Your specialist subject: The life and times of the BMW CIC unit in E89s
- Thread starter B21
- Start date
Scottish Borders
mkinternet said:
Just crated both boxes to this chap…
Novacartech - sound systems and satellite navigation North London
Novacartech are based in North London and offer professional repairs for sound systems and satellite navigation in BMW, AUDI, HONDA, LEXUS, TOYOTA, PORSCHE and many more.
www.novacartech.co.uk
I’ll let you know how I get on..
Reviews seem very positive…
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
I have seen somewhere on here that the MR12Volt box, or some of them at least have an idrive controller connection. They also have video out, and connect to the head unit at some point.
I know this won’t be straight forward, but what would prevent a none iDrive car from having the 12volt box installed, linking it to an idrive controller and oem screen?
This is my ideal set up.
So, it’s carplay without idrive essentially.
"Why not just get the android screen which does all of this?"
I am not convinced on the look, and it would be cool to craft a system with OEM parts, to give the original look.
I know this won’t be straight forward, but what would prevent a none iDrive car from having the 12volt box installed, linking it to an idrive controller and oem screen?
This is my ideal set up.
So, it’s carplay without idrive essentially.
"Why not just get the android screen which does all of this?"
I am not convinced on the look, and it would be cool to craft a system with OEM parts, to give the original look.
mkinternet said:B21 said:mkinternet said:
You can pop in and see how it’s doing
Parcel force says it’s on its way….
Did you get it back and is it now working ????
One he couldn’t get to work reliably ….im sending that to my Polish guy soon..
The other he reprogrammed…works but some strange things happen in the cd player bit..track data is corrupted..but play ..
I’d give him 6/10…
Deepseaskateboard
Senior member
B21 said:Deepseaskateboard said:
The main CIC box does all the hard work…the screen is completely dumb as is the controller..
So your wish is not easily granted…
I’m about to publish my foray into Android head units ..
So the mr12volt wouldn't drive the screen by itself?
It’s almost like I want an android unit without the screen I suppose.
Deepseaskateboard said:B21 said:Deepseaskateboard said:
The main CIC box does all the hard work…the screen is completely dumb as is the controller..
So your wish is not easily granted…
I’m about to publish my foray into Android head units ..
So the mr12volt wouldn't drive the screen by itself?
It’s almost like I want an android unit without the screen I suppose.
AFAIK it’s either MMI with CIC or an Android head unit with CarPlay built in..
B21 said:AnubisZed wrote: ↑
B21 wrote: ↑
john-e89 wrote: ↑
Can you not get a 2nd hand 677 unit…?
Not many 677s were ever fitted to E89s..so you need a written off E89 with a 677..most breakers in my recent bitter experience haven't a clue about the car and its sub systems..it also has to be DAB'd which I guess most 677 are..and even then cause the VIN is encoded i 4 places on the CIC that still needs to be coded to your VIN to allow maps to be used..so the simple answer is no!
?? What? :?
609 - CIC
676 - Business sound system, speaker output to amplifier.
677 - Professional sound system with MOST fibre optic sound output.
The headunits are all the same. To change the system from 676 to 677 you simply remove 676 from the VO, and code the car accordingly. You then code 677 to the VO and code accordingly. Once this new code is then written to the CIC unit it then knows not to amplify the sound and, in so doing so, not to output via the wires but to instead to feed out via the fibre optic. It's a standard coding process that takes no more than about 10 minutes at most.
So, in short, it makes no difference where the headunit came from, as long as it has DAB, it'll code just the same.
That’s the theory…did exactly that..when I tried to do so this weekend it said it had done it..but no audio..no cigar..
Maybe the Mr 12 Volt MMI or ID4Motion got in the way…even if had it still wouldn’t sat nav..we covered that earlier..
B21 said:That’s the theory…did exactly that..when I tried to do so this weekend it said it had done it..but no audio..no cigar..
