My JCW Clubman was apparently an 03/20 build. I contacted a tuner about a bench unlock and he asked if warranty visit software updates might require it to have the Femto unlock like newer than 06/20 cars.

The story is "starting in June 2020, all BMW, MINI and Toyota Supra DMEs were produced with an updated bootloader that made OBD flash tuning using existing protocols impossible."

To me that suggests a different ECU was used after 06/20 it but I am not clear. As far as I understand, after a tune on an unlocked ECU a dealer update will require a new bench unlock, not sending the box to Europe.

Any pre 06/2020 owners out there still able to bench unlock after a dealer software update?

 

In answer to my own question I have located threads on a BMW forum going back to 2020 where people were taking their cars in for warranty and got a lock along with their software updates. It did require a bench unlock afterwards, not a Femto unlock.

 

I just had my mar 21 build JCW F56 ecu successfully cloned by Modded Mini! The car is up and running, two separate ECUs stock and pre-Jun2020 cloned ECU.

 

do you mind me asking exactly how does that work? Do you swap out ECU’s and only run one at a time i.e. put the stock one away until you’re ready to sell the car or do they both run at the same time? Yes, I’m not very knowledgeable about these things.

 

Exactly! Running the cloned ECU until I need any factory recall/sale.

 

was it expensive to have him do it?

 

They have a drop down menu to determine the cost.

https://moddedmini.com/