BMW Farb/colour codes: Fast gelöst / nearly solved

Hi / Hallo,

we recently ran into a discussion about colour codes on BMW's huge variety of MAP sensors and ECUs here

now you BMW riders could help me sort this out. Id you have a red, blue or green colour dot on your MAP sensor or ECU: Can you find a mark which fits to the month of make? On rivets, it is normally stamped into one of them. Sometimes it is also a label. FD no.s are 1 letter for year of make followed by 2 for month of make.

Ihr BMW Fahrer, könnte Ihr mir helfen, das Rätsel bis zu Ende zu lösen: Wenn Ihr einen mit blau, rot oder grün markierten Saugrohrdruckfühler oder Steuergerät habt, könnt Ihr dann das Fertigungsdatum herausfinden? Bei Nieten ist die Zahl oft auf denen eingestanzt. Ansonsten könnte man die vielleicht sonst irgendwo auf dem Gehäuse (auch als Aufkleber) finden. Die Zahl ist 3-stellig und besteht aus einer Ziffer fürs Jahr sowie zwei für die Woche der Herstellung.

I'd ürefer answers lik, below are just samples: Ich würde mir Antworten erhoffen wie die Beispiel unten:

Blue ECU/Steuergerät: FD 012
Green MAP sensor/Saugrohrdruckfühler: FD 752

Thanks for your help, danke für die Hilfe!

Hello Volker,

Here you have info about my 2 ECU's.
Both 0 280 001 007
Both have a mark "RT" inside a circle and a "331" mark. Both are marked engraved on the metal.
ECU 1 - original from my Bmw 3.0Si from 5/74 - red mark
ECU 2 - reserve one - Bmw E3 ou E9 - silver mark

My "good" MAP is a Vw MAP after all... 0 280 100 008 - blue mark

Hi Antonio,

that confuses me! First you seem to cupport my thesis that red ECUs start with 132 by having a red marked 331 . Then you have a second one with a silver mark. Silver marks should not exist according to all sources that Norbert and you have shown.

And a blue marked VW MAP sensor was surely not meant to fit a red BMW ECU and not even a blue one.

Hi,
looked at the photos.
The blue marking on the VW ...049 sensor seems to be painted on with enamel.
I mean, its's not reliable at all. Original markings are stickers, as far I know.

There exist 6 different ECUs for the Opel Admiral / Diplomat B / Commodore B (2,
0 280 001 001 (rich) (without CO- potentiometer and air-temp-sensor)
0 280 001 001 (lean) (markings on my former posting)
0 280 001 005
0 280 001 010 (red plate), with air-temp-sensor, without cut-off, 5-wired throttle switch sensor from here on, 1971
0 280 001 022
0 280 001 021 (noticed in Bosch documents, never saw this one)

One more for Commodore A (2,5)
0 280 001 003

Regards
Norbert

Hi Norbert,

having different numbers on the same car is no problem, as you can easily differentiate. But BMW has up to 5 versions, all with same number!

And you are right that colour coding on BMW is via sticker. Here an example of a green one.

Hallo!

It's really confusing.
But the red marked ECU for a 74 car it's correct, yes?

The blue marking on the VW MAP it's not original for sure.
Why this MAP works and makes my Bmw 3.0si fast like hell... I don't know...

I must look for my other MAPs and try to find a red marked one (wich should have been the original one).

Regards
Mota

Do you think the "331l is related with the production date?
Both my ECU's have the same number "331".
The silver mark I have seen on a jaguar MAP on ebay (with Lucas sticker??).

Regards
Mota

Hi Antonio,

the FD numbers have a special coding in D-Jetronic:

1960s:
1st digit is year
following 2 digits is month

1970s:
1st digit is year
2nd digit is 2 for Januar till September or 3 for October till December
3 rd digit is 1 ... 9 for January till September or 0 ... 2 for October till December

331 thus means
3 = 1973
3 = October till December
1 = November

That fits a 1974 car. ECU were produced a little upfront of course. However I am not so sure about MAP sensor FD's. On the eBay link you see a 263 on the rivet. That does not fit in this scheme.

Now regarding the silver sticker: I am only surprised as according to BMW documents there is no silver sticker on their ECUs and MAP sensors.

Hallo,

If this "331" engraved (punched) on the sheet metal is the production date, this means both my ECU's are "red". The silver mark is an alteration or discolouration?!?

About the VW MAP, on the photo we can see the first digits of the Vw part number 022 90... Today i'll check the other digits.
The Car is now almost perfect. Cold starting in the garagem and manouvering quite smoothly and almost with any noticeable CO polution to kill the neighbours... As it was happening before.
On the road, the same extremelly powerfull Car, also with very strong torque from low revs to the high revs. With a precise , fantastic and agressive exhaust noise as on the 3.0csi ou CSL. A surprising "taxi" at all levels.

By the way... I should have a "331" tattoed on my body as well...
Perfect coincidence...

Oh my god,

shame on me: I do have a BMW ECU with a red dot, but never noticed before. It has FD 225, meaning 1972 May.

Hallo / Hi,

now I found the ultimate BMW Service information regarding colour codes / Jetzt habe ich die ultimative Erklärung der Farbcodes bei BMW gefunden:

Fabrication date FD	colour code	Combination ECU - MAP sensor
from start / Serienbeginn	none / farblos	both none / beide farblos
FD128 (8/71)	blue / blau	both blue / beide blau
FD132 (12/71)	red / rot	both red OR ECU red and MAP sensor blue / beide rot ODER Steuergerät rot und SDF blau
FD523 (3/75)	red or green / rot oder grün ???	ECU red / Steuergerät rot
lead reduced MAP sensor / bleireduzierter SDF (0,15g/l) FD532 (12/75)	green unleaded/ grün bleifrei	ECU red and MAP sensor green / Steuergerät rot und SDF grün

Bei auftretendem Ruckeln in oberer Teillast wurde von der Werkstatt auf die rote Kombination umgetauscht. es ist überraschend, dass davon nichts in den Bosch Kundendienstanleitungen steht. Dafür steht dort, dass es ein separates Steuergerät 0 280 001 013 und einen separaten Saugrohrdruckfühler 0 280 100 047 ab 2/72 für die USA gab. Die Verwirrung so vieler Unterschiede bei gleicher Teilenummer ist natürlich groß. Das hätte man mit separaten Teilenummern lösen sollen.

Bitte stellt mir den blauen, den roten und den grünen sowie den US SDF uns das US Steuergerät für meine Referenzmessung zur Verfügung! Ich habe den farblosen SDF und die farblosen, blauen und roten Steuergeräte 0 280 001 007.

In case of problems in upper part-load wokshop would switch to red - red combination. It is surprising that this is not mentioned in Bosch's workshop manual. On the other hand it mentions a separate ECU 0 280 001 013 and MAP sensor 0 280 100 047 for the US after 2/72. Confusion about so many different versions with one single Bosch no. if of course too big. That should have been solved with separate part no.s.

Please let me have the blue, red, green and the US MAP sensor and ECU for measuring a reference! I do already have the 0 280 100 030 colourless MAP sensor plus all versions of 0 280 001 007 ECUs.

Und schon stolpere ich darüber, dass es von FD 523-FD529 und FD530-FD531 noch eine fünfte Variante des Druckfühlers 0 280 100 030 gab. Ich weiß nicht, ob die den roten oder den grünen Farbpunkt bekam. Also:

Wer hat einen 0 280 100 030 SDF und kann auf den Nieten nachsehen, welches Fertigungsdatum eingestanzt ist. Ist es vor FD523 oder nach FD531, brauche ich die Info des Farbpunkts nicht, nur die Referenzen!