My 545 is in for 16.2 upgrade and Bluetooth enablement. BT wasn't showing in the menu, so I figured it was a software issue. I just got off the phone with my SA who said my early 2005 build "has 2004 BT parts" which is a problem. (I assume he means the TCU.) So he opened a PUMA case but he has not had a response on it yet. I expect BMW will tell him to replace the TCU, but if he does will the entire car need to be completely re-programmed or can they just program the TCU? They've been stuffing bits into it since this a.m. and it still has 7 hours to go. I don't like the idea of re-starting the whole process and keeping the car yet another day.

 

My car had a similar problem with the TCU. The car was built in may 04, but the TCU was faulty. The replacement TCU was actually older than the original one they had replaced, but it worked well and bluetooth has been perfect ever since.

It may not be that it was an '04 TCU, but that the original one was simply defective. When they put in the new one, it should work. The TCU may not have to be programmed. I'm not sure it actually gets programmed, or if it is the central idrive unit. Iceman or Rudy or Hormazd would probably know this better.

But I wouldn't worry about the programming, since they'll take care of that when they put in a functional TCU for you.

 

My car is July 04 built, took the car to dealership for programming, they upgrade the software to 16.2, told me that they couldn't active the bluetooth because of BMW assist, it's either one of it, BMW assist or Bluetooth phone feature.

 

Hard to help you guys without location. Assuming US model, your dealer is worthless. The ASSIST BT conflict was resolved in October 04 with CIP 13.2 if you had a post March 04 production car. They had a newer TCU. So your car needs to be coded for BT. Please find another dealership, they are way behind.

 

See my previous post. Other than a manufacturing defect that I don't know about, all post March 04 production TCUs have the extra pin for duplex communication that allows fully functional BT. The ASSIST compatibility was resolved by CIP 13.2.

 

Thanks guys. I'm going to call my SA and see where they are with this. If what you say is correct, I would expect BMW NA to simply close the PUMA and tell them to pound sand since BT should work O.K. when the 16.3 programming is complete.

 

Hormazd is absolutely correct. I was one of the lucky few on the cusp of the production changeover to the new TCU design and ended up having to replace my TCU to enable BT.

The lack of accurate information from some of the dealers is dissapointing.

If your car was built after March 15, 2004, all that is required is a software update and the BT enabled during the update.

 

Thanks again. I talked to my SA and he says BMW NA has yet to respond to the PUMA. I guess it really doesn't matter. The downside is that they are on their third attempt at loading 16.3. The previous two failed. He says this time it is going slower and interprets that that may be a good sign that it will complete. We'll see....

 

It's done. The BMW Field Engineer stopped by and whatever was bugging the local guy got corrected. BT phone paired easily. I haven't driven it enough to know if 16.3 fixed my complaints, but the transmission definitely behaves differently.