TIS Service Bulletin

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SI B84 03 11
Communication Systems

May 2019
Technical Service

TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT ACTIVATION VIA DCSNET FOR
BMW ASSIST
New information provided by this revision is preceded by this symbol

.

This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI B84 03 11 dated May 2019.
What’s New:
• Attachment TCU Replacement Part Activation Guide deleted

MODEL
F06 (6 Series Gran
Coupe)

F12 (6 Series
Convertible)

F13 (6 Series Coupe)

F15 (X5 Sports Activity
Vehicle)

F16 (X6 Sports Activity
Coupe)

F22 (2 Series Coupe)

F23 (2 Series
Convertible)

F25 (X3 SAV)

F26 (X4 SAC)

F30 (3 Series Sedan)

F31 (3 Series Sports
Wagon)

F32 (4 Series Coupe)

F33 (4 Series
Convertible)

F34 (3 Series Gran
Turismo)

F36 (4 Series Gran
Coupe)

F30H (3 Series
ActiveHybrid)

F48 (X1 SAV)

F80 (M3 Sedan)

F82 (M4 Coupe)

F83 (M4 Convertible)

F85 (X5 M SAV)

F86 (X6 M SAC)

I01 (i3 & i3 REx)

I12 (i8 Coupe)

G12 (7 Series Sedan)

G30 (5 Series Sedan) F87 (M2 Coupe)

G01 (X3 SAV)

G02 (X4 SAC)

F39 (X2)

G05 (X5)

G07 (X7)

G20 (3 Series Sedan)

G29 (Z4 Roadster)

G14 (8 Series Coupe)

G15 (8 Series
Convertible)

I15 (i8 Roadster)
Equipped with one of the following BMW Assist option code(s):
• 6AC – BMW Assist eCall
• 6AE – BMW Teleservices

SITUATION
A replacement telematics control unit no longer requires activation prior to installation and programming.
Note: 2G CDMA and 2G GSM telematics control units cannot be activated because they are no longer
supported and the supporting network(s) have been decommissioned.

INFORMATION
The following changes have taken place:
• The TCU Spare Parts Activation Application, available via DCSnet was discontinued as of May 6,
2019.

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TIS Service Bulletin

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• Replacement telematics control units are being delivered activated from the supplier.
• The TCU – VIN relationship is done via ISTA system when the replacement unit is programmed and
coded. Once completed, perform standard test steps for replacing the telematics control unit such as
updating services and making a test call.
• Follow normal diagnostic procedure outlined in B84 02 14 in the event that ISTA is unable to:
o Establish a TCU – VIN relationship. This is evident if “Update services” is grayed out, cannot make a
SOS call etc.
o Activate the unit

WARRANTY INFORMATION
Not Applicable

ATTACHMENTS
View PDF attachment Telematics Control Unit Replacement Part Activation Guide.
[ Copyright ©2019 BMW of North America, Inc. ]

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Part Activation Guide
B84 03 11

August 2018

Telematics Control Unit Replacement Part
Activation via DCSnet - Procedures
NEW - Please see pages 8 & 9 for new updates to the Part Activation Guide. The process is changing for
replacing the telematics unit on vehicles equipped with WiFi Hotspot (6WD).

Depending on the vehicle, different telematics control units may have different procedures for
activating the unit.
For example, Telematics Control Box (TCB) spares will not be pre-activated and will need to be
activated as part of a replacement installation in a vehicle. This is necessary in order to enable
MINI Assist service provisioning and to make a test call prior to customer delivery.
Parts Managers will be able to access the activation application directly through DCSnet under Parts
Telematics Device Spares Activation
CHANGE: Effective immediately, all telematics control unit spares can now be activated via the DCSnet
application.
All telematics control unit spares are to be activated by the Parts Manager before release to the
Technician for installation in the vehicle.

© 2017, BMW of North America, LLC.
The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

PROCESS:
The serial number of the TCU (Telematics Control Unit) phone module, called the IMEI (International
Mobile Equipment Identity), is needed to activate the TCU. The IMEI is found on the label of the TCU as
shown in the example label below:

The Parts Manager will need to:
1. Access the new application screen and click on the Create button at the bottom of the screen.
This brings up the Save/Activate window as shown in the example screen shot below.

2. Enter the Chassis number for the vehicle in which the replacement telematics control unit is
being installed and the ESN or IMEI from the label of the replacement part going into the vehicle.

IMEIs (GSM) are 15 digits in length.

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The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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3. Submit the automated activation request by clicking on the Activate button.

