[radoval]

First of all hi all.
I find this forum very educative. It is a good source of solutions, if not final then at least showing a direction.

Some might find this post a bit long but I'm sure those stuck with similar system to mine would appreciate it. Sorry for bragging again about Bluetooth in early F10-s but I just want to show you my motives and motivation for finding a resolution.

Very recently I swapped my beloved Honda Accord DTCI 2.2 for approved used BMW 535i, configured with sporty gearbox, some active suspension stuff, traction control and all those bits you need for sporty driving, well kept and with low millage. Car manufactured in June 2010. I did that because I'm no longer commuting. My driving pattern has changed and nowadays I hardly get the engine into the temperature during my daily trips. That would have killed the DPF in Honda in no time, hence the change.

I love the handling of the BMW. The configuration of the car is perfect... apart from one tiny detail - the wretched smartphone integration (missing).

As you can imagine, it is difficult to come across petrol BMW within certain budget with such a nice configuration, so I can't/don't want to JUST swap it into another car. However, the enhanced Bluetooth is quite important to me because I listen to multitude of internet radios, typically unavailable on FM or DAB. During my short daily trips I constantly run a radio app on my iPhone and I only want to get to the car, start it and (conditionally) press a button to continue the streaming to the car stereo. In age of BT 4.0 (and 5.0 coming soon) fiddling with cables means two steps backwards, out of question for me.

My conspiracy theory for the above is as follow: close to 2010 BMW is coming with brand new car platform (F10. F11, F05) which supposed to be equipped in all singing-and-dancing multimedia module/system (among other nice things of course). Their multimedia developers are staying behind with the design, delivering slowly circuit after circuit or chunks of the software, so early F10-s go with reduced functionality of the head unit/CIC/combox. A business decision is made to sell the new stuff as options (typical) in the new production and also do some retrofits, here however, despite leaving behind USB for software updates, there is big reluctance to do those upgrades by services, as there is no knowledge and training for the service people, available, so the upgrades are very often long, laborious and uncertain - involving often the factory specialists. Another business decision is made - let's move on and don't upgrade pre 09/2010 cars anymore. It is only few tens of thousands of cars involved and some chunk of them already upgraded - not sustainable anymore.

Is this how is been? Is there any BMW insider on the forum to comment ? Or perhaps in 09/2010 there was a substantial hardware change to the computer which makes all the further software upgrades completely incompatible with the older one? Can anyone comment on this - it would help me (and others) to make more informed decision.
I found few relevant excerpts on this forum:
"The USB on the left hand side inside the glove, (of a RHD car) was deleted a year or so after launch - it was only used for software updates, a function which can now be done through the USB in the center armrest."
and then:
"The USB socket in the glovebox is a feature of CIC - it is the service port used for music transfer and map updates. It was removed on cars with NBT."
All that would imply that software upgrade is possible on my car, it is just no one wants to do it? Why?

Anyway...
This is my car spec with respect to the multimedia: Professional Satnav option 609 with armrest USB/AUX option 6FL. My car still has got the separate USB port in the glove box. Also the normal mobile phone BT is working as expected. The phone pairs correctly and all the phone related options do work as expected. That spec implies that all necessary hardware components, needed for more modern software (including the combox), are in place. Software HASN'T GOT the Software Update option though.

So, after checking my car spec, contacting two different dealers, after reading plenty on this forum, after reading through a few american leaked out technical documents, after checking bits and pieces available on ebay, amazon and other places, I can see three routes for myself.

1. Don't bother. Get yourself OEM BT receiver, hook it up to USB/AUX in armrest and bring some remote for an iPhone (like the Satechi Bluetooth Button or similar). Price tag: ~£100. Pros: well not many: just BT streaming, car independent. Cons: makes many marvels of iDrive obsolete, car independent . No really my way of doing things.

