Manual

Every setting, explained.

Where each function lives on your display, what it does and how to set it up – for Aura and Blade.

Quick answers

The questions we get most often – each one has its setting.

HP / Nm are wrong – my car is tunedThe display calculates power from stock ECU data. Correct it with a factor.Power correction › The display stays darkIgnition must be on. Check the plugs at the junction box, „Display off" and the update tip.Checklist › Oil temperature shows „--"M47, N47 and M57 need the external sensor – and the right sensor mode.Oil sensors › I want a different value in a fieldDouble-tap the field – it cycles to the next value and is saved.Change values › Clearing the fault memory failsOnly with ignition ON and engine OFF. With the engine running the ECU refuses.Fault memory › Gearbox oil temperature is missingOff by default. Switch it on under Vehicle – the value appears with the engine running.Gearbox oil › Needle sweep is off or wrongChoose your speedo scale first, then switch on the sweep and calibrate by tapping.Instrument cluster › No alarms are shownThe master switch is off from the factory. Switch it on and check the thresholds.Alarms › Too bright at nightAuto brightness follows the cluster dimmer. Set the night level in percent.Auto brightness › Values freeze or show „--"Is the OBD port set to „free"? Switch diagnosis back on.OBD port › Update does not workMobile data off, Chrome on iPhone, ignition off for one minute and retry.Update › Max values are gone after restartThat is intended: max values count per drive and reset with the ignition.Max values ›

Basics

Swipe, tap, double-tap – how you get around the display.

Change the value in a field (double-tap)

Every value field can show a different measurement. Double-tap cycles through them.
  1. Tap the value field twice quickly (within about a second).
  2. Icon, name and unit switch to the next available value. Keep double-tapping until you see the one you want.
  3. Done – the choice is saved permanently, also across restarts.

Available values include boost, intake air temperature, exhaust temperature, battery voltage, rail pressure, DPF differential pressure and soot load, fuel temperature, speed, rpm, torque, power, fuel level, pedal position, brake pressure, oil pressure, gearbox oil (when enabled) and, on petrol engines, lambda, ignition angle, manifold pressure and throttle.

Only values your engine actually provides are offered. If a value is missing, it is not available for your engine type.

Max values

The highest values of the current drive – with a reset button.

The max screen records the peak of each shown value since the ignition was switched on. Double-tap a card to show a different value; the reset button at the top clears all peaks.

Max values are intentionally not saved across ignition cycles – every drive starts fresh. Live value fields glow briefly when a new peak is reached.

Brightness, colour and „Display off"

Everything on the menu screen at the end of the ring.
Brightness sliderDrag to set the brightness. „Auto" (Blade) or the DAY / NIGHT tab (Aura) lets the display follow the car's dimmer – see Auto brightness.
ColourBlade Design 2: pick an accent colour and a text colour. Blade Design 1: colour manager for icons, labels, sliders, buttons, arcs and bars – arcs can follow the temperature („dynamic"). Aura: COLORS opens the colour palette. „Default" restores the factory look.
Display offSwitches the panel dark after a confirmation; the display keeps working in the background. Tap the display or cycle the ignition to wake it up.
Timer0–100 and 100–200 km/h. Press start, the timer arms itself and starts when you drive off (or pass 100 km/h) and stops at the target speed. Best time is kept.

Display stays dark – checklist

The display switches on and off with the ignition. If it stays dark, go through these points.
  1. Ignition on? The display only wakes with ignition (key position 2). A plugged-in key alone is not enough.
  2. Harness seated? The display is wired to the junction box in the passenger footwell, not to the OBD socket. Check that the CAN plug and the power plug are pushed in to the stop and latched, that the re-pinned car wires sit firmly in the new connector, and that the plug on the display cable is tight.
  3. „Display off" active? Tap the display once. It wakes with the next ignition cycle anyway.
  4. Just updated? Ignition off, wait a full minute, ignition on. The first start after an update can take a moment longer.
  5. Boot logo visible but nothing after? The first start requires you to pick language and engine – see First start under System.
Still dark after all five steps? Send us the serial number and a short video – use the fault report form.

