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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Specific discussion about the E89 2009 Z4 (sDrive35is, sDrive35i, sDrive30i, sDrive23i)
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kumaramark27
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by kumaramark27 » Sat Dec 19, 2020 3:04 pm

I don't have a combox and have the above Tune2Air bluetooth adapter. This allows me to stream spotify on my iPhone over the stock iDrive, it shows up song info and allows me to use the steering controls too.

AnubisZed
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by AnubisZed » Sun Dec 20, 2020 11:47 am

kumaramark27 wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 3:04 pm I don't have a combox and have the above Tune2Air bluetooth adapter. This allows me to stream spotify on my iPhone over the stock iDrive, it shows up song info and allows me to use the steering controls too.
Yes the Tune2Air is a great add on, I had one with my previous headunit, they work great. But for another another £80 you can add the MMI box to your iDrive and see what you are playing, voice control it, have live sat-nav etc, so much more worth it :D
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather. 8)

My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q

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Deepseaskateboard
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Deepseaskateboard » Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:21 pm

AnubisZed wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 11:47 am
kumaramark27 wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 3:04 pm I don't have a combox and have the above Tune2Air bluetooth adapter. This allows me to stream spotify on my iPhone over the stock iDrive, it shows up song info and allows me to use the steering controls too.
Yes the Tune2Air is a great add on, I had one with my previous headunit, they work great. But for another another £80 you can add the MMI box to your iDrive and see what you are playing, voice control it, have live sat-nav etc, so much more worth it :D
I was watching your YT video the other day on the android unit install.
I noticed in your storage box you had a magnetic mount for a phone?

I have been looking for something like this, instead of mounting to the windscreen glass, but can’t find a mount which will fit into the box!

Which one did you buy, and was it a custom job?

AnubisZed
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by AnubisZed » Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:14 am

Deepseaskateboard wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:21 pm
AnubisZed wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 11:47 am
kumaramark27 wrote: Sat Dec 19, 2020 3:04 pm I don't have a combox and have the above Tune2Air bluetooth adapter. This allows me to stream spotify on my iPhone over the stock iDrive, it shows up song info and allows me to use the steering controls too.
Yes the Tune2Air is a great add on, I had one with my previous headunit, they work great. But for another another £80 you can add the MMI box to your iDrive and see what you are playing, voice control it, have live sat-nav etc, so much more worth it :D
I was watching your YT video the other day on the android unit install.
I noticed in your storage box you had a magnetic mount for a phone?

I have been looking for something like this, instead of mounting to the windscreen glass, but can’t find a mount which will fit into the box!

Which one did you buy, and was it a custom job?
It was one of these... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOBILE-PHONE ... Sw~bFWFrnr

Can't say this is exactly the same one, but it looks the same (I bought it about three and half years ago!) :thumbsup:
I hard wired a 12v to USB converter into the fuse box and then ran a AUX cable under everything back to the AUX socket in the centre console so no wires were visible.
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather. 8)

My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q

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Deepseaskateboard
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Deepseaskateboard » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:59 pm

AnubisZed wrote: Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:14 am
Deepseaskateboard wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:21 pm
AnubisZed wrote: Sun Dec 20, 2020 11:47 am Yes the Tune2Air is a great add on, I had one with my previous headunit, they work great. But for another another £80 you can add the MMI box to your iDrive and see what you are playing, voice control it, have live sat-nav etc, so much more worth it :D
I was watching your YT video the other day on the android unit install.
I noticed in your storage box you had a magnetic mount for a phone?

I have been looking for something like this, instead of mounting to the windscreen glass, but can’t find a mount which will fit into the box!

Which one did you buy, and was it a custom job?
It was one of these... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MOBILE-PHONE ... Sw~bFWFrnr

Can't say this is exactly the same one, but it looks the same (I bought it about three and half years ago!) :thumbsup:
I hard wired a 12v to USB converter into the fuse box and then ran a AUX cable under everything back to the AUX socket in the centre console so no wires were visible.
Great, thanks! :)

Roddy
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Roddy » Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:15 am

Time has come to start my CIC upgrade, thanks to great information provided on this board and Youtube, I think the installation part is doable, my issues now are what to buy and from where.
If it's relevant my car is end of 2014 build, iDrive with "609 Navigation System Professional", "620 Voice Input System" and "6NS Enhanced Telephony With Extended Smartphone (something or other..)".

