Oilhead Coding Plugs, Decoded

[Roger 04 rt]

UPDATED June 4, 2015
--corrected phasing of 87 & 87a
--added data for US 2002 R1150GS single-spark

Earlier in this thread I posted up the best info I could find at the time on how BMW designed its Coding Plugs, or CCPs as they get called. Recently, I've come across much more accurate information from "the source". That is to say, the Motronic units themselves.

It turns out, as most of you know, that each Motronic unit has an EPROM. The EPROM contains instructions for the Motronic, along with over 600 tables of data that include 8 sets of fuel and 8 sets of spark tables. It also includes a table with 8 text string entries that say exactly what each of the 8 Coding Plugs has been designed for.

It is pretty easy to get the Motronic 2.4 to tell you what each CCP selects. You simply plug in a CCP and run an Autoscan with a GS-911. I've also confirmed the GS-911 report by having the chips removed from the Motronic and read with an EPROM reader and Hex Editor.

The bottom line is that the ONLY good advice one can give is to use the stock Coding Plug. The reason is that there is no formula that says a certain pin on the CCP has any particular function (e.g. Pin 86 does not effect Octane). It also turns out that even if you compare two R1150GSs, for instance, the CCP can have a different meaning based on the date and delivery-location of the motorcycle.

So ignore earlier posts in this thread, and since there are several different EPROMs, if you want to know which CCP is designed for which motorcycle-configuration for your bike, READ THE EPROM with a GS-911 (R1150).

Five bikes I have data on at the moment are:
2004 R1150RT US (USA) Twin Spark
2003 R1150GS SA (South Africa) Twin Spark
2002 R1150GS CA (Canada) Single Spark
2002 R1150R CA Single Spark
2002 R1150GS US Single Spark

Here is the readout from each bike's various coding plug configurations. You can see the differences for yourself. If for example you put a Yellow Coding plug into the SA bike it selects No Series, and runs accordingly—barely at all!

2004 R1150RT US (USA) Twin Spark
No Coding Plug: R1150R/GS US+ECE
Yellow Coding Plug: R1150R/GS Japan
Beige Coding Plug: R1150R-GS Ocatan 91
Pink Coding Plug: R1150RT-RS US+ECE
30-86 Coding Plug: R1150RT/RS Japan
30-86-87: R1100S US+ECE
30-86-87a: No Valid String found
30-86-87-87a: keine Serie (no series)

2003 R1150GS SA (South Africa) Twin Spark
No Coding Plug: R1150R/GS US+ECE
Yellow Coding Plug: R1150R/GS Japan
Beige Coding Plug: keine Serie (no series)

2002 R1150GS CA (Canada) Single Spark
No Coding Plug: R1150 GS ECE Kat
Yellow Coding Plug: R1150 GS US u.TEV
Beige Coding Plug: R1150 GS CH o.TEV

2002 R1150R CA Single Spark
No Coding Plug: R1150R/GS ECE Kat
Yellow Coding Plug: R1150R/GS US u.TEV
Beige Coding Plug: R1150RS/GS CH o.TEV
Pink Coding Plug: R1150RT ECE/US Kat/T
30-86 Coding Plug: R1150RT US II Kat/TE
30-86-87:
30-86-87a: KEINE SERIE
30-86-87-87a:

2002 R1150GS US Single Spark
No Coding Plug: R1150R/GS ECE Kat
Yellow Coding Plug: R1150R/GS US u.TEV
Beige Coding Plug: R1150RS/GS CH o.TEV
Pink Coding Plug: R1150RT ECE/US Kat/T
30-86 Coding Plug: R1150RT US II Kat/TE
30-86-87: R1150 R/GS ECE ROZ91
30-86-87a: KEINE SERIE
30-86-87-87a:

[gregor]

Interesting indeed. I looked . My 2002 single spark UK bike has a yellow cover in the location you show , identical to the yellow cover in your photo above. Does the cover colour reflect the plug colour?

[Roger 04 rt]

The Yellow relay in my photo is the starter relay. You should have that too. In the empty white socket you may have a yellow plug, which isn't a relay just jumper wires inside.

Autoscaning your bike with a GS-911 can tell you if the yellow plug is best.

If, and it's a big if, your Motronic has the same rev. EPROM as the one in my example above, then an empty socket (no coding plug) would be best.

[Arbreacames]

Nice job, Roger! This is the first time that I see some verifiable information regarding the CCP. It would be nice to learn more about what was intended with the different functions and what the different names mean. I will contribute an incomplete interpretation of some of the information that you documented:
CH: Switzerland
ECE: Euro standards
Kat: catalyitic converter (Katalysator)
TEV: tank breather valve (Tankentlüftungsventil)
o.: without (ohne)
u.: and (und)
US: United States

[peels]

Nice job, Roger! This is the first time that I see some verifiable information regarding the CCP. It would be nice to learn more about what was intended with the different functions and what the different names mean. I will contribute an incomplete interpretation of some of the information that you documented:
CH: Switzerland
ECE: Euro standards
Kat: catalyitic converter (Katalysator)
TEV: tank breather valve (Tankentlüftungsventil)
o.: without (ohne)
u.: and (und)
US: United States

so reading correctly, (in theory not with the gs911) my 2002 r1150r(that I just removed the YELLOW CCP), that states "Yellow Coding Plug: R1150RS/GS CH o.TEV" would be: switzerland without tank breather valve.


this is cool. whether it changes anything for me or not, knowing is good.

[Roger 04 rt]

Nice job, Roger! This is the first time that I see some verifiable information regarding the CCP. It would be nice to learn more about what was intended with the different functions and what the different names mean. I will contribute an incomplete interpretation of some of the information that you documented:
CH: Switzerland
ECE: Euro standards
Kat: catalyitic converter (Katalysator)
TEV: tank breather valve (Tankentlüftungsventil)
o.: without (ohne)
u.: and (und)
US: United States

Thank you for the translation of the German abbreviations, very helpful. I will add the info to some other threads I've posted.

Edit: the /T and /TE abbreviation mean TEV. I'm pretty sure the letters got dropped due to a text string character limit.

[Roger 04 rt]

Nice job, Roger! This is the first time that I see some verifiable information regarding the CCP. It would be nice to learn more about what was intended with the different functions and what the different names mean. I will contribute an incomplete interpretation of some of the information that you documented:
CH: Switzerland
ECE: Euro standards
Kat: catalyitic converter (Katalysator)
TEV: tank breather valve (Tankentlüftungsventil)
o.: without (ohne)
u.: and (und)
US: United States

so reading correctly, (in theory not with the gs911) my 2002 r1150r(that I just removed the YELLOW CCP), that states "Yellow Coding Plug: R1150RS/GS CH o.TEV" would be: switzerland without tank breather valve.


this is cool. whether it changes anything for me or not, knowing is good.

Peels,
The simple answer is yes you've read it right BUT your ECU may be different. You have to read it with a GS-911 to know for sure.

[peels]

excellent, thanks again.

I love german machinery, but I HATE the german language: Tankentlüftungsventil say THAT 10x fast in a row.

[Roger 04 rt]

Updated 1st post. June 6, 2015