Vehicle

Engine, power correction, warm-up assistant, oil sensors, gearbox oil.

Engine

Tells the display which values your engine provides. Must match your car.
Settings›Vehicle›Engine

First choose Diesel or Petrol, then the engine code. Confirm – the display restarts after a few seconds and from then on polls the values that fit your engine.

DieselM47 · M57 · N47 · N57
PetrolN20 · N43 · N46 · N51 / N52KP · N52 · N53 · N54 · N55 · S65 (M3)

Which engine do I have? Typical assignments – the build date decides in border years:

ModelTypical engine
318d / 320d up to 2007 · 520d up to 2007M47
318d / 320d from autumn 2007 · 520d from 2007N47
325d / 330d / 335d (up to 2008) · 525d / 530d / 535dM57
330d from autumn 2008 · 325d from 2010N57
316i / 318i / 320iN46 (up to 2007) · N43 (from 2007)
323i / 325i / 328i / 330i · 523i / 525i / 530iN52 · N53 (direct injection, from 2007)
335i / 535iN54 (up to 2010) · N55 (from 2010)
M3 (E90 / E92 / E93)S65
Not sure? The engine code is not on the registration document. A VIN decoder (search „BMW VIN decoder") shows it – or send us your VIN and we tell you.
A wrong engine gives wrong or missing values (e.g. oil temperature „--", boost stuck). If values look strange, check this setting first.

Power correction (hp / Nm)

For tuned cars: adjust the displayed power and torque to your real figures.
Settings›Vehicle›Power

Why hp and Nm can be „wrong": the display does not measure power. It calculates it from the torque your engine control unit reports – and that unit uses the stock torque map. After a software tune the real engine makes more, but the ECU still reports figures close to stock. The display therefore shows too little. That is exactly what this correction is for.

ControlRangeStepEffect
HP factor0,50 – 2,000,05Multiplies the power. 1,00 = stock, 1,20 = +20 %
HP offset−200 – +2005Adds a fixed number of hp
Torque factor0,50 – 2,000,05Multiplies the torque
Torque offset−200 – +2005Adds a fixed number of Nm

Formula: displayed value = reported value × factor + offset. In almost all cases the factor alone is the right tool, because a tune lifts the whole curve proportionally. Use the offset only if the value is off by a constant amount at every load.

Example: 320d, stock 184 hp / 380 Nm, tuned to 220 hp / 450 Nm
220 ÷ 184 = 1,196 → HP factor 1,20
450 ÷ 380 = 1,184 → Torque factor 1,20
Round to the nearest 0,05 step. Leave both offsets at 0.
  1. Divide your tuned figure by the stock figure (hp and Nm separately). Use the dyno sheet or the tuner's data sheet.
  2. Set the two factors with − / + to the rounded result.
  3. Tap the green Save button. Leaving with < discards the change; Reset puts everything back to 1,00 / 0.
  4. Check on a full-throttle pull: the peak hp should now land near your tuned figure.
Stock car and the numbers still look a bit low? That is normal: the ECU reports engine torque including losses and drive conditions. Peak hp on the display is reached only at full throttle around the rated rpm – part-throttle values are always lower.

Warm-up assistant

Shows oil and water temperature during cold start and disappears once the engine is warm.
Settings›Vehicle›Warm-up

With the engine cold, a panel with oil and water temperature overlays the screen and recommends gentle driving. As the temperatures climb it shows an estimated time until full power is „released" and then hides itself.

On / OffEnable or disable the assistant.
Transparency− / + sets how much of the screen underneath stays visible.
DemoSimulates a warm-up in about 60 seconds so you can see the look on the workbench.
Without oil sensorRelease is based on water temperature with a safety margin.

Oil sensors (oil pressure / temperature)

Which engines need the external sensor and how the display knows about it.
BladeSettings›Vehicle›Oil pressure / temp
AuraSettings›Vehicle›Engine (sensor follows the engine choice)

M47, N47 and M57 do not report oil temperature over the diagnostic bus – they need our external sensor (replaces the oil drain plug). N57 and all petrol engines deliver the oil temperature from the ECU without extra hardware.

