[999er]

I bought a used E90 w/o 6FL, and decided I wanted an integrated iPod kit. When doing my research, I couldn't find any really detailed *user* reviews of the system (sorry, EAS, you guys don't count as users). So now that I'm done with everything I figured I'd throw this post up and tell you everything you need to know about the mObridge A2010 unit.

First off, my car: I have a 2007 335xi sedan with the Professional Radio (this means no iDrive). The car already has the premium package and, thus, the TCU with BlueTooth support. So I got the mObridge iPod-only unit. My car DID NOT have a CD Changer installed from the factory. My iPod is a 5.5G Video (the 80GB Video iPod)

I also ran into a lot of misinformation in trying to get this done. Everything I'll be posting here is from my own personal experience (and that of the mechanic with whom I worked; "my" and "I" here mean "our" and "we"). I won't speculate about things I haven't tried. Thus, if you have the same car I do, you can trust this as a decent guide.

Now, here's the information you need to know about performing the install:
- If you did not have a CD Changer installed this feature must be enabled ("coded") on your car. Most dealers will refuse to do this for you even if you pay them. Find somebody with an Autologic unit in your area and they'll be able to do it - the actual procedure is easy. DO THIS FIRST, before taking anything apart. Your coding is OK if you see a "CDC" option when you press the "audio" button on the radio.
- The mObridge unit must be connected to at a MOST node in your car. There are two locations I considered for this:
1. There is a node behind the head unit (stereo). This is the way I'd recommend doing it, putting the mObridge unit into the space behind the glove box.
2. The factor CD Changer location under the left side of the trunk. There are several issues with this. First off, the mObridge comes with ~6ft cables, which won't be enough to reach the front seats. You could put your iPod in the rear driver's-side seat, but that's not the best. Aux cable extensions can be gotten at any Radioshack, but iPod dock cable extenders are more expensive and less common (look at Cablejive if you want one). I don't recommend using an extension - audio from the iPod dock connector is ANALOG, whatever anyone else tries to tell you, and thus is subject to electromagnetic interference. In other words, the longer the cable you run, the worse your sound quality will be.

Before installing the unit, make sure you have light coming from the fiber connectors. If you do not, (a) check your fuses and (b) check the fiber trees in the car to make sure everything is connected.

Again, I recommend installing around the glovebox area. Be aware that the only way to update the non-Bluetooth unit without a mObridge developer cable is with a Secure Digital card. This means that if you install the unit behind trim, updating the firmware will require you to take out that trim to get at the SD card slot. For this reason, I installed my unit IN the glove box.

- Now, the actual install. The directions available on the mObridge web site will do if you ignore certain parts of them: the only really important bit is that you must SWITCH THE GROUND AND POWER WIRES FROM THE BMW HARNESS. I don't advise using the wiring harness mObridge provides. Ignore the warnings about "vehicle order"; I've tested the unit in both of the spots I mentioned above and it works in either.

You can run the aux cable, iPod adapter, and bypass switch cables where you like. I put the iPod under the center armrest, drilled a hole in my ashtray on the right hand side (just under the 12v jack) and put the aux cable there, and put the bypass switch in the glove box. There's no really good reason to put another aux connection under the armrest; there's already one there! In fact, while I was at it I ran a second aux cable from the center armrest to the ashtray hole I mentioned earlier for connecting my sat radio. More on that at the end of this post.

- The mObridge instructions say that leaving your car alone for 10 minutes is enough for it to shut down. They're lying. It takes more than an hour unattended before the light on the shifter (for my AT) to go out. But that doesn't matter; you unplugged the battery anyhow before working with the car electronics, right? When you plug the battery back in, your mObridge should be working.

Now, about how the unit itself works. If you have a stack-of-CDs icon instead of the "--" underneath the "CDC" in your head unit, the mObridge is on and working. You should also get the mObridge logo when you connect your iPod. For those of you who run Rockbox, tough cookies - the latest version doesn't work at all with the mObridge. I think I got maybe 5s of audio with it once. Switch to the Original Apple Firmware to connect to your car.

Anyway, now you have to make sure the mObridge is correctly configured. Mine shipped as a "BMW-nonmp3" unit, which SUCKS. Go to mobridge-inc.com and use the "mObridge Wizard" to generate an INI file to put on an SD card for your car. ****THE E90 IS A "NUMERIC" CAR, NOT A "FULL FOLDER BROWSING" CAR **** <-- this is important. Put the SD card you just made into the mObridge while the radio is off. Turn the radio on, and wait a few minutes. Now the mObridge should work right. If you want to update the firmware, it's the same procedure, just put the FIF file on the SD card instead of using the wizard to make the INI.

