[cxp]

I believe the microphone has two connectors.

There is a difference between FZDs. I replaced mine, and all of the buttons worked, but the dealer reported that it wouldn't take the programming. They replaced it and everything worked correctly.

Note that my car needed programming to work. I could not access the phone menu on the radio -- there was no difference in any functionality before the car was coded. If you can access the phone in the radio or on iDrive, you probably don't need coding, but I'm not 100% sure.

[jreich]

great success! Refer to my other post for details.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...11#post5369411

Basically everything works without a dealer coding. I had to swap some wires in a plug because my MIC was not working, but after that it works great.

I think my total cost was around $400....not too shabby, but I really needed to have bluetooth for living in such a large city. Next satellite radio and iDrive if I'm feeling crazy.

[drivecar]

Originally Posted by AoshichanX

UPDATE 2/19/09

1. Members have noted the shoddy service from Bimmernav. Avoid Bimmernav at all costs, order from Tischer! All links to Bimmernav have been removed.
2. Also, the rumor of programming Bluetooth without the FZD is officially a myth. Since FZDs are roughly ~$200 I think all of us have already tried to complete the retrofit without it and we learned the hard way. Remember, FZD IS NOT OPTIONAL and is also VIN specific.
3. Cost
   • TCU Module - BMW Part #: 84109171590 - $675 ($548 from Tischer but no stock...ever)
   • Microphone - $55
   • Bracket - BMW Part #: 65156937700 - $15
   • Installation and Programming Costs - $396.24 (quoted from Savage BMW in Ontario- 3 hours of programming only - no labor)
4. FOR TCU PDF CLICK HERE

[*]Going in, Savage assumed all they needed was the TCU since I had phone prep. Along the way they discovered I needed this part and then another part. Basically, all the parts from the SIB *pdf were required for this complete retrofit.[*]My Bimmernav Kit

• TCU Module - BMW Part #: 84109171590 - $675
• Microphone - $55
• BMW Bluetooth Antenna - Included
• Shipping USPS Priority - $29

[*]Savage BMW

• Bracket for Telematics Control- - BMW Part #: 65156937700 - $18.26
• FZD - BMW Part #: 61319137523 (this is VEHICLE SPECIFIC and may be different for your car) - $268.42**
• Hex Nut - BMW Part #: 07129906048 - $0.68
• Nut - BMW Part #:41248147832 - $0.18
• Loudspeaker - - BMW Part #: 65136938657 - $19.86
• Installation and Programming Costs - $538.38 (1 hour labor, 3 hours of programming)
• Tax - $24.02

[*]Total: $1631.48 (Vehicle option is $750 if ordered with the car )

So, I am in Northern California and I'm going to think about getting this on a 2008 328 with base stereo and without iDrive.

I could drive down to Ontario and spend a weekend there and have Savage BMW do it, however, I assume some dealer in Northern California should be able to do it for the same price or less.

Is there somewhere to order all of the official parts listed in the SIB online for less than dealer retail? I'd like to have all the parts ready to go and only pay the dealer for installation/programming.
I have the car's first scheduled maintenance visit due in a couple weeks and I'd like to just make one trip out of it and get a loaner car covered.

[xgoatx]

ok... I have a 2007 328 xi with idrive and voice assist.... I don't have BMW assist and don't want it.... I just want to add Bluetooth... do I just need to install the $675 kit from bimmernav and have it coded?.... is this still tough to accomplish and is it most likely going to be in German?.... or do most dealerships have this down by now.... the tischer BMW is in Maryland right outside dc right?... I'm like 40 miles from there.... should I have them do everything?... or install the bimmernav equipment myself and just let them do the coding?.... after reading this post, I'm scared that this all may not be worth the hassle.... what should I expect to pay for the coding?

thanks for your help.

[enforcerman]

Talk to the people at tischer. Get the full retrofit with the TCU. Going w/ bimmernav and their route is a recipe for disaster. Just because BMW assist is installed doesnt mean you have to activate it (you get 4 years free from date of vehicle purchase).

[xgoatx]

Originally Posted by enforcerman

Talk to the people at tischer. Get the full retrofit with the TCU. Going w/ bimmernav and their route is a recipe for disaster. Just because BMW assist is installed doesnt mean you have to activate it (you get 4 years free from date of vehicle purchase).

thanks...... has anyone on here had success with bimmernav?

[jreich]

Originally Posted by xgoatx

thanks...... has anyone on here had success with bimmernav?

I haven't looked into a car with idrive, but you may just need a TCU + programming. I have seen mixed schematics and such, but you may need a seperate microphone for the bluetooth. The FZD I pulled from a salvaged 330ci w/ idrive had 2 mics. You probably have the loudspeaker already so upgrading to bluetooth shouldnt cost you more than the TCU + programming (5-600 bucks). programming with CCC takes longer unfortunately. My car was prewired for bluetooth....search the forums for the necessary pdfs that are required for this retrofit, you should be able to find all the info you need. I found a TCU on ebay so i didnt have to get it reprogrammed. If yoy get one off ebay, you will not be able to you your assist properly without dealer program.

