Control of Operating Modes

Those functions that are to be available in an operating mode are defined (e.g. no radio operation in transportation mode) via the vehicle status management system. There are three operating modes: manufacture, transportation, flash, which are abbreviated in German as FeTraFla mode.

FeTraFla mode replaces the former manufacture, transportation, workshop or FeTraWe mode. Workshop mode has rarely been used to date and has been replaced by flash mode.

Flash mode offers the advantage that communication between the control units is reduced to a minimum during programming, and therefore higher data transfer rates are achieved from the BMW Programming system into the vehicle. Additionally, the control units are notified that programming is taking place.

This prevents the control units from going into emergency operation (e.g. the windscreen wiper does not start).

Flash mode is activated via a diagnostic command. The control units permanently save this mode. This has the advantage that the control units still know that they are in flash mode after a reset. In earlier vehicles a reset often had the consequence that a control unit had interrupted communication and this had consequently caused a flash termination.

It is also possible to use the "extended operating modes" to further subdivide a mode in order, for instance, to suppress or activate functions only at specific conveyor belt sections during manufacture.