Bluemusic adapter keeps cutting off - brainstorm ideas with me please

D

detch

Member
So,

I ordered the Bluemusic adapter - installed, works fine.
https://www.musikimauto.de/BlueMusic-Bluetooth-Audio-BMW-Flatpin-Plug

But I noticed, sometimes my phone just disconnects. Or the unit switches to Radio like the "CD changer" just got disconnected.

Now the funny thing is - the guys from the bluemusic sent me the new unit without any questions - nice. And it was working great... for like a month. Now - it's exactly the same like the first one.
I THINK it's related to the vibrations? I'm on coilovers and the ride can be rather harsh. And also I don't have the muffler so the exhaust is kind of resonating.


So I wonder - is it poor unit's built quality? Maybe due to heat something broke, unsolthered?
Or maybe it's something on my side? I will try to fiddle with the cables but honestly I don't think it will help - the conenctors are using this locking mechanism, so on it's own it most probably didn't get loose or something.

Any ideas? Hints? What I can check?
 
I put one of these in my Mrs X3.
It does the same thing. Disconnects and sometimes doenst doesnt find it when you first get in the car.
Just cheap cr@p I guess
 
Get the BT adaptor that goes in the boot. Circa £25 off EBay.

Install is less than 5 minutes. Everything works a treat :thumbsup:
 
jock156 said:
Get the BT adaptor that goes in the boot. Circa £25 off EBay.

Install is less than 5 minutes. Everything works a treat :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Yea already ahead of you
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2065724#p2065724
I had this version, yet I have no loom for the CD changer. :(

Maybe there is some retrofit connector for this?
 
Hmm, Interesting that a 2003 Z4 is missing some extra wires. Which radio unit do you have? Do you also have an amplifier in the battery compartment?

I found the unit quite reliable after 2 years, i did however wrap it up in some bubble wrap in-case i experienced leaks in the boot. Maybe that also helped with the vibrations as my zed's ride is quite harsh as well
 
I have the one that goes behind the radio, didn't cut once... It doesn't work if the engine is off, does the same thing. When the engine is on, no problems which is the most important thing for me :) It was just plug and play, just cd jack into bluemusic adapter, adapter in the stock radio and that was it.
PS the car is completely stock, stock business cd radio.
 
I bought the THIRD dongle. Third time's the charm, right?
And I have the same problem :)

- there is no rocket science in the installation procedure. Especially because everything is being locked in place. So a loose connector shouldn't be the issue.

- I noticed there are three "types" of disconnection:
1. A small quick hiccup. I hear "beep" and then a second one and the music continues uninterrupted.
2. A full disconnection. "Beep" and my phone is just disconnected. I need to go into bluetooth and manually pick the device and start playback again.
3. Total CD changer discconnet. Now this one is interesting - sometimes the music disconnects so hard, the radio jumps to FM. Sometimes when I click "mode" the CD changer needs a moment to jump back to the list.

- I have a strong suspicion it's not the dongle - it's the car. I have two leads:
1. It's the radio - it feels like sometimes the radio cuts the power to the "CD Changer". Because the vibrations on cables should easily disconnect the device... but not connect again. Maybe there is like a lose solther or something.
2. It's the key. It's a random reddit comment, I read somewhere that a non-OEM key causes some kind of interference. Which is a wild idea. But I have two non-OEM keys sooo...
 
detch said:
jock156 said:
Get the BT adaptor that goes in the boot. Circa £25 off EBay.

Install is less than 5 minutes. Everything works a treat :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Yea already ahead of you
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2065724#p2065724
I had this version, yet I have no loom for the CD changer. :(

Maybe there is some retrofit connector for this?
Click to expand...

Just coming back to this - I have never, ever seen that in a UK spec car. The CD changer cable is taped down and I have had to fish them out on two my my Zeds from there.
 
Yeah, I was also surprised.
But as you can see in that thread - I got to the cables from two sides - and no luck.
Also mine is Italian and in VIN decoder I don't have CD changer preparation (or however it's called) checked.

