BMW530

Got my car back from the dealer today.
Had version 12 of the software installed (Disc 38. Version 12.12 could be 12.1.2).

Well good news is it appears to have resolved my single cd track memory problem.

Bad news is that BFD is still not activated. Back to square one on this topic.

Anyone else got experience of this? Maybe jmcaiado has got a TIS on this which will supply instructions on activation???

Thanks

BMW530

Here's an update to anyone who's still interested in this topic.

Finally managed to get the technicians from both dealers talking and to exchange information. I've now had the same kind of action carried out on my car as to that carried out on speuk's car. Hopefully this has activated the BFD function. However, its pretty impossible to test if it works, unless you had someone following you and you made an emergency stop or something. So we'll just believe that its been activated.

I still don't know the full details of what was carried out but this was carried out on speuk's car and according to Benhams it worked. It was something to do with retrofitting software on the E60 which basically updates some central unit which monitors the electronics of the whole car. The latest software update might help, so luckily I had version 12 installed yesterday.

I'm therefore working on the assumption that BFD has been activated on my car in a similar way to speuk. <_<

This is the only information I got so far. If anyone knows anything then please let us know.

jmcaiado

Hi
When the techs connect the car to the computer, BFD must appear as active.

BMW530

jmcaiado,

Not sure about that. There didn't seem to be any mention of BFD is active etc. It may all be hidden?
Do you have anything about this on the CDs?
Also any instructions on replacing grille etc?

Thanks

jmcaiado

Nothing about BFD
Searching for the grille...

BMW530

Here's some good news for all pre-December 2003 E60s in UK and the whole of Europe too.

As mentioned in the posts earlier this week, had latest version of software installed and also some "retrofit/reinstall" of software carried out to the central unit which monitors the whole car.

I tested my car in a quiet industrial estate (didn't go that quickly less than 30mph) to see if the BFD was actually activated. Got my good friend to stand at the side of the road and as I was driving past I carried out an emergency stop. The BFD function worked!!!!!! We carried out the test one more time with me standing at the side of the road to confirm.

Basically the whole section of the rear taillights light up with the same intensity as the normal brake light. The rear foglight section did not light up but I believe this is normal according to the US manual I downloaded from this main forum site.

So......finally an answer to activating the BFD in UK. It appears that there are now two dealers in the UK who can activate BFD for pre-December 2003 cars. So its possible but we knew this from the very beginning despite what the dealers and BMW UK website says.

I will try and get further information as to what was exactly done in case anyone else needs the same information. I will be at the dealer on Wednesday as I'm getting my bumper realigned (you may have read what happened to my bumper in a previous post Bumper).

Thanks for all the replies to this post.

Special Thanks to speuk for the help.

Flowerfred

Is this a great forum or what?

BMW530

It sure is a great forum. I think all BMW dealers should use this forum for information. Might help to gets issues and problems resolved quicker.

BMW530

While talking to my technician concerning the light brackets (see other post); I informed him that the BFD function was working. He was very impressed and said he'll use the knowledge he now has to activate any pre-December E60 for owners who wants it done. I was the first one who kept requesting th BFD and was able to help in supplying the information he needed even though BMW UK said it couldn't be done after raising an official puma.

I asked what he did to activate the function. Basically from what I remember, the technician carrying out the work needs to:-
1). Upgrade the software to latest version (in my case 12.1.2).
2). After upgrade. Go to another menu/section called "Retrofit" and update the "Light Module" section. I believe EBV is stated and not BFD in the software as its in German.

Hope you find this information useful.