[tgb1974]

I have a 2013 E93 M3 with CIC. As you all know, the OEM 2g combox is no longer receiving any data. I am considering updating to the 4g combox through the dealer so I can use all of the BMW Assist features.

The BMW customer support people have told me, on two separate occasions, that updating to the 4g combox, in connection with the coding and software updates, will enable my CIC to receive advanced real-time traffic information (not just the RTTI transmitted via FM radio). I am still skeptical that this information is accurate, as I thought you needed the NBT head unit to receive ARTTI.

Is what BMW told me correct? Thanks in advance.

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by tgb1974

I have a 2013 E93 M3 with CIC. As you all know, the OEM 2g combox is no longer receiving any data. I am considering updating to the 4g combox through the dealer so I can use all of the BMW Assist features.

The BMW customer support people have told me, on two separate occasions, that updating to the 4g combox, in connection with the coding and software updates, will enable my CIC to receive advanced real-time traffic information (not just the RTTI transmitted via FM radio). I am still skeptical that this information is accurate, as I thought you needed the NBT head unit to receive ARTTI.

Is what BMW told me correct? Thanks in advance.

I snagged a 4G combox a while ago. You need to have the entire car flashed to the latest I level and then your vin activated by BMW. I am not sure if RTTI was supported on the CIC or not. I know the combox gave support for straight shot voice commands.

[tgb1974]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I snagged a 4G combox a while ago. You need to have the entire car flashed to the latest I level and then your vin activated by BMW. I am not sure if RTTI was supported on the CIC or not. I know the combox gave support for straight shot voice commands.

Thanks very much. Would you mind telling me where you got the combox and what the dealer charged you for the installation, flashing, etc.?

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by tgb1974

Thanks very much. Would you mind telling me where you got the combox and what the dealer charged you for the installation, flashing, etc.?

I bought it used and did all of the coding and flashing myself. It cost me $100 for the combox. IMO I would not spend more than that for a 4G combox; it is not worth it.

[tgb1974]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I bought it used and did all of the coding and flashing myself. It cost me $100 for the combox. IMO I would not spend more than that for a 4G combox; it is not worth it.

I appreciate that. Where did you buy your combox?

[6ixSpd]

@Nicko43 didn't you also do a NBT retrofit at the same time? Wouldn't that be different than someone coding a 4G combox to a CIC?

I'd be interested in this for the ARTTI and Bluetooth album art and playlist browsing. Assuming those 3 items are doable with a 4G Combox and CIC.

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by 6ixSpd

@Nicko43 didn't you also do a NBT retrofit at the same time? Wouldn't that be different than someone coding a 4G combox to a CIC?

I'd be interested in this for the ARTTI and Bluetooth album art and playlist browsing. Assuming those 3 items are doable with a 4G Combox and CIC.

I have a full EVO + ATM setup in my car from a 2017 X3. BMW thinks my car is a 2017 X3 so I have full connected drive services including the phone app.

I was searching for comboxes to mail to YouTube influences one day and I was running part numbers. I found a 13 X5 with the 4G combox part number and I bought it immediately. On my bench, I set the combox vin from the most vin (06 325i) to the coding vin for the X5. I didn't play around with it much but I can tell you for certain BT album art is not supported on the CIC at all. I sold the combox to a friend who updated his car at home and put it in his pre lci E70.

Op wants to spend $500-$600 and have their factory combox car retrofitted with a new combox. Then have a new BMW Assist subscription activated for their vin. In my opinion it is not worth it since the CIC was not built to be a connected system. The weather and junk is hidden in a bunch of menus which takes too much time to get to. RTTI is very good but not worth $500. On the NBT EVO, I have the weather on a live tile and it is right there. It is very useful and I glance at it every day.

In my opinion and I have had every single navigation / radio in my car I would either spend this money on a backup camera or I would save it for a proper NBT Evo + ATM retrofit using a matched, US Evo + ATM pair. Keep in mind all of the major retrofit companies use European evos or they do not have a matched ATM.

[tgb1974]

Originally Posted by Nickco43

I have a full EVO + ATM setup in my car from a 2017 X3. BMW thinks my car is a 2017 X3 so I have full connected drive services including the phone app.

I was searching for comboxes to mail to YouTube influences one day and I was running part numbers. I found a 13 X5 with the 4G combox part number and I bought it immediately. On my bench, I set the combox vin from the most vin (06 325i) to the coding vin for the X5. I didn't play around with it much but I can tell you for certain BT album art is not supported on the CIC at all. I sold the combox to a friend who updated his car at home and put it in his pre lci E70.

Op wants to spend $500-$600 and have their factory combox car retrofitted with a new combox. Then have a new BMW Assist subscription activated for their vin. In my opinion it is not worth it since the CIC was not built to be a connected system. The weather and junk is hidden in a bunch of menus which takes too much time to get to. RTTI is very good but not worth $500. On the NBT EVO, I have the weather on a live tile and it is right there. It is very useful and I glance at it every day.

In my opinion and I have had every single navigation / radio in my car I would either spend this money on a backup camera or I would save it for a proper NBT Evo + ATM retrofit using a matched, US Evo + ATM pair. Keep in mind all of the major retrofit companies use European evos or they do not have a matched ATM.

Thanks very much for that helpful analysis. Do you recommend that I retrofit to the NBT-EVO? The Euro retrofit companies seem to be the only game in town for this work. Where did you buy the hardware? I doubt I could do the coding myself in any event, so what do you suggest?

[Nickco43]

Originally Posted by tgb1974

Thanks very much for that helpful analysis. Do you recommend that I retrofit to the NBT-EVO? The Euro retrofit companies seem to be the only game in town for this work. Where did you buy the hardware? I doubt I could do the coding myself in any event, so what do you suggest?

The NBT Evo is expensive but well worth the time and money if you have a nice E90. I am still up in the air if I want to create proper NBT Evo kits. It is a lot of work on my end.