[ezmaass]

I haven't tried clicking this yet on the iDrive - I'm assuming, like a smart phone, it'll go off and check for new iDrive software. Has anyone done this and performed updates over the air? If so, what was your experience?

[raleedy]

That's not quite how it works in my experience. There is no over-the-air update like Tesla's. You can look for audio system updates using this link, and entering your VIN: http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/nav...gion=&country=

If you find a likely update, you can download it from the website, copy it to a USB flash drive (FAT or FAT32 format), and insert the flash drive in your car's USB port (the only such port in NBT-equipped cars is in the center armrest; earlier cars also have on in the glove box, which I am told is the one to use for this purpose in the older-technology cars).

When you select "Software Update" in iDrive, the car will check the USB drive and, if it finds an update for the car's system, it will load it. (In my car the system can ignore files that it doesn't need or can't use.) The ignition has to be on for this all to happen. It's a low-risk operation in that the Software Update menu gives you the option to go back to the earlier version if something goes wrong or even if you just want to.

You will have noticed that this is a very limited sort of software update. Another DIY update you might want is a new version of the Nav maps. I just finished updating mine from 2013 to 2014. (I wouldn't ordinarily do it after only a year, but there were some problems with the 2013 map database that I was hoping would have been corrected.) These updates are slightly more complicated, mostly because of the large size of the map database. Files are downloaded (you can find sources on the usual forums), extracted and copied to a USB flash drive (it has to be at least 64 GB as the files come to more than 32 GB). You have to buy an authorization code (also known as an "FSC") from a dealer or from a third party. When you put that flash drive in the car and fire up the nav system, it gives you the option to update the maps. That takes a little less than an hour. At some point before or during or after the process the system will ask you for the FSC, which you will enter using the iDrive controller.

I'm not aware of any other updates that owners can do on their own (leaving aside coding). The car's more fundamental systems get updates from the dealer.

[SonicEndeavor]

Originally Posted by ezmaass

I haven't tried clicking this yet on the iDrive - I'm assuming, like a smart phone, it'll go off and check for new iDrive software. Has anyone done this and performed updates over the air? If so, what was your experience?

You have to download the update from the BMW website and put it on a flash drive in the root directory (don't put it in a folder) then put the flash drive in the USB port in the center console, then select software updates from the iDrive menu. IDrive will find and install the update.

[ezmaass]

Thanks for the guidance. It's a bit silly BMW just didn't allow this to be OTA - even if they wanted to require you to use your phone and bluetooth to avoid data usage issues on their own transceivers.... seems like that would have been pretty simple. But then again, 32+ GB would be an expensive cell bill, too... at least since the darn phone companies have killed our unlimited plans of yesteryear!

[SonicEndeavor]

The latest update is 32MB, not 32GB.

[ezmaass]

Originally Posted by SonicEndeavor

The latest update is 32MB, not 32GB.

I would expect the SW update to be pretty small, I guess - but the map data, if doing a map update, is probably really large (raleedy's reference to a 32GB+ map update - hence USB)?

I remember back to my e46 navigation system - it used CD-ROMs for the map data. There were actually SIX discs that covered the US. HAHA! "Sorry hunny... need to pull over before we enter VA so I can swap discs!" I never traveled that far with it (stayed in the North East) but I could imagine that being a real pain.

If the SW updates are really that small, though (tens of MBs, let's say), then it really makes me wonder why they just didn't allow OTA updates using your cell. Has anyone tried to just download the update on their phone, set the phone to "media" mode (to mimic a USB drive), and plugged the phone into the USB plug? I wonder if that would work just the same. It kind of annoys me that in 2014 I need to actually use a USB drive to transfer files from my computer to a car that's already sufficiently Internet-enabled.

[raleedy]

Originally Posted by SonicEndeavor

The latest update is 32MB, not 32GB.

I don't know about any 32 MB or 32 GB updates. The current North American map update is >35 GB. (I just did it -- it requires a 64 GB USB drive.)

[Piers]

35GB ??? seems like a lot!!

[SonicEndeavor]

An update was just released a few days ago for July 2012 - October 2013 production dates. Its actually 35MB.

[raleedy]

Originally Posted by Piers

35GB ??? seems like a lot!!

Big continent.

[raleedy]

Originally Posted by SonicEndeavor

An update was just released a few days ago for July 2012 - October 2013 production dates. Its actually 35MB.

For my car, at least (Build 11/2012) the latest update is UPD05011, released in April 2013, at 29.9 MB. These are, however, software updates for the audio system (communications and entertainment), not map updates for the satnav. These software updates can be found using this webpage:

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/nav...gion=&country=

[SonicEndeavor]

UPD05014 is the latest, bringing support for larger USB drives and better bluetooth and iPod integration. I installed it last week. I have no idea why some cars within the production date range aren't eligible.

[spadae22]

The Bluetooth update is appox 32MB, the Nav Map update is +32GB.

[raleedy]

Originally Posted by SonicEndeavor

UPD05014 is the latest, bringing support for larger USB drives and better bluetooth and iPod integration. I installed it last week. I have no idea why some cars within the production date range aren't eligible.

It looks to me as if maybe 14 doesn't change anything for a US car that already has 11 installed, but how does the website know the update status of a particular car?

[SonicEndeavor]

There are differences as stated in the update documentation, plus no doubt some undocumented bug fixes discovered since 5011 was released (as well as apparently introducing a new e-mail bug).
The update site doesn't know the current level of your car, it just lets you pick the latest update then the update function in the car determines what version on the flash drive (each update contains several versions) is applicable for your car. These updates replace an entire module rather than updating a module, so it doesn't matter what your current version is.

[raleedy]

So here's how it looks to me: Each update file (with the .bin suffix) has several software updates in it. UPD05014.bin, for example, has four different updates; the documentation that explains the changes for each shows different but overlapping areas of change. Which of these gets installed in your car's system depends on which current version code is stored your the car. (See the note at the end of each section of explanation.) My car's current version is not listed among the four sets of MN- and TN- codes shown on the first page of the UPD05014 documentation, which I assume is why the BMW website isn't offering UPD05014 to me.

[SonicEndeavor]

Yep. Except the first page lists only the new versions available, not the current versions.
As an example, upd05014 upgraded me from 2.17.7 to 2.18.2, the former not being listed in the PDF.

[grahammcm1888]

Does anyone have a copy of the UPD05014.bin file?

The BMW website is broken at the moment and I am unable to download the file even with my VIN number.

[ManiacGT]

It's just an update for mobile phone compatibility etc

[grahammcm1888]

Yeah I know but I cant get access to the file.

[SonicEndeavor]

Here it is. Let me know when you've downloaded it and I'll delete the file.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...7/UPD05014.bin

[grahammcm1888]

Got it SonicEndeavor, Thank you!