive screen now!

I completely overlooked the possibility of modifying the VO and letting the car work out the details. I was under the impression I just had to change specific bulb checks and whatnot.

Awesome! Glad that you got this figured out. Thanks for providing an update so that others can see how you fixed it.

This definitely highlights why it's so important to ensure that the VO has been updated when doing a retrofit, especially in the case of an LCI conversion which is an officially supported one. This happens all too often where someone will tamper with the coding of modules through NCS in order to suppress some type of error, yet through a change of ownership (most likely many for an M3) this information doesn't always get passed along. Can be a real hassle down the line to figure these kinds of things out.