[MattyD44]

Hi guys,

I know this topic has been done to death, but no 2 cars are the same and I want confirmation from someone with experience before I spend money on it...

I am in the process of retrofitting combox to an 11/09 E90 LCI with TCU only and in the process want to retrofit the armrest USB/Aux socket in place of the Aux socket that exists currently.

I dont want to lose the Aux functionality even though I'll barely use it but I'm aware that retrofitting combox and 6FL will disable the Aux if not re-routed.

Has anyone had any experience of completing this?

From looking at RealOEM I think I need:

1 x 84109237654 – USB/Aux switchable socket
1 x 61129187009 – cable from USB/Aux
1 x 61136919424 – bracket for USB/Aux socket
1 x 61119129360 – 2.3m HSD to combox

Grateful for any advice/experience available.

Thanks,
Matt

[ctuna]

The USB comes from the combox so how do you think it is any
extra routing to put in the AUX.
I guess you might be thinking you will use bluetooth a2dp only.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ction/CkXCJAUo

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by MattyD44

Hi guys,

I know this topic has been done to death, but no 2 cars are the same and I want confirmation from someone with experience before I spend money on it...

I am in the process of retrofitting combox to an 11/09 E90 LCI with TCU only and in the process want to retrofit the armrest USB/Aux socket in place of the Aux socket that exists currently.

I dont want to lose the Aux functionality even though I'll barely use it but I'm aware that retrofitting combox and 6FL will disable the Aux if not re-routed.

Has anyone had any experience of completing this?

From looking at RealOEM I think I need:

1 x 84109237654 – USB/Aux switchable socket
1 x 61129187009 – cable from USB/Aux
1 x 61136919424 – bracket for USB/Aux socket
1 x 61119129360 – 2.3m HSD to combox

Grateful for any advice/experience available.

Thanks,
Matt

almost every cabling set for combox in e9x similar
1. you do not need switchable socket if you are not retrofitting 6NF option with 6FL
2. 2.3 m cable is not enough if you plan route cable like it was from factory, use tape measure to measure path, you want to use 2.3 m cable you should remove rear seat and route cable directly to central console tunnel

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by ptpending

almost every cabling set for combox in e9x similar
1. you do not need switchable socket if you are not retrofitting 6NF option with 6FL
2. 2.3 m cable is not enough if you plan route cable like it was from factory, use tape measure to measure path, you want to use 2.3 m cable you should remove rear seat and route cable directly to central console tunnel

I'm not retrofitting 6NF at the same time so guessing from that, I require the standard USB/Aux socket - 84109237653?

Is the intermediate cable I posted suitable for this socket?

Is the correct length 3.37m? 61119129361

Thanks,
Matt

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by ctuna

The USB comes from the combox so how do you think it is any
extra routing to put in the AUX.
I guess you might be thinking you will use bluetooth a2dp only.

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...ction/CkXCJAUo

I've read that retrofitting combox to cars without 6FL will disable the Aux socket as it goes straight to the headunit as TCU doesn't have an audio in function.

Guessing retrofitting 6FL removes that routing issue in this case and combox handles the USB/Aux switching itself?

I do not want to use A2DP.

[ctuna]

As far as I know there it 6fl came from the Mulf.
And I thought the Aux did to.
TCU has to be able to take over the audio system for
bluetooth or SOS.

Anyway where the aux comes from should be programmable.

[ptpending]

there are different HSD cable configuration for 6FL option depending on which module used:
mulf2high - has one usb hsd with standard power characteristics - bmw used two 2m cables using dacar 535-2 4x0.14 mm wire and powered usb hub in drivers footwell under carpet, between cables
combox - has two usb hsd ports, one is with extended power and bmw use 3.9m cable using dacar 566 4x0.5 mm wire without hub
and second, blue hsd with standard power for 6NF option where power is recovered in cradle
i do not know how to order 3.9m cable with dacar 566 wire, i had one from junkyard and i had few 2m cables from bmw 6fl retrofit

and when you want to do combox retrofit bmw provides special cradle to retrofit combox in drivers footwell, and in that situation 2m hsd cable is enough
in real life usb sticks work over 4m dacar 535 based hsd cable but i used SSD or HDD or wanted to charge phone and that was problem

