akfirepro

Some of you may be aware of the Bluetooth issues I have been having with my car, ( getting it activated on a 04/04 build date 545i) so I finally get all my ducks in a row and go to the service department to see about getting my TCU updated so the blue tooth will be activated. I brought the BMW service bulletin, and I had a dealorship in Anchorage AK write down the exact process in tech jargon so they could understand. HERE IT COMES!

The guy tells me that it is not an easy process and that even if my car has bluetooth ( he still doesnt think so, , they will need to install microphones and run antenna's throughout the car and quoted me $500 to $600. So I storm out and head to Cunningham BMW in El Cajon, right away they tell me its not a problem, the service tech and the advisor both sit down with me and both go outside look at my car. End result is they quote me $120 to $180 to get it done and its going in next thursday. I cant wait for this month long ordeal to be over with!!!

Additional info for those who are interested, the final word i got was that beginning in 03/04 all E60's came with bluetooth capability but the ones that were shipped to US did not have it activated because Bluetooth was not quite a huge deal in the US yet as it was in Europe, I know there were some other members in my same situation so dont take no for an answer

e60insd

+1

I bought my CPO from Cunningham BMW. My car has given me so many issues its not even funny: transmisson slam, new tranny, door seals, sunroof clunk, radio problem, increased emissions error code... on and on.

THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT... The service advisors at Cunningham BMW are AMAZING! When I get my next BMW no matter where its from I will go to Cunningham for service. My advisor Chris makes me feel like im his only customer and calls me constantly with updates on my car. Don't go anywhere else in San Diego.

Hpdrifter

my last E60 was a 2004 with a build date of 8/5/03. I was told it was going to cost over 1k to put the TCU in that would give me bluetooth. (I questioned why I had the buttons on my steering wheel).......anyway are you saying that any E60 built after 03/04 has bluetooth or has the capability to add bluetooth for around $100? I'm looking to get another E60.......

kscarrol

Technically yes. But be aware there was a transition period where there is a chance (granted small!) that a March '04 built E60 will still have the old TCU and therefore no BT capability. To be safe, look for a car built in April '04 or later to ensure it has the newer TCU...

Martin525i

I must say Grady BMW in Mobile, Alabama is great.
They activated my bluetooth-TCU- at no cost. The sales person said it had bluetooth and because of what he said they fixed it.

akfirepro

From what I was told all BMW's from 03/04 to 09/04 that were shipped to the US have bluetooth capable TCU's. All the TCU's originate in Europe, the ones that stayed in Europe came with the bluetooth activated because BT was already taking off across the pond so there was a demand for it to be activated. Vehicles that were shipped to the US were BT capable but it was not activated because BT was not widely used in the US at that time. Post 09/04 vehicles have the same TCU but due to BT being more widely used BT is activated on those vehicles. Most dealerships are unaware of that fact are quick to tell you that you need a new TCU. Keep shopping around until you find a dealer that knows what they are doing. If you are interested I have all the documents and portals and procedures that need to be performed to make it happen, let me know. Hope that helps, I have been immersed in this crap for the last 6 weeks

ademitt

A bit of history from a member who was on this forum 3 -1/2 years ago when BT problems were first worked out by the forum members with little or no help from BMWNA. The issue around the pre 03/04 produced E60's in North America related to the fact that BMW Assist and BT could not function simultaneously on the same TCU. I had a car that started production on Feb 28 and was completed on Mar 01, 2004. The sticker in my car said 03/04 production. I had BT activated and could hear people on the other end of the conversation but they could not hear me. Assist worked perfectly. The "updated" TCU's changed the hardware to permit simultaneous communication between ASSIST and BT on the same TCU. kscarrol is correct about March 04 production being questionable as the first few days of March 04 production were a hodgepodge as both new and old TCU designs went into the cars. As an example, RUDY's car was built a day before mine was and he got an updated TCU and had BT without hardware upgrades.

JSpira

Isn't an updated TCU a hardware upgrade?

12vguy

I had mine activated at BMW of Escondido. See John Coons. He is great. The real scoop is first gen TCU is a hunk of crap and your friends will all tell you they can't understand a word you're saying no matter which phone you pair with the car. My wife's 06 330i and my buddy's 06 550i both pair as a completely different BMW device number (you see this on the phone when you pair) than my car. Their voice quality on Bluetooth is 10 times better than mine so I would have to assume that it was not ready for prime time and that's why BWM did not ship it activated...

Anyway, hope your result is better than mine. I just talk louder and tell people to get their ears checked...

Martin525i

Should this not be in the dealers subforum?