2. Do some DIY. Get parts/software, ask for help, code/decode/re-code what is needed until BT streaming works. Force a dealership to upgrade the head unit/CIC/combox or whatever else is there to upgrade. Price tag: ~£200 - £600 (or more if it comes to a dealer being involved). Pros: Bluetooth streaming, all the office, apps (whatever is available), etc. functions are working, possible self-updates, smartphone integration operational (e.g. controlling the iPhone from the steering wheel). Cons: if the upgrade done properly there are non (in my opinion), might come at a BIG price.

3. Rip off the whole system and bring more modern one from car dismantlers. Price tag: ~£700 - £1000 for the dismantled system, plus labor on the replacement (I may do it myself - have sufficient skills). Pros: all singing-and-dancing as required, more stuff working (e.g. WiFi, etc. - whatever comes with the set). Cons: ZERO knowledge of what might be involved apart from physically replacing the components - result highly unknown, hefty price tag.

Has anyone been through this? What was the outcome? Any how-tos?
There is plenty of info of what to do if your car is the one after 09/2010, but very little otherwise. Or perhaps I missed some posts detailing the above?
I'd like to spark some final discussion on this.
I'll try to post all the how-tos, DIY-s etc. I'll manage to find, if you guys help me by providing some info, contacts to people who are capable etc.

IS THIS A VIABLE PROJECT AT ALL??? or should I stop now
I'm in Essex, UK.

Kind regards to all

[Fox530]

There is very little difference between the pre and post 09/2010 F10's with Professional Navigation - the hardware change is the introduction of the Combox, which added album art and better bluetooth functionality including audio streaming.

"The USB socket in the glovebox is a feature of CIC - it is the service port used for music transfer and map updates. It was removed on cars with NBT."
All that would imply that software upgrade is possible on my car, it is just no one wants to do it? Why?

This looks like a quote from me - the USB port in the glovebox was not for dealer level software updates, it was for transferring music to the hard drive and updating navigation map data. When the iDrive system was completely redesigned from September 2012, it was removed as the all-new system allows for both of these things to be done through the main USB port.

There is no software update which will enable the functionality you are seeking - it requires hardware - the Combox. You can retrofit the Combox, though - several places offer a Combox retrofit service. With the combox retrofitted, you'll gain your Bluetooth Streaming. You might also want to consider retrofitting the entire next-gen NBT system as it might not cost a huge amount more.

[vorph]

PM me with your vin.

[radoval]

Thanks for your replay, Fox530.

Now I'm getting somewhere

So you are saying that even if I have 6FL sockets header assembled there is no combox in the car? Or perhaps there is a simplified stub of combox to preserve wiring harnesses?

So, in that case if I needed to assemble/replace the combox what are the consequences? How much of the wiring harness needs to be added/exchanged? Is some further coding needed? Would the new combox add the new functionality in plug-n-play fashion? What functionality would unlock (e.g. future software updates option in software)? Are you in a possession of any technical document outlining this process? And most important: where can I buy the conversion kit, if such exist? Is there part number in the BMW domain to order this from them or second-hand part is needed?

I think, I've read somewhere about this retrofit: once done you will loose BMW Assist, yeah? I'm not even sure what the BMW Assist is. Sorry for being lame. I'm new to BMW-s. However, I'd really like to try to do this conversion myself to become familiar with the subject, car and the system.

Regards

[Fox530]

Originally Posted by radoval

Thanks for your replay, Fox530.

Now I'm getting somewhere

So you are saying that even if I have 6FL sockets header assembled there is no combox in the car? Or perhaps there is a simplified stub of combox to preserve wiring harnesses?

There is no combox fitted in your car. Your car is specified exactly as my previous F10 was - Professional Navigation, 6FL in the armrest, but no combox. All pre September 2010 F10's are like this.

It's frustrating especially given that post March 2010 E90's have a Combox, but thats just how it is.

So, in that case if I needed to assemble/replace the combox what are the consequences? How much of the wiring harness needs to be added/exchanged? Is some further coding needed? Would the new combox add the new functionality in plug-n-play fashion?