I use Android and unlikely to use iPhone, maps are up to date 2020, I can already stream audio over BT to the system as it is. Would retain standard mic.
What I would like is a back camera, and ability to make/receive calls using Whatsapp, Viber or similar. Not likely to stream audio actually, as I just filled a USB stick and am using that. Video on USB would be nice though.

What else can I do using these magic boxes?

So, which one is recommended? I have found several online, from my untrained eye they seem to be mostly the same, repackaged and rebranded... I'm in Japan but quite willing to import. I often do for car parts as pricing here can be eyewatering compared to the real world.... :rofl:
Any help much appreciated!

AnubisZed
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Post by AnubisZed » Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:17 am

Roddy wrote: Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:15 am ......
I use Android and unlikely to use iPhone, maps are up to date 2020, I can already stream audio over BT to the system as it is. Would retain standard mic. Using the standard microphone is all included within the kit
What I would like is a back camera, Yes, but to be honest they are too low to be a lot of use
and ability to make/receive calls using Whatsapp, Viber or similar. Whatsapp is available on Android Auto, but I'm not sure as to how much, I'll have a check and get back to you
Not likely to stream audio actually, as I just filled a USB stick and am using that. Video on USB would be nice though. Yes it's available to do that

What else can I do using these magic boxes?

So, which one is recommended? I have found several online, from my untrained eye they seem to be mostly the same, repackaged and rebranded... I'm in Japan but quite willing to import. I often do for car parts as pricing here can be eyewatering compared to the real world.... :rofl:
Any help much appreciated!
OK, some specific answers I've placed above.
So as Part 1 of my MMI Installation video is linked above, I won't link that again, but as I'm typing I'm currently uploading Part 2 which is how to use it and what it can do :thumbsup: I'll link it below just as soon as it's finished uploading.

As for from where, I bought mine from this link... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001063 ... 4c4dGX2Too
One thing to note, all E89's are CIC, so no need to check if you have a 6 pin or 4 pin, you have a 4 pin! And it doesn't matter on year ALL E89's from 2009 right up to the end in 2016 are exactly the same as far as the iDrive system for these MMI boxes :thumbsup: Most of the boxes are exactly the same, some do have different cases on them but they all do the same job, it's really down to how much you want to pay.

MMI Installation Part 2...
[youtube]https://youtu.be/KFjiNxZ3Q7o[/youtube]
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather. 8)

My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q

Roddy
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Roddy » Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:22 pm

AnubisZed wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:17 am
MMI Installation Part 2...
[youtube]https://youtu.be/KFjiNxZ3Q7o[/youtube]
Excellent, I've watched the other videos a couple of times, very helpful.
I mentioned before I think, camera is wife's wish, and who am I to argue.... :oops:

Thanks!!

Roddy
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Roddy » Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:06 am

AnubisZed wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:17 am
MMI Installation Part 2...
[youtube]https://youtu.be/KFjiNxZ3Q7o[/youtube]
How has the performance been since install? I noticed around 25:30 you said there was an issue with the reverse full screen, how is this now?
I found in another place with a unit which "looks" the same, the following. They say it needs a full power cycle to set up full screen, was yours OK finally? This menu is slightly different too.
These boxes seem to be ubiquitous, but either too expensive or suspiciously cheap......
Cam set up.jpg
Cam set up.jpg (80.47 KiB) Viewed 1154 times

AnubisZed
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by AnubisZed » Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:29 am

Roddy wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:06 am
AnubisZed wrote: Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:17 am
MMI Installation Part 2...
[youtube]https://youtu.be/KFjiNxZ3Q7o[/youtube]
How has the performance been since install? I noticed around 25:30 you said there was an issue with the reverse full screen, how is this now?
I found in another place with a unit which "looks" the same, the following. They say it needs a full power cycle to set up full screen, was yours OK finally? This menu is slightly different too.
These boxes seem to be ubiquitous, but either too expensive or suspiciously cheap......

Cam set up.jpg
Morning,
OK so following your post I went out first thing this morning and changed the setting to full screen, then left it and went back inside fro breakfast. It was a little chilly first thing at -3, so going back inside was welcome :D
Yep it works, locking the car and waiting the 10-15 minutes does the trick. When I went back I put it in reverse and got this screen...
20210107_084244.jpg
20210107_084244.jpg (111.03 KiB) Viewed 1133 times
So the first thing you notice is that the image of the car's outline with the PDC indication has been removed, but I believe that this is then covered by the sectioned Red, Yellow and Green lines. Alas I still haven't got around to finishing the installation of my OE PDC so can't currently test this theory.