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by ptpending

there are different HSD cable configuration for 6FL option depending on which module used:
mulf2high - has one usb hsd with standard power characteristics - bmw used two 2m cables using dacar 535-2 4x0.14 mm wire and powered usb hub in drivers footwell under carpet, between cables
combox - has two usb hsd ports, one is with extended power and bmw use 3.9m cable using dacar 566 4x0.5 mm wire without hub
and second, blue hsd with standard power for 6NF option where power is recovered in cradle
i do not know how to order 3.9m cable with dacar 566 wire, i had one from junkyard and i had few 2m cables from bmw 6fl retrofit

and when you want to do combox retrofit bmw provides special cradle to retrofit combox in drivers footwell, and in that situation 2m hsd cable is enough
in real life usb sticks work over 4m dacar 535 based hsd cable but i used SSD or HDD or wanted to charge phone and that was problem

I dont really feel like I'm struggling to understand any more of what I need here

I have TCU only so know theres no USB hub in the car.

I don't mind routing the HSD cable in a slightly different way if the 3.37m cable will reach and provide the same solution.

So I currently use the iPhone 5S cradle to charge my phone, will I lose power to the cradle if I don't utilise the blue HSD cable too?

Am I better off just retrofitting combox and not bothering with USB? Is there a workaround to connect a simple USB stick to the combox to update the software on it without retrofitting the socket?

Sorry for the stupid questions. I'm more than capable of installing the equipment, it's just getting my head around what I'll need before I start.

[ctuna]

As far as I know the USB's are only for playing music
and media. Software updates come from coding or programming
from the MOST bus via Ista P or a coding setup.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1126467
http://www.**************/showthread...ighlight=mulf2

Yeah the above are for Mulf but the hardware should be mostly the same.
Good idea to do more research than you want to.

A search for 6fl turns up stuff like this

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...ghlight=combox
Read entry 48 say's you don't need a hub with a combox.
but read the whole thing to .

which has this in it
https://www.e90post.com/forums/attac...8&d=1367715541

Somewhere there was a thread where I guy just found a cable to directy connect
a cheap cable to the USB might have been off the Mulf 2 though.(no usb hub)

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by MattyD44

I dont really feel like I'm struggling to understand any more of what I need here

I have TCU only so know theres no USB hub in the car.

I don't mind routing the HSD cable in a slightly different way if the 3.37m cable will reach and provide the same solution.

So I currently use the iPhone 5S cradle to charge my phone, will I lose power to the cradle if I don't utilise the blue HSD cable too?

Am I better off just retrofitting combox and not bothering with USB? Is there a workaround to connect a simple USB stick to the combox to update the software on it without retrofitting the socket?

Sorry for the stupid questions. I'm more than capable of installing the equipment, it's just getting my head around what I'll need before I start.

you will not lose your cradle charging if you make correct rewiring, because cradle activation different for tcu and combox, with combox you should remove cradle activation pin from TCU connector and short it to ground
you iphone will charge in cradle and talk over bluetooth with combox
you can use 3.7m cable with combox but power from usb socket will not so good

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by ctuna

As far as I know the USB's are only for playing music
and media. Software updates come from coding or programming
from the MOST bus via Ista P or a coding setup.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1126467
http://www.**************/showthread...ighlight=mulf2

Yeah the above are for Mulf but the hardware should be mostly the same.
Good idea to do more research than you want to.

A search for 6fl turns up stuff like this

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...ghlight=combox
Read entry 48 say's you don't need a hub with a combox.
but read the whole thing to .

which has this in it
https://www.e90post.com/forums/attac...8&d=1367715541

Somewhere there was a thread where I guy just found a cable to directy connect
a cheap cable to the USB might have been off the Mulf 2 though.(no usb hub)

Thanks for highlighting the installation instructions.

From the post you've linked I now understand I need to create a an extra small wiring loom to keep the aux functionality?

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by ptpending

you will not lose your cradle charging if you make correct rewiring, because cradle activation different for tcu and combox, with combox you should remove cradle activation pin from TCU connector and short it to ground
you iphone will charge in cradle and talk over bluetooth with combox
you can use 3.7m cable with combox but power from usb socket will not so good

Any idea which TCU pin is for the cradle? I can see it in the wiring diagrams online? Any recommendations as to where best to ground it?

Did you retrofit telematics?

Thanks.

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by MattyD44

Any idea which TCU pin is for the cradle? I can see it in the wiring diagrams online? Any recommendations as to where best to ground it?

Did you retrofit telematics?

Thanks.

You can see them at online wiring diagrams.
I didn't retrofitted telematics because it is not possible to transfer these services from TCU to combox, modules have internal mobile SIMs which is bound to your services on BMW intranet
you can rewire telematics to combox telematics if you want that emergency call worked but BMW Live and BMW Online will not transfer

[ctuna]

BMW no longer supports the SOS service on E90's
because there is no more 2g or 3g service on which they
are based.

