urbo73

No, I checked and I'm correct. It also makes perfect sense. You have to think in terms of CIP version and car software version - two different things!!

BMW may speak about the software to the dealers in terms of 15.x, but what I'm telling you above it true. A dealer may need to update E60s, E90s, etc. So they get a CIP DVD/CD or download the CIP of version XX.X from BMW. And that CIP includes individual software packages (some updated and some not - that's why the correlation doesn't always work) for all the cars marked E060-XX, E90-XX, etc. So it makes perfect sense for BMW to talk to the dealers in terms of CIP XX.X. After all that *IS* the CIP version. The dealer doesn't get different CIP DVDs/etc for E60s or for E90s or for E81s, etc. It's all in one large CIP distribution package which contains smaller individual car packages. So again, it makes sense to have a CIP version number - in fact it's even printed on the DVD/CD. But again, the CIP version is NOT the car software version. It simply is NOT!

I imagine at times you CAN correlate your car's software version back to the CIP version, but re-read my post above - you can't always do it and why even bother? If the E90 package was updated and pushed into the 15.2 CIP distribution, but the E60 package did not get updated, a user from the 15.1 CIP distribution will have the same version for his E60. The E90 user will not, but the E60 user will. The only way you can tell is by looking in the CIP distribution to see if your E60 package version changed. And from what my dealer told me and showed me, 15.0, 15.1, and 15.2 ALL have the exact same E060-04-09-555 - your car's software version.

I was initially confused as well, but it's not so complicated if you start to think in the terms I've described. It makes NO sense to say my car has software version 15.1 when that is in fact a CIP version! Let's say you have Windows XP SP2 on your PC. Do all components (wordpad, Media Player, etc.) have the same version number? No. Think of it like this.

urbo73

I'm not familiar with the secret menu, maybe you can tell me, but that sounds correct. The E60 software version is always E060-04-09-XXX. I bet you don't have "SW 15", since that's 555 and you have 500. I don't know what 500 is. We can all do this as a test to prove me rigth or wrong perhaps. But the surest way is to get a "Status report" printed. Service guys can put what they want on an invoice, but the "Status report" doesn't lie. Then if you now think you have 15.0 and I think I have 15.1, but we both end up seeing E060-04-09-555 then we KNOW that I'm right

Stranger

You are right I don't have CIP 15. Mine is somewhere between 13.0 and 13.2.

The secret menu topic is somewhere in the forum. But it doesn't work for everyone it seems.

Briefly, once you are passed the legal screen.
1. Press down the knob for a few seconds (like 6 or 10), release.
2. Turn knob clock-wise 3 clicks
3. Turn knob anti-clockwise 3 clicks
4. Turn knob clock-wise 1 click
5. Turn knob anti-clockwise 1 click
6. Turn knob clock-wise 1 click
7. Press the knob down briefly (just as you would normally)

You will get the secret menu.
I may have gotten the clock-wise order wrong (but I think I am right). If not then start with anti-clockwise, then clockwise etc.

Iceman

@urbo73

Of course the cars have different software.
But this is all just creating confusin here, because we don't need to worry about that, we all have E60's. What we care about is the CIP only, so version 15.xx, whatever.
And to confuse you and everybody even more, the software is total different for every car, not just in between the model series - it all depends on your options...

For us here, all we need to know is the CIP...

Iceman

I managed to enter that menu in loaners, but never in my own car.

Guest

Iceman,

Why do you say it creates confusion? Because it's a new way of thinking? But it's perfecly logical. What's there to worry about? I don't understand what is so complicated really! If you want to know the software version of your E60, there is only one 100% sure AND simple way - get the "Status report" printout and see your "Vehicle status" version which will ALWAYS be E060-04-09-XXX. If you can get that value from some secret menu, then do that instead. I'm not confused at all. Of course different E60s have differnent options and so they have additional or fewer software modules installed from the CIP package. But of what importance is that? I'm at a loss. The VERSION is ALWAYS the same - SMG non-SMG, etc. Some have more modules to program and others less. No confusion. Simple

So when you say. "What we care about is the CIP", THAT simply makes no sense for reasons I already described above. I don't care about any CIP! I don't care what my mechanic has from BMW. I care what *I* have on my car - and that's not the CIP....

If you want to just focus on the CIP (and why I have NO idea since it's easy to get your software version via the "Status report"), then you can do that, but THAT is more confusing if you ask me. I already see people waiting on 15.2 because they think it has more than 15.0 for the E60. Maybe they think there are more fixes in 15.2 than in 15.1 for the E60, etc. But guess what? Nothing is different for ANY E60 (I don't care what options you have) between 15.0 and 15.2. I talked about it before.

