BimmerCode – All You Need to Know about this BMW Coding App

You must have been looking for a coding app for your BMW in order to make some cool changes to it, and then you discovered BimmerCode…

Finding a great app like BimmerCode is one thing, but learning how to use it is another matter. That’s why you need a guide such as this. We’ll show you how to know if the app is suitable for your car or not, as well as make comparisons with other BMW coding apps in the market.

Now start your journey to become an expert BimmerCode user by reading on!

I. Setup and Usage

1. Where to Get BimmerCode

BimmerCode can be downloaded on App Store, Google Play, or the developer’s website. It’s available for Android and iOS.

2. Prepare Your Car for Adapter Connection

Doing this is easy. Just follow the steps below to ensure that your car is in the best condition for connecting the adapter.

Step 1: Put the car’s ignition on.

Step 2: Activate the vehicle’s diagnostic mode, if it’s a G-Series car. Do so by rapidly pressing the start button thrice while keeping your hands off the clutch pedal or brake.

Step 3: Keep the parking brake on.

Step 4: Disengage the gears. Set the selector lever position to “P”, if it’s a vehicle that has an automatic transmission.

Step 5: Switch off the electrical consumers (e.g. air conditioning and lights).

Step 6: Cut off any connection to the vehicle’s third-party accessories (e.g. dash cams) which are linked to the CAN (controller area network) bus. This is necessary to ensure that there’s no external interference. If there is, it can have adverse effects on the success of your coding.

Step 7: Ensure that the head unit is on factory settings, i.e., how it was set by the manufacturer. For example, you’ll have to change modes like unlocked navigation to their default settings. This is necessary so that Bimmercode won’t restrict coding access to the head unit. You may not have access to third-party iDrive systems depending on the situation.

3. How to Connect the BimmerCode App with the Adapter

You can connect your car to the app using Bluetooth, ENET cable (Android), ENET cable + Ethernet (iOS), and Wi-Fi adapter connections. We’ve described the process of linking to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapters for both Android and iOS below.

3.1 Wi-Fi Adapter Connection

Step 1: Find the OBD port of your car which is located in the driver side footwell.

Step 2: Plug the adapter into the port.

Step 3: Enable your device’s Airplane mode.

Step 4: Ensure that your device’s Bluetooth and CarPlay functionality (iOS) are disabled. For CarPlay, use the iOS settings. Click on “General” to see the CarPlay option.

Step 5: Turn on the device’s Wi-Fi.

Step 6: Set the Wi-Fi to link to the adapter network.

Step 7: Ensure that your device is close enough to the adapter.

Step 8: Open the BimmerCode app and choose the right adapter type.

Step 9: Link to the adapter by tapping “Connect” on the BimmerCode app’s start screen.

3.2 Bluetooth Adapter Connection

Step 1: Find the OBD port of your car which is located in the driver side footwell.

Step 2: Plug the adapter into the port. You can only make use of the OBDLink MX+ adapter when linking with iOS devices. Follow the instructions described here to pair your iOS device with the adapter.

Step 3: Put on your device’s Bluetooth and pair with the adapter via the Bluetooth settings.

Step 4: Cut off other Bluetooth connections to your device and car.

Step 5:  Enable your device’s Airplane mode.

Step 6: Disable your device’s Wi-Fi.

Step 7: Ensure that your device’s CarPlay functionality (iOS) is disabled. For CarPlay, use the iOS settings. Click on “General” to see the CarPlay option.

Step 8: Cut off the device’s connection in the iDrive settings of your vehicle. Tap on the “Mobile devices” selection in the “COM” menu and then select the device for disconnection.

Step 9: Ensure that your device is close enough to the adapter.

Step 10: Open the BimmerCode app and choose the right adapter type.

Step 11: Link to the adapter by tapping “Connect” on the BimmerCode app’s start screen.

Check this link to learn how to connect to your car via ENET cable (Android) and ENET cable + Ethernet. Rest assured knowing that following the tips explained earlier will ensure the app’s ease of use.

II. Functions and Features

1.     Ultimate Car Coding Options

The coding options that could be available to you will be based on your BMW type as well as the accessories you buy. You can check for yours here to know if the app is suitable for your car or not. Keep in mind that certain control units have to be in the car and that certain OBD adapters are needed to access some control units in recent G series BMWs.

Use the free version of the app or one of the supported OBD adapters to check the available coding options for your vehicle as well as its control units.

2.     Two Modes of Coding: Basic and Expert

The basic mode lets you code the common coding selections easily and conveniently, while the expert mode is suitable for experts who have advanced knowledge. We’ve discussed the two modes separately below.

2.1 Basic Coding Mode

The basic mode is the primary stage and it’s suitable for beginners. This is because of the straightforwardness of the coding process and the fact that it’s in English. The chances of making mistakes in this mode are slim.

