While getting software upgrade which ended up taking more than 17 days!! asked the SA to enable MP3. Five days later, he calls to tell me how the modules have crashed and the one handling Bluetooth needs replacing but is on back order and BTW MP3 cannot be enabled on E60s manufactured before 03/05. He is basically reading off of BMW Technical Bulletin. Next day, armed with print out of 3 MP3-related posts from the Forum, I arrive at the dealership and convince the SA to at least try to enable MP3. Two days later, he calls me and makes me a counter-offer that they will try to enable MP3 but he can't promise it'll work and has to charge me $200.00 since it?s not something that can be covered under warranty, I agree. To make a long story short, "Bluetooth module" arrives; software is upgraded but Bluetooth module won't initialize.

Three days later, my car is ready but no MP3 since the SA and mechanics are convinced that the problem with Bluetooth was due to their failed attempts in enabling MP3. I am charged $130.00 and sent on my way. The same night and after considering the sequence of events that included an attempted MP3 enablement, I just took a CD of MP3 songs and stuck it in the single-slot CD player and what do you know, it plays like a charm! Same is true of the DVD/NAV player.

I know this is a long post but it goes to show the BMW?s service approach (patronizing), the caliber of its service personnel (not much) and finally the value of persistence and this incredible resource called E60 Forum.
Thanks to all.

 

Very very happy for you, as in every mankind activity KNOWLEDGE is the key for success and evolution.

 

Sounds a little like the scenario that is currently playing out on my car. It sounded like they were wrapped up after some fixes and retrofit of MP3 (car specs and build date in sig). Then when testing their work they find TCU is culprit in not allowing SOS button to work (connect to BMW Assist). According to the PuMA instructions they followed the TCU is bad. SA said of 6 known part numbers of TCUs (might be an exaggeration on his part) only one is supposed to be reliable. I do not think they were trying to make a connection on the MP3 retrofit, and they have not indicated there would be any charge for the retrofit as they had to do a software upgrade to fix my original problem anyway. Only time will tell.

My SA also apologizes every time about not knowing as much about the car as I do.

 

This sounds like a very old joke: Pilot comes on speaker and says there's good and bad news: The good news is we have broken all speed records for this aircraft; the bad news is we have zero instrumentation and don't know what direction we are headed.

So, sounds as though you'll be pleasantly entertained while not having any other services...

Good luck, I get mine back this afternoon..... :'(

Ray Hull

 

So it sounds like i'm the only one who got the MP3 retrofit and it didn't work...

Tech told me they did the retrofit and it looked to take but No MP3 for me

 

Well I have not done the real test yet as my car is still being held hostage, but I did leave an MP3 disc in the CD slot just in case they wanted to test. They did not say they had or had not, but I will before I drive off.