Combox and Bimmercode

[Jasonn]

Good evening all...

OK my journey of trying to get a2dp music streaming continues.

According to some research my car "should" have the combox as it is a 2016 plate (VIN checks suggest that it was built in May 16). I have looked on a few coding sites and according to them it just needs a bit of coding to enable A2DP to work, one company offered to send me a USB stick for around 190 dollars.

Purchased the bimmer app and a nice adapter and all the settings in 3003 worked,... But 3004 doesn't have anything for combox - am I going progressively insane or can I definitely not program A2DP?

 

[R.E92]

I think bimmercode may just be like carly and carista and only able to make module calibration changes (turning off bulb errors and making angel eyes brighter etc.). For something like retrofitting combobox I'd expect you would need to change the vehicle order (VO) and flash some of the modules. The only software capable of doing that would be the genuine BMW standard tools suite or the Bimmergeeks "Pro Tool" android app.

 

[Jasonn]

According to some other sites the 2016 has a combox as it was supposedly standard after around 2014 - but I don't seem to find any info on its location so that I can confirm.

The few tweaks on bimmercode have given ne some more options for Bluetooth but I need to change the settings under the comibox heading which I can't find.

Bimmercode seemed to be a better price than carly and had a few more settings to twiddle

 

[enzed4]

I think bimmercode may just be like carly and carista and only able to make module calibration changes (turning off bulb errors and making angel eyes brighter etc.). For something like retrofitting combobox I'd expect you would need to change the vehicle order (VO) and flash some of the modules. The only software capable of doing that would be the genuine BMW standard tools suite or the Bimmergeeks "Pro Tool" android app.

This aligns with the website I found offering combox retrofits, as well as upgrades to existing comboxes to offer A2DB etc. The 'upgrade' I believe was to change the VO to include the missing option(s) to enable the enhanced BT with A2DB. Wasn't cheap but looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.

 

[Jasonn]

B**ger - guess I've wasted some cash, well I've put the chirps so I can hear when it's locked.

If there's anyone in the woodford/East London area needs that doing, give me a PM (no charge, I'll trust you to stick a couple of quid to a local charity, like ELHAP)

 

[Jasonn]

I think bimmercode may just be like carly and carista and only able to make module calibration changes (turning off bulb errors and making angel eyes brighter etc.). For something like retrofitting combobox I'd expect you would need to change the vehicle order (VO) and flash some of the modules. The only software capable of doing that would be the genuine BMW standard tools suite or the Bimmergeeks "Pro Tool" android app.

This aligns with the website I found offering combox retrofits, as well as upgrades to existing comboxes to offer A2DB etc. The 'upgrade' I believe was to change the VO to include the missing option(s) to enable the enhanced BT with A2DB. Wasn't cheap but looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Do you have that website by any chance?

 

[Anonymous]

I think bimmercode may just be like carly and carista and only able to make module calibration changes (turning off bulb errors and making angel eyes brighter etc.). For something like retrofitting combobox I'd expect you would need to change the vehicle order (VO) and flash some of the modules. The only software capable of doing that would be the genuine BMW standard tools suite or the Bimmergeeks "Pro Tool" android app.

This aligns with the website I found offering combox retrofits, as well as upgrades to existing comboxes to offer A2DB etc. The 'upgrade' I believe was to change the VO to include the missing option(s) to enable the enhanced BT with A2DB. Wasn't cheap but looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Do you have that website by any chance?

This?

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/category-bmw-combox-retrofit

 

[Jasonn]

Thanks for that it looks good, but I put my chassis number in and it says that its "not compatible".

I spend a lot of time in my zed (it's my mobile office - but a bit tricky to hold team meetings). It's the only thing I don"t like about it

 

[Anonymous]

I think you have go the wrong end of the stick according to BimmerTech ...have you tipped your vin into their web site and checked compatibility ?

What existing Bluetooth / usb do you have fitted?

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/blog/item/50-bluetooth-vs-aux-vs-usb-whats-the-best-way-to-stream-audio-to-your-bmw%20

 

[enzed4]

This aligns with the website I found offering combox retrofits, as well as upgrades to existing comboxes to offer A2DB etc. The 'upgrade' I believe was to change the VO to include the missing option(s) to enable the enhanced BT with A2DB. Wasn't cheap but looked like they knew exactly what they were doing.

Do you have that website by any chance?

This?

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/category-bmw-combox-retrofit

That's the one
OP - because you already have a combox, it looks like the A2DB retrofit/coding is relatively straightforward and not too expensive. Not sure why you would have got an incompatible message with your VIN.