Whew, that's all done. Now we can use the device properly. It's just as shown in the EAS posts except that they didn't mention:
- You cannot reconfigure the top-level "CDs" to be anything other than the playlists on your iPod. That's all they do.
- After pressing the "LIST" button you'll have the ability to browse the iPod, but browsing on two lines really sucks. It's doable but if you have a lot of songs you'll want to exit lock mode and then use the iPod itself.
- When you connect an iPod the unit will reset itself, causing the head unit to jump back to the FM radio. You'll have to wait a second or two and then switch back to the CD Changer option.
- After exiting lock mode, the same thing happens...
- The iPod loads very quickly even if you have many songs. No worries here.
- The currently playing track is shown as a CD, not an MP3. This means that it won't show "Hurt So Good", it'll show "Track 58".
- The sound quality is very, very good. Really. I'm not exactly an audiophile, but I do keep my tracks in lossless formats. In my opinion, this is some good sound.

OK, I think that's about it. While I'm here I'll also throw in a few words about the sat radio path I took. The BMW Sirius option is just a little too limiting for me... I don't like the idea of not being able to move the radio around. So I ended up buying a Sirius/XM Mirge unit. Under the trunk trim there was a pink connector which I knew from other posts here led to the sharkfin on the roof. I bought the Sirius stock "50ft indoor/outdoor antenna extension cable with built-in amplifier" and connected one end to this pink thingy. I then routed the cable to the aforementioned hole on the right side of my ashtray. Sirius says you need an "interoperable antenna" for the Mirge. They're lying.

So I used the included vent clips to mount the Mirge on the right-hand center vent and ran a neat little bundle of three cables (power, the antenna connector, and the aux cable I mentioned running from the center console to the ashray) up and into the Mirge car dock. It looks clean and works fine.

Issues:
- The ashtray power supply is off when the car is. So no sat radio while waiting for people.
- No other problems; reception is good!

Hopefully this'll be some help to somebody out there who either isn't sure about the mObridge unit as a DIY or wants satellite radio but doesn't want to put an antenna on the outside of their car.

Enjoy!

[VP Electricity]

Great post. I should add that since you have a pre-2009 335, you have Logic 7, even though you do not have iDrive, correct?

I believe that non-Logic 7 systems could not accomodate the moBridge?

[999er]

Great post. I should add that since you have a pre-2009 335, you have Logic 7, even though you do not have iDrive, correct?

I believe that non-Logic 7 systems could not accomodate the moBridge?

You are correct, my car was made when Logic 7 was standard.

However, I haven't seen anything that says the mObridge will only work with cars having Logic7; the factory CDC will work, and the mObridge emulates the factory CDC, so it should also work in newer cars not having the high-end sound system.

[VP Electricity]

I *thought* that the non-Logic 7 cars didn't have a MOST ring... but now that I think about it, the BMW Sirius tuners still work on the MOST bus, so I was wrong about that.

To the analog audio out of the Mirge is going into an AUX in on the MoBridge?

[999er]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

I *thought* that the non-Logic 7 cars didn't have a MOST ring... but now that I think about it, the BMW Sirius tuners still work on the MOST bus, so I was wrong about that.

To the analog audio out of the Mirge is going into an AUX in on the MoBridge?

I could have done that, but didn't. As I mentioned in my original post, I ran an aux cable from the center console to the ashtray. One end of that plugs into the Mirge, and one plugs into the aux port under the armrest. That way the sat radio is accessible just by switching the head unit to "AUX", which is doable from the button the steering wheel. If I connected the Mirge to the mObridge it would work but getting sat radio would require navigating the mObridge menus, which cannot be done without hands off the wheel and adds complexity.

[mObridge]

Originally Posted by 999er

I also ran into a lot of misinformation in trying to get this done. Everything I'll be posting here is from my own personal experience (and that of the mechanic with whom I worked; "my" and "I" here mean "our" and "we").
...
Hopefully this'll be some help to somebody out there who either isn't sure about the mObridge unit as a DIY or wants satellite radio but doesn't want to put an antenna on the outside of their car.

Enjoy!

Hey 999er, great post on your install! We definitely applaud you for taking on this retrofit as a DIY as it's a lot to navigate.

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

I *thought* that the non-Logic 7 cars didn't have a MOST ring... but now that I think about it, the BMW Sirius tuners still work on the MOST bus, so I was wrong about that.

That's correct. No matter what options it has, EVERY model of chassis E6x, E7x, E8x, E9x, F1, MINI R56/57, they all have a MOST bus and all can retrofit certain capabilities such as CDC, iPod, SAT, Tel/Bluetooth, Aux, etc.

Originally Posted by 999er

Anyway, now you have to make sure the mObridge is correctly configured. Mine shipped as a "BMW-nonmp3" unit, which SUCKS.

Sorry to hear about that. Highly glad you found the tool to reconfigure by the Wizard/SD though!

