BMW un-certified phone voids Warranty?
08-24-2008, 05:17 PM
#11
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In order to use Bluetooth, a device must be compatible with certain Bluetooth profiles. These define the possible applications and uses of the technology.
For the BMW, the profiles need to be Synchronization on older phones (SYNC) and on newer phones, the Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP).
You can usually find the specifications on the carrier or OEM website. Having the wrong or inadequate profiles on a phone can in no way harm the car electronics, as long as the phone is certified by the Bluetooth SIG, which certifies the phones before they go to market.
BMW lags in making the Bluetooth specifications current. You have to use the OEM specifications.
For the BMW, the profiles need to be Synchronization on older phones (SYNC) and on newer phones, the Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP).
You can usually find the specifications on the carrier or OEM website. Having the wrong or inadequate profiles on a phone can in no way harm the car electronics, as long as the phone is certified by the Bluetooth SIG, which certifies the phones before they go to market.
BMW lags in making the Bluetooth specifications current. You have to use the OEM specifications.
08-24-2008, 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by cobradav' post='652495' date='Aug 22 2008, 09:49 PM
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.pdf
08-24-2008, 06:08 PM
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After studying the bulletin, it seems as if BMW is being pretty reasonable/fair with this issue. They acknowledge that an unapproved phone can't permanently harm the electronics but they won't pay for any labor hours spent troubleshooting conditions caused by unapproved phones...
08-25-2008, 04:45 PM
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Believe the fact that BMWNA takes this issue seriously... see my story below.
This is similar to a problem that happened to me recently and I was surprised when I couldn't find any similar tales on this BB (until now). I got a 2008 535i last fall and had a LG-8550. I looked at the BMW compatible phone list for Verizion and decided there wasn't any phone there that I wanted or could afford so I kept my LG-8550. It paired with no problem and everything worked perfectly... for a while.
Early this spring I took my car in because the real-time-traffic-info receiver on my nav system stopped working. The phone was still working just fine with the bluetooth connection. After a day in the shop they couldn't find anything physically wrong with my nav system or the radio so they sent all the diagnostic readout to BMWNA.
The next day I was informed that analysis done by BMWNA determined that the problem was caused by my "non-compatible" bluetooth connected phone. They said that somehow the on-board program(s) get corrupted by having this phone paired and the only way to fix it was to reload the engine and nav software. I was also informed by the service agent that BMWNA would not cover fixing this problem (because of the un-certified phone", which amounted to about 5 hours of shop labor (ouch). My dealer said they would cover it this time but I should get a new phone.
Being a "trained computer professional" I decided that it shouldn't be possible for a bluetooth connection problem to cause permanent corruption of the on-board software so I didn't replace my phone. (but we all know that with software bugs anything is possible)
Well, in June my real-time-traffic-info stopped working again. This time before I took my car in I un-paired my phone and deleted the setting, trying to hide the fact that I had been using a non-compatible phone. After a day in the shop I was informed that the diagnostic analysis by BMWNA showed that I had been using a non-compatible phone and this time I got a bill for $387 for reprogramming my on-board computers!
There is a Silver Lining...
To my BMW dealers credit, after I complained a bit to the service manager about the $387 they made me this deal so this wouldn't happen again. If I would buy a phone (any phone) on the compatible list for Verizon, they would pay for the phone. So I ended up getting a Blackberry, which I always wanted but was too cheap to buy and it cost my dealer $430!
I'm not sure what the moral to my story is but this is my story.
Cheers,
DJD
This is similar to a problem that happened to me recently and I was surprised when I couldn't find any similar tales on this BB (until now). I got a 2008 535i last fall and had a LG-8550. I looked at the BMW compatible phone list for Verizion and decided there wasn't any phone there that I wanted or could afford so I kept my LG-8550. It paired with no problem and everything worked perfectly... for a while.
Early this spring I took my car in because the real-time-traffic-info receiver on my nav system stopped working. The phone was still working just fine with the bluetooth connection. After a day in the shop they couldn't find anything physically wrong with my nav system or the radio so they sent all the diagnostic readout to BMWNA.
The next day I was informed that analysis done by BMWNA determined that the problem was caused by my "non-compatible" bluetooth connected phone. They said that somehow the on-board program(s) get corrupted by having this phone paired and the only way to fix it was to reload the engine and nav software. I was also informed by the service agent that BMWNA would not cover fixing this problem (because of the un-certified phone", which amounted to about 5 hours of shop labor (ouch). My dealer said they would cover it this time but I should get a new phone.
Being a "trained computer professional" I decided that it shouldn't be possible for a bluetooth connection problem to cause permanent corruption of the on-board software so I didn't replace my phone. (but we all know that with software bugs anything is possible)
Well, in June my real-time-traffic-info stopped working again. This time before I took my car in I un-paired my phone and deleted the setting, trying to hide the fact that I had been using a non-compatible phone. After a day in the shop I was informed that the diagnostic analysis by BMWNA showed that I had been using a non-compatible phone and this time I got a bill for $387 for reprogramming my on-board computers!
There is a Silver Lining...
To my BMW dealers credit, after I complained a bit to the service manager about the $387 they made me this deal so this wouldn't happen again. If I would buy a phone (any phone) on the compatible list for Verizon, they would pay for the phone. So I ended up getting a Blackberry, which I always wanted but was too cheap to buy and it cost my dealer $430!
I'm not sure what the moral to my story is but this is my story.
Cheers,
DJD
09-07-2008, 05:11 PM
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Take a look at the "Currently Approved Phones" here: http://www.wireless4bmw.com/phones2.html
I guess if you have AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile and don't want a PDA type device, you're just out of luck!
I guess if you have AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile and don't want a PDA type device, you're just out of luck!
09-07-2008, 06:08 PM
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Originally Posted by wnrussell' post='664184' date='Sep 7 2008, 09:11 PM
Take a look at the "Currently Approved Phones" here: http://www.wireless4bmw.com/phones2.html
I guess if you have AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile and don't want a PDA type device, you're just out of luck!
I guess if you have AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile and don't want a PDA type device, you're just out of luck!
09-07-2008, 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Rudy' post='664214' date='Sep 7 2008, 10:08 PM
That's crazy -- I seem to remember many more phones on that list -- what happened to the RAZR V3 on AT&T? That was always a staple back when BT was first introduced...
09-07-2008, 06:23 PM
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Originally Posted by wnrussell' post='664225' date='Sep 7 2008, 10:18 PM
Click "Previously Available Phones" at the bottom: http://www.wireless4bmw.com/phones.html
You think maybe they ought to make that link a bit more noticeable?
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