Alientech has added KESS3 BENCH support for a new group of locked Bosch MDG1 ECUs used across late-model BMW, Mini and Alpina platforms.
What changed
Announced by Alientech as KESS3 Protocol Release Upgrade 3.44 on 18 August 2026, the update adds BENCH protocols for protected Bosch DDE8 and DME8-generation ECUs. The supported ECU families are MD1CP032, MD1CS001, MG1CS024, MG1CS049 and MG1CS201.
Key detail for workshops: these are locked latest-generation Bosch ECUs, and the new KESS3 protocols allow BENCH-mode work directly through the ECU connector without opening the control unit.
Which ECUs are covered
- Bosch MD1CP032
- Bosch MD1CS001
- Bosch MG1CS024
- Bosch MG1CS049
- Bosch MG1CS201
Which vehicles are covered
The update applies to BMW, Mini and Alpina vehicles from 2021 onward, spanning petrol and diesel models across small cars, sedans, SUVs and M performance platforms.
- BMW 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series GT and 8 Series
- BMW M2, M3 and M4
- BMW X1, X2, X3, X3 M, X4, X4 M, X5, X6 and X7
- Mini Clubman, Cooper, Countryman, Cooper S, Cooper D and Cooper SD variants
- Alpina XD3, XD4, B3, B3 GT, B4 and B4 GT
Why it matters
Locked Bosch MD1 and MG1 ECUs have been one of the more important barriers on late-model European vehicles. BENCH support does not make every job simple, but it does give workshops a cleaner path to read and write these ECUs without opening the case — reducing handling risk and making the workflow more repeatable.
For Tunefiles customers, this expands coverage on late-model BMW and Mini petrol and diesel platforms, including performance applications where a correct ECU file needs to match the exact ECU family, software version and hardware setup.
If you’re working on one of these vehicles and need a file matched to the exact ECU and vehicle configuration, get in touch via tunefiles.com.au.
Source: Alientech, KESS3 Protocol Release — Upgrade 3.44, locked Bosch MDG1 ECUs, 18 August 2026.
