my 06 550i doesn't have a cd changer and no nav. I thought it was pre wired for the cd changer, but i looked at the connector in the glove box and there are only 2 small wires going into the connector and no fiber optics. does the ipod interface come with the necceassary wires to make this work. or do i need to order another cable?

thanks

brian

 

I had my inface installed at MStyle in the UK a couple of months, one of the best things I've done to my 5 with one criticism. On my old alpine headunit/ipod interface in my E30, the ipod would stay charged meaning that I could leave the ipod in the car 365 days a year no problem.
However the system I've had installed in the E60 doesn't charge my ipod. I'm assuming somewhere along the line it hasn't been fitted correctly, if so can someone confirm.

Thanks.
Daryll

 

Hi schulrog, I've downloaded all the info on this thread, all your pictures and .pdf instructions. I may go ahead and order the kit and do it myself. I refuse to pay the dealer almost $1000 for the installation. If the kit is $290 - how can they charge twice that much to install it?

You're welcome to send ideas or links or anything to santiago.fonseca@us.army.mil - or PM me here. I will look in my car later and see if I want to tackle this myself.

Thanks and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy New Year.

Santiago.

PS What to do about the changr afterwards? Is it usable? Can it be sold?

 

Check the car's option summary to see if you have "CD Changer Prep." If so, then look in the area behind glovebox and you will likely find a big circle of black cable with tape over a rectangular plastic portion in the middle. Carefully get the tape away and you will find that you have two fiber optic cables butted end-to-end through that connector. Those cables would be carefully withdrawn from the connector and then inserted into the proper connector to plug into your CD changer - or into an iPod kit. If you don't have CD changer prep, then you order the BMW kit for such case and it comes with the required fiber optic cables for you to retrofit - requiring you to pull radio out of dash center - that might be why dealer is quoting a high install price? You may be facing a MOST programming charge as well unless you had a CD changer that you took out to do this - maybe even then...

 

If you follow the thread here it shows how VERY easy the install is The CD-Changer can be sold on eBay or somewhere else but the place where the CD-Changer was will be occupied by the iPod interface.

 

apple changed the charging pin on the connector for newer ipods. You probably just need to buy one of these adapters.

 

Not necessarily. BMW just relased a new model for the iPod interface and that might include charging for the iPhone but that has not been confirmed as of yet.

 

I did my Ipod integration kit install today - and for me it didn't work. Which is obviously, really disappointing.

If anyone can help or give advise I would be really grateful, particularly 'Schulrog' you have lots of knowledge on this topic.

I installed the BMW Ipod kit, by removing the glovebox CD Changer / MOST connector and plugging this into the OEM BMW Ipod kit. Install was very, very easy although a little fiddly.

When I plug in the Ipod I get the BMW logo (on the Ipod confirming a connection) but when I select 'CD' on the Idrive I get the message "Changer content is loading". Then the Idrive returns to the 'CD, AUX, FM, AM' screen after 3-4 seconds and won't let me select CD again, I waited over an hour to see if content was loading, but nothing.

I followed instructions on this link, plus others. I burned a CD with MP3's beforehand and checked this would play in the CD Changer and it worked so I assumed the car would just plug-and-play the Ipod Kit.

My car is 2008 LCI E61 with Bus Nav, CD-Changer UK Model. If anyone has any guidance or suggestion I would be grateful.

I'm currently thinking of making up some fictional Idrive fault so BMW can update the software under warranty. I just don't get why everything added to the car requires a frikin software flash, this software should be open-source (or check-boxes on the Idrive).

 

well it sounds like the ipod gets recognized. i would try an ipod that is freshly formatted. seems that there is something with the ipod that's causing the interface not to work properly

 

I tried a couple of other Ipods with the same issue, so I guess I'll need to get it coded by BMW. Here in UK they won't do this free like in US so I'll need to work out how to get the update - probably an independant.