 

[Jasonn]

No idea either - tried both my full VIN and the last seven digits both say incompatible - I'm wondering if it is because I'm in the UK and they're based elsewhere.

I've got the Professional head unit with iDrive, so have the BT phone and can get messages (apparently). After a bit of poking with bimmercode, I can now see BT audio but can't select the tick box (nor can I see "comibox" in bimmercode).

I was hoping to be able to post a -'how to' so that I can contribute rather than just leach from the forum

 

[Anonymous]

No idea either - tried both my full VIN and the last seven digits both say incompatible - I'm wondering if it is because I'm in the UK and they're based elsewhere.

I've got the Professional head unit with iDrive, so have the BT phone and can get messages (apparently). After a bit of poking with bimmercode, I can now see BT audio but can't select the tick box (nor can I see "comibox" in bimmercode).

I was hoping to be able to post a -'how to' so that I can contribute rather than just leach from the forum

If you pm the vin number or put the vin number into a vin decoder what does it say In terms of phone/usb/media etc?

Not sure what bimmercode does that Carly doesn’t ie twiddle with cosmetics ..?

 

[R.E92]

No idea either - tried both my full VIN and the last seven digits both say incompatible - I'm wondering if it is because I'm in the UK and they're based elsewhere.

I've got the Professional head unit with iDrive, so have the BT phone and can get messages (apparently). After a bit of poking with bimmercode, I can now see BT audio but can't select the tick box (nor can I see "comibox" in bimmercode).

I was hoping to be able to post a -'how to' so that I can contribute rather than just leach from the forum

Using bimmercode or carly to do any proper programming is pointless. They're gimmic apps for people that just want to code their indicators to be on all the time or make the car beep when it's locked.

You need the proper tools for a DIY.

 

[Jasonn]

The different VIN decoders give me various results - one said that I had cruise control!

I was fairly lucky as the dealer I bought the car from gave me a load of paperwork from the previous owner (including interim oil changes carried out by the main dealer complete with the credit card slips for additional work)!

Basically I have the following:
S654 - DAB radio
S6AK -Connected Drive Services
S6AE - Teleservices
S6AM - Real time traffic
S6NH - Hands free with USB interface
S620 - Voice control
S6AC - Intelligent Emergency Call
S609 - Navigation System - Professional

The reason I went with Bimmercode rather than Carly was that it seemed to be a one off payment and whilst looking at the YouTube stuff found someone referring to the BMW F30 which stated that with a combox, it was only a case of tinkering through Bimmercode to get the A2DP working. Guess I fell for that marketing ploy, although having the chirps when I arm the alarm is nice and handy and I need to get the folding wing mirrors to be my next tinker (I only tinker with one bit at a time so that I can put it back to normal incase I chods it all up).

I'm going to contact a coder near me to see if he can modify the VO, if it works out I'll let you all know

 

[Anonymous]

So with your current set up you can’t for example select tracks on a usb stick get artwork etc?

iPhone doesn’t work as an iPod if you plug it into the usb interface?

 

[Jasonn]

So with your current set up you can’t for example select tracks on a usb stick get artwork etc?

iPhone doesn’t work as an iPod if you plug it into the usb interface?

I can get the artwork through a USB memory stick but I used to use my Samsung S9 through A2DP on the X3 - I couldn't get the artwork, but that's no real biggy as I prefer to look at the road when I'm driving (I sometimes use my indicators to scare the other drivers too).

I used to use Amazon music to stream as it gives me a wider choice of music

 

[Anonymous]

Ahh the yoof of today..myself wedded to the old technologies and I drive so slowly I spend hours looking at the artwork..

If you get it fixed, then a usb connected phone offers the quality but if you're streaming then that's not your priority I suspect and then there is the complex subject of which of the three speakers/amp set ups you have?

 

[Jasonn]

I can get the artwork with the music stored on USB stick. I don't have an ipod - I use android but want to stream music from amazon prime

 

[Jasonn]

I often drive with the roof down, so I've resigned myself to poor sound quality (plus I think my advancing years have affected my hearing)

 

[Jasonn]

Do you have that website by any chance?

This?

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/category-bmw-combox-retrofit

That's the one
OP - because you already have a combox, it looks like the A2DB retrofit/coding is relatively straightforward and not too expensive. Not sure why you would have got an incompatible message with your VIN.

Yay - found a guy in Leyton (only a couple of miles away) who does quite a bit of car programming - half an hour and 70 quid later I've got enhanced A2DP Bluetooth complete with streaming music - it's made the zed even better