Aura

The Aura has no sensor menu and no HELLA sensor. The external oil temperature sensor is used automatically when the engine is set to M47, N47 or M57 (NTC). If your M57 has the factory oil temperature sensor, choose M57 (CAN) instead – then no external sensor is needed. N57 and petrol engines always take the value from the car.

Blade
ModeMeaning
OffNo oil sensor fitted – nothing is measured.
Red sensor (NTC)Our standard oil temperature sensor. Temperature only.
HELLA (2-in-1)Combined sensor: oil pressure and oil temperature at the same time. Also enables the oil pressure alarm. Blade only.
Oil temperature shows „--" on an M47 / N47 / M57? Either no sensor is fitted (order it separately in the shop) or the mode is set to „Off". With a sensor fitted, choose „Red sensor (NTC)".
Oil temperature shows „--" on the Aura? Either no sensor is fitted (order it separately in the shop) or the wrong engine is selected – an M57 with an external sensor must be set to „M57 (NTC)".

Oil level

Reads the electronic oil level sensor of the engine.
N47 / N57 only
BladeSettings›Vehicle›Oil level
AuraSettings›Vehicle›Options›Oil level

Tap Refresh – the display asks the engine for the current level and shows it as a bar between MIN and MAX, in percent and millimetres. Nothing is read automatically.

The engine's oil level sensor needs a running, warm engine on level ground for a reliable reading – the same as the car's own oil level check.

Gearbox oil temperature

Off by default. Switch on for automatic gearboxes.
Automatic only
BladeSettings›Vehicle›Gearbox oil temp
AuraSettings›Vehicle›Options›Gearbox oil temp

A single switch. Once on, „gearbox oil" appears as a selectable value in the fields (double-tap) and in the chart. Manual gearboxes have no sensor – leave it off.

The gearbox control unit only answers with the engine running. With ignition on but engine off the value stays „--" – that is normal.

Display

Design, language, screen configuration, auto brightness, cruise stalk, boot text.

Design

Two layouts to choose from. Switching restarts the display.
Blade
Settings›Display›Design
Design 1The classic layout with the colour manager for every element group.
Design 2The new cockpit layout with accent colour, glowing peak markers and card-style max values.

Your value selections, colours and all other settings are kept when you switch.

Language

Deutsch · English · Français · Español · Italiano · Polski
Settings›Display›Language

Tap a language – menus and value names change immediately, no restart needed.

Screen configuration (G-force / chart)

Decides what the extra screen shows.
Settings›Display›G-force / chart
G-ForceAcceleration and braking, left and right cornering as live bars with a total and a max value. Reset button included.
Live chartUp to four values as curves over time. Tap + to add a value, the small × removes it; peaks are marked.

Auto brightness and night brightness

The display follows the car's instrument dimmer – like the factory gauges.
BladeSettings›Display›Auto brightness
AuraMenu screen›DAY / NIGHT tab  or  Settings›Display›Options

With auto brightness on, the display reads the dimmer value of the instrument cluster: lights off = day brightness, lights on = night brightness. Night brightness is set in percent of the day brightness (5–100 %). The day brightness is whatever you set on the slider.

Too bright at night? Lower the night percentage. Too dark by day? Move the main slider up – with auto on, it sets the day level.

Aura also has Warn pulse under Display › Options: a value blinks when it crosses its alarm threshold.

Page through screens with the cruise control stalk

Change screens without touching the display. Stalk up = next, down = previous.
Settings›Display›Cruise stalk

Switch the function on and teach the stalk once per car:

  1. Ignition on, cruise control off.
  2. Tap Teach stalk. Step 1: briefly push the stalk up.
  3. Step 2: briefly push it down. The display confirms – done.
While the cruise control is active, paging is locked so your speed setting is never disturbed.

Boot text

Your own text on the start screen.
Aura
Settings›Display›Boot text

Up to 12 characters, letters A–Z and digits 0–9. Shown every time the display starts.

