Blue and Me (B&M) firmware updating

Overview

OK, like everything else microprocessor driven, I'd like to update the firmware in the 500e. Why update? Like all things nowadays, there's bugs, fixes, feature enhancements.

So after posting on several of the US forums, I got pretty much nowhere, more info on the UK sites. I did get some information, and someone claimed have done the update, but it was sort of a false alarm.

First, what version do I have?

Supposedly, saying "version" to the car should give you an answer. I have not succeeded.

People also say if you do the update process and you get the USB error 10, it can mean you don't need the update.

I have no good solid data yet, working on it.

What versions are available?

As of December 2014, the latest for a first generation B&M is 5.6, although you apparently need to update to 5.5 first if your vehicle is really old.

For the second generation systems (my 500), the latest version is 8.

OK, so how do I do it?

If you go to the official B&M site, you will be directed to a 2 step process,

Step 1 uses files on a memory stick, and while it displays "updating", it really only reads data from the car, notably configuration data.

Step 2 uses the configuration data to present you with downloads suitable for your car.

So, I say whoopee... go to the site, download the files for step one, and you put them on a memory stick (over 256 meg and under 32 gig) formatted in FAT32, plug into the usb port and turn the car on (just on, not to the full start position)

The car says "updating" (this is where some people are fooled into thinking this is the update), and then finishes.

Step 2 now has you go to the site, go to step 2, and then read the file that the car created, which is BMConf.xml. Based on this file, the site presents you with the correct download.

Now the fun begins... a message comes up and states you don't need an update. Clear this message and you DO see versions 5.6 and 5.5 available. DON'T. Those versions are for B&M version 1, all the 500e's are B&M version 2.

OK, back to the drawing board... more searching reveals that version 8 of B&M is out, but you cannot get it.

More research yields information that the xml file collected in step one is the problem, here are the contents read from the car:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<BlueAndMeInfo> 
<CarType>500</CarType> 
<Configuration>ZZZZZ</Configuration> 
<BDaddr>29019_20_2377</BDaddr>
</BlueAndMeInfo>

The ZZZZZ is the problem, that means nothing to the "download system". Luckily, someone else had this issue, and found a way to see various configuration codes, hidden on http://www.blueandme.net/blueandme/Default.aspx?brand=fga&lang=en&page=support\download

Searching this, I found the following:

500,Second Generation,Blue&Me,English,|97FC0*

500,Second Generation,Blue&Me TOMTOM,English,|ABC80*

500,Second Generation,Blue&Me TOMTOM2,English,|ABC80*

These codes are the configuration codes... Not sure which I need, but substituting these codes into the XML file will give you the 8.0 download.

So I got 2 different files, the 97FC0 gave me a file called "Aggiornamento_BlueMe_14_6_UK_A.zip" and the ABC80 gave me a file called "Aggiornamento_BlueMeTomTom_14_6_UK_A.zip"

Now when I unzip them to a flash drive and try to update, I get the dreaded "USB error 10" message shortly after beginning the update.

There is a log file written to the flash drive, and I'm working on that. Turns out that this error message is common and sometimes you have to use a different flash drive, etc.

The log file said: "H559F312US0409TEBUAnotAl"  (the last character is an "L")

H559
F312US
0409
TEBU
AnotAl

looking for a log file like this:

F036
F199FP
0410
LE1
UPcopyR
UPcopy
UPref
BuildOk
CABOK
UPComp
F036
0809
BMm LE1

The error 10 may just be an indication that the car does not need the upgrade, also some people have had to reinstall the language, the car often reverts to Italian!