As for performance, well now there's a question :wink:
On the whole I like mine, but it does have some slightly annoying quirks from time to time. I am going to make a Part 3 video for this installation and it'll basically be my opinion on the box, how well it has performed in the last 6 months I've been using it and what I honestly think. I'll be making this over the next couple of days so will post a link just as soon as it's live.
I was also going to include link to the 2 suppliers I've dealt with with these boxes, but alas they have both stopped responding to questions, so how can I honestly recommend a supplier who doesn't consider customer service, or lack of, an issue (both suppliers knew I was making an How-To video on these, not sponsord)
Dave
2011, 23i, Grey with Red leather. 8)

My E89 YouTube channel - BMW Z4 Mods
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttNBt ... UQnoEvKB2Q

Roddy
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Roddy » Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:03 am

AnubisZed wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:29 am
OK so following your post I went out first thing this morning and changed the setting to full screen, then left it and went back inside fro breakfast. It was a little chilly first thing at -3, so going back inside was welcome :D
Yep it works, locking the car and waiting the 10-15 minutes does the trick. When I went back I put it in reverse and got this screen...
Thanks for trying that, an invaluable service to the forum!!
The image looks OK, and as you said the camera position isn't optimal, but I'm not going to use PDC so it's close to what I want.
I've searched and found a few camera alternatives which will still be positioned low, but maybe the angle could be adjusted.. For example this one clips onto the number plate and at the equivalent of 17 quid wouldn't be a complete disaster if it is replaced. The company I got the other info from quotes $200 for a camera..... :o

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71mR5osUwdL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
71mR5osUwdL._AC_SL1500_.jpg (49.88 KiB) Viewed 1129 times

Yoghurt
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Yoghurt » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:58 pm

Have you a link please Roddy? Did you purchase it?

Thank you

Roddy wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 11:03 am
AnubisZed wrote: Thu Jan 07, 2021 10:29 am
OK so following your post I went out first thing this morning and changed the setting to full screen, then left it and went back inside fro breakfast. It was a little chilly first thing at -3, so going back inside was welcome :D
Yep it works, locking the car and waiting the 10-15 minutes does the trick. When I went back I put it in reverse and got this screen...
Thanks for trying that, an invaluable service to the forum!!
The image looks OK, and as you said the camera position isn't optimal, but I'm not going to use PDC so it's close to what I want.
I've searched and found a few camera alternatives which will still be positioned low, but maybe the angle could be adjusted.. For example this one clips onto the number plate and at the equivalent of 17 quid wouldn't be a complete disaster if it is replaced. The company I got the other info from quotes $200 for a camera..... :o


610r+IcfSLL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

71mR5osUwdL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
E89 3.0i, Deep sea blue, stubby!

Roddy
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Roddy » Sun Jan 10, 2021 12:30 am

Yoghurt wrote: Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:58 pm Have you a link please Roddy? Did you purchase it?
No I haven't bought it, still researching these MMI units, price range is huge.
The link I have is Amazon here in Japan (hence the Yokohama number plate), although I found on ebay but more expensive. You can look for AUTO-VOX brand.
I found many up to 30 pounds here.
ebay
https://www.ebay.com.sg/itm/AUTO-VOX-Ca ... SwgMNf-ZIR

amazon Japan
https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B071W2 ... _lig_dp_it

Yoghurt
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My current project - Retrofit iDrive

Post by Yoghurt » Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:22 pm

Thanks Roddy. Let us know how you get on if you do get the camera. AnubisZed (in his install video) is not convinced as they may be too low and get dirty frequently

I got the MMI box for E89 from ALiexpress for £155 and took about 2 weeks (China to UK). Can recommend it.
E89 3.0i, Deep sea blue, stubby!

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Post by Silverstar » Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:36 pm

Yoghurt wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:22 pm Thanks Roddy. Let us know how you get on if you do get the camera. AnubisZed (in his install video) is not convinced as they may be too low and get dirty frequently

I got the MMI box for E89 from ALiexpress for £155 and took about 2 weeks (China to UK). Can recommend it.
My F20 had a factory fitted reverse camera and it was great, although when it rained it would get dirty pretty quick since it was mounted low on the bumper around about the same as it would be on the Zed. Either way I found it really useful and thought I would hugely miss it when I got the Zed and before I bought the car it was one of the first mods I had planned but when I finally got the car I found the PDC pictogram on the iDrive screen in combination with the beeps more than adequate to give me a good indication of what's behind (or in front) and as such I really don't miss it one bit and hence have not bothered putting it on my Zed.
2009 sdrive30i auto Sapphire Black / Coral Red

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