Diagnostics

Fault memory, particulate filter, actual / target, instrument cluster, data logger, injectors, OBD port.

Fault memory

Read and clear the engine's stored faults.
Diesel
Settings›Diagnostics›Faults
ReadLists the fault codes with status active (present now) or stored (occurred earlier). „0 faults" means the memory is really empty.
ClearWorks only with ignition on and engine off. With the engine running the ECU refuses – you get an error message.
A fault that comes back right after clearing is a real, active problem on the car. The codes are BMW-specific (e.g. 4B90) – a web search for „BMW fault code …" or your workshop will tell you the meaning.

Particulate filter (DPF)

Soot, ash, differential pressure, distance since the last regeneration and regeneration status.
Diesel
Settings›Diagnostics›Particulate filter
ValueWhat it tells you
Soot mass (g)Current load. Rises while driving, drops to near zero after a regeneration.
Ash mass (g)Cannot be burnt off – grows slowly over the filter's life.
Differential pressure (hPa)Back-pressure across the filter. High at high rpm is normal; high at idle points to a clogged filter.
Distance since regenerationKilometres since the last completed regeneration.
Exhaust temperatureRises to 550–650 °C during a regeneration.
Status„Regeneration active" and „requested / not requested".

On M47 / M57 there is a Start regeneration button: only with a warm engine, standing still, engine running. On N47 / N57 the ECU does not accept a forced regeneration via the diagnostic port – there the button is hidden. Regeneration normally runs by itself while driving; a 20-minute steady drive at moderate rpm is the best help.

Switch on the DPF regeneration alarm: the display then tells you when a regeneration is running so you don't switch the engine off in the middle of it.

Actual / target comparison

Rail pressure, boost, air mass and injection quantity – what the ECU wants versus what it gets.
Diesel
Settings›Diagnostics›Ist / Soll

Each row shows the actual value, the target value and the difference, coloured green (fine), orange (watch) or red (clearly off). The view stays live while you drive – ideal for tracking down a boost leak, a weak high-pressure pump or an air mass problem. „OFF" means the ECU has that control inactive right now (e.g. EGR off); „--" means no answer.

Aura additionally lists the on-board voltage.

Instrument cluster: needle sweep, scale, calibration, self-test

The speedo and rev needles sweep across the dials when you switch on the ignition.
Settings›Diagnostics›Instrument cluster
  1. Speedo scale – pick the one your cluster has: 260 Low, 260 High or 280 km/h. Without this choice the sweep stays locked. The two 260 variants differ in needle travel – if the needle stops short or overshoots, try the other one.
  2. Sweep on start – on / off. Runs at every ignition-on while the car is standing.
  3. End value – fine-tune with − / + if the needle ends slightly before or after the last mark.
  4. Calibration – the easiest way to a perfect sweep: the needle rises slowly, you tap NOW the moment it sits exactly at the end of the scale. First the speedo, then the rev counter. Repeat if you missed the moment.
  5. Cluster self-test – tap to trigger the cluster's own test cycle (needles, lamps).
Everything here works only with the car standing still. The needles are moved via the diagnostic bus – while driving, the display never touches them.

Data logger

Records all values to a CSV file – download it to your phone via Wi-Fi.
Settings›Diagnostics›Logger
  1. Start recording, drive, Stop recording. Entries, file size and time are shown live.
  2. Download: the display opens a Wi-Fi network and shows its name and an address. Connect your phone to it and open the address in the browser.
  3. Download or delete the log files from the list. CSV files open in Excel or Google Sheets.
If the page won't load on the phone, switch mobile data off for a moment – the phone otherwise tries to reach the internet instead of the display.

Injectors

Fuel quantity correction per cylinder – shows a weak or leaking injector before it becomes a fault.
N47 / N57 only
Settings›Diagnostics›Injectors

Let the engine idle warm, then tap Refresh. Each cylinder shows how much fuel the ECU has to add or remove (in mg) to keep it running smoothly.