I'm just describing what I think can be useful information. Why stick with old informaton that is not the best method to describe things? You tell me what is so confusing in what I described, because I don't see it. I think it makes perfect sense, it's how it works, and it's useful to present in my opinion. It's not rocket science!

Why choose to ignore this? I'm confused. It's so simple and logical, I'm perplexed to be honest. I guess everyone is so used to incorrectly thinking their software version is the CIP version, that perhaps this new info makes it unwanted? I don't know. To each his own.

In the end, if the objective is to compare notes here and talk about software versions correctly, then talking about CIP versions is not the way to do it. THAT is misleading..

urbo73

That was me - didn't log in as I was on another computer.

urbo73

And when I read this, I don't get it. It sounds defensive for whatever reasons. Maybe I'm wrong in interpreting it, but it sounds like "here 'we' are used to doing things a certain way, and new correct information will confuse or bother us, so 'we' will choose to ignore it". I guess I'm not part of "us" anymore? Sorry for voicing useful information..

Iceman

urbo73, it is the exact same like in any other software, let's say windows. You know you have windows xp, but then there are the updates, packages, releases, whatsoever.
OK, now you have xp, but the difference is, what happens afterwards.
Back to the E60... You have your car, it has a software from the factory installed. Identicall with all other E60's - some have more applications, some less, basic software is the same. But then there are the updates. So why do you care about the basic stuff? You want to know about the latest released update, and what you have on your car.
So, when we say we have software 15 it is indeed correct, because we have the regular E60 software with all apps for our E60 and the upgrade CIP 15, which makes the software: version 15. By just saying the the 2004-xxx whatever, you only tell half the truth, the one half everybody knows and nobody actually cares, right? You, me, we all care about the latest updates, and that's the CIP's, correct?
Maybe I just don't get your point or don't understand what you are trying to say, but IMHO you don't need to know the "software" version of your car...

EBMCS03

Iceman,

Why do you say it creates confusion? Because it's a new way of thinking? But it's perfecly logical. What's there to worry about? I don't understand what is so complicated really! If you want to know the software version of your E60, there is only one 100% sure AND simple way - get the "Status report" printout and see your "Vehicle status" version which will ALWAYS be E060-04-09-XXX. If you can get that value from some secret menu, then do that instead. I'm not confused at all. Of course different E60s have differnent options and so they have additional or fewer software modules installed from the CIP package. But of what importance is that? I'm at a loss. The VERSION is ALWAYS the same - SMG non-SMG, etc. Some have more modules to program and others less. No confusion. Simple

So when you say. "What we care about is the CIP", THAT simply makes no sense for reasons I already described above. I don't care about any CIP! I don't care what my mechanic has from BMW. I care what *I* have on my car - and that's not the CIP....

If you want to just focus on the CIP (and why I have NO idea since it's easy to get your software version via the "Status report"), then you can do that, but THAT is more confusing if you ask me. I already see people waiting on 15.2 because they think it has more than 15.0 for the E60. Maybe they think there are more fixes in 15.2 than in 15.1 for the E60, etc. But guess what? Nothing is different for ANY E60 (I don't care what options you have) between 15.0 and 15.2. I talked about it before.

I'm just describing what I think can be useful information. Why stick with old informaton that is not the best method to describe things? You tell me what is so confusing in what I described, because I don't see it. I think it makes perfect sense, it's how it works, and it's useful to present in my opinion. It's not rocket science!

Why choose to ignore this? I'm confused. It's so simple and logical, I'm perplexed to be honest. I guess everyone is so used to incorrectly thinking their software version is the CIP version, that perhaps this new info makes it unwanted? I don't know. To each his own.

In the end, if the objective is to compare notes here and talk about software versions correctly, then talking about CIP versions is not the way to do it. THAT is misleading..
[/quote]

Right I understand what both of you are saying... but it doesnt matter which way you want to call it... if people say they are using CIP 15.x then you KNOW that its referring to E060-04-09-555 since thats the only software version that comes with 15.x so essentially 15.x is the same definition as E060-04-09-555 Its like saying E060-04-09-555 is chocolate and CIP v15.x is a box of chocolate. if someone tells you they have a box of chocolate then obviously they have chocolate since chocolate is inside the box.

On the other hand... you said

V15 contains E060-04-09-555 for the E60 and XYZ for the E46 and ABC for the E65

V15.1 contains E060-04-09-555 for the E60 and XYZ-a for E46 and ABC-b for E65

how do you know they wont make V15.2 a new slight variation of E060-04-09-555?? maybe it will be E060-04-09-556 but keeping the same version for the other cars.

I say for the general public its easier to just say V15 for reference and then you know that V15 has E060-04-09-555