[kplatinum777]

Really, this thread belongs in the Build subforum, but I'm putting it here because it's of greater value to you all.

UPDATE: I did get the touchscreen to work. I will write up a tutorial over the weekend.

I took delivery of my touchscreen-delete X5 over the weekend. Today, the touchscreen I ordered from a 2019 X5 arrived. So I installed it. Installation was pretty straightforward, if a bit fiddly in practice (you do end up having to unseat the instrument cluster).

Unfortunately, while the screen works just fine, it did not add touchscreen functionality.

That tells me that whatever software update BMW did for these cars has both UI (removes prompts and options that reference the touchscreen) and functionality (removes the "touch" operation from the software's consideration, so that it literally isn't listening for or registering touch events).

I am not giving up, though. I think the retrofit will require coding. I have the tool to do it, but can't get to it until tomorrow. I suspect that, with the software update, BMW added a new configuration parameter in the car's software, something like "Touchfunction Delete" (but in German). If that flag is set to inactive, the software allows touch input. If the flag is set to active, it disallows it.

We shall see...

[mannym122]

I wish you the best of luck in this venture. We are all eager to hear the results.

[bastula]

Yes waiting to hear back for good news! Crossing our fingers for you! Thanks for documenting all your hard work and efforts!

[TurtleBoy]

I think you are going to have to at least remove the 6UY in order for it to work. Search for the thread with the coding for the anti-dazzle and it should have the steps in there that need to be done to remove 5AP, the code for deactivating the anti-dazzle.

[3Wagon]

Great work!

Is the screen just a screen, or does it contain more electronics? Do you just plug it into a harness?

[taek]

Can your dealer update your vehicle to the normal version of the OS? Or will this car not accept it due to the VIN and having the touchscreen delete?

[NJSlick]

Great to see someone take the initiative! Will that work with gesture controls as well? Also, curious if that will enable you to reactivate the back up assistant.

Keep us posted!

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by taek

Can your dealer update your vehicle to the normal version of the OS? Or will this car not accept it due to the VIN and having the touchscreen delete?

I wouldn't think they have a special version for those vehicles without touchscreens because that would be a nightmare for future upgrades. All vehicles should get the same version it is just that if the software sees the 6UY then it would shut off the touchscreen. Hopefully kplatinum777 can post his iDrive version and it likely will fall into the usual versioning.

[kplatinum777]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

I wouldn't think they have a special version for those vehicles without touchscreens because that would be a nightmare for future upgrades. All vehicles should get the same version it is just that if the software sees the 6UY then it would shut off the touchscreen. Hopefully kplatinum777 can post his iDrive version and it likely will fall into the usual versioning.

Right. The version installed is 11/2021.30

[hulu]

i think there is a special version, the one they patched to the stop-sale vehicles.

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

I wouldn't think they have a special version for those vehicles without touchscreens because that would be a nightmare for future upgrades. All vehicles should get the same version it is just that if the software sees the 6UY then it would shut off the touchscreen. Hopefully kplatinum777 can post his iDrive version and it likely will fall into the usual versioning.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by hulu

i think there is a special version, the one they patched to the stop-sale vehicles.

That wouldn't be feasible from a maintenance perspective. The touchscreen patch is just part of the regular software. Look at kplatinum777 version info, that is the regular versioning convention.

[3Wagon]

Originally Posted by hulu

i think there is a special version, the one they patched to the stop-sale vehicles.

I think - short term - it IS a special version. If I were them, I’d have forked the code after last release and used that code base to disable the touchscreen and release that, then merge your touchscreen disable code back into the main code base.

Long term, we’ll get the same updates as those w/ touchscreen, but then idrive will just run in whatever mode based on hardware. That’d be SOO much easier to maintain than trying to send out 2 different updates - just 1 update that runs in 2 modes.

[hulu]

Yes. That's what I mean.

This is not even a normal release, more like a hotfix.

Originally Posted by 3Wagon

I think - short term - it IS a special version. If I were them, I’d have forked the code after last release and used that code base to disable the touchscreen and release that, then merge your touchscreen disable code back into the main code base.

Long term, we’ll get the same updates as those w/ touchscreen, but then idrive will just run in whatever mode based on hardware. That’d be SOO much easier to maintain than trying to send out 2 different updates - just 1 update that runs in 2 modes.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by hulu

Yes. That's what I mean.

This is not even a normal release, more like a hotfix.

That is not how BMW has operated in the past and highly unlikely they did it that way in this instance. They usually create a version every week, sometimes multiple ones, so this would just be part of that normal delivery.