[enforcerman]

You NEED the FZD (thats the overhead console w/ the bmw assist button). You can not do the retrofit without it. There is no cheap way to retrofit bluetooth into your car.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175658


Thats my experience. Total bluetooth retrofit was in the 1100 range.

[drivecar]

Originally Posted by enforcerman

Talk to the people at tischer. Get the full retrofit with the TCU. Going w/ bimmernav and their route is a recipe for disaster. Just because BMW assist is installed doesnt mean you have to activate it (you get 4 years free from date of vehicle purchase).

So, is Tischer the best place to order all the parts and then have your local dealer? Is there any reason to expect the price on the parts from Tischer in Maryland to be different from ordering from a local dealer in California?

[jreich]

There is a cheap way to do it:

A) shop around at your local salvage yard and haggle with them or buy on ebay.
B) buy all other parts from tischer
C) install everything yourself.

My total cost was $400, would have been $300 if I didnt get the FZD, which I'm pretty sure you dont need if you get a TCU that has already been programmed (mine FZD is gray in a tan car, so I know for a fact the FZD isnt made for my car so theres no point of it. The Assist worked, but after I got off the phone with them, they somehow disabled my Assist. I tried to push the button again and it said "call error" )

Sorry for the confusion, but if you go the tischer route you are looking at a FZD (the price recently went up to almost $350 I think), REMAN TCU, loudspeaker, possibly a MIC, and dealer programming. ~1100 seems about right, I'd go the cheaper route if you are willing to wait a couple months.

Dealer said if I wanted to enable the Assist it would cost 2 hours of labor, so I opted out.

Originally Posted by enforcerman

You NEED the FZD (thats the overhead console w/ the bmw assist button). You can not do the retrofit without it. There is no cheap way to retrofit bluetooth into your car.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175658


Thats my experience. Total bluetooth retrofit was in the 1100 range.

[xgoatx]

Originally Posted by jreich

There is a cheap way to do it:

A) shop around at your local salvage yard and haggle with them or buy on ebay.
B) buy all other parts from tischer
C) install everything yourself.

My total cost was $400, would have been $300 if I didnt get the FZD, which I'm pretty sure you dont need if you get a TCU that has already been programmed (mine FZD is gray in a tan car, so I know for a fact the FZD isnt made for my car so theres no point of it. The Assist worked, but after I got off the phone with them, they somehow disabled my Assist. I tried to push the button again and it said "call error" )

Sorry for the confusion, but if you go the tischer route you are looking at a FZD (the price recently went up to almost $350 I think), REMAN TCU, loudspeaker, possibly a MIC, and dealer programming. ~1100 seems about right, I'd go the cheaper route if you are willing to wait a couple months.

Dealer said if I wanted to enable the Assist it would cost 2 hours of labor, so I opted out.

i talked to tischer.... they think all i need is the TCU and programming. since i have idrive, i think i will have to get the programming no matter what since the phone option isnt on my idrive screen. unless it pops up after the TCU is installed... the guy i talked to was going to check with a few other techs just to get a second opinion. im leaning towards the bimmernav TCU... installing it myself and then going to tischer for programming... of course ill wait to hear the techs second opinion.

jreich.... did your phone options just show up on your display after the install?... i know you dont have idrive but i would think the systems are similar.... is the coding/programming for the system to recognize the TCU?... or is it actually coding the TCU unit?

thanks for all the help... i hate being the question whore.

[jreich]

Originally Posted by xgoatx

i talked to tischer.... they think all i need is the TCU and programming. since i have idrive, i think i will have to get the programming no matter what since the phone option isnt on my idrive screen. unless it pops up after the TCU is installed... the guy i talked to was going to check with a few other techs just to get a second opinion. im leaning towards the bimmernav TCU... installing it myself and then going to tischer for programming... of course ill wait to hear the techs second opinion.

jreich.... did your phone options just show up on your display after the install?... i know you dont have idrive but i would think the systems are similar.... is the coding/programming for the system to recognize the TCU?... or is it actually coding the TCU unit?

thanks for all the help... i hate being the question whore.

First, if you dont have an FZD with the Assist button I don't know how programming will work with a TCU since I havent tried it myself and since the SSS searching for these units before program. If the Progman has a "program bluetooth only" option, you may be fine with your FZD you have now. There is actually a TCU only ebay now, I'd bid on that. Now You will probably need a bluetooth antenna and and a loud speaker as well....one way to check is to take the lower panel thats below the steering column and look for these devices. If you dont have them, buy them from tischer.

Now for your questions:
did your phone options just show up on your display after the install?
- yes, if you search for my user name I think I have pictures.

