Hailander

So, I've been having some freezing issues with my iDrive and this is the 3rd time that I've brought it to the shop for the same issue. They've just reinstalled the boot files in the past and upgraded me to a newer progman version. My car is out of warranty now, however the freezing issue happened prior to warranty expiration, so they're covering any potential repairs. Car's been in there since yesterday. Anyways, I get a call from my SA today asking what type of phone I have...Make, model and software version. I'm like why? So I give him my info...I have 2 phones, one for work and one for my personal dealings. The Razr 3 and a Tmobile Shadow. He comes back with, you know the tmobile shadow phone is not certified by BMW and that may be causing your freezing issues. And BMW may void my warranty if I continue to use a non-certified BMW phone. I was so stunned I didn't even know what to say. That sounds to me like the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Has anyone else encountered this?

bruce_miranda

They are trying to get money out of you. So whats the defination of a certified phone - one where a cradle exists? So for almost a year the iphone was not certified but sudden it is? That is nonsense.

kscarrol

There is an official list...

http://www.wireless4bmw.com/phones2.html

southgate

that is BS!!!!!

kscarrol

I agree it's BS but I recall seeing a couple of other folks getting this line of crap from their dealer. In one case I recall, it was a BB Curve and the dealer was saying despite all the other BB's on the list the Curve wasn't and it was therefore responsible for the problems. I don't buy it either, but clearly there are dealers out there who are prepared to use this excuse. And for Hailander, he is trying to get the issue handled out of warranty, so sounds to me like the dealer is looking for a way to get out of the repair even though the issue was apparently documented before the warranty expired.

zimguy

Just call BMW directly - tell them you are interested in buying a 5 series but you have heard that using an incompatible phone will void your warranty - ask them if it will. We all know they will say no - then get them to email that to you and ram it up your SA's butt!

jmsod

I think your SA is mistaken. If you read the list (link): "The list is not a warranty for phone performance or functionality. BMW makes no guarantees or warrantees as to the performance of each phone while connected to your BMW via Bluetooth? Wireless Technology."

The way that I interpret this is.... your phone may not pair or work well with the BMW system and if it does not then you may need to get another phone to avoid future pairing issues. What kind of "warranty" could you possibly void?
My guess: They (dealership) is probably tired of answering questions about bluetooth and pairing issues, so they say complete bs stuff like this.

sixcard

I had a similar issue. My Razr3 contract expired and I bought a Samsung that I liked. It would not pair.

My SA said any non approved phone could do some kind of harm. I looked at the approved list (the kscarrol list) and did not find any phone I wanted. My AT&T person noted that some of the phones on the BMW list were no longer offered by AT&T.

Then phoned BMWUSA and the girl there also said non approved phones should not be used. I mentioned that some on the BMW list were obsolete. She said that they were to publish a new list in four to five weeks. She did not know what phones were on the list. She did say that most of the newer phones should be OK.

I took a chance and swapped the Samsung for a Moto Z9. It paired OK. I now wait to see the new list.

Maybe a lot of this is BS, maybe not. I don?t understand what interest BMW would have in this phone or that phone or why any BMW person would have reason to spread BS.

Neither my SA nor the BMW girl said anything about a warranty concern.

Hailander

Thanks for the replys, I thought it was crap too. I looked over the manual twice and no where does it say that using a non-certified bmw phone would void any such warranty. I don't think I'll be responsible for anything as he just said I shouldn't do this in the future as it may void my warranty. As we speak, the car is still at the dealership getting looked at. They are trying to get BMWNA to cover the cost of replacing some parts rather than just re-installing the boot files which obviously hasn't worked the last 3 times. I think I should hear back tomorrow.

cobradav

BMWs position is stated here in this SIB. It has been enforced on several on my fellow members in this and other boards. After haveing a TCU related matter on my car I too received that phone call foe details on my phone. In my case it was an approved phone and the only phone the car has ever seen.

If anybody wants a clean copy let me know and I'll make a pdf (adobe) version at work next week.

