BMW M Startup Animation and Logo Coding: STARTUP_EMBLEM

The greeting animation that plays on the iDrive screen at ignition is personalised through a single head unit parameter: STARTUP_EMBLEM. On suitable units the standard visual can be swapped for an M or M Performance emblem. This guide explains unit coverage, the coding steps and the way back to standard. OBDThink is an independent BMW coding and diagnostics app and is not affiliated with BMW AG. What Does the STARTUP_EMBLEM Coding Change? The head unit plays a short welcome visual at every start, and the STARTUP_EMBLEM parameter selects which visual that is. Coding changes this selection: instead of the standard intro, the unit loads one of the M-family variants its software carries. The change concerns the boot screen and nothing beyond it. The cluster side is separate: some cluster software can additionally show an M logo at startup or inside menus; that entry lives on the KOMBI side, and its existence depends on the cluster software. Both changes are purely cosmetic and touch neither driving functions, nor the sound profile, nor the engine software. Feature: emblem selection on the iDrive boot screen Module: head unit, e.g. HU_NBT or HU_NBT2 Parameter: STARTUP_EMBLEM, variants such as M or M Performance Cluster logo: separate entry on the KOMBI side, availability depends on the software Way back: select the standard variant, or restore the backup The list of selectable emblems depends on the unit type and software version. OBDThink reads and lists the available variants; a visual that is not in the list cannot be loaded onto that unit by any coding. Which Head Units Offer the Emblem Variants? The emblem variants sit ready inside the head unit software; coding only chooses between them. Read the coverage list by unit family, because even two cars from the same model year can see different options. The families people ask about most are below. • NBT units in F30 and F10 cars are the richest classic set; the M variant is present on almost every software level. • NBT EVO units with ID5 or ID6 software keep the selection; the entry may simply look a little different in the menu. • Older CIC units carry no coded emblem selection; changing their boot visual needs software modifications outside normal coding. • The cluster logo is a separate entry tied to the KOMBI software; not every cluster supports that visual. • MGU units carrying iDrive 7 manage the boot visual differently; support varies with the software version. • Genuine M models already ship with the M welcome visual, so the coding matters on standard cars. Is the Change Permanent, and Does It Affect Anything Else? The selection is written into the head unit's coding memory, and the same visual plays at every start; ignition cycles or battery care do not disturb it. The footprint is deliberately narrow: the only thing that changes is the welcome visual, and the rest of the car never notices. • The emblem selection is permanent; the unit plays the coded variant at every start. • Sound profile, navigation and phone functions are unaffected by the selection. • Cluster warnings and service messages stay as they are; the visual is a greeting only. • A dealer software update can return the selection to standard; coding it again is enough. • The coding can be read by a workshop; restoring the backup before a sale makes a clean handover. How Do You Code the M Startup Animation with OBDThink? The job is a single selection: the app reads the unit, shows the available emblem list and writes the variant you choose. The boot visual takes over at the next full shutdown and start, so judge the result only after the unit has powered down completely. • 1. Plug the adapter in with the ignition on and wait without starting the engine. • 2. Let the OBDThink scan finish and confirm the head unit type looks right. • 3. Create the coding backup and copy the file somewhere beyond the phone as well. • 4. Open the STARTUP_EMBLEM entry in the feature list and view the available variants. • 5. Choose the M variant, or an M Performance variant where the unit software actually lists one, and start the write. • 6. After the write confirms, switch the ignition off, lock the car and wait briefly. • 7. Wake the car again and verify that your chosen emblem plays at startup. • 8. Save the session report, so the old variant name stays recorded for the way back. IF the standard visual still plays at startup THEN the unit never fully shut down; lock the car and wait a few minutes IF the M variant is missing from the list THEN the unit software does not carry that visual IF no logo shows in the cluster THEN the KOMBI software does not support that entry The fastest verification is a full shutdown cycle: lock the car, wait a few minutes and wake it again. The emblem is redrawn only when the unit rises from full sleep. How Do You Return to the Standard Animation? The way back is selecting the standard variant on the same parameter. With a backup, OBDThink restores the file and the unit returns to the exact state captured when the backup was taken; without one, picking the standard entry from the list does the same job. • Pick the standard variant from the list; the factory visual plays at the next start. • Restoring the backup returns the other unit settings to the state saved at backup time, along with the emblem. • Switch the cluster logo entry back to standard separately on the KOMBI side. • Verify the result after a full shutdown cycle; the visual refreshes only then. • Keep the revert report; it documents the final coding state before a handover or service visit. After the way back, the M emblem no longer appears at startup; the unit plays the standard welcome visual every time, which confirms the parameter has returned to the factory selection. What Problems Come Up With Emblem Coding? The most common disappointment is a variant that is simply not in the list. Emblems ship inside the unit software; if the software does not carry the visual, no coding can create it. The cure is setting expectations by unit family: the NBT family offers a wide choice, older units do not. The second frequent case is a change that does not show immediately: the boot visual is not redrawn until the unit has fully shut down. Locking the car and waiting resolves most reports. Returning to standard after a dealer update is also normal; applying the selection again is enough. Do not pull the adapter or power the unit down during the write; an interrupted write can distort the boot screen temporarily. If that happens, repeating the same write restores the visual. Which Questions Come Up Most Often? Questions concentrate on four topics: the difference from genuine M cars, warranty, survival across updates and the cluster logo. The short answers below rest on the fact that the change is a welcome visual and nothing more. • Does this coding turn the car into an M model? No; only the boot visual changes, while power and equipment stay the same. • Is warranty or the service record affected? The coding is visible; restoring the backup before a sale or service visit is the cleanest route. • Does the emblem survive updates? Not always; an update can return the standard visual, and applying the selection again is enough. • Does the logo also appear in the cluster? That depends on the cluster; if the KOMBI software carries the entry, yes — otherwise only the iDrive side changes. Read your unit's variant list first, take the backup, then choose the emblem; a full shutdown cycle settles the result. If you stop liking it, the standard variant stays in the list and one selection brings it back — which makes emblem coding one of the lowest-risk personalisations available.