Satnav; With or without?

IAmOrion said:
Thunderous One said:
no, the point I’m making is I have the satnav in my coupe
I cannot remove the business cd to put in my iPod Alpine, so I’m stuck with the business CD player and aux input
Had I known this I would have waited for a non satnav coupe as music is more important to me than a flip screen or satnav

But you can...?? Unless you have the 10 speaker setup.... do you??

Just don't connect the screen.

I actually made my self an oddment tray using an old sat nav unit.... I've actually just bought one of these to see it it'll fit straight in or at least be easily modded to fit my Z4 :) -- £25 off eBay

file.png
hey, that’s an excellent option!
Really appreciate the suggestion and looks good
Let me know how you get on as this is the best suggestion thus far for me
I’m desperate to fit my Alpine and then an Edge active sub in the boot
Lol, I’m no boy racer but a 50yr old brought up on dance music of the 80’s 90’s and naughties!
 
Thunderous One said:
]hey, that’s an excellent option!
Really appreciate the suggestion and looks good
Let me know how you get on as this is the best suggestion thus far for me
I’m desperate to fit my Alpine and then an Edge active sub in the boot
Lol, I’m no boy racer but a 50yr old brought up on dance music of the 80’s 90’s and naughties!

Ha, I'm with you there.... well, just over 10 years younger than you :P but still. That being said, I didn't go all out with the stereo stuff, I have a subtle "Active subwoofer" setup behind the driver seat and my Pioneer Double Din.

This is the same as what I've just bought: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143011131925. Might be worth adding it to your watch list if you use eBay just so you can look back at it later and remember the details and bmw part number.

I figured for £25 it was worth a gamble, and it looks very similar in design shape, so fingers crossed it'll adapt quite easily (Even better if it's straight in).

Will report back next weekend probably depending on how quickly the seller posts out the one I purchased.

I got the idea when I saw that item on a BMW I saw in a "UK Crash" video on youtube. The guy driving that car is an absolute dickhead, and deserved his smashed screen, but that's off topic haha. But it's where I spotted the said replacement for my idea...

file.png
 
mmm-five said:
If it’s specifically the sat-nag we’re talking about then I don’t use mine...I use a TomTom stuck to the Piano Black dash at a lower level, so it doesn’t distract whilst driving.

If we’re talking about the pop-up display that’s used for other tings too, then I’d happily have it again...but with a no sat-nav option (which was never an option).

i don't have it .. i use the same solution but with either my tom-tom or iPhone with waze or googlenav running

i have professional multi media in my other BMW and tbf the aftermarket systems are better and dont go out of date ... what i do like about the pronav is the music interface though
 
The sat nav is poor as many have said but I do like the computer display side of it which allows you to view your range, consumption and averages without scrolling through on the stalk mounted control
 
I have one and do not have an issue with it. This would have been a expensive (I presume) addition at the time of purchase so it adds to the 'spec' of the car IMHO. I like the stats it displays also. I have made no effort to update the sat-nav as NZ is a small country with not so many people and roads so do I not feel a need for it. If I need it, I would just use my phone and Google maps.

I would never use having or not having the screen as a reason for not buying a given Z4. For me it is down to the model and mileage - all the rest is secondary for me including colour.
 
I like mine with. Dated as mentioned, but has it's merits.

When looking for mine, I was only looking at cars that met my exact spec... I didn't want the hassle of retrofitting. Looking back I guess I could have been flexible with some of these optional extras as they are easy retrofits. So IMO it's worth taking note of things you really really need, and things you can live without until they're sourced and retrofitted (so long as this isn't too time/resource consuming - like the bucket style seats for example).

Retrofitting afterwards may work in your favour by increasing the number of vehicles you have to 'play' with. If you're very hands on then sat nav can be retrofitted, I've seen someone on this forum do it before.
 
I'm not a big fan of built in sat navs. I got used to my Tom Tom, and move it from car to car. I hate learning how to use new tech (my kids call me a dinosaur! :rofl: ). I specifically looked for a car without a sat nav when I bought my Z4.

I didn't know the satnav display could show other information till I read this thread.
 
My initial "temporary" solution:

IMG_0152.jpeg

Ordered one of these off eBay:

file.png

Arrived the other day and decided to line it up...... almost a perfect fit :roll:

IMG_0159.jpeg

IMG_0158.jpeg

Shouldn't be too hard to adapt this 8)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0152.jpeg
    IMG_0152.jpeg
    232.6 KB · Views: 1,203
  • IMG_0158.jpeg
    IMG_0158.jpeg
    264.3 KB · Views: 1,203
  • IMG_0159.jpeg
    IMG_0159.jpeg
    222.1 KB · Views: 1,203
Is it the case that cars fitted with nav may have other features also added. Is it likely that owners who specced nav may have also ticked the box on other options which may be more likeable. I haven't seen that many so can't really comment. But it does seem clunky. The chunky screen seems at odds with other stuff in the cabin.
 
Trav said:
Is it the case that cars fitted with nav may have other features also added. Is it likely that owners who specced nav may have also ticked the box on other options which may be more likeable. I haven't seen that many so can't really comment. But it does seem clunky. The chunky screen seems at odds with other stuff in the cabin.

15years ago though, I imagine they were considered bloody good and obviously wouldn’t have looked dated back then. There was no Waze or CarPlay or Android auto etc back then :rofl:
 
When i purchased my Z4 it was a requirement to have the sat nav, however technology has moved on and if thats all you want the screen for then dont bother. I in the other have have added reversing camera, kodi firestick and intravee so need the screen. You could update firmware like i have so it looks like waze app!!
 

Attachments

  • 7D2912F6-5714-496E-97FE-61F3F9F7D4C9.jpeg
    7D2912F6-5714-496E-97FE-61F3F9F7D4C9.jpeg
    301.7 KB · Views: 1,158
Anyone seen the AC schnitzer webpage. Scroll through the Z4 car pics at the bottom. It shows a fixed screen on the dash. Might be the same screen just in a fixed housing. Looks different.
 
I dont like any car satnavs, even in my 2 yr old daily i use google maps on my phone. The old clunky flip up screen was a big no when i was looking for my zed.

As it happens my zed does have satnat, its integrated into the bmw "business system" headunit, a larger lcd display shows arrows and distance to the next turn etc. Runs off the dvd drive. A complete and utter pos by modern standards, ive no idea if it works as i cant be bothered to find out. Still, the large display makes using the radio and cd changer easier so not all bad.
Importantly it doesn't spoil the clean lines if the dash.
 
Hi OP, I have the inbuilt sat nav and I do use it. Yes, it is not up to 2018 standard or HD but it keeps my car original without having suction pads and leads dangling everywhere and it sort of works to the nearest 100 yards - just get to within your destination 10 mins early and do a fly by before you rock up. I drive all over the UK in my Zed and my inbuilt sat nav has never let me down. Yes, I have the latest maps and traffic on my phone but I will always use the built in nav as I should not be even touching my phone when I am driving anyway! The Intravee addition is also great since using the wider inbuilt nav screen can provide a larger data field which helps to easily navigate iPod playlists and other car stuff. Good luck :thumbsup:
 
apple play is the way forwards but without it I still use my in car nave because I HATE the clutter of having a phone mount.. plus its too tempting to use it so I lock it in the boot or glovebox
 
Back
Top Bottom