SI B 84 21 07
Communication Systems November 2007
Technical Service

SUBJECT
Diagnosis When an Unapproved Handset is Paired to a Vehicle

MODEL
E46 (3 Series) with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist (SA 639) from 9/04 production (325i/iA from 10/04 production)

E53 (X5) with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist (SA 639) from 10/04 production

E60, E61 (5 Series) from 9/04 production

E63, E64 (6 Series) from 9/04 production

E65, E66 (7 Series) from 3/05 production

E70 (X5) with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist (SA 639)

E83 (X3) with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist (SA 639) from 9/04 production

E85, E86 (Z4) with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist (SA 639) from 10/04 production

E90 E91, E92, E93 (3 Series) with Premium Package (ZPP) or BMW Assist (SA 639) from 3/05 production

SITUATION
The customer paired an unapproved handset to a vehicle and now has a complaint. Please use the information provided in this bulletin as guidance during the diagnosis and warranty process.

COMPATIBLE HANDSET INFORMATION
Visit www.bmwusa.com/bluetooth for a list of handsets that have passed BMW testing for compatibility. Note the following disclaimer on this web site:

* "This list is provided for reference only. The mobile phones listed here have passed compatibility tests as of the date of testing and meet or exceed minimum standards established by BMW. The list is not a warranty for phone performance or functionality. BMW makes no guarantees or warrantees as to the performance of each phone while connected to your BMW via Bluetooth Wireless Technology. Furthermore, software releases by BMW, the phone supplier or the wireless carrier dated after testing might alter compatibly results. While many phones are offered with Bluetooth Wireless Technology, not all phones support the necessary profiles to work with your BMW. BMW does not guarantee availability or functionality with all wireless carriers. Functions such as synchronizing the address book and transferring a call into or out of the vehicle may function differently from phone to phone".

UNAPPROVED PHONES
"Unapproved phones" means that either the handset has not been tested, or has been tested but a problem was revealed.

Due to the length of time that it takes to validate a handset when a handset is initially available for purchase, it may not be on the compatible list, but could be added at a later date.

On some handsets, the initial handset software may have bugs which prevent normal hands-free operation and which prevent the handset from being added to the list. In some instances, the handset manufacturers are working on maintenance releases to correct issues and these may result in the handset being added to the list at a later date.

Here are some common issues seen when pairing unapproved handsets to a vehicle:

* The handset constantly connects and then disconnects from the vehicle.

* The phonebook does not download correctly.

* The phone book never finishes downloading. The radio or Control Display is stuck on the phonebook download screen.

* A phone call cannot be initiated or ended via the vehicle controls.

* The phone call has ended, but the communication menu shows the call time counter still counting and the radio remains muted, even after the ignition is shut off.

No permanent damage will be caused if an unapproved handset is paired to the vehicle, but it could temporarily put the TCU into an inoperative state.

Diagnostic tips for resolving communication issues after an unapproved handset has been paired to the vehicle

The following sequential actions may be required to resolve the inoperative state:

1. Power down the unapproved handset and remove the handset from the vicinity of the vehicle. Wait several minutes. This will allow the internal timer of the TCU to reset. If the problem is not resolved, proceed to step 2.

2. Allow the vehicle to assume sleep mode. If the problem is not resolved, proceed to step 3.

3. Allow the vehicle to assume sleep mode and then disconnect the battery for 16 minutes.

WARRANTY INFORMATION
Any repairs made to a vehicle which appear to have been caused by an unapproved handset being paired to the vehicle are NOT a warranty issue. An example of this is when the radio is temporarily muted because the unapproved device was paired to the vehicle, but once the unapproved device is deleted from the device list, the radio functions properly.

The following is an example of what would be covered:

* The customer has an unapproved handset paired to the vehicle and it has worked (with or without anomalies) for an extended period of time. Suddenly, the handset no longer pairs to the vehicle. When diagnosing the vehicle, the TCU has fault code 73, Memory Error. The unapproved device is deleted from the device list and an unsuccessful attempt is made to pair an approved phone.

All customer concerns must be verified with a compatible Bluetooth handset.

The unapproved handset must be deleted from the TCU paired device list.

After pairing an approved device to the vehicle, a short test using BMW Diagnostic tools must be performed and FASTA data has to be transmitted.

If a warranty claim is submitted and FASTA data shows that an unapproved handset was in the Bluetooth device list during the diagnostic process, the warranty claim may be subject to a denial of claim payment.