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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > ConnectedDrive / I-Drive / Navigation Related Discussion > Combox Retrofit Woes



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      09-02-2018, 04:43 AM   #1
ShadyShifty
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Angry Combox Retrofit Woes

Esteemed E9x enthusiasts,

In an effort to reinvigorate my aging (June) 2007 E90 328i, I’ve recently went on a spending spree, purchasing a CIC/Combox retrofit kit amongst several other things. The CIC install was easy enough, but I’ve hit a roadblock with the Combox and would appreciate any insight that could be offered.

Since my car was equipped with the CCC from the factory, the CIC retrofit was largely plug-and-play. After the install, I confirmed that the audio, Bluetooth, and armrest USB port were working properly. I plan to script-activate the navigation and Sirius after my glove compartment USB port arrives, so I did not purchase an emulator.

Following the CIC retrofit, I attempted to replace my TCU and MULF with a BN2000 Combox, but no amount of effort on my part can get it to work. The issue I’m having is identical to a break in the MOST loop- I have no audio and I’m getting an SOS error. To address the most obvious issue, the kit I purchased came with an adapter to continue the MOST signal where I’m effectively exchanging two MOST devices for one. The red fiber optic signal is definitely coming into the Combox, but that’s where it ends. It won’t proceed past the Combox no matter what I’ve tried. I’ve attempted switching the MOST adapter and the Combox locations to no resolve, but it’s obvious from the red beam emission that the MOST adapter is carrying the signal downstream, again where it dies inside the Combox. In either scenario, the signal does not make it’s way to the diagnostic MOST port under the steering wheel.

Concerning wiring, I’ve double, triple, and quadruple checked my re-pin against this post and TIS. I’m not saying that a miswire is impossible at this point, but I’ve done my diligence to ensure it wasn’t the case. Furthermore, I’ve confirmed with a multimeter that there is 12v between pin 1 and 14 (ground), and 12v between pin 2 and 14. I’ve even went so far as to disconnect all other pins from the connector except for pins 1,2, and 14, again with no success. It was elsewhere suggested to split the power of pin 1 to supply both pin 1 and 2, which I’ve also had no luck with.

Regarding coding, I’ve tried every permutation I could find on these and other forums without any luck. CIC and MEDIA are options in NCS, but attempting to read/write anything to the latter results in the German equivalent of a “no response” error.

I suppose it’s possible that the Combox itself is faulty, but I purchased it from a trusted and respected member of our forums who assures me that he tested it for functionality prior to shipping. Also, it came in one of the most meticulously well-wrapped/packaged boxes I’ve ever received, so I don’t think it was damaged in shipment.

A couple of things I don’t think are related but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention – Similar to this post, I have a leftover solid green wire (in addition to the expected brown and blue wire) which came from MULF pin #49 or 50 maybe, and was unaccounted for in other re-pin guides and TIS. I honestly have no idea what it goes to. It’s similar in color to the green fiberoptic cable, but much smaller in caliber and terminates with a standard metal connector.

It’s also worth mentioning that I have a pre-existing satellite module, but I doubt this is related.

Finally, I should mention that I’ve currently got my central armrest, shiftknob/boot and the trim removed in anticipation of a heated seat retrofit for my currently powerless seats, but I’ve not touched any of the wiring just yet. I’ve even reconnected everything just to see if that was the problem.

Anyways, like I said, if anyone has any ideas, I’m open to suggestion. Thanks in advance and sorry for the novel.

TLDR; Combox is where the MOST signal goes to die.
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      09-02-2018, 06:40 AM   #2
ptpending
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if you have two 1m spare wires for power and ground you can only install them in 26-pin connector and connect their other ends to battery contacts under hood
do not connect MOST connector at all, after that in 10 sec you should see that combox emit red light from most connector, if not - it is dead
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Retrofits: Harman Kardon, High-beam assistant, Removable tow hitch. Auto-dim folding exterior mirrors. Lumbar support. Perfomance Brakes.
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      09-03-2018, 07:27 AM   #3
ShadyShifty
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Alright folks, the results are in. The idiot award goes to... me.

I'm happy to say I got the Combox working. The issue was that the 26-pin comb fits into the locking clasp only one way, which fits into the Combox only one way. In other words, it's not reversible and can't be put in upside down. Unfortunately (and strangely) if you rely on the pin numbers etched into the outer edge of comb itself (1, 13, 14, 26) it actually won't line up with the pin numbers which I noticed were etched into the Combox.

The suggestion above actually helped me figure this out. I was feeling too lazy to disconnect all of the pins in the 26-pin connector, so I just grabbed a 10-pin connector I had laying around and placed only the power and ground pins as suggested. In placing this 10-pin connector into the Combox, I noticed the numbers etched into the sides of the Combox which were notably backwards from the way I was placing the original 26-pin connector. Truly, it's a miracle that this backwards placement for 3 days didn't fry something in the Combox. In any case, I'm thankful for a happy ending and enjoying my newly installed Combox.

So what have I learned? Check the pins on both sides of the connector and the device side and don't always rely on the manufacturer to make things perfectly straight forward.
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