[kaputme]

It all started with this thread.

A couple of warnings before you go any further. First of all, you do all of this at your own risk. You're messing around with the electrical system of your expensive BMW, if you fry something then you foot the bill. In other words I take no responsibility for your actions

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1274065

so after reading and understanding what is to be done for the retrofit i dived in : paid just as few bucks less and spent a hell lot of time fixing than just paying a guy who could do the mod ( parts inkl.) for 500€: PM me if you want his contacts and you can drive to Germany, have a weekend here and get yours done. I really recommend this.. But if you are brave and dumb like me and want to do it your way, dive right in then read on.

I bought a used E90 with TCU only, which means you get Bluetooth telephone Only, by only i mean, just calls and contacts, no SMS, no Office. Also no USB in arm rest. So every time i needed to update music, or listen to my band's last night's jam, i had to put it in the glove box USB and copy it to the HDD.

So I started the idea of USB in arm rest or bluetooth streaming, I read and read and understood and got confused and read more and stared towards a combox mod. Almost gave up, but then i found one for 150€

I am very bad with wiring, and changing wires from from TCU to combox was prone for loose contact and errors so i bought Kufatec connectors

https://www.kufatec.de/shop/de/BMW/5...TCU-auf-Combox

and

https://www.kufatec.de/shop/de/BMW/5...TCU-auf-Combox

The connector 2 didn't fit to the TCU Plug. There are two small sleeves in the white TCU connector which were not letting me connect to the Black connector of the adapters, So out comes the knife and i cut them off and it fits. It would fit the TCU also without any problem if i decide to revert back some day when i sell this car. So i connected the beige cable to beige connector on the combox. Black to black and purple black to far right connector. I hope you guys understand where i connected and i am correctly connected.

as soon as i connected the most cable i heard a voice asking me if i needed help, Yes God I do need help, and i said Who, they said its the Fire station, where is the fire. I said i accidentally hit the button sorry and they hung up..

So lesson learnt : Unplug battery before starting

Out of curiosity i tried connecting my phone, but it never did. My phone shows connected, but CIC keeps saying connecting and goes round and round.

I already had the k+Dcan cable
I downloaded the daten from this link provided by wildcatcrazy: great guy


v.59.2_SP-Daten:
https://mega.nz/#F!18hxlRoK!-5q-OGBA-_TQ5m137gCqhQ

And Downloaded and set up my Laptop (which was already set up before but with old files) and coded away

For coding you will find enough on these forums, i did so many iterations that i don't want to confuse you by stating them. Start slow, set up correct, code the digital speedo and some other stuff and you are good to go.

here are some links from Jon-vt: Great Guy

His combox retrofit here. May be helpful:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1287195

For coding, one of the best DIY for setting up your coding environment:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1204192

Heres a guide on how to change parameters of a module:
http://codinge90.com/ncs-expert-basic-understanding/

With the tools installed, you should try coding a few easy things to get the hang of how to code modules. Heres a good one to try:
http://codinge90.com/disable-the-legal-disclaimer/

You will also need to know how to modify the vehicle order:
http://codinge90.com/ncs-expert-how-...vehicle-order/

"Lot's to learn about coding. Just remember if you have questions, someone probably already had the same question before you and got it answered in a forum. Search is your friend." Words of Jon

So after this i was still reading stuff and i had this annoying SOS call failed issue every time i switched my car on: Which i coded it out: You probably will get it, so Search is your friend: I'll edit it when i get to my wits later in the week. or may be someone here knows it like the back of is hand. and reply

For a good Guide for coding: PM Josh G (great Guy) or Me. Or get it from someone else, there a a lot on these forums.

after all these i had

• Bluetooth Audio, but still couldn't change songs, no album art, Just names
• No Usb, cause i hadn't bought the cables, Bought it later and works
• SOS call failed pops up: Fixed
• No Connected drive
• No Internet :Fixed
• No text message readout

So i got a VIN out of Russian car website selling E90 and used one to code: But i was not able to use most of the features. WHY , I wonder WHY!! Is it because of the Lemon tree??