The Combox can be retrofitted - google 'Combox retrofit' for more information. It will add album art, bluetooth streaming and enhanced bluetooth capabilities (ie multiple handsets).

What functionality would unlock (e.g. future software updates option in software)? Are you in a possession of any technical document outlining this process? And most important: where can I buy the conversion kit, if such exist? Is there part number in the BMW domain to order this from them or second-hand part is needed?

The only firmware you can update over the USB ports in F10's, irrespective of whether they have a Combox or not, is compatibility updates for the bluetooth. It isn't a proper software upgrade and is the only official software updating you can do.

The firmware of the unit itself can officially be updated only by a dealer - it can be done using software and cables at home but it is NOT as straightforward as the sort of regular fiddling many of us might do and is quite complex.

I think, I've read somewhere about this retrofit: once done you will loose BMW Assist, yeah? I'm not even sure what the BMW Assist is. Sorry for being lame.

One of the un-seen changes between no Combox and Combox is how BMW Assist is delivered - pre Combox cars had a telematics unit which connected to BMW Assist, post Combox cars have this handled by the Combox. A Combox retrofit typically involves a combox from another car and therefore the serial numbers don't match the BMW Assist account details and BMW Assist/Online/Connected Drive do not work after you've retrofitted.

Connected Drive/Assist is the BMW subscription product which, on a car of your age, provides you with features like emergency call, Google Maps send to car, limited remote services and BMW Online (News/Weather).

My view is that if your car is out of warranty and you're happy to spend money on a Combox retrofit, which is probably almost £500, then look at the cost of doing a full NBT Retrofit instead. This replaces your iDrive system with the newer and improved NBT iDrive system - it's faster, looks more modern, has more features and will generally feel like more for your money than a Combox retrofit.

[radoval]

Thanks for another very educative reply Fox530. It saved me a lot of guessing.

I did some more browsing along your remarks, found few articles and I think I understand what it all came from (my another conspiracy theory).

Basically it took the BMW longer than it should have to realize that they would not win with smartphones. They stopped trying to "re-sell" the internet through the ConnectedDrive/Online services. Then, and only then they started "giving away" the combox without too much fuss, mostly in order not to p***s most of their customers.

I think, I'll go for the combox retrofit anyway. One of the kind forum-ers contacted me with proposition of making the retrofit for me, within not extensively blown out budget, so hopefully towards the end of the year I'll report what is what (for those interested).

To consider properly the value of BMW Assist/ConnectedDrive/Online, I'd have to see it working somehow. I can't see any active options in the ConnectedDrive menu. It currently has got Online and Services Status. Online states "not enabled or account expired" whilst Status shows "Online" and "Activate TeleServices", which is grayed out. I don't know whether emergency calls are working and I'm not going to check.
The only thing which might still be coming from the Online features is the connectivity with Gracenote database during ripping a CD to the internal HDD. It shortly connects (I think - it displays tiny "gracenote" in the top region of the large screen) and brings the album name and all the track names. BTW do you know what is the size of the internal hdd?
So the value for money of the whole BMW Assist/ConnectedDrive/Online in my car, even when it was working, would have been questionable anyway (at least for me).
If I ever decided to retrofit the entire modern NBT iDrive system, it would not have the Assist/ConnectedDrive/Online working anyway, would it?
Do you think that the gracenote functionality would cease operation after retrofitting the combox? Also the CD ripping: would that stop working as well?

The only firmware you can update over the USB ports in F10's, irrespective of whether they have a Combox or not, is compatibility updates for the bluetooth. It isn't a proper software upgrade and is the only official software updating you can do.

Is this realized by the "Software Update" option existing in post 09/2010 version of iDrive? Would I be able to run those updates myself after the combox retrofit? Are they still being issued by BMW for modern phones/devices?

The firmware of the unit itself can officially be updated only by a dealer - it can be done using software and cables at home but it is NOT as straightforward as the sort of regular fiddling many of us might do and is quite complex.

This is probably the situation when people are talking about car being fully "flashed", and that not working very often for the first time?

Kind regards