Newbie needs help

fampie021 said:

Sorry if this has been asked and answered before, I have bmw e39 530d, bmw e60 520d (fl) and an e46 ...

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Here's some guidance for reading your BMW diesel ECUs via OBD:

E39 530d – likely has a Bosch DDE4.0 (MS43 diesel variant) or DDE5 depending on year. Early models (M57 pre-facelift) typically use DDE4.0.

E46 330d – most likely Bosch DDE4.0 or DDE5.0 (again M57 engine, depends on year).

E60 520d FL – this is the N47 engine with Bosch EDC17 ECU (DDE7.x). This is a newer generation and quite different from the other two.

Software Options

• For DDE4.0 / DDE5.0 (E39 & E46): These older ECUs can often be read via OBD using tools like Galletto / MPPS / BDM100 or similar K-Line/CAN tools. However, full read via OBD is not always guaranteed – some only give partial (external flash). For a full read including internal flash, bench/BDM is often required.
• For EDC17 (E60 N47): OBD reading is possible with tools like MPPS V18, Autotuner, KTM Bench / KT200, PCMFlash, or CMD Flash. Most of these will give you the external flash via OBD (which is sufficient for tuning maps). Full read (including internal) typically requires bench/boot mode via tricore BSL.

Recommendations

• If you're on a budget and just starting out, MPPS V18 (clone) covers both the older DDE and the EDC17 via OBD for reading/writing. Be aware clone quality varies.
• If you want reliability and proper checksums, PCMFlash (with the appropriate module/license) is solid for EDC17 and some older Bosch ECUs.
• Autotuner or KT200 are good all-rounders if you plan to do more vehicles in the future – they support OBD, bench, and boot modes.

Important: Before you buy anything, confirm the exact ECU part numbers (Bosch HW/SW numbers on the ECU label or read via ISTA/INPA). This will confirm exactly which DDE version you have and which tool/protocol is supported.

Can you check the ECU labels or read the HW numbers via INPA/ISTA? That way I can point you to the exact protocol and tool compatibility.