2.2 Expert Coding Mode

The expert mode is for bringing about in-depth changes in your car. Making mistakes while in this stage can have severe adverse effects on your car’s functions. You should be prepared to face the risks and the German codes.

3.     Individual Backups for Every Time You Code your Car

We’ll discuss individual backups for both iOS and Android devices here. For iOS devices, backups are automatically produced each time data is read from a control unit. The original data can be reclaimed later depending on the need (e.g. coding error).

For Android devices, backups are automatically produced the first time data is read from the chosen control unit. The original data can be retrieved in the future if there’s an error or other reasons.

4.     Backups Restoring and Exporting

4.1 Steps to restore on Android and iOS

Step 1: Link the adapter to the app as explained earlier.

Step 2: Choose the right control unit.

Step 3: 

1. For Android, look for the “Restore” option by tapping the menu button in the top-right corner. Tap “Restore” to begin the coding process.
2. For iOS, tap “Backups” and choose one from the list that will be shown. The options are arranged in ascending order (by the date they were created). Choose the last option at the bottom of the list in order to restore the original data. 

Step 4: Tap “Done” and then “Code” to begin the coding procedure.

4.2 Exporting on Android and iOS

For Android devices, the files are saved to “BimmerCode/Backups” in the external storage. Export them to your PC (Mac or Windows) by following the tips explained in this link.

For iOS, export the files to your PC (Mac or Windows) by following the tips explained here. Keep in mind that you’ll lose your backups if the app is deleted from your device, so ensure that the files are exported and saved before doing so.

Note: Save your backups regularly so that you’ll be able to retrieve them even if you change your device.

5.     Wide Car Compatibility

BimmerCode supports a great number of BMWs (starting from 2018). This also includes MINIs and the 2019 Toyota Supra. It’s advisable to check for your car’s compatibility here before buying the app’s complete version.

6.     Diverse Supported System

The app is compatible with every Android device using Android 4.4 or higher, as well as every iOS device using iOS 9.3 or higher.

7.     Diverse Compatible Adapters

The use of the app requires you to have an adapter that’s compatible with your car. An OBD adapter is often used to pair with an OBD app to make a complete set of scanners. In this case, it helps connect BimmerCode to your vehicle. You can check for one among the products listed here. The items you see on the list are the only ones that will work with your BMW. Keep in mind that not every product is compatible with all BMWs.

III. What to Do if an Error Occurs During Coding with BimmerCode

It’s possible that an error may occur while coding. If so, take the following steps:

Step 1: Stop coding

Step 2: End the connection.

Step 3: Switch your device off and on.

Step 4: Restart the link to the adapter.

Step 5: Choose the right control unit.

Step 6: Utilize backup settings for the restoration of coding data.

Step 7: Contact BimmerCode support through “Support request” in the app’s settings, if coding becomes unsuccessful again.

IV. What to Do after Coding with BimmerCode

Do the following after you’re done with coding:

·       Be patient if you see errors after coding. They’ll vanish after some time—probably after restarting the car’s ignition.

·       Error displays like leftover range, external temperature, and average consumption may occur due to the coding of the instrument cluster. They’ll go back to normal after a period.

·       Users may have to set the correct time of the vehicle and reclaim its user defined settings in the iDrive system. The need for these actions is dependent on the vehicle’s control unit.

V. Compatible OBD Adapters of BimmerCode (iOS/Android)

Let’s discuss what OBD and OBD adapters are before listing the BimmerCode-supported ones…

1. What is OBD?

The acronym “OBD” stands for on-board diagnostics. 

2. What are OBD adapters?

So what’s an OBD adapter? It’s an electronic device that lets a vehicle’s network link to a computer. It’s also known as a vehicle interface adapter. An OBD adapter is necessary because communication protocols utilized in modern vehicles aren’t suited with standard computer protocols (e.g. USB). As described earlier under “Setup and Usage”, the adapter is plugged into the vehicle’s OBD port. This is to enable tasks such as code reading, coding, diagnosis, and others. The goal is to be able to share data between the connected points.

3. What OBD adapters are compatible with BimmerCode?

In view of understanding what OBD adapters are based on the above explanation, check out the list of compatible (BimmerCode-supported) products below.

Know the compatible BMWs for each adapter listed above by checking here. Check if your car is compatible with any of the products via this link.

3.1 iOS Adapters:

3.2 Android Adapters:

VI. Conclusion

Hopefully, you found out that BimmerCode was suitable for your BMW. It’s worthy to note that the app provides more coding options per in-car module/CPU than most BMW coding apps (e.g. Carly). It’s also relatively cheap.

When compared to apps such as Protool by BimmerGeeks, BimmerCode is less extensive but cheaper. If you’ve heard of BimmerLink, then you should know that it’s mainly for reading codes and tracking temps (e.g. engine and transmission). As you can see, all the important information you need about BimmerCode is in this guide or linked to it!