kgmccarthy

I just got an OEM ipod interface installed in my 06 525i (4/05 build). I dont know what CIP version I have, but my car had the CDC prep and supported MP3 playback on the single CD. I don't have navigation. I installed the unit myself following information and DIY's from this site. I found a local BMW tuning shop in Miami (Active Autowerke) that said they would charge me one hour of labor to program the car ($136). The name of the guy I dealt with was Veral and the name of the tech that did the work was Barry. Both were nice guys. Barry said he was actually a "Computer Engineer" and worked mostly with performance tuning. Barry used a portable system called "Autologic" to do the programming for the interface.

The actual programming process only took about 15-20 minutes. After Barry was done, I verified that the interface worked and started to drive away. As I turned the corner, an "SOS Call Warning" popped up on the dash and iDrive. That basically meant that the built-in emergency telephone system was not responding. To make a long story short, the solution was to do a battery reset. Basically they disconnected both terminals from the battery and connected them together for a few minutes. According to Barry, this is the only way to really "reboot" all the modules on the car. The reset fixed the problem and it's been fine ever since.

As for the interface itself, I am quite happy with it. While the 255 album/artist limitation is a pain, I'm learning to work around it by using playlists. I also cleaned up my ipod to reduce the number of songs/albums on it. Navigating the interface is not nearly as intuitive as the ipod itself, but its not too bad. So far, the best feature has been how it handles Podcasts. Podcasts are accessed by selecting CD5 and they are grouped by title. Unlike regular songs, Podcasts "remember" where you left off, even after turning off the ignition or switching to another input for a while (Sirius, FM, CD etc..). Regular songs restart from the beginning after switching off the ignition. Another nice feature of the interface is that it will pause a song or podcast when you get a phone call.

Anyway, I just wanted to provide some feedback for those of you that are considering getting the interface. Its not cheap, but it is much safer and more convenient than trying to mess with the IPOD while driving.

Feel free to ask any questions.

northern-monkey

Sounds like a nice set up................if you get a chance can you take a picture of your dash , showing the ipod tracks etc?

wacopolumbo

Thanks for the write-up, it was very well put. I know what you mean about the playlists. I wish you didn't have to start from the top when you go back to the playlist menu. If your playlist starts with a "T" or later letter, you have to scroll for a while.

I never tried pod casts. I may have to download some. Thanks for the info about them. Something new to try!

sleeper50

Thanks for posting. I have been contemplating this as well. I had the dice silverline for my e46 and miss steering wheel controls. I had an auxiliary port installed before I picked up my car, but frankly it sucks. I can hear the alternator whine through the speakers when my iPod is in use.

How much did you pay for OEM? where did you get it?

I was looking at this one ipod interface

kgmccarthy

I was in a hurry, so I picked up the interface at my local dealer for $299. However, I've seen it online for as low as $230.

Here are a few more tips:

If you have a CD changer, there is a good chance that the ipod interface will be "plug and play", no programming required. The interface basically emulates a CD changer so you just unplug the changer and plug in the interface module. If you don't have a changer, but have CD prep (cables pre-run to the glove box), the physical installation is pretty easy, but you will require programming (this was my case). However, if you don't have CD prep, the installation is quite a bit more difficult. You basically need to open up the dash and run the cables from the back of the radio to the glove box. Personally, I'd rather just pay the dealer to install it under those circumstances.

By the way, there are a couple of other really good reasons to let the dealer do the whole installation
1) Any problems will be covered under the warranty
2) If the car requires a CIP/Progman software upgrade, it will be done for free under the warranty.

In my case, I was pretty confident that I didn't need a CIP update because my car is an 06 and my CD already played MP3's. However, most 05's and 04's will probably need an upgrade. MP3 functionality on the single CD player seems to be a critical factor for the ipod interface to work. I think the interface actually emulates a CD changer with MP3 capability. This allows it to handle directories and text (for song names, etc...). As such, I wouldn’t recommend trying to install the interface yourself if your CD player doesn't play MP3's. You will probably need a full CIP upgrade, so you are better off letting the dealer handle the whole thing.

Vegashipster

What Kind of Ipod do you have (touch, gen5 etc...)

I get mine this Thursday

kgmccarthy

I have a 30G Ipod Video 5G. Since the BMW interface is limited to 255 lines in Album and Artist views and scrolling is a bit slow, I would recommend using a Nano or a small ipod. Using an 120G ipod would be frustrating and a waste.

By the way, the interface only supports two levels. In other words, when you select Artist View (CD2), you will see a list of all Artists on your IPOD. (If the artist happens to be ZZ Top, you will have to scroll through the entire list!) Once you select the artist, you will be presented with a list of all songs by that artist, not grouped by album! If you want to view songs by album, you will need select Album View (CD3). At that point you will see an alphabetical list of all albums on your IPOD, not grouped by artist! For the most part, these views are pretty useless. I basically just create playlists and select the list or song I want from Playlist View (CD1).

If you were really organized, you could label all your albums with artist name (U2-Joshua Tree, U2-War, etc...) That would group all the U2 albums together in Album View. Just remember you are limited to 255 Albums.

nigxdoof

The song limitation on mine is 500.. that's wierd.


Unless it is 500.. Oh wellz. =)

kgmccarthy

The song limit is 500. The album and artist limits are 255 each.