Is the coding/programming for the system to recognize the TCU?
-well not exactly since my system recognized the TCU without programming. My guess is the programming is to make sure your TCU can communicate with other devices in the Ring MOST network. The Progman will probably connect to the MOST port and verify this and reflash anything that is necessary to allow all devices to work together so that your TCU and talk to your idrive and such. I would imagine the main cost of the dealer programming is the part where the Progman has to verify everything is working correctly.

Do search the forums for info about this retrofit. I wouldnt get anything from bimmernav due to what people have said about them. Better off buying on ebay or from tischer.

[xgoatx]

Originally Posted by jreich

First, if you dont have an FZD with the Assist button I don't know how programming will work with a TCU since I havent tried it myself and since the SSS searching for these units before program. If the Progman has a "program bluetooth only" option, you may be fine with your FZD you have now. There is actually a TCU only ebay now, I'd bid on that. Now You will probably need a bluetooth antenna and and a loud speaker as well....one way to check is to take the lower panel thats below the steering column and look for these devices. If you dont have them, buy them from tischer.

Now for your questions:
did your phone options just show up on your display after the install?
- yes, if you search for my user name I think I have pictures.

Is the coding/programming for the system to recognize the TCU?
-well not exactly since my system recognized the TCU without programming. My guess is the programming is to make sure your TCU can communicate with other devices in the Ring MOST network. The Progman will probably connect to the MOST port and verify this and reflash anything that is necessary to allow all devices to work together so that your TCU and talk to your idrive and such. I would imagine the main cost of the dealer programming is the part where the Progman has to verify everything is working correctly.

Do search the forums for info about this retrofit. I wouldnt get anything from bimmernav due to what people have said about them. Better off buying on ebay or from tischer.

is this the tcu you are talking about?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E...171|240%3A1318

[jreich]

Originally Posted by xgoatx

is this the tcu you are talking about?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-E...171|240%3A1318

that is the old system, you need the MOST one. Its auction # 190317639353. Use realoem.com to cross reference part #'s

[drivecar]

Originally Posted by Zundfolge

Finally bit the bullet and got the TCU retrofit, and wanted to say how helpful the folks at Tischer were. Evan in parts gave me the complete parts list and was a great help. I had it installed at Tischer as well. SA Joe Diss quoted me $300 for the labor and honored that price even though it came up as $440 on the service computer when I brought the car in. I was given a loaner for this job even though it was not a warranty repair or maintenance. Turns out I did not need the back up antenna or bracket for my car (E90 4/08 manufacture) and returned those parts for refund. BMW Assist is also active and Joe handled the paperwork for that as well. The Assist contract is handled through sales, not service. The Assist Safety Plan is free for the remainder of the Ultimate Service plan, even if you retrofit. While I wish I had just ordered it from the factory, I am very pleased with the retrofit and I highly recommend Tischer BMW.

Is anyone sure about the Assist subscription? The dealer thinks you don't get any free service unless it was factory installed new.

Here is someone else posting the opposite:
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpos...99&postcount=4

Originally Posted by wea

Yes you can use the BMW Assist with this retrofit but that is an additional cost of $199/yr.

Cheers

It is very confusing when people post opposite information. Someone is guessing and wrong.

[enforcerman]

I had the retrofit installed. They activated BMW Assist and gave me 4 years from the date of purchase of my car. BMW Assist didnt cost me a dime.

[drivecar]

Originally Posted by enforcerman

I had the retrofit installed. They activated BMW Assist and gave me 4 years from the date of purchase of my car. BMW Assist didnt cost me a dime.

Who is "they?" What did it take get it done? For some reason the local dealer service department believes you lose free subscription if it is a retrofit and they would need someone to set them straight if they are wrong.

[enforcerman]

Well, I had the retrofit done at a non bmw center. But then I took it to the BMW Center here in San Antonio (there is only one), and they activated it for free. When they activated it I was given 4 years service from the date that I purchased my car.

[jimk]

Just as an fyi, option 644 (telephone preparation) is no longer a standard option for 2009. For those who would like to retrofit an 09, it is likely you will need to install the wiring harness.

[drivecar]

Originally Posted by jimk

Just as an fyi, option 644 (telephone preparation) is no longer a standard option for 2009. For those who would like to retrofit an 09, it is likely you will need to install the wiring harness.

Wow, I never heard that. Does that mean the steering wheel buttons for phone and voice commands are missing on 2009s?
They keep cutting features every year. I missed the flash light in the glove box that got cut for 2008 and now the phone prep and cooled center console was cut for 2009.

[Borsig]

has anyone confirmed this on 2009s?

I have a 2009 that has no BMW Assist Or blue tooth and I'd like to Have Bluetooth...

Looking at my options.

[jreich]

spend time reading the thread. Easy way to check if you have the prep is to spend a second in your truck and look for the fiber optic cables and other harness. When in doubt spend 2 minutes on the phone with your local dealer. they'll need the last 7 of your VIN.

Originally Posted by Borsig

has anyone confirmed this on 2009s?

I have a 2009 that has no BMW Assist Or blue tooth and I'd like to Have Bluetooth...

Looking at my options.