Does anyone know if when we take our cars into the dealership if BMW/MINI does regular updates to our software? Or is that just in special cases? No reason :aureola:
Good question, I wondered the same..... Last time I had mine in for the oil change I asked the S/A if they would do a re-flash without telling me. I was particularly interested in making sure they didn't mess with numbing up of the "Torque Steer". I kind of like my "Wild Child" as it sits now. I was told they wouldn't do a re-flash without telling me. Somehow I'm afraid they would tell me after they made the change. So now I always ask them that question beforehand.
Then again they may wonder why you are asking and then go look to see if you have made changes to the OEM settings.
I don't want them doing that either. @Nathan- I'll tell them that's why I'm asking :devil: On the plus side..... my dealership just moved and built a brand-new facility.... I will be one of their first customers at the new building
And they will find it's the same as when it left the factory over in "Jolly Old England". I'm quite happy with the factory JCW tune, and while it's under warranty at least it's going to stay that way. No reason to let them start pointing fingers.....
Probably not...one of the PDI items is to flash the latest on the ECU before the car gets delivered. Good chance that the Jolly Ole England flash and the US flash are slightly different. They are always updating.
I am too, and there is now a note in my file stating that I have changed the springs, added a CAI and a couple of other things. My guess is they want that to blame if necessary. If they get wind of your tune, don't be surprised to see it noted. Jim
Dealers can choose to look the other way. However, aftermarket tune = voided powertrain warranty per Mini USA.
For all of my warranty time visits, I explicitly told them I did not want any updates or flashes to the ECU. It was at the top of my file in the computer, my 07 dyno'd stock very high at our high altitude, no reason to mess with a good thing. Just before I went off warranty, I asked my local dealer to apply all outstanding puma's that could affect my 07 MINI, they did so and I paid a modest labor fee. Btw, I ran one of Jan's tunes for over 2 years and the dealer did not make big bones out of it. Your dealer may be less understanding. The 07 is still very strong with my modest mods, one of these days I will probably tune again. My 2011 N18, will remain stock, it is the Countryman's first year and it has some extra stuff I don't want to break unless it is a factory applied JCW tune image.
There are a variety of situations where dealerships may update the code. 1) Troubleshooting a reported issue where the fix is in a newer version of the code 2) Performing a service action which requires a newer version of code to be loaded 3) Performing a service campaign if directed by MINI to proactively fix a significant issue 4) If the customer pays out-of-pocket for the upgrade in order to get some newer functionality (like TS retrofit, or new BT phone support) However, not all dealers will do this! In general, code updates are not included in the routine maintenance program, and it is likely that each car will retain its original code versions for many years, without ever being updated. Hope this helps.