Originally Posted by 999er

The mObridge instructions say that leaving your car alone for 10 minutes is enough for it to shut down. They're lying. It takes more than an hour unattended before the light on the shifter (for my AT) to go out.

OK some tips here. Most models, most of the time, will go "dark" (MOST and possibly the rest of the car asleep) within 10 minutes. It helps to turn EVERYTHING off, lock and arm the car to accelerate the "delayed power down" (DPD) process in various ECUs. If you've got an iPod connected, and you're getting the product logo (not on iPhone/iTouch) and the iPod/iPhone is charging, you can watch for the charging/logo to go out. That's another indication the MOST bus has gone dark and you're safe to go back and play with functions.

It's also true that ANY of the aforementioned chassis vehicles will take a CDC so it's possible to retrofit an iPod CDC-emulation type kit like mObridge into any of them.

The more knowledgable shops with Autologic will even modify the Vehicle Order for you so that it's on record in Germany. So yeah, as 999er mentions it's best to have a shop with Autologic do it (unless you happen to have the correct CDC "on hand" and an uncharacteristically helpful BMW dealer that is willing to code without actually permanently fitting the CDC ... what I did, before we worked out the coding with Autologic, was completely fitted a CDC, left it there for future trips to the dealer, and just swap iPod (mObridge) in when I wanted/needed.

Thanks again for your thoughtful/complete post! It's great to build up a base of knowledge here about retrofitting.

[VP Electricity]

There was a base of knowledge present before you arrived... useful info is welcomed, but jeez, we weren't waiting for you

[SoCalTech]

Just to let you know, you will get have huge warranty issues with this if your car ever needs to be programmed. If the dealership needs to program the car, it will see an error in looking for the CDC that it believes it supposed to be there, and it won't let you program the car. So let's say you need a new transmission. The tech replaces the transmission, goes to program the car, and you've made it un-programmable. Now your car cannot be driven. See what I'm saying? You'll save a lot of time and money by just purchasing the BMW OE system...

[VP Electricity]

Are you CERTAIN that this device's CDC emulation won't fool the dealership tool?

I mean, it is a CDC emulator...

[999er]

Originally Posted by SoCalTech

Just to let you know, you will get have huge warranty issues with this if your car ever needs to be programmed. If the dealership needs to program the car, it will see an error in looking for the CDC that it believes it supposed to be there, and it won't let you program the car. So let's say you need a new transmission. The tech replaces the transmission, goes to program the car, and you've made it un-programmable. Now your car cannot be driven. See what I'm saying? You'll save a lot of time and money by just purchasing the BMW OE system...

Do you know this from personal experience / can you cite a source?

The bypass switch ostensibly allows all fiber traffic to transparently flow through the unit, so the car is functionally equivalent to one coded for a CDC but with no device present. What you are saying is that in the event you were in an accident / were burglarized / had a failure and the CD changer stopped working, a BMW tech would not be able to successfully replace the transmission?

Are you really SURE about this, or is it conjecture?

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by mObridge

That's correct. No matter what options it has, EVERY model of chassis E6x, E7x, E8x, E9x, F1, MINI R56/57, they all have a MOST bus and all can retrofit certain capabilities such as CDC, iPod, SAT, Tel/Bluetooth, Aux, etc.

So tell me that the BMW MOST audio gateway - the device I asked you guys to PLEASE make in the conference call with Directed in 2007 - will work in a non-Logic 7 car on the MOST ring? (oh please oh please please...)

[tom @ eas]

Originally Posted by SoCalTech

Just to let you know, you will get have huge warranty issues with this if your car ever needs to be programmed. If the dealership needs to program the car, it will see an error in looking for the CDC that it believes it supposed to be there, and it won't let you program the car. So let's say you need a new transmission. The tech replaces the transmission, goes to program the car, and you've made it un-programmable. Now your car cannot be driven. See what I'm saying? You'll save a lot of time and money by just purchasing the BMW OE system...

Placing the module into bypass mode with the supplied switch will make it completely invisible to any SSS/OPS scanner.

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

I mean, it is a CDC emulator...

Correct - the vehicle sees it as nothing else. The OTC BMW kit is very outdated, slow browsing and will not even charge the current line of iPod/iPhone/touch devices.

[SoCalTech]

Originally Posted by tom @ eas

Placing the module into bypass mode with the supplied switch will make it completely invisible to any SSS/OPS scanner.



Correct - the vehicle sees it as nothing else.

Come on, you of all people should know the background story to what I'm saying.
999er, I know this from experience. I will not give details though. Either take my word for it, or don't believe me. Either way it doesn't really affect me, just wanted to hopefully let people about the possible repercussions of this before they do it.
The bypass switch might make it invisible, but the ISSS needs to see that all the modules that are supposed to be on the car (including the CDC that you tricked the car into thinking it has) are there and functioning. Without it seeing the functioning CDC, it will not allow programming of any modules to go through. It will just give the instruction to "replace CDC and restart programming".

