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The two things you need to start
A device you can flash your car with, such as your phone, tablet or laptop, running one of the following:
Android 6 and newer
(64-bit processors recommended - please avoid Lenovo tablets as they tend not to work with xHP)iOS 10 and newer
Windows 10, minimum version: 1809 (17763), target version: 1903 (18362)
Mac OS Big Sur and newer on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 chip and newer)
An adapter to connect your device to your car's OBD port, such as one of the adapters shown in the connection diagram below.
Connect Diagram
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Attention: Please check under the respective adapter chapters for further hardware requirements. |
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We strongly encourage you to use a power supply for the first flash. Although the flash procedure is quick and is usually done in way under 10 minutes, you don’t want to drain your battery during the flashing process. |
The online version of the Connect Diagram includes links where you can buy the hardware.
Available hardware options in detail:
OBD/DCAN cable (E & F-Series)
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xHP uses the well-known OBD/DCAN cables to connect to your TCU and works on E and F Series cars. These cables are usually marked as "INPA compatible, " referring to the BMW OEM diagnostic tools.
Ensure you buy a genuine cable with a genuine "FTDI RS232" chipset. These cables can be bought from various sources. (Webshops, Amazon, eBay...) High-quality ones cost about 40 - 60 USD.
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Be sure not to cheap out on the cable, as low-quality cables are the number one reason for interrupted flashes. |
Recommended DCAN cables:
Bimmer Connect (worldwide)
Bimmer Geeks (US)
If you're from another region, please search some of your local BMW forums for the best place to
to buy an OBD/DCAN cable near you.
USB/OTG adapters come in various shapes, lengths and connector designs. However, they all seem to work reliably. During our testing period, we found no faults that could be traced back to these adapters. Just search for them on Amazon or eBay. For in-car situations, it's probably best to use one that comes in a short cable form factor, like the one you see on the right.
They cost between 5 and 10 USD/EUR.
OBD-DCAN cable
USB A to USB Micro/USB-C OTG Adapter
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Average first flash time: 5 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates around 2 minutes. |
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Flashing via DCAN-cable is not possible with iOS as Apple does not allow flashing via the USB OTG standard. |
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DCAN-cable is the only adapter that works with K-Line vehicles (Z4 E86, X5 E53 and X3 E83). |
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The DCAN-cable cannot be used to unlock and then flash the 3rd generation 8HP transmission in G-Series BMWs and the new Supra. Those need a DCAN Wi-Fi, BM3 Wi-Fi orMHD UNI adapter. |
DCAN Wi-Fi Adapter (E, F & G-Series + Supra)
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xHP supports the Thor Wi-Fi adapter (pink), the MHD Wi-Fi adapter (orange) and the xHP Flashtool adapter (blue). All work with E, F & G series cars, including the new Supra.
To connect the Wi-Fi adapter, plug it into the vehicle's OBD port. You will see the LEDs light up. Then, open your device settings and find the correct Wi-Fi network. Once connected to the network, xHP will work in the same way as when connected via the OBD cable. Please note that you will eventually need to return to your local Wi-Fi or 3G/4G/5G connection if the application needs to sync/re-download new maps or if you want to purchase xHP flash licences, map packs or combo packs.
Adapters are available from:
http://www.bimmer-connect.com (worldwide)
www.ecstuning.com (US)
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E & F series: Average first flash time: 4 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates less than 2 minutes. G Series + Supra: Average first flash time: 8-10 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates less than 2 minutes. |
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Wi-Fi Adapters can't be used for flashing K-Line vehicles! (Z4 E86, X5 E53 and X3 E83). For these models please use the new MHD UNI Wi-Fi Adapter. |
The MHD UNI Wi-Fi, the DCAN-Wi-Fi adapter& the Bootmod 3 adapterare the only adapters, that can be used to unlock and flash the 3rd generation 8HP transmission in the BMW G-series and the new Supra.
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If you are only looking for the fastest flash times on F-series cars, choose the black MHD Adapter, MHD UNI Wi-Fi adapter, or the Bootmod 3 adapter instead. |
ENET Cable (F-Series)
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For F Series BMWs, xHP supports flashing over the much faster ENET cable. ENET uses an IP-based connection to your car's central gateway and is only available on F and early G Series BMWs. Therefore, your phone/tablet must support "Ethernet" connections via its USB port.
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Please check beforehand, not all Android phones support Ethernet-USB! |
You will need a USB to Ethernet adapter (Android) or Lightning to Ethernet adapter (iOS) and an OBD/ENET cable to connect your car to your device.
Both are available from Amazon and other stores:
ENET cable: Amazon or Bimmer-Connect
USB-C to Ethernet adapter: Amazon or Bimmer-Connect
Micro-USB to Ethernet Adapter: Amazon
RJ45 to USB-C/Micro adapter
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Average first flash time: Under 2 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates less than 30 seconds. |
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Please check if your device supports manually setting a static IP address. If your Android device does not allow you to manually set your IP address, you will need to use a different device or get the black MHD Wi-Fi adapter, as these will handle the IP address for the Android device. |
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Samsung S9, Samsung S10 and Samsung A40 are tested and known to support Ethernet-USB! |
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The ENET cable cannot be used to unlock the 3rd generation 8HP transmission in G Series BMWs and the new Supra. Those need a DCAN Wi-Fi, BM3 Wi-Fi orMHD UNI adapter. Theoretically, you could use an ENET cable after unlocking your transmission. However, if you need to unlock the transmission in the future, e.g. after uninstalling xHP or a software update, you will need a DCAN Wi-Fi, BM3 Wi-Fi orMHD UNI adapter again. |
ENET Wi-Fi Adapter (F-Series)
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The black MHD ENET Wi-Fi adapter works with any device. No additional configuration is required. Just plug it into your OBD port, wait 10-20 seconds and connect to the Wi-Fi network created.
The WiFi showing up is called:
MHD_XXX
The adapters are available from:
http://www.bimmer-connect.com (worldwide)
ENET MHD Wi-Fi adapter
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Average first flash time: Under 2 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates less than 30 seconds. |
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The ENET Wi-Fi adapters cannot be used to unlock the 3rd generation 8HP transmission in G Series BMWs and the new Supra. Those need a DCAN Wi-Fi, BM3 Wi-Fi orMHD UNI adapter. Theoretically, you could use an ENET cable after unlocking your transmission. However, if you need to unlock the transmission in the future, e.g. after uninstalling xHP or a software update, you will need a DCAN Wi-Fi, BM3 Wi-Fi orMHD UNI adapter again. |
Bootmod3 Wi-Fi Adapter (E-,F- & G-Series + Supra)
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The black Wi-Fi adapter from bootmod3 works with all devices. No additional configuration is required. Just plug it into your OBD port, wait 10-20 seconds, connect to the established Wi-Fi network and type in the password. The WiFi showing up is called:
BM3-NET
Password: bootmod3
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Average first flash time: Under 2 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates less than 30 seconds. |
The MHD UNI Wi-Fi, the DCAN-Wi-Fi adapter& the Bootmod 3 adapterare the only adapters, that can be used to unlock and flash the 3rd generation 8HP transmission in the BMW G-series and the new Supra.
How to update the Bootmod3 Wi-Fi Adapter’s firmware
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With the Bootmod firmware 3.14.112 there can be issues flashing xHP, please update to the lastest version of the BM3 firmware. |
MHD UNI Wi-Fi Adapter (E-, F- & G-Series + Supra)
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The red MHD UNI Wi-Fi adapter works with all devices. No additional hardware or configuration is required. Just plug it into your OBD port, wait 10-20 seconds and connect to the established Wi-Fi network.
Based on the detected protocol, the Wi-Fi SSID will be one of the following:
MHD ENET XXXX
MHD CAN XXXX
MHD KLINE XXXX
The adapters are available from:
Bimmer Connect (worldwide)
Burger Tuning (US)
Bimmer ECU Solutions (US)
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Average first flash time: Under 2 minutes, subsequent map changes & updates less than 30 seconds. |
The MHD UNI Wi-Fi, the DCAN-Wi-Fi adapter& the Bootmod 3 adapterare the only adapters, that can be used to unlock and flash the 3rd generation 8HP transmission in the BMW G-series and the new Supra.
How to update the MHD UNI Adapter’s firmware
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You may need to update the firmware on your MHD UNI Wi-Fi adapter to support the G-Series unlock. Here is the official guide on how to update the MHD UNI adapter firmware:
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Back to the Overview Page.