Thanks to pharding's info, my dealer is now convinced that installing bluetooth on my 7/04 build 545i will not set my car afire, so I am scheduled to have it done tomorrow. They have asked me to be prepared to have the install last more than one day just in case something goes wrong. Looks like I'll be charged something like three hours of labor for this.

I'll let you know how it goes. Any advice I should pass along to make this easier? If it matters, I'll be pairing a RAZR.

While I'm on the subject, my loaner will be an X5 (my wife wants to convince herself that we should get one, so we'll tool around in it). Any advice on what to pay attention to with that while I've got it?

Peace.

 

I've been trying to get my dealer to do the BT install for weeks. I finally sent him all the details that pharding and others have used with the fiber cable connection and 2 service bulletin numbers, but my dealer keeps saying that he thinks they need equipment to install. He won't committ to my getting the car in for the BT install, and it's driving me nuts. Is it not wierd that we want to bring them some business (eg MONEY) and they hem and haw about whether to accept it????

Is there something wrong here?

PS, I just talked with my dealer, and they said that BMW bulletins state that the BT upgrade is ONLY for cars built 9/2004 or later. I told him that those cars built form 3/2004 are identical, but the fiber optic cable is not connected. So they are calling Barrington, IL Motor Werks to verify this, but they really won't believe me at all. <_<

 

You will love it. The RAZR works well with the car.

 

can't wit for blue tooth and the RAZR

 

Well, the old info from BMW is apparently that if you try to install the thing and it's not meant to be installed that the CCC will crash and you're completely and totally screwed so it's not that surprising that they're reluctant to do something that scary. Eventually the guys at Motor Werks convinced my guys that it's okay.

And now all we need is Sirius to work....

Peace.

 

hey isbell,

thanks for the words of support. I'm hoping that motor werks gives my guys the words of support for confidence.

and yes, on to sirius too!

 

The BT install went without a hitch. I got my car this morning, followed the printed out pair instructions and thirty seconds later my phone was talking to my car.
In any case, after pairing, it took a while for the phone book to download but it was pretty cool when it did.

My wife claims I sounded just fine. If I turned up the volume too much she could hear herself. The point where she couldn't hear herself was still quite loud for me.

I'm satisfied. Bluetooth is the right thing and I'm not unhappy to have paid for it. It beats the cpt 8000 option I had in my old car. My cost was ~$300 and it was all labor. I think I'm the first in Atlanta to have this done, but I'm not sure.

I have only one quibble. I have very many phone numbers associated with each name. The voice recognition is great, but the voice command "Call <name>" seems to connect to whichever one is first in the list. I'd like to be able to say "Call <name> home" to get, for example, the home number for <name>.

Peace.

 

I know what you are saying. I went through my phone list and tagged each name with cell or home. I love the functionality but its nor perfect. Tell us if you experienced any of this

 

1) five times ringing then hangup: I haven't tried it yet. I think I got up to five rings but not six.

2) delay before ending call: Actually my own phone doesn't sometimes realize that it's lost its connection. I haven't experienced it with my car yet, but I had this problem just with my bluetooth headset. I blame some combination of cingular and moto.

3) I haven't tried the walk away during call thing.

Peace.

 

Hi isBell!

I'm in Atlanta, too, and United BMW is hooking my Bluetooth up on Monday morning. Which dealer did you take it to? Mr. Belk uses the BMW dealership in Decatur.

United didn't want to do it at first because of the 09 production note in the Bulliten. After he checked around, they called back and said it would be about $100.

I'll post the results. I'm hoping someone will test this with a treo 650 so I can decide which phone to change to.

James