Body functions moved to the FEM (front electronic module), and BMW's own description of it is broader than the FRM it replaced: it took over the footwell module, the Car Access System, the junction box and the central gateway. The E90 lesson still applies — a module that runs everything makes one failure look like many — and a FEM fault can now also mean a no-start.
From a documented source: BMW TIS component description A173 (FEM).
Modules that fail on this one
- FEM (front electronic module)The F30-generation body module — it took over the footwell module, the Car Access System, the junction box and the central gateway in one unit.
Work this generation comes in for
- Diagnostics & Electrical TroubleshootingComplex, intermittent and non-standard faults in electronic systems and the digital data buses (CAN, LIN, FlexRay, MOST), and in the wiring itself: parasitic drains, water damage, chewed or brittle harnesses.
- ECU Programming & CodingProgramming, resetting, pairing and recoding control units of any complexity: powertrain, transmission, comfort modules, body electronics and multimedia.
- Control Unit Replacement & AdaptationFull-cycle adaptation and synchronization of both new and used control units, component protection removal, and configuration to the specific car.
- Retrofits & Feature ActivationRetrofitting genuine options and factory equipment, and activating hidden features, navigation and multimedia systems.
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