[ptpending]

Originally Posted by ctuna

BMW no longer supports the SOS service on E90's
because there is no more 2g or 3g service on which they
are based.

in a europe bmw support SOS service because communication networks are not dismanted, but 2g coverage not so good because part of it's frequencies converted to 3g

[MattyD44]

I'm in Europe so the SOS does currently work with my TCU so want to keep that working, Live and Online aren't a priority to me as I don't use them now.

I can find wiring explanations that reference the phone cradle power but don't explain which TCU pin it comes from or where to ground it.

Do you have a preferred wiring diagram that you wouldn't mind sharing, please?

Thanks for all your help, both

[harveysduvet]

I retrofitted both 6NL and 6NF to my 2011 E91 which had a factory fit combox (so my Aux was already routed to the combox).

In terms of cables, both times I bought FAKRA terminated cables from eBay like these (mainly because they were cheaper!)https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-BMW-M...YAAOSwwE5WZp0D


I did 6NL first and bought a 3 point something metre length cable and that really was only just long enough and had to shortcut across under the passenger seat and straight up the side of the transmission tunnel.

For 6NF I bought the 5 metre cable and managed to follow the correct route all the way.


No problems at all with these cables, they fit the connectors on the combox and the usb/aux port and the media cradle. The delivery time on the listing says they take ages but both of mine arrived in about a week.

If you're fitting a USB & AUX port, could you not just make up a loom to take the signal from the aux socket to the combox and route it with the HSD cable for the USB and then leave the original connection to the aux socket (which runs to the headunit) unplugged? That combined USB/Aux cable in your first post is way too short to get aux signal to the combox so you'd need to extend that anyway.

The part number for the 4 pin socket housing which connects to the aux in port is 61132359996 and the contacts are 61130006626 - the contacts come with a short length of cable so just extend them to the length you need to get to the combox and then pin them in to the combox connector.

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by harveysduvet

I retrofitted both 6NL and 6NF to my 2011 E91 which had a factory fit combox (so my Aux was already routed to the combox).

In terms of cables, both times I bought FAKRA terminated cables from eBay like these (mainly because they were cheaper!)https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-BMW-M...YAAOSwwE5WZp0D


I did 6NL first and bought a 3 point something metre length cable and that really was only just long enough and had to shortcut across under the passenger seat and straight up the side of the transmission tunnel.

For 6NF I bought the 5 metre cable and managed to follow the correct route all the way.


No problems at all with these cables, they fit the connectors on the combox and the usb/aux port and the media cradle. The delivery time on the listing says they take ages but both of mine arrived in about a week.

If you're fitting a USB & AUX port, could you not just make up a loom to take the signal from the aux socket to the combox and route it with the HSD cable for the USB and then leave the original connection to the aux socket (which runs to the headunit) unplugged? That combined USB/Aux cable in your first post is way too short to get aux signal to the combox so you'd need to extend that anyway.

The part number for the 4 pin socket housing which connects to the aux in port is 61132359996 and the contacts are 61130006626 - the contacts come with a short length of cable so just extend them to the length you need to get to the combox and then pin them in to the combox connector.

Happy to run the additional cable alongside the HSD for Aux but looking at the parts diagrams here:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...00#84109237654

Only the selectable (part 4 - 84109237654) has a seperate connector for Aux so I assume I'd need this one?

I think I'm happy with the rest of the USB install now:

- 1 x 61132359994 (supersedes 61132359996)
- 4 x 61130006626 (plus extra shielded cable lengths to extend it)
- 1 x HSD cable via the eBay link you provided above
- 1 x 84109237654 (USB/Aux switchable)

Does that sound right?

[ptpending]

the factory combined usb/aux short cable is needed for convienience because when you'll need to replace usb/aux socket you'll need to loosen hsd cable before you can get up centre console assembly, same with install, it is more convenient to install usb/aux socket with that cable connected and then connect it to long cable

[harveysduvet]

Originally Posted by MattyD44

Happy to run the additional cable alongside the HSD for Aux but looking at the parts diagrams here:

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...00#84109237654

Only the selectable (part 4 - 84109237654) has a seperate connector for Aux so I assume I'd need this one?