Maybe the Mr 12 Volt MMI or ID4Motion got in the way…even if had it still wouldn’t sat nav..we covered that earlier..
Well you dont need to touch the vehicle order since #677 will already be in your VO cas/frm. Did you change anything there? Did you default code SG_CODIEREN the CIC? I know this wont get nav working etc but it's a start.
Everything you need to really know is in this thread. But since it's not a full retrofit you don't need to do all of it.
My CIC Combox 6FL retrofit log (and DIY focused on coding)
My CIC Combox 6FL retrofit log (and DIY focused on coding)
www.e90post.com
I used a chap in Barnet..he was only half ok…my box that had problems he couldn’t fix..the replacement unit he coded but some things are a bit whacky..
But with an ID4Motion cluster and a MMI Mr 12 Voly box both sitting on the can bus I’m not sure what / who are causing the issues..
I’ll experiment further on that this winter..
Thnx for the link..very interesting
But with an ID4Motion cluster and a MMI Mr 12 Voly box both sitting on the can bus I’m not sure what / who are causing the issues..
I’ll experiment further on that this winter..
Thnx for the link..very interesting
I think these days expecting a link still to be valid two years on is optimistic…
OMG, you are too fast with your answers! 
Did place an update a second before.
=>
@B21
Do you know in between, what these guys "repair" in the CIC units? Is it a powersupply topic or aging semiconductors?
I do have an obviously broken CIC next to Munic, that doesn't boot up completely, but shuts off after displaying the BMW logo.
Did place an update a second before.
=>
@B21
Do you know in between, what these guys "repair" in the CIC units? Is it a powersupply topic or aging semiconductors?
I do have an obviously broken CIC next to Munic, that doesn't boot up completely, but shuts off after displaying the BMW logo.
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They did a board level repair and did a cack handed update to the FSC …so it worked but wasn’t perfect…I sent the other unit to Poland and they did a complete job…OMG, you are too fast with your answers!
Did place an update a second before.
=>
@B21
Do you know in between, what these guys "repair" in the CIC units? Is it a powersupply topic or aging semiconductors?
I do have an obviously broken CIC next to Munic, that doesn't boot up completely, but shuts off after displaying the BMW logo.
Again guys, sorry for being late to the show, but what’s on the CiC that you need for the car? Couldent you just pull the whole system and chuck an Andy in there? I know the cic on mine has reminders for services and shows the items that don’t work, but aside from that?
Edit, as my screen is completely cooked (as my kids would say) I just bought a replacement lcd from Ali, apperently it’s pull and replace. (Just the lcd) I know it doesn’t hold a candle to the 10 inch screens that are going around, but nice to have options.
Edit, as my screen is completely cooked (as my kids would say) I just bought a replacement lcd from Ali, apperently it’s pull and replace. (Just the lcd) I know it doesn’t hold a candle to the 10 inch screens that are going around, but nice to have options.
So yes you can use an android unit and if you choose the right version it will plug and play into the existing cic drive and just replace the screen retaining all the cic related functions..
Or you can bin the whole cic ..but in that case you lose all the useful can bus related info error messages , engine / service /oil status etc..
Some folks..me..prefer the pop up screen and quaint e89 distinctions..the android screens imho just look like any other cheap / ergo tacky alternative..but that’s a personal view..in addition if you’re looking for the most practical user interface then car play eclipses any android stock interface..
If you are using car play the screen size and pixel count is largely irrelevant
I tried the 10 and 12 “ screens and walked away..interestingly the guy who bought my top of the range android subsequently refitted a cic screen..
Spare ones are easy enough to get
Interesting, I bought both options, I went for a new cic pop up screen and have the Linux 10 inch inbound.. I recon the 10 inch might be a bit intrusive (my wife recons the same 
)
But atm my pop up screen has had the bananas..
actually wait, that looks way to good.. in reality it looks nothing like that..
Pretty bad..
)But atm my pop up screen has had the bananas..
actually wait, that looks way to good.. in reality it looks nothing like that..
Pretty bad..