Green < 1 mgAll good.
Yellow 1–2 mgKeep an eye on it.
Red > 2 mgHave the injector checked.

OBD port: free the socket for a diagnostic tool

Pauses the live data so another device can talk to the car.
Diesel
Settings›Diagnostics›OBD Port

Hold the button for 3 seconds to switch between Diagnosis active (normal operation, the display polls the engine) and OBD port free (the display only listens; a workshop tester, coding tool or Bluetooth dongle in the OBD socket can talk to the car undisturbed). Switch back afterwards.

The OBD socket itself stays physically free with a VehicData install – the display is wired to the junction box and shares the same data bus. This switch only prevents both devices from sending diagnostic requests at the same time.
In „free" mode most values show „--" or stop updating – that is not a fault. If your display suddenly shows hardly anything, check this switch first.

Alarms

A banner with the current value when a threshold is crossed.

Alarm settings and thresholds

Master switch, one switch per alarm, adjustable thresholds.
Settings›Alarms
The master switch is off from the factory. Switch „Alarms active" on first – otherwise no alarm will ever show, regardless of the single switches.
AlarmDefaultRangeNote
Oil MAX130 °C60 – 200 °CNeeds oil temperature (sensor or ECU)
Water MAX110 °C60 – 160 °C
Boost MAX2,0 bar0,1 – 5,0 barOverboost warning
RPM MAX50001000 – 8000Set to your rev limit
Exhaust MAX600 °C200 – 1200 °CRegenerations reach 550–650 °C – raise if it triggers then
Intake air MAX55 °C10 – 150 °CHot intercooler / summer
Oil pressure MIN1,0 bar0,1 – 6,0 barBlade with HELLA 2-in-1 sensor only – the Aura has no oil pressure
DPF load MAX40 g5 – 100 gDiesel
DPF regeneration––Event alarm: tells you a regeneration is running

How the banner behaves: tap it to acknowledge. It only returns after the value has dropped back below the threshold and crossed it again. Critical alarms (red) remind you again after a while even when acknowledged.

An alarm keeps nagging? Check its threshold against your engine's normal values – e.g. exhaust temperature during a DPF regeneration, or intake air on a hot day – and raise it or switch that single alarm off.

System

Update, serial number, blackbox, first start.

Update, version and serial number

Free updates over Wi-Fi. Version and serial number are shown here too.
Settings›System›Update
  1. Open the update view. On the Aura the update Wi-Fi starts right away; on the Blade also tap Start update.
  2. On your phone: connect to the Wi-Fi Dashboard-Update, open 192.168.4.1 in the browser. Everything from here happens on the phone.
  3. Under Auto-Update: „Scan Wi-Fi", choose your home Wi-Fi (or a second phone's hotspot), enter the password, „Connect".
  4. „Check for updates" → „Install update". Takes 2–3 minutes, the display restarts by itself. Do not switch the ignition off meanwhile.
Page 192.168.4.1 won't openSwitch mobile data off for a moment. iPhone: use Chrome if Safari struggles.
Connection failsIgnition off, wait one minute, ignition on, start immediately with the update. Several attempts are fine.
RollbackThe update page offers „Back to previous version" if something is wrong after an update.
Serial number & versionShown at the bottom of the System area. Please include both in every support request.

Step-by-step PDFs with pictures and the manual (file) update: Guides. What each version changed: Changelog.

Blackbox

Restart and crash log of the display itself – not of the car.
Settings›System›Blackbox

Lists unexpected restarts with runtime and the screen that was active. Normally empty. If the display ever restarts by itself, tell us what the blackbox shows – it helps us find the cause quickly. „Clear" empties the list.

First start

Language → fuel type → engine → Start. Once, after that the display boots straight into the values.
Language›Diesel / Petrol›Engine›Start

The display restarts after „Start" and is ready. Everything you choose here can be changed later under Vehicle › Engine and Display › Language.

Nothing found for this search. Try a different word – or ask us directly below.

Not found what you need?

Tell us your product, serial number and software version (Settings › System) – then we can help fast.

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