PaoChe

Interesting but way too expensive, Do yall know how much it would cost to get the OEM iPod integration done? What parts are involved, can I buy parts and install myself and simply have BMW code it into iDrive? Or is it simply plug-n-play?

PaoChe

Just burnt an mp3 CD with itunes and it did not work at all, the car didnt recognize that I had put a CD in. Is it possible that my car is too old to play mp3 cd's? Build date, 03/2004.

lightfytr

FYI, Itunes is the worst at burning mp3s for our cars. It sorts them and places them in folders by artist name and causes the tracks to change slow. Dont use Itunes for burning mp3...

theXman

This is a separate issue. You car is not coded to play MP3 in the CD player. 2 options: the dealer or indy shop that can do coding.

kscarrol

Looking at your signature, I think so! For a 2004 car, you need to have Navigation which uses a different computer system which is capable of MP3 playback. But you needed a software update to get it functioning. If you don't have Nav (and it's not in your Sig) the MP3 playback is not possible.

rbcook

In my 2008, CD TEXT is supported, which means that any standard audio CD(not MP3 CD, which is a data disc) which was burned with CD text as an option will show text information on the screen. iTunes does allow you to burn a standard audio CD with CD-Text, but you have to check it when burning the CD. I haven't found that too many commercial CDs were made with CD-text. CD-text

MP3 CDs are totally different, as they are not an audio CD, but in fact a data CD with data files written to them. Those data files just happen to be music, which can be played back from a CD drive capable of processing MP3 files. My car will play them back, although I agree with the previous responders, iTunes is not a good choice for creating MP3 CDs. The ID3 tags(which contain the text information) is kinda screwy when burning from iTunes. You also have to take bit rate, variable bit rate, and ID3 tag version into consideration, which iTunes isn't very good at. Plus, anything purchased from the iTunes store is an AAC file, which my car doesn't understand if read from the CD or DVD drive in the car. Although, it does understand them if they are played back from an iPod using the iPod connector kit.

Long and short, to the OP: I would go into iTunes and make sure that "CD-text" is checked when burning the standard audio CDs which your car can read. I just don't know if your year/model supports CD-text or not.

balbs

I don't have NAV and my car (2006) can play MP3 CDs. There was some mention here that the dealer can update your car for free so that it can play MP3 CDs. I don't recall what conditions have to be met in order for them to perform this. Also, you will need this capability if you want to install the iPod retrofit in the future. Hopefully somebody will see this thread and chime in with that service bulletin.

kscarrol

Correct but for 2004 and 2005 cars, my statement is correct. BMW eventually switched the non-Nav cars to the same computer, making the software update possible...

kajin99

RDS (Radio Data System) is completely separate technology from the cd/mp3 functions you want. Radio Stations send a data signal alongside the radio transmission with song and station info that is then displayed on your radio.

Song info from a CD comes from files stored on the CD itself. In the case of mp3s, the data comes from what is called an "ID3" tag. It is this tag which must be read by iDrive to display the song info you want. In order for this to happen you need to

A) Ensure that you have a software version capable of reading these tags
Write the CD with software that is compatible with iDrive
C) Get the iPod integration kit and all your problems are solved!

skylineseason

+1 My car is 2004 with NAV. It can't play MP3 before the dealer did the software update.