[mObridge]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

So tell me that the BMW MOST audio gateway - the device I asked you guys to PLEASE make in the conference call with Directed in 2007 - will work in a non-Logic 7 car on the MOST ring? (oh please oh please please...)

No final word on that yet, but in many cases it will be possible because many (if not all) of the HU's have the ability for output to L7 rather than the HU's own internal speaker outs. Of course there are probably exceptions to that.

[mObridge]

Originally Posted by 999er

Do you know this from personal experience / can you cite a source?

The bypass switch ostensibly allows all fiber traffic to transparently flow through the unit, so the car is functionally equivalent to one coded for a CDC but with no device present. What you are saying is that in the event you were in an accident / were burglarized / had a failure and the CD changer stopped working, a BMW tech would not be able to successfully replace the transmission?

Are you really SURE about this, or is it conjecture?

Sounds like significant grounds for anti-trust action, if that were the case.

[VP Electricity]

So I have a question on the audio gateway (off topic, sue me : )

Since all audio to the MOST ring has been digitized, will the gateway have ALL audio - including analog sources such as AM/FM and AUX/iPod - on the Toslink SPDIF output?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by mObridge

The more knowledgable shops with Autologic will even modify the Vehicle Order for you so that it's on record in Germany.

Could it be possible to change the output of the OEM HU/iDrive from digital to analog by just changing the Vehicle Order from Top HiFi to HiFi?

I would like to get one of your MOST preamp devices -if they don't turn into vaporware- but your suggested prices of $500 to $750 simply do not make any sense to me.

[VP Electricity]

Actually, we should check to ensure that both outputs are not active at all times. There's no reason for the designers to "turn off" an unused output.

Technic, isn't the suggest price to which you refer on a par with the existing mObridge iPod interface? The hardware requirements are similar on the MOST interface side, there needs to be a D/A section instead of an A/D section (so that's a push) - and the analog output section (hopefully an audiophile-grade output section) and Toskink and coaxial SPDIF outputs have to be added as well.

I would like it to be cheaper... but from a COGS POV I expect it to be more expensive, and the NRE behind it is not insignificant - especially since it's proven harder than they initially thought.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by VP Electricity

Actually, we should check to ensure that both outputs are not active at all times. There's no reason for the designers to "turn off" an unused output.

Technic, isn't the suggest price to which you refer on a par with the existing mObridge iPod interface? The hardware requirements are similar on the MOST interface side, there needs to be a D/A section instead of an A/D section (so that's a push) - and the analog output section (hopefully an audiophile-grade output section) and Toskink and coaxial SPDIF outputs have to be added as well.

I would like it to be cheaper... but from a COGS POV I expect it to be more expensive, and the NRE behind it is not insignificant - especially since it's proven harder than they initially thought.

Response: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=285827

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by Technic

The mObridge iPod/Bluetooth adapter is $850, but at least we can compare it in price with the $400 6FL factory adapter + $400 for a ULF OEM Bluetooth adapter (not offered in the USA).

If you are going to compare the hardware, you should compare the volumes.

The BMW piece has greater economies of scale, so HW should be cheaper, and BMW probably funds the NRE also.

Not clear that it is a totally valid comparison.

Originally Posted by Technic

Technically it should not be harder to come up with this MOST preamp, as if you can input into the MOST (iPod, Bluetooth, this XM adapter) you have won more than half the battle already as you really understand how to navigate this network. What I think that could happened is that either the MOST BMW proprietary protocol have evolved too many times since the '02 7-Series that coming with a generic MOST preamp code is not that simple anymore, or is simply that there are some real economic reasons of introducing a expensive device that really do not solve that big of a problem anymore.

Of course, this is my guess.

My problem is the price vs. the application itself: this is not a processor, it is a preamp. And to cost more than 90% of the processors out there is just not that a smart idea... sheez, the analog version cost within $50 of the bit one. And at least two devices can do a pretty decent job in integrating a Top HiFi to aftermarket devices for $250, the Cleansweep and the 3SIXTY.1. And you will have a nice processor with the 3SIXTY.1 for the same price.

It really doesn't matter in my mind what devices cost which DON'T do what this does. If this is the only device on the market to do what it is supposed to do, it should demand some sort of premium, until it has competitors.

Since most people won't NEED a processor once they have this, I think that few people will see your point as an objection. Yes, you and I will have one, but we are not in the fat part of the distribution curve.

On the other hand, since it will be knocked off in China hours after the first one ships, maybe they should aim for the fat part of the curve from day one

[Technic]

I do not want to threadjack... answer in my Autologic thread.

[VP Electricity]

Originally Posted by Technic

I do not want to threadjack... answer in my Autologic thread.

OK... but US mObridge importer guy, come over to that thread, k?