Software upgrade

[osx]

Thinking of doing a firmware upgrade as all EPU's are still running the first version. Will the dealer to that and with what cost? Might be something I ask them to do with the MOT!

[GiveMeABreak]

Firmware updates are only needed if there is a reason. The hardware in the car has to have a certain firmware level depending on the version of the ECU in the car. During a service, the dealership will normally Check this via the diagnostic kit. You can't just ask them to upgrade the firmware without there being a reason to do so, as this could have a negative impact on the car if the hardware does not support the new software. They will know what software version you need, but it should be carried out as part of their service procedures.

[osx]

Never heard of older hardware having to support newer software before?! Are you sure that's what you meant ?

Firmware updates are there for many reasons and not always linked to hardware so wouldn't have any impact or whatsoever to the hardware.

[GiveMeABreak]

Not true. There are certain levels of hardware components on your vehicle. These are designed to work with a certain level of software. They may from time to time update the software for that particular piece of hardware. As the hardware is changed, new software is designed to support that hardware. Therefore it is not always appropriate to put a new version of software onto an older piece of hardware as this may have a negative impact on the vehicle. In other words newer software is written for new hardware in some cases and therefore a newer software version not written for the right piece of hardware can have undesired consequences or may not work at all.

[GiveMeABreak]

There is another analogy. Take Wi-Fi routers. Often these have exactly the same model number however during the course of their lifetime they may make three or four hardware versions but keep the model name the same. When you come to update the firmware, it'll usually have the model name with a V1, V2 or V3 etc. Putting the latest firmware on an unsupported earlier model can break the system.

If you're that concerned about it, I would just ask the main dealer to check if there are any software updates needed. They Will soon tell you if there is anything needed to be done or not

[osx]

The main reason is to reset everything to factory settings. I have started doing this with all second hand cars

[GiveMeABreak]

I understand what you are saying - but sometimes, the manufacturer will find a fault or an issue often discovered through customer feedback to the dealerships.

When they find enough of a problem, they may write a new piece of software to cure the fault and will then issue a bulletin to the dealerships, recommending a software update for a specific component / ECU of a certain Hardware revision. This won't be a blanket update though, as the issue may only affect certain units with a certain software revision or date range.

As the modified components or software updated units are then fitted at the factory - it won't affect these models. As there can be multiple manufacturers of components covering the injection, BSI and just about everything else, it becomes more important to ensure only the correct updates are applied.

To resolve you BSI issue OSX, just tell them that you think a garage (make it up) has had a tool on and possibly lost some settings, so could they please re-download your BSI. They will connect it up and the PSA servers will analyse all the ECUs and update these as necessary and the same applies to the BSI. It may take more than an hour though, as Citroen instructs their own techs to ensure a copy of the original BSI settings are made before any updates. Expect at least an hour of diagnostic time though. The BSI sometimes has to be downloaded several times to ensure it takes properly.

Fingers crossed that will solve the glitches for you