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Originally Posted by web1b
So if you want English commands you need to get the TCU plus the extra parts (SOS button etc.) and then pay the dealer for 3 hours programming time to code it rather than the few minutes to activate the ULF. You would then simply ignore the Assist and not use it if you didn't really want it in the first place.
Do you have to pay for a year of Assist for the dealer coding to work?
It looks like no dealer has been able to "code" the ULF to work in English because it's not a USA part and therefore is not "supported" by whoever they get their training and technical support from. Maybe it wouldn't even be covered by warranty because it isn't supposed to be installed on USA cars?
Maybe Bimmernav is ordering the wrong part if it in fact works in English by default when purchased from a UK dealer or else they should just say up front that you will probably have to use German voice commands so there is no expectation that you can get it changed to English at your local dealer.
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If your dealer mechanic/engineer is adept, all you need is the SA640, TCU unit, and microphone (if not built in already).
Otherwise, you may range from needing a few parts from the SIB to all of the parts.
Again, it all depends on your dealer.
I apologize for being mean spirited but I swear I covered all this in my opening post...
I get the same questions over and over again in PMs and I wonder if any of you guys who ask questions actually read any of the information. Is it the repetition that somehow provides reassurance to people or something?
And no to assist. TCU will give the option of activating Assist, but will not force you to get or give you BMW Assist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by web1b
I guess no one else here has anything else to say about this.
I heard back from one dealer today and they say they will program the TCU for $330 or install and program it for $578 (an extra $248).
So, it would probably be about $1500-$1600 fully installed by the dealer. Maybe $100-$150 less if I found a local independent stereo installer to do the installation.
A Parrot CK3000 can be had for about $115 and the Multican steering wheel control kit is about $185. So $300 in parts. Maybe $100-$150 labor at most, so for less than $450) I could get that kit with integrated steering wheel controls and, as far as I can tell, the only thing I would miss is having the caller-id displayed on the radio screen. I would probably not activate the BMW Assist function, so that's no loss to me. I would have to use my cell as the caller-id screen.
Not sure it's worth $1100-$1200 more to have caller-id show on the radio screen.
I might consider the ULF kit instead if it isn't too much trouble to learn the German commands.
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Well I'm glad you worked it down to one watershed issue. Again...as I stated in my opening post, only you can decide if it is worth it for you...
FWIW I have never used voice command ever except for "stop guidance". So having German voice command would not have bothered me if it meant saving $800.
Also, if I did not have iDrive I would not have ever considered this retrofit.