I think I'm happy with the rest of the USB install now:

- 1 x 61132359994 (supersedes 61132359996)
- 4 x 61130006626 (plus extra shielded cable lengths to extend it)
- 1 x HSD cable via the eBay link you provided above
- 1 x 84109237654 (USB/Aux switchable)

Does that sound right?

The non- selectable version of the USB/Aux connector definitely has a separate 4 pin aux connection - that's what I used when adding 6NL. Car came from factory with just the aux connector, so swapped it out for the non-switchable usb/aux and then just plugged the existing aux connector back in and ran the extra HSD cable for the combox (my aux was already routed to the factory fit combox).

The switchable version has a 6 pin connector for the aux so you'd need a 6 pin connector (the p/n's for the pins to fit the housing are also different) - I don't think there's a reason why you couldn't use the switchable version and just not connect the pins which would otherwise go to the phone cradle for audio output from that, but you don't have to to achieve what you want.

I've got a switchable version and the 6 pin connector and pins lying around somewhere so can check p/n's if you need them for those. Got them because I thought I needed them for adding 6NF, but turns out I didn't, I just needed to run a second HSD cable to the combox and code it in.

Originally Posted by ptpending

the factory combined usb/aux short cable is needed for convienience because when you'll need to replace usb/aux socket you'll need to loosen hsd cable before you can get up centre console assembly, same with install, it is more convenient to install usb/aux socket with that cable connected and then connect it to long cable

Makes sense - would explain why my cable only just reached when fitting 6NL.

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by harveysduvet

The non- selectable version of the USB/Aux connector definitely has a separate 4 pin aux connection - that's what I used when adding 6NL. Car came from factory with just the aux connector, so swapped it out for the non-switchable usb/aux and then just plugged the existing aux connector back in and ran the extra HSD cable for the combox (my aux was already routed to the factory fit combox).

The switchable version has a 6 pin connector for the aux so you'd need a 6 pin connector (the p/n's for the pins to fit the housing are also different) - I don't think there's a reason why you couldn't use the switchable version and just not connect the pins which would otherwise go to the phone cradle for audio output from that, but you don't have to to achieve what you want.

I've got a switchable version and the 6 pin connector and pins lying around somewhere so can check p/n's if you need them for those. Got them because I thought I needed them for adding 6NF, but turns out I didn't, I just needed to run a second HSD cable to the combox and code it in.



Makes sense - would explain why my cable only just reached when fitting 6NL.

I think I'll stick to the non-switchable version, can't see myself ever retrofitting 6NF.

So I'm thinking the requirements are now:

- 1 x 84109237653 (USB/Aux non-switchable)
- 1 x 61129187009 (intermediate cable)
- 1 x 61132359994 (4-pin connector) (supersedes 61132359996)
- 4 x 61130006626 (plus extra shielded cable lengths to extend them)
- 1 x 5m HSD - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-BMW-M...YAAOSwwE5WZp0D

One other question, I know the pin numbers at the combox end:

Combox: 10 - ground -> Aux port: ?
Combox: 11 - shield -> Aux port: ?
Combox: 23 - audio left channel -> Aux port: ?
Combox: 24 - audio right channel -> Aux port: ?

But which pins go where on the aux end? Can't seem to find that online.

Thanks.

[MattyD44]

Originally Posted by MattyD44

I think I'll stick to the non-switchable version, can't see myself ever retrofitting 6NF.

So I'm thinking the requirements are now:

- 1 x 84109237653 (USB/Aux non-switchable)
- 1 x 61129187009 (intermediate cable)
- 1 x 61132359994 (4-pin connector) (supersedes 61132359996)
- 4 x 61130006626 (plus extra shielded cable lengths to extend them)
- 1 x 5m HSD - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-BMW-M...YAAOSwwE5WZp0D

One other question, I know the pin numbers at the combox end:

Combox: 10 - ground -> Aux port: ?
Combox: 11 - shield -> Aux port: ?
Combox: 23 - audio left channel -> Aux port: ?
Combox: 24 - audio right channel -> Aux port: ?

But which pins go where on the aux end? Can't seem to find that online.

Thanks.

I found the answer for the 6-pin aux connector:

Combox: 10 - ground -> Aux port: 3
Combox: 11 - shield -> Aux port: Any other
Combox: 23 - audio left channel -> Aux port: 1
Combox: 24 - audio right channel -> Aux port: 4

Do you think the same would apply for the 4-pin?

For the phone cradle, where I have to connect TCU pin 3 to ground, could I tap into cable 36 which connects to combox's ground point at pin 14? Or does it have to be a chassis/body ground?