EDIT:
does this mean that if you have the plugs in the trunk - your plug in the radio looks like this?
61zDV8rA0ZS._AC_UF894,1000_QL80_.jpg


Meaning, you have the white connector?
Because mine is 100% empty.
(I take left is for AUX, right for CD changer)
 
Ah yes, I did mention UK spec as that was one of the items standard for the UK. Italian like other European countries don’t have this standard.

The plug at the radio end is then fully wired, especially if you have aux as well.
 
So this definitely closes the discussion on my missing cables ;)

But still though.
Do you think I should check a different radio maybe?
 
I have a very similar problem in the car I use for work (Passat B5.5)

I have an Alexa Auto for the music and my old Samsung S9 in a dock for goole maps. The phone and Alexa connect using Bluetooth.

Pretty much every journey over 30 mins the phone will get upset at least once and I'll lose google maps and the music. There is always a bump in the road as the cause, it's not a small bump or a big bump, just a bump of some sort.

I just think it's the phone saying 'IF I GET JARRED ONE MORE TIME!'

To be fair it is getting old now :D

However with all that said it could be a double earth fault. Alexa is grounded at the power and then grounded at the radio through the AUX cable. Maybe that's enough to upset the phone even though it's only connected to the cigarette lighter?

You could try another radio but maybe that's going to be difficult or expensive as you're in Italy?
 
You could try another radio but maybe that's going to be difficult or expensive as you're in Italy?
Click to expand...
The car is Italian, I'm from Poland :P
But the plot thickens as the trunk lid is probably from UK donor and still has a card from BMW Portsmouth.

However with all that said it could be a double earth fault. Alexa is grounded at the power and then grounded at the radio through the AUX cable. Maybe that's enough to upset the phone even though it's only connected to the cigarette lighter?
Click to expand...
Nah, my phone is disconnecting when it's not connected to anything.
My friends also tested it on their phones (both iPhone and Android) - same problems.

However you inspired me with the grounding issue.
I have no clue how to test it, but maybe my radio is broken somehow.
 
IJ0m1Mv8KYAxIPOLk37A=w945-h1260-s-no-gm?authuser=0.jpg

So there has been a development.
I got another radio and it behaves exactly the same.

So if it's not radio.
It's not the dongle.
The battery is 12V and 14.4 when alternator is working.

Then what is it?!
 
Check the negative on the battery. Make sure its tight and no movement. You could clean the post on the battery and clean the inside of the negative cable to ensure a good connection if it's tight.

If that makes no difference then check all the positives in the battery compartment and not just the direct battery connection. Engine and cabin are fed by 2 different positive cables.

When the battery is disconnected and then reconnected the radio defaults to radio station and on.
 
pvr said:
The quadblock itself?
Click to expand...

I was pulling each cable and neither uncliped.
However after 22 years god knows what happened.
How can I diagnose? Somehow with a multimeter?

Usel said:
Check the negative on the battery. Make sure its tight and no movement. You could clean the post on the battery and clean the inside of the negative cable to ensure a good connection if it's tight.

If that makes no difference then check all the positives in the battery compartment and not just the direct battery connection. Engine and cabin are fed by 2 different positive cables.

When the battery is disconnected and then reconnected the radio defaults to radio station and on.
Click to expand...

I will triple check whatever is going on with my battery :)
 
The quadblock has sub blocks in them, one for Aux for example. Specifically check that one to see if it sits flush and none of the cables in that block is not perfectly seated. You can push that sub block out and check it outside of the quad block to see if the pins are all the way in.
 
Nah I don't think it's the white sub-plug. I already fiddled with it.
I also pulled all the cables on both ends (the main car ones and the dongle) and nothing seems loose.

I am however curious about the topic of i-bus.
I read some topics about the Bluebus and the main developer (?) was often referring to i-bus interference and such.

And honestly I'd suspect some loose ground cable or something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom