Whether you are retrofitting sport seats, adding paddle shifters, upgrading your iDrive head unit, or registering a battery retrofit, modifying the Vehicle Order (VO / FA) is the gold standard for doing it right on modern BMWs.

Instead of toggling individual coding values one by one across multiple control modules, changing the Vehicle Order tells your BMW’s master brain: “Hey, this car came from the factory with this option installed.” From there, coding the car to accept the new equipment becomes clean, reliable, and completely OEM-compliant.

In this hands-on guide, we’ll walk through the exact, tested workflow to change the Vehicle Order on BMW F-Series and G-Series models using E-Sys.

What Is the Vehicle Order (FA / VO) in BMW?

In BMW terminology, FA stands for Fahrzeugauftrag (German for Vehicle Order). It is essentially the birth certificate of your car.

The FA contains crucial information:

  1. Chassis Type & Model (e.g., F30, F80, G30)
  2. Production Date (Criteria Keyword)
  3. Paint Code & Interior Trim
  4. SALAPA Elements (Option Codes / Equipment Codes, such as S2TBA for Sport Automatic Transmission or S5A2A for LED Headlights)

When you retrofit hardware on a BMW F or G series vehicle, adding the corresponding option code to the SALAPA list updates the vehicle’s master profile. Once written to the vehicle, coding the affected Electronic Control Units (ECUs) automatically configures all underlying parameters to match factory specifications.

Equipment & Hardware Requirements

Before plugging into your OBD-II port, ensure you have the right setup. Coding without proper power voltage or software tools can freeze or corrupt an ECU.

Required Gear:

  • ENET Interface Cable: A quality OBD-II to Ethernet cable designed for BMW F/G/I series coding.
  • Laptop Setup: Running Windows 7, 10, or 11 with an active Ethernet port or a stable RJ45-to-USB adapter. Keep the laptop charger handy!
  • E-Sys Software: A working version of E-Sys with launcher/E-Sys Ultra or ESysPlus depending on your build setup.
  • PSdZData Files (FULL Version): Ensure you use PSdZData Full (not Lite) if you plan on flashing or doing extensive coding routines.
  • Battery Power Stabilizer / Charger: CRITICAL STEP. Do not rely on a trickle charger or jumper cables connected to a running engine. You need a continuous high-amp power supply capable of holding a stable 13.6V – 14.2V at a minimum of 25A to 50A (70A recommended for G-Series setups).
⚠️ IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE (ACSM Module Lock): If you plan to code or refresh ALL control units in the vehicle after modifying the Vehicle Order, you MUST lock the ACSM (Advanced Crash Safety Module) beforehand. If the ACSM drops into an unlocked state during coding, it can trigger airbag system faults that require specialized tool routines to reset.

Step-by-Step Guide: Changing Vehicle Order (FA) on BMW F & G Models

Follow these steps carefully to read, edit, write, and code your vehicle’s FA safely.

Step 1: Connect E-Sys to Your Vehicle

  1. Connect your ENET cable to the OBD-II port and your laptop Ethernet port.
  2. Turn your BMW ignition ON (Engine OFF). For G-Series cars, enter Diagnostic Mode by pressing the Start/Stop button three times rapidly without holding the brake pedal.
  3. Launch E-Sys.
  4. Click the Connect button on the top toolbar.
  5. Select your target chassis series without the _Direct suffix (for example, select F020 for an F30 3-Series, or S15A for a G30 5-Series).
  6. Select Connection via VIN and click Connect.

Step 2: Read and Edit the Vehicle Order (FA)

  1. In E-Sys, navigate to the left sidebar menu and click Expert Mode -> Coding.
  2. Under the Vehicle Order box (top left section), click the Read button.
  3. Right-click on the FA folder that appears and select Calculate FP.
  4. Once FP calculation completes without errors, click Edit under the Vehicle Order box.
  5. E-Sys will automatically switch you into the FA Editor screen.

Step 3: Modify the SALAPA Elements (Option Codes)

  1. In the FA Editor left panel, expand the tree:
  2. FA ➔ FZG20 ➔ SALAPA element.
  3. Look at the lower-left window pane. You will see a list of option codes separated by commas (e.g., 1CB, 230, 2PA, 302...).
  4. To Add a Retrofit Code: Type your option code into the list, making sure it follows the exact comma-separated format without extra spaces.
  5. To Remove an Option Code: Locate the code you want to remove and delete it from the list.
  6. Right-click on the top-level FA folder in the tree view and click Calculate FP again.
  7. Check the lower log window for any error messages. If the FP calculation succeeds without error, click the Save icon at the top toolbar to save your updated .xml FA file to your computer.

Step 4: Write the Updated Vehicle Order to VCM (Master Brain)

Now that your local FA file is updated, you need to write it back to the car’s primary backup storage (VCM / BDC / CAS).

  1. On the left sidebar menu, select Expert Mode ➔ VCM.
  2. Under the Vehicle Order section at the top, click the ... button and load the updated .xml FA file you saved in Step 3.
  3. Right-click on FA in the file tree and click Calculate FP.
  4. Move down to the VCM Master tab at the bottom right.
  5. Click the Write FA FP button.
  6. E-Sys will now write the new equipment codes directly to the vehicle’s internal modules.

Step 5: Code the Affected Control Units (ECUs)

Writing the FA updates the vehicle record, but the individual control modules still need to be “coded” so they activate the new functions.

  1. Navigate back to Expert Mode ➔ Coding.
  2. Click Read ECU (or Read SVT) on the right panel. Your list of installed modules will populate.
  3. Locate the control module that governs your new retrofit feature.
  • Examples:
  • Battery capacity change: Code FEM/CAS/BDC
  • Sport Automatic Transmission retrofit: Code EGS and KOMBI
  • Trailer hitch retrofit: Code AAG, DSC, and PDC
  1. Right-click on the specific module name (the top level of the ECU tree, not the CAFD line below it) and click Code.
  2. E-Sys will process the coding routine according to the updated FA options. Wait for the green “0 Errors” confirmation box to appear.

Note: If you are unsure which specific ECUs are affected by a major retrofit, you can code all modules individually. Just remember to lock the ACSM module prior to full-car coding routines.


  • Voltage Drops Cause Bricked Modules: Never start coding without a clean power supply attached. If voltage drops below 12.5V during an active write cycle, communication can fail.
  • Keep Backup Files: Always save a copy of your stock, unmodified FA file before making any changes. If anything goes wrong, you can reload the factory .xml file and restore default settings.
  • Understanding Dealer Flashes: If you bring your BMW to an official service center for an ISTA software update, the system reads the FA stored on your VCM Master. Because you wrote the new FA directly using the VCM write step, the dealer software will maintain your retrofitted options automatically!

Master Advanced BMW Coding & Retrofitting

Taking your automotive diagnostic skills to the next level requires understanding deeper ECU structures, FSC code generation, and complex wiring integrations.

If you want to deepen your mastery of BMW diagnostic software, ECU flashing, parameter customization, and OEM retrofits, check out the comprehensive BMW Coding - Programming & Retrofit Course. It provides structured modules and hands-on guidance for automotive enthusiasts and professional technicians alike.

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