General and sat nav questions

J

Jnoun

New member
Hello,

I'm looking for a 35i or 35is at the moment :) . I read through some forums and pickup some interesting issues like: the 19 inches alloy crackling :x , HPFP issues and so on. I went to some BMW garages and I get different answers about the same subjects :headbang: . So, I still have some few questions about the car if someone can share some light, it would be greatly appreciated.


General:
How do you check easily the current software version of the car ?
What is the last software version ?
Can you confirm me that BMW provide an emergency tyre kit with the car ?


About Sat nav :
How do you check the software version of the sat nav ?
How do you check the software version of the map of the sat nav ?
What is the last software version of the maps for the sat nav ?
What is the last software version of the sat nav ?
How the maps are updated ?
By reading between the lines it sounds like the BMW assist is recommended if you want to have the info traffic calculation for your trip. This is based on the definition of the BMW assist find on the BMW website FAQ. So, does the BMW assist is required to get the full potential of the sat nav ?

From BMW FAQ:

"Many of the BMW Online and BMW Assist services from BMW ConnectedDrive, such as the telephone information service, Extended Emergency Call, Google Send-to-Car (Google Maps), BMW TeleServices or the BMW Routes function, are available free to customers in the German market for three years or six months, depending on vehicle specification." ...
 
Hi and welcome to the forum :thumbsup:
Sorry but i can only help with one question - Bmw wont supply a emergency tyre kit as the car will be fitted with runflat tyre's as standard ,
unless its a second hand car and a previous owner has changed to normal tyre's
Hope this helps :)
 
How do you check the software version of the sat nav ?
How do you check the software version of the map of the sat nav ?

this info available by a right push of Idrive controller when in navigation , cant remember nav version but maps should be 2013

How the maps are updated ?

By the dealer , sort of expensive at £200 approx , there are unoffical ways to do it (Ebay etc) but if it goes wrong you wont get any support from BMW/dealers
 
BMW routes is a service to allow planning of routes from your laptop etc which you can then 'send' to the car. BMW assist is recovery, there's an online portal too and info plus a concierge service. You don't need any of these things to use iDrive/Sat Nav which work alone. The very latest cars have RTTI which is BMW assist based but that's only on new 2013+ cars and even then its just a fancy version of the data you get via RDS already.

As for software versions in the car, you can't check this, if you're getting the car from a proper dealer, ask them to ensure the car is fully up to date. Car software and Nav map software are quite different and you can check the Map software version by going into the Nav part of iDrive and I think clicking Option or pressing right.
 
Here's some link that might help.

Owner manual

http://www.irvinebmw.com/usr/theme/image/owners_manuals/2011/z4/2011_Z4series_ownersmanual_withidrive.pdf

Software update site (need vehical VIN number) you can download update from here and install yourself, however there are options to do this on iDrive via internal sim if data subscription is active.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/navigation/bluetooth/bluetooth_software_update_vin.jsp?region=&country=

Map updates are normally done a the dealer. You'l need a set of DVDs and an activation code to do it. The code is specfic to your VIN number. Both the DVD downloads and the codes are available on the internert that latter for a small fee.

If you are buying approved used insist the dealer updates everything before you buy and get it in writting.

Re traffic information, as far as I know this requires a data connection on the internal sim in the car, without the BMW assist aubscription no data package and no traffic data. edit: didn't realise until I saw Maniac's post that RTTI (Reals time traff info) was 2013 cars only.....
 
Sketchley said:
Here's some link that might help.

Owner manual

http://www.irvinebmw.com/usr/theme/image/owners_manuals/2011/z4/2011_Z4series_ownersmanual_withidrive.pdf

Software update site (need vehical VIN number) you can download update from here and install yourself, however there are options to do this on iDrive via internal sim if data subscription is active.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/navigation/bluetooth/bluetooth_software_update_vin.jsp?region=&country=

Map updates are normally done a the dealer. You'l need a set of DVDs and an activation code to do it. The code is specfic to your VIN number. Both the DVD downloads and the codes are available on the internert that latter for a small fee.

If you are buying approved used insist the dealer updates everything before you buy and get it in writting.

Re traffic information, as far as I know this requires a data connection on the internal sim in the car, without the BMW assist aubscription no data package and no traffic data. edit: didn't realise until I saw Maniac's post that RTTI (Reals time traff info) was 2013 cars only.....
Click to expand...

Prior cars use RDS. This is why it takes a few minutes sometimes for traffic issues to show up on the Map. RTTI uses as you say the sim in the car to send the road map data and is much more detailed and quicker. AFAIK RTTI was only available late 2012 or early 2013.

As for software update that you mention, that's only to update drivers for phones/bluetooth or iPod changes etc. It doesn't update the cars software, only a dealer can do this as it requires a direct connection to Mr Bavaria.
 
That makes sense.

With my recently expliots with the pro speaker upgrade I found out that all devices in the car can be updated with software / firmware and options are given as to what device you wish to upgrade when the dealer plugs in. I found out my car was totally up to date, although I had to go to an indi (Cartronics) to find this out. This means it's entirely possible for the CIC to be up to date but the amp, bluetooth, parking sensro unit to be versions behind, etc etc etc..... The only way to really tell appears to be to plug it in and see......
 
As a slight asside, is it "possible" to install your own software? -----> goes off to look at BMW coders forum......
 
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