Disclaimer: Coding your car isn't that hard, but it can be intimidating. Note that there are some really great (and cheap!) options for getting a used CIC/combox already coded to your VIN, and activated with remote coding. Some of the forum members here offer these remote coding options!
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This post is my pseudo-DIY / build log for a CIC / combox / 6FL retrofit into my 2007 e92 335i (with MMI for rear-view camera). The build took months of research, reading dozens of threads (including all 80-some pages of the CIC patcher thread, referenced below). I figure that yes, the information is all out there and can be found via search but 1. some of it is out of date and 2. the information is scattered. Also, I love these forums but haven't had a chance to contribute a whole lot. So enjoy!
The basics:
I started with a 2007 e92 with build date #0307 and features $609 (iDrive professional navigation, CCC), $620 (voice control), $639 (bluetooth phone calls, SOS). (My audio system was $677 - HiFi Logic 7 and I have $249 which is the multifunction steering wheel.) My car did not have $6FL (USB / MULF2).
What I wanted:
1. A project - hence why I bought components separately and did the coding myself. I wanted to do something challenging.
2. The car to feel newer
3. Bluetooth audio (A2DP)
So first, the installation is very doable, particularly the CIC and combox. The 6FL was probably the most difficult to figure out. I did the install in stages so I wouldn't get overwhelmed.
For the CIC, I picked up: a CIC, a CIC screen (CID), CID power connector (61136954526), LVDS video cable (61119185171), USB port (84109237656) and CIC->glovebox USB cable (61129196805). Credit to
this post by cn555ic for the part numbers. Instead of collecting all the various wires and sockets,
you can get a kit for cheaper if you like. BTW make sure you buy from honest auto dismantlers who give you the VIN of the donor car! You don't want stolen goods of course, but especially for the combox you will want the VIN so you can get the correct software update from the BMW site.
I did not bother with the updated iDrive controller, because my CCC controller still looks great after 12 years and all the CIC controllers on eBay looked beat up. I don't know why, but it seemed to me they wear out faster. I don't cover the controller retrofit, but there's no coding for that part. Again, see
this post by cn555ic for details.
I did buy my CIC and CID separately. I made sure to buy the newest CIC I could find (2013), as I read somewhere 2012+ units come with C1A firmware.* I noticed they cost about $100 more than 2009-2011 models, but then I didn't need to find and pay someone with an ICOM to upgrade the firmware. I bought an earlier (2010) CID because I wanted one with the protective acrylic screen. Buying them separately definitely cost me extra money.
Installation of the CIC hardware is pretty reasonable, and
BMWFanatic did a great video on it. If you want to see the pin movements for the CID connection,
here are photos from cn555ic's thread.
*Also, if you want to use both satellite radio and BMW apps together, you will probably want to go with a later unit with the pink connector in the back - the newer build date (03/11) needed for BMW apps will disable the sat radio IBOC in the trunk. You can buy a sat radio extension cable on eBay, and run it from the dash to the trunk. I have no idea if the build date for combox without BMW apps (09/10) will disable the satellite IBOC, perhaps someone here can enlighten us.