[3Wagon]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

That is not how BMW has operated in the past and highly unlikely they did it that way in this instance. They usually create a version every week, sometimes multiple ones, so this would just be part of that normal delivery.

Then I’m confused why they have to install it separately with the dealer. If it’s just a mainline release, then the software should just update normally. To me, that more suggests hotfix, but to your point, ya, we’ll just get the same release as everyone else,

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by 3Wagon

Then I’m confused why they have to install it separately with the dealer. If it’s just a mainline release, then the software should just update normally. To me, that more suggests hotfix, but to your point, ya, we’ll just get the same release as everyone else,

What do you mean by "update normally"? There is an OTA process but the software that is downloaded with that process is one major release behind. Anytime that the latest update is needed to solve an issue you must go to the dealer to have it installed.

[DJVG24]

Originally Posted by kplatinum777

Really, this thread belongs in the Build subforum, but I'm putting it here because it's of greater value to you all.

I took delivery of my touchscreen-delete X5 over the weekend. Today, the touchscreen I ordered from a 2019 X5 arrived. So I installed it. Installation was pretty straightforward, if a bit fiddly in practice (you do end up having to unseat the instrument cluster).

Unfortunately, while the screen works just fine, it did not add touchscreen functionality.

That tells me that whatever software update BMW did for these cars has both UI (removes prompts and options that reference the touchscreen) and functionality (removes the "touch" operation from the software's consideration, so that it literally isn't listening for or registering touch events).

I am not giving up, though. I think the retrofit will require coding. I have the tool to do it, but can't get to it until tomorrow. I suspect that, with the software update, BMW added a new configuration parameter in the car's software, something like "Touchfunction Delete" (but in German). If that flag is set to inactive, the software allows touch input. If the flag is set to active, it disallows it.

We shall see...

Originally Posted by kplatinum777

Really, this thread belongs in the Build subforum, but I'm putting it here because it's of greater value to you all.

I took delivery of my touchscreen-delete X5 over the weekend. Today, the touchscreen I ordered from a 2019 X5 arrived. So I installed it. Installation was pretty straightforward, if a bit fiddly in practice (you do end up having to unseat the instrument cluster).

Unfortunately, while the screen works just fine, it did not add touchscreen functionality.

That tells me that whatever software update BMW did for these cars has both UI (removes prompts and options that reference the touchscreen) and functionality (removes the "touch" operation from the software's consideration, so that it literally isn't listening for or registering touch events).

I am not giving up, though. I think the retrofit will require coding. I have the tool to do it, but can't get to it until tomorrow. I suspect that, with the software update, BMW added a new configuration parameter in the car's software, something like "Touchfunction Delete" (but in German). If that flag is set to inactive, the software allows touch input. If the flag is set to active, it disallows it.

We shall see...

YOU ARE AWESOME!!! I am *SO* hoping you get this to work… I'm picking up my just built, '22 X7, sans touchscreen, either tomorrow or Thursday.

[bobbis1]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

What do you mean by "update normally"? There is an OTA process but the software that is downloaded with that process is one major release behind. Anytime that the latest update is needed to solve an issue you must go to the dealer to have it installed.

Agree with this- remove build code and rewrite to all relevant ecus using esysx- happy to help anyone locally in NYC.

[kplatinum777]

UPDATE: I used Esys and removed option code 6UY from my car's VO list, but that doesn't seem to have done anything.

As I'm not trying to brick my three-day-old car, I'm going to pause and see if I can get an expert to assist.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by kplatinum777

UPDATE: I used Esys and removed option code 6UY from my car's VO list, but that doesn't seem to have done anything.

As I'm not trying to brick my three-day-old car, I'm going to pause and see if I can get an expert to assist.

I think that may just be one of the things to do. If it follows the pattern of the anti-dazzle, now you will have to check the ECUs to see if there is a parameter turning off the touchscreen functionality.

[2dangerous]

Maybe connect with the tech who applied the software update at time of delivery and see what other changes were made.
If this truly is a global update, meaning applicable for both touch and non touch screens, there could be a toggle to tell the software that this is a car without the touch screen
And thanks for trying this out. A lot of folks are watching this closely

[3Wagon]

Originally Posted by 2dangerous

Maybe connect with the tech who applied the software update at time of delivery and see what other changes were made.
If this truly is a global update, meaning applicable for both touch and non touch screens, there could be a toggle to tell the software that this is a car without the touch screen
And thanks for trying this out. A lot of folks are watching this closely

Unless there is some other hardware change we don’t know about that it checks.