OnlineTool BMW equipment and control unit work uses two sets of data: FA and SVT. They describe different aspects of the same vehicle. Choosing files requires understanding both their purpose and the vehicle state they describe.
What FA and SVT contain
FA — Fahrzeug-Auftrag — contains the vehicle order and equipment configuration. It describes the vehicle variant and intended equipment. E-Sys uses it when preparing vehicle work.
SVT — System Variant Table — describes the control units and their software. It contains the unit configuration and software component versions.
Equipment data can show whether a particular option belongs to the configuration. The unit table describes the units and software components associated with the selected state. Compare these data when preparing work.
The VIN, the vehicle identification number, is used to request factory FA. The Factory FA service provides FA only; SVT is not included. Obtain suitable SVT separately when the job requires both files.
Factory and latest known states
Vehicle records can describe different states. Understanding these descriptions helps choose input data for a job; they are not two options offered by the Factory FA service.
Factory describes the vehicle at production. It helps identify the original equipment and unit configuration. If the car changed later, these files describe its earlier state.
Latest known means the most recent records available in a particular source. Such records may describe a later vehicle state, but do not necessarily reflect everything currently installed. Factory FA supplies the original configuration, rather than this later state.
A unit replacement or equipment change may have occurred after the records were saved. If the source does not include that change, the files will not show it. “Latest known” does not establish the actual current state.
To identify the units and software installed now, read the vehicle itself and compare the result with its repair history. This is a separate check.
Example: obtaining factory FA and checking its relevance
After a repair, you need the vehicle's original configuration to compare it with the installed equipment.
1. Request the original configuration
Provide the complete 17-character VIN for Factory FA through the Telegram bot. Follow the bot's order instructions and check the VIN. This example needs the configuration in which the vehicle was built.
If the job needs the current configuration, read it from the vehicle and account for later changes. Do not treat the factory file as a current vehicle read.
2. Save FA and obtain SVT separately if needed
Save the received FA and record its VIN and factory origin. The result does not contain SVT. When preparing a job that needs unit data, read and save suitable SVT from the vehicle separately.
3. Compare the files with the vehicle
Compare the received FA with the installed equipment and diagnostic reads. Here, factory FA identifies the original configuration. Account separately for later changes.
Before using the files for coding or programming, establish whether they suit the planned job. The factory state is not always the state required after a repair.
Using the data afterwards
Use the appropriate FA and separately obtained unit data to prepare work in E-Sys. Check their suitability for the installed units and the selected procedure.
If FA and SVT are needed to prepare signed NCD, submit both after checking that they describe the required configuration and unit state. Obtaining Factory FA does not include SVT, NCD preparation or writing data to the vehicle.
The key is to understand what the files describe. Factory data show the original state; latest known data show the later records available from the source. Check the actual current state on the vehicle.
Obtain factory FA by VIN
Provide the complete VIN for the original vehicle configuration. Factory FA contains FA only, without SVT. Read suitable SVT separately when the job requires it.
Orders are handled through the Telegram bot. Open the bot from the service page, check the selected service and follow its input instructions. Keep the result for the original procedure.