No it was because of all the excitement i forgot that my CIC was too old: C08!! Because the greedy german dealers never updated it even though i was there every year to get the service and updates done. If i had not started this mod, i would have never found out the truth about what a shit Job they do and charge you for everything.

If you don't have C13 and above, you can't have Connected Drive. So get your CIC updated, then proceed with the rest. If you get C1A, the Latest, then you need a code from BMW = Expensive

The dealers around my place were all quoting 300-400 € for the update. After searching I met a local Coder, got my CIC updated, he only had C1A: so no connected apps, I need F9c Code for that, as i didn't want to pay BMW anymore, and i have no Use for these apps anyway i decided to go ahead. I have managed to get the BMW live and Internet working, but still have to find a way to change the Home page on the Internet.

Got the USB cable into the Armrest: Struggled, wrestled, and Juggled through the Carpet and finally have it where i want it. It took me half hour to get this job done: Pull rear seat, pull carpet, route cable to armrest== Wrong..

its better to go the other way. Remove back of the Armrest where the air-vents are, remove Aux in( for TCU guys) route Usb through the hole where aux was, connect the USB cable to the USB hub, AUx port cable to Aux 4 pin on the hub. then run a straightened Coat hanger under the carpet from the back seat side hoping you have already removed the back seat, and fetch the Cable and route it from the right side of the seat back rest(some guys do it through the left) to the combox and you are done.

I connected this to my Blue one cos the black one is just for USB audio and updates any way, which won't change any time soon, so i bought a cheap cable from E bay and plugged it on the box and put my old Ipod with all the songs i wanted and left it in the boot near my Cd Changer.

Checked Everything: Works fine till now

So to Summarize:
Get your CIC updated:
Learn Coding
Buy Combox
Buy Connectors (optional)
Connect
Code FA
Code FRM
Code CIC
Code Media (combox)
Write Modified MAN file to CIC
Write VIN to Combox
Write Modified MAN file to Media.
And Pray and you are done

Reminders: Once connected with your phone, if you want to use BMW live, Enable Bluetooth tethering, if not you Combox will search, very bad and hard for a connection, and after some time it will give up and reboot (have tried it multiple times and checked with others who did the retrofit here in Germany)
So once you are sure everything is ok. Update services and you should have a few based on your coding and your CIC state

Once connected: Go to Configure phone in options, select Tele, audio, Data
Go to bluetooth config and select, everything. and you are done.

I had a problem, which i am still searching answers for. 5 days after the retrofit and coding, my Bluetooth was showing up as A41*** then as i was driving home from work i was disconnected, and i was not able to connect back. When i checked my car had forgotten all the paired items on it. So i repaired, this time my bluetooth was B50*** i don't know what happened. It had problems with staying stable and was switching off after a few minutes. But i changed a lot of stuff and got everything back working.

P.S. Additional telephone is for a second phone that can only receive calls and share audio, and can't make calls. So be sure of which phone is what.

Now Enjoy your accomplishment and drink to it

Sorry that there are no images. Have them on my phone and I'm too lazy on a Sunday evening to copy them to my PC

I would also Like to thank PichaDis11, Botos for their help as well

See ya

[kaputme]

Hi Guys,

I've been searching a lot around, but find nothing related to this.

MY BMW E90 2009 came with no USB in armrest (only in glove box) Bluetooth calling, but no audio, and with SOS assist function. Since i bought it used the assist function and connected drive services are already expired. i did not bother to renew them.

After a lot of searching and hard work and coding i changed my TCU to the combox to get USB in armrest and Bluetooth Audio. Also installed an aftermarket alarm system, after somebody tried cutting my door handles to get in my car and steal it.

The problem is this, somewhere there seems to be something wrong, cos if i don't use my car for more than 10 days to 2 weeks, then when i come back and open the doors, it gets connected and call immediately to the emergency services and i hear someone speaking through the speakers and asking me if i am ok. I say its a wrong call because of disconnected battery of my kids pushed the button. Its slowly getting annoying

I also notice that the date/day and the Km left to tank empty are all reset to zero ( battery drain)?

Any clue or suggestions why this would be happening.

Cheers