As an avid BMW enthusiast and someone who enjoys a bit of DIY car tweaking, I was eager to try out the Carly app for my F-series BMW. I’d heard a lot about its coding capabilities and was particularly interested in monitoring parameters like coolant temperature. Having used Carly on older E-series models in the past with generally positive results, I jumped at the chance to use it on my newer car when the F-series coding was released. Here’s my experience, focusing on the coolant temperature monitoring aspect and the overall coding process.
Initially, coding with Carly on my F-series seemed promising. I successfully tweaked a few default settings to my preferences. Small things, but convenient, like changing the blinker count from three to five and adjusting some wiper settings. I also enabled folding mirrors with comfort access and the very handy feature of closing windows and the sunroof with comfort access as well. Everything I tried to code that was listed as supported actually worked, which was a definite plus. However, it wasn’t entirely smooth sailing.
I did encounter a strange quirk during the coding process. After applying the settings, some of them seemed to be initially deactivated. For example, after coding the 5 blinks for the turn signals and unlocking all doors with the key fob, I had to manually re-enable the “unlock all doors” setting through the iDrive menu. Only then did the 5-blink setting fully kick in and the all-doors unlocking function properly. It was a bit odd, but thankfully, this was the only real issue I encountered with the basic coding functionalities.
One thing I noticed right away when comparing Carly on my F-series to my older E88 is the number of modules available for coding. My E88 had a substantial seven modules to play with, whereas the F-series only presented two. Whether this is a limitation of the F-series architecture itself or simply reflects Carly’s current, potentially still developing, functionality for these newer models remains unclear. It’s worth noting that Carly, while user-friendly and straightforward, doesn’t feel as comprehensive as some of the more in-depth professional coding options available. Sometimes, the descriptions of what each coding option actually does could be clearer, but overall, it’s manageable.
Now, let’s talk about the parameter readings, and specifically, coolant temperature. This is where my experience took a definite turn for the worse. While Carly boasts the ability to monitor various engine parameters, including engine temperature and coolant temperature, I found these readings to be wildly inaccurate. The coolant temperature, along with engine temperature and a few other parameters, were consistently displaying values that were significantly off, and frankly, unbelievable. Because of these discrepancies, I wouldn’t place any trust in Carly’s parameter monitoring capabilities at all. If you are looking for accurate coolant temperature readings or other engine parameter data, based on my experience, Carly is not the tool to rely on.
In conclusion, Carly for BMW on the F-series platform is a mixed bag. For basic, straightforward coding tweaks and customizations, it works and is undeniably easy to use. If your goal is simply to adjust convenience features and personalize your BMW to your liking, Carly can be a decent option. However, if you are interested in accurately monitoring vital engine parameters like coolant temperature, or if you require in-depth diagnostic data, my experience suggests that Carly falls short. The parameter readings, particularly coolant temperature, were simply too unreliable to be of any practical use. For serious parameter monitoring or diagnostic work, you’ll likely need to explore more robust and dependable solutions.