4. Click the Confirm button.

The request is automatically received and processed by MINI’s backend telematics management
system.
The system looks for and processes activation requests every 15 minutes. Normal activation
completion timelines are between 15-30 minutes.
In addition to the activation, the vehicle is linked with the ESN or IMEI in MINI’s backend telematics
management systems. Without this linkage, MINI Assist services cannot be rendered.
A complete log of all activation request activity specific only to your center, is maintained on DCSNet
at the individual transaction level.
Columns have been added – “MIN” & “MDN/MSISDN”. The application now displays the phone
numbers assigned to the unit following a successful activation.
•

For GSM units the numbers are for reference only.

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The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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C

B

Parts Managers also have the ability to perform the following:
a) Save an activation request for later submittal.

b) Delete an activation request in “Completed” status (for example, if it was determined the
activation request was done in error.)
 This de-links the vehicle ESN or IMEI association and results in an automated
deactivation of the ESN or IMEI. The IMEI then becomes available for
re-activation if needed.
c) Search and filter the transaction list by Request Type.

For activation requests in “Failed” status, failure reason can be viewed under the “Comments” section on the
list screen and complete text is displayed as a tool tip upon mouse-over of the comments.
Important note: The transaction list is only just that, a list of activation-related transactions done by only
your center. It is not a real-time reflection of the actual current ESN/IMEI-VIN relationship, because over
time and the life of the vehicle, changes are also made in the MINI USA backend systems by MINI USA
telematics services management.
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The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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Data entry of the ESN or IMEI initiates a series of data checks. If certain error conditions exist the user
will receive one of the following messages:
1. The ESN/IMEI entered was not found in the OTM Database.

Action to take: Verify the ESN or IMEI on the telematics control unit’s label and attempt the submittal
again.
2. The ESN/IMEI entered must be either 11 or 15 digits in length.

Action to take: Verify the ESN or IMEI on the telematics control unit’s label and attempt the submittal
again.
3. ESN/IMEI is already associated to another vehicle.

Action to take: Verify the Chassis and ESN or IMEI and attempt the submittal again. If the existing IMEI
in the vehicle and the VIN are correct, and the IMEI is to be replaced, select “Deactivate.” This will
deactivate the existing IMEI in the vehicle.
The activation originally initiated will not proceed automatically following the de-linking. You will need
to re-initiate the activation request.

© 2017, BMW of North America, LLC.
The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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4. No ESA on file for the vehicle.

Action to take: Have a Client Advisor or Service Manager complete an ESA (Electronic Subscriber
Agreement) for the customer and then try the activation request again.

5. IMEI is already active.

Action to take: Verify the Chassis, and the IMEI on the telematics control unit’s label and attempt the
submittal again. If the Chassis Number and IMEI is verified as correct than no further action needs to be
taken.

6. ESN is already active.

Action to take: Verify the Chassis, and the ESN on the telematics control unit’s label and attempt the
submittal again. If the Chassis Number and ESN is verified as correct than no further action needs to be
taken.

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The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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7. Vehicle is not MINI Assist capable.

Action to take: Verify the Chassis, and the ESN or IMEI on the telematics control unit’s label and
attempt the submittal again. If error persists, check for presence of SA 639 or 6NL or 6AE on the vehicle
order or for history of a retrofit. If not present, the vehicle is not equipped.

Additional User Support:
If an error continues to persist or should you encounter an error that is not addressed above, you must
submit a PuMA Case for additional support. Please include pictures and screenshot of errors.

Telematics Spare Parts Activation for WiFi Hotspot
Vehicles
Changes for Activating Telematics Units.
The process is changing for replacing the telematics unit on vehicles equipped with WiFi Hotspot (6WD)
CHANGE: The “new” telematics unit must be activated before the “old” telematics unit is deactivated.
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The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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The telematics unit’s “phone number” must not change in order to ensure the data plan remains
associated to the vehicle; therefore, the “phone number” of the unit currently in the vehicle must be
transferred to the spare part. This is done by first activating the “new” unit before the “old” unit is
deactivated.
Please note: Once the “new” unit is activated the “old” unit will be deactivated automatically.
Please see below the step-by-step process for activating WiFi capable units.

1. Insert the VIN and the IMEI of the spare part
Please note: You will not be prompted to perform a deactivation of the unit.

2. A pop up message will ask to confirm. Press “Confirm” to begin activation.
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The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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Please note: It will not show the deletion of the unit in the list of records of the vehicle.
3. The status will start as “in progress”

4. Once the new unit is activated, the status will show as “Completed.”
Please note: Once the “new” unit is activated the “old” unit will be deactivated automatically

© 2017, BMW of North America, LLC.
The contents of this document are confidential and should not be shared with third parties for distribution.

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