SMG recalibration info

M3Laith · 21-02-2011, 03:42 PM

Just thought I'd share with you guys some handy info on the SMG box that's been developing over on the cutters site.

A lot of the cars there (including mine) suffered from a few SMG issues. Clutch slur, slow gar changes, juddering in first gear and rough changes is a good list!

The first solution was a change of gearbox fluid, which only really helped with the rough changes.

There was another solution: to do a paddle reset by holding both paddles in neutral at 40mph, but this doesn't do much either except reset the values that the SMG learns over time.

Anyway, with my car continuing to frustrate me at track days and round town, I decided to do some heavy research into the SMG.

As you probably know, the clutch pedal hydraulic arm is controlled by a computer that knows a certain biting point. The biting point of course changes over time and the computer adjusts for the clutch/flywheel wear.

But.. Most of the time, the computer gets it wrong and hence you get the symptoms.

Also when you drive the car hard, the actual wear is quicker than the computer's prediction.

So what's the solution? A full 3-point SMG reset at the Stealers will do it. This includes bleeding and repressurising the gearbox and clutch actuators via a computer, and also measuring all gears and the clutch biting point.

The Stealers will probably charge you up to £150 to do this (usually an hours rate and 'parts'), and that's without diagnosis. Of course if your car is in warranty then they will probably do it for free.

But I wanted this feature at home. So I researched more into the cable and software needed, and most are too expensive or not 100% reliable. So I ended up making my own cable an used software of a specific version (which took my ages to find) to do the resets.

On the plus side, the software (INPA) is the same code reader the factory uses!

Of course if you continue to drive hard, the symptoms can come back, so I've overcome this by doing the 3rd reset weekly.

Anyway, this has come in handy on the cutters forum, so I thought you'd like the info too. If you want more info, PM me, and I can also do a group buy if people are interested? Obviously I will be donating to the forum if I do a group buy!

Cheers, and hope that info was useful!

David
(M3Laith)

**Mark CSL** · 21-02-2011, 03:45 PM

How much is the cable and software ?

M3Laith · 21-02-2011, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark CSL

How much is the cable and software ?

Whoops I forgot that! £50 for everything including instructions and recorded delivery

NZ_M3 · 21-02-2011, 10:11 PM

Not to be rude or anything, but the pirated software is free to download if you know where to look and the cable is a standard OBDII KKL cable that's like 5 pounds to get from ebay.

INPA whilst a good tool to use it is not as complete as the GT1 plateform (which is almost idiot proof). GT1 is also free to download if you know where to look, making it work is a whole different story however.

With the SMG reset, you also have to do it in the correct sequence to get a proper result, otherwise it will make it worse (I know because I've tried).

The beauty of GT1 is it will guide you through the steps on SMG reset and which one to operate first (I've actually posted this on m3forums in another thread). Actually I am trying to find time to do another DIY so I can show all the screen shots.

Those that are looking to start building their own GT1 or INPA machine should look at bimmerforums.org - which houses all the information on there (under the diagnostic forum - I've contributed on that forum if you search for my forum name).

And for the record, the guys over on bmwecu.org are the ones that first "cracked" the GT1 and got it working on standard laptops. Mentions should be made to Ken Fister as the guy that provided all this to the BMW Enthusiasts.

**AlexGTT** · 21-02-2011, 11:14 PM

Good info, thanks Tom. Your GT1 step by steps are really useful for members.

Slightly unfortunate name but I guess thanks also to Mr. Fister.

cslgirl · 22-02-2011, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexGTT

Slightly unfortunate name but I guess thanks also to Mr. Fister.

Made me laugh on this dull and wet morning

21-02-2011, 03:42 PM	#1
M3Laith Wonky 'L' after Washing Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Carshalton Posts: 17 Casino cash: $510	SMG recalibration info Just thought I'd share with you guys some handy info on the SMG box that's been developing over on the cutters site. A lot of the cars there (including mine) suffered from a few SMG issues. Clutch slur, slow gar changes, juddering in first gear and rough changes is a good list! The first solution was a change of gearbox fluid, which only really helped with the rough changes. There was another solution: to do a paddle reset by holding both paddles in neutral at 40mph, but this doesn't do much either except reset the values that the SMG learns over time. Anyway, with my car continuing to frustrate me at track days and round town, I decided to do some heavy research into the SMG. As you probably know, the clutch pedal hydraulic arm is controlled by a computer that knows a certain biting point. The biting point of course changes over time and the computer adjusts for the clutch/flywheel wear. But.. Most of the time, the computer gets it wrong and hence you get the symptoms. Also when you drive the car hard, the actual wear is quicker than the computer's prediction. So what's the solution? A full 3-point SMG reset at the Stealers will do it. This includes bleeding and repressurising the gearbox and clutch actuators via a computer, and also measuring all gears and the clutch biting point. The Stealers will probably charge you up to £150 to do this (usually an hours rate and 'parts'), and that's without diagnosis. Of course if your car is in warranty then they will probably do it for free. But I wanted this feature at home. So I researched more into the cable and software needed, and most are too expensive or not 100% reliable. So I ended up making my own cable an used software of a specific version (which took my ages to find) to do the resets. On the plus side, the software (INPA) is the same code reader the factory uses! Of course if you continue to drive hard, the symptoms can come back, so I've overcome this by doing the 3rd reset weekly. Anyway, this has come in handy on the cutters forum, so I thought you'd like the info too. If you want more info, PM me, and I can also do a group buy if people are interested? Obviously I will be donating to the forum if I do a group buy! Cheers, and hope that info was useful! David (M3Laith) __________________ Anyone can drive a fast car, but only few can drive a car fast.

21-02-2011, 03:45 PM	#2
Mark CSL CSL Register Uber-poster! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Scotland Posts: 8,777 Casino cash: $42229	How much is the cable and software ? __________________ www.procarkits.co.uk

21-02-2011, 10:11 PM	#4
NZ_M3 S5, Sport On, DSC M-track Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 1,434 Casino cash: $13579	Not to be rude or anything, but the pirated software is free to download if you know where to look and the cable is a standard OBDII KKL cable that's like 5 pounds to get from ebay. INPA whilst a good tool to use it is not as complete as the GT1 plateform (which is almost idiot proof). GT1 is also free to download if you know where to look, making it work is a whole different story however. With the SMG reset, you also have to do it in the correct sequence to get a proper result, otherwise it will make it worse (I know because I've tried). The beauty of GT1 is it will guide you through the steps on SMG reset and which one to operate first (I've actually posted this on m3forums in another thread). Actually I am trying to find time to do another DIY so I can show all the screen shots. Those that are looking to start building their own GT1 or INPA machine should look at bimmerforums.org - which houses all the information on there (under the diagnostic forum - I've contributed on that forum if you search for my forum name). And for the record, the guys over on bmwecu.org are the ones that first "cracked" the GT1 and got it working on standard laptops. Mentions should be made to Ken Fister as the guy that provided all this to the BMW Enthusiasts. Last edited by NZ_M3; 21-02-2011 at 10:18 PM.

21-02-2011, 11:14 PM	#5
AlexGTT CSL Register Uber-poster! Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Herefordshire Posts: 4,374 Casino cash: $8572	Good info, thanks Tom. Your GT1 step by steps are really useful for members. Slightly unfortunate name but I guess thanks also to Mr. Fister. __________________ CSL Register Alcoholics Anonymous Group Leader & Businessman of the Year '93! www.earleyengineering.com