INTRODUCTION:RomRaider is a great little free engine tuning program, developed originally by a community of Subaru guys. The basic RomRaider tuning interface software also includes an additional datalogger screen, and some very advanced functionality with it, but more on the logger function later. Luckily for us, not too long ago some geniuses who like E36 M3s started developing the definitions for the MS41 series of DMEs (41.0, 41.1, and 41.2). RomRaider needs individual 'Definition' files for different versions of ECUs or in our case 'DMEs,' see below.
Different DME versions' definition files are developed to differing levels of completion because the coding in them is different (but similar in many cases I guess), and therefore they require individual reverse engineering efforts to develop. The DME MS41.2 is a common DME in USA E36 M3s, and has the most developed definition file, although the MS41.1 ID60 and a couple of other versions are not too far behind. Still, the 41.2 is considered to be the best of the bunch, and many people who have lower numbered versions of DMEs flash the entire 41.2 tune into their DME to gain its features. This is a bit of work though, since you normally have to move over the data from a lot of your maps into the 41.2 tune (.BIN file).
One downside of RomRaider for us Bimmer fans is that so far there hasn't been an actual tuning forum for it yet. Currently there is only a 'developing the definitions and reverse engineering the software' forum (paraphrasing the purpose of the forum), so it can be a little difficult for a person to come up with all of the necessary information to setup RomRaider and start using it to tune his or her Bimmer. Some of the nuances of using RomRaider for a BMW DME are a bit different than the situation is with a Subaru, so oftentimes the information that we can get from the main RomRaider forum that applies to Subaru tuning does not apply to us.
In case you came to this Wiki first, and haven't been to the forum, the main forum for developing RomRaider for BMW MS41 DMEs is here:
viewforum.php?f=42
**To download many of the resources you will need (described below), you will need to join this forum so you can download the needed files from it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BUY:
RomRaider is an absolute bargain in the world of ECU tuning, in that most of what you need to use it is available to you free of charge. You may eventually decide that you want to donate to the guys who are working so hard on developing the project, but other than that there are basically only two things you will need to for getting started that cost a small amount of money money other than a laptop. Those two items are the $33 software for reading and flashing your DME, which also corrects checksums as it flashes new tunes in, and a cheap cable.
Starting with the software to flash the tunes into the DME, first it is useful to note that there are other ways to do this function, but they are much more troublesome and laborious, and most of them will probably also require you to find another way to correct the checksums. It makes BY FAR the most sense to just get this phenomenal software from this page:
https://sites.google.com/site/openms41/read-write-41/ms41-flash-tool (MS41 Quickflash)
And then you need a cable to correctly link your laptop to the OBD2 port. This is another situation where there are several ways to get the job done, but this link will show you some generic cables on eBay that are the sort known to work pretty reliably:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=vag+com+cable&_from=R40%7CR40%7CR40%7CR40&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xvag+com+cable+FT232RL.TRS0&_nkw=vag+com+cable+FT232RL&_sacat=0&rmvSB=true
OBTAINING AND SETTING UP THE SOFTWARE:
To actually begin the process of setting up your RomRaider operation, the first thing you need to do to is go to this following page, and download your version of the RomRaider program software for either Windows or Linux, and then install it in the normal fashion:
http://www.romraider.com/RomRaider/Download
You also need a sufficiently new 32bit version of Java Runtime Environment for the RomRaider software to run. If you're having trouble getting RomRaider to run properly, you can update your JRE here:
https://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Once you install RomRaider, and a new version of JRE if needed, you will need to obtain the latest 'definition' file for our cars. This file is where we differentiate our operation from the main (mostly Subaru) RomRaider community. We have to get a definition file developed by our Bimmer specific geniuses instead of using one from the main RomRaider forum, which caters mainly to Subarus. The most recent version of the definition file at the time I'm writing this is 'XML version v0.43', and can be found here:
http://www.romraider.com/forum/download/file.php?id=26717
You should always try to use the most up to date XML file, since it contains the latest, most developed information. The first post in this thread will keep up to date, and if you use the 'subscribe to thread' option on the forum, you will be notified when new versions of the definition file are released:
http://www.romraider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=10695
To install and use that XML file within RomRaider, you must follow these instructions:
- Save the attached XML file to any User directory you will be able to easily locate later (not Program Files). Personally I find that it works well to make a new folder on the desktop called something like 'RomRaider,' and put this sort of file into that folder.
- Run RomRaider and select “ECU Definitions” → “ECU Definition Manager” from the menu bar.
- If any older definitions files are listed, select each file and click “Remove”.
- Click “Add” and select the location of the XML file attached.
- Click “Save”.
OBTAINING A TUNE FILE, AND BEGINNING TO ALTER THE TUNE:
Once you have obtained a cable and the necessary software, and installed everything onto your computer, you are getting close to actually working on the tune. First though, you have to obtain a tune file (often referred to as a .BIN) to work on. There are two basic options to accomplish this:
1) read the current tune from your DME -- the one I prefer, because why wouldn't you just start with what is already in your own DME?
2) download a tune (known as a ROM) from a car similar to yours from this thread:
http://www.romraider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=11338
Since you hopefully purchased the phenomenal MS41 Quickflash listed above, the best option is probably to connect your laptop to the OBD2 port in your car and 'READ' the 'PARTIAL' or '24kb' portion of the tune that is currently in your DME. There are cases where you might want to just start fresh with another tune, so in that case maybe you would prefer to get a new stock BIN file from the resource listed above.
Once you have the tune file you want to work from, open it up in RomRaider with the definition XML file properly identified in the definitions manager, and start opening up the tables and switches to see what they do.
FLASHING THE NEW TUNE INTO YOUR DME:
This step is quite simple if you have the MS41 Quickflash mentioned previously, BUT, there are a few steps to follow to get setup properly for it.
To FLASH new tunes into your DME through the OBD2 port, you must provide programming voltage to the DME by running a jumper wire across the wires that run to pins 14 and 18 under your 20-pin diagnostic connector near the right side strut tower in the engine compartment. My personal preference is to pull the rubber convolute/bellows wiring protector down from the bottom of the 20-pin connector to expose the wires, carefully strip away a bit of insulation from the wires connected to pins 14 and 18, solder in a jumper wire, carefully wrap each of them with electrical tape, and then pull the rubber bellows wiring protector back up into place. Other approaches to the matter will probably work too.
If a tune will not 'stick' when you try to flash it in, you need to do this procedure. Here is a nice write-up to show you how to do it, with pictures:
https://sites.google.com/site/openms41/read-write-41/enable-write
That is the basic rundown on what it takes to get RomRaider set up to be able to alter the tune in your DME, pretty much to your heart's content. It probably seems like a lot of stuff to do, but if you just work your way through it I think you will find that it isn't that bad.