Dandle

I have a question for you guys. My car is a May 07 car and all the info ive been reading about BMW connectdrive(the new name for BMW assist and BMW online i think) on the BMW UK website. I have BMW assist and the option called BMW online was never specced to my car, it basically gives you an RSS reader for news and weather etc. I spent today trying to get it working and finally gave the Connect drive guys a call, they told me my car wasnt specced with it but it is standard on Sep 2007 onward cars.

Is this something that is software driven and if my I-drive was updated I would now recieve or is there hardware involved too?

Hawkwing

Mine e60 is 03/06 and it works fine ? you have Pro Nav from your profile (inc. in Media pack) hence you can use all of the download services - Have you activated BMW Assist from your iDrive? Have you set up an account on the web-site? (Web-site is www.connecteddrive.co.uk) - BMW ConnectedDrive is subscription based in the UK.

I?ll take a punt at what has happened here - from what you?ve been told, either you've been misinformed or I?m totally wrong but here goes - new cars delivered from September 07 where optioned with the service prior too they were not (mine was not) ? I could be well wide of the mark with my theory here however I suggest you give BMW ConnectDrive a call on 0800 561 0555 to see whether your account has been set-up and is operational, if not you?ll be asked for 120 pounds to do join! Good luck.....................

Dandle

I dont think you understood what I ment. My car is activated for the online services such as sending contacts, destinations and messages to the car from the BMW connectdrive website on my home PC. Calling for information such as restaraunts and points of interest in the area also work now the car has been activated. Those services were called BMW assist when my car was delivered in May(I didnt buy it then). The option that wasnt ticked was BMW online which became standard in Sep 2007 and then the two services became BMW Connectdrive as they were merged into one. The BMW online part that I dont have installed lets you read RSS news/info feeds that you have set up on the connectdrive website, you choose the feeds at home and your car keeps them up to date for you to read in the car on the built in webbrowser.

Do you have the webrowser installed on your car? I got the above info from phoning 0800 561 0555 and they told me my car wasnt specced with Online so i was wondering if its just a software update and could be added.

Hawkwing

My apologies, that will teach me to concentrate late at night!

I did mean to add that to use the Web Browser option requires hardware, hence the priced option for cars built prior to 09/07; price was circa 300 pounds from memory. From your car information I'd say you'd need to update the hardware - I was told it can be retro fitted however I can not recall the price; as it's BMW it will be 'relatively' expensive no doubt. Hope it works out for you.

chris f

I have an 05 with media pack, I assume I will have this capability too, if that is, I could get my iPhone to work.

Dandle

Does you car have BMW assist?(an easy way to tell is the SOS button in the roof). If it does then you need to pay for the service on a 2005 car as you only get it free for three years from new in the UK. It cost about ?120 a year. It doesnt need your iPhone to work as the cars with Assist/online or connecteddrive have their own sim cards fitted and dont use the owners phone.

The retrofit is ?220+vat for BMW online to a car that already has assist but I still dont know if some cars need hardware changes. Mine is going in next monday for a body control module change and the dealer is going to see if they can do me a deal on the Online part as the car needs coding anyway for the warranty.