[Pete.J]

I am converting my E90 325i from non-iDrive to CIC iDrive this weekend. I am doing all the work by myself including coding, wiring and soldering... etc.

Already picked up an iDrive dashboard today and will swap it over the weekend. I've also ordered my CIC iDrive system from the UK including iDrive controller and CID. It's arriving sometime next week or the week after

This is how the car looks now:

I'll post couple of photos throughout the job and a photo of the end result




Photos of new dash:

It's in perfect condition, it just needs to be cleaned and leather-conditioned tomorrow before it goes in the car on Saturday

[naynay]

didnt wanna be the one to tell you but you should have went for the NBT

[Pete.J]

Originally Posted by naynay

didnt wanna be the one to tell you but you should have went for the NBT

NBT is much harder to code apparently, that's what I gathered from my research, and it's a a lot more $$$$

Also my old man's 650i GranCoupe has the NBT with the touch iDrive controller and by just looking at it there's no way the NBT iDrive controller will fit in the the CIC centre console trim of the E90.. You'l have to file the trim a fair bit to fit the bigger controller in and I don't know how that'll look. I am sure people have done it though, it's just more work and more $$$$ for essentially the same functions/features

I'll post a photo of the 6 series NBT iDrive controller when he comes home, but this is his car:

[Pete.J]

Have you got NBT on your 335i naynay?

[DR-JEKL]

NBT can be done on the E9X, a sydney forum member had it installed in his 325i!

But yes definately is more expensive, G/L with the install!

[naynay]

I have not done it yet but i did CCC to CIC. its not hard. but i do believe NBT is harder but not much harder. as for cost, you can do it for a bout the same price give or take $200-300 for the emulator

[Mo_far]

Hey NayNay. is the emulator all you need to do a CIC to NBT upgrade?

Originally Posted by naynay

I have not done it yet but i did CCC to CIC. its not hard. but i do believe NBT is harder but not much harder. as for cost, you can do it for a bout the same price give or take $200-300 for the emulator

[Pete.J]

Originally Posted by Mo_far

Hey NayNay. is the emulator all you need to do a CIC to NBT upgrade?

I enquired about retrofitting NBT in my car and these were my findings;

Apparently you need bluetooth antenna as well, the E9X won't work. And if I remember correctly the seller I am getting my CIC from told me I'll need a different microphone wire that plugs directly into the NBT head-unit or something in these lines...

Also if you're going to get the NBT touch controller you might need to file down a bit of your centre console trim to fit it in coz it's slightly bigger, if you're going with the standard controller it should fit just fine

I also heard that some of the NBT features won't work on E9X N52 engine cars (323i, 325i, 330i), like for e.g. the real-time/instant power and torque figures, can someone confirm this?

[KUSH]

How's the progress ?

[alien07]

Ooooh! Subscribed! Maybe a future mod that i will be doing too.

[Socket]

Progress report please

[Pete.J]

On Saturday I decided to do the dash swap coz I had a day off..



After 3 hours of work







After about 4 hours of work, cluster came off and all the controls and indicators on the steering column





After 6 hours of work the old dash was finally off, required a lot of pulling!! Pretty intense job for one person imo






I took an hour break to eat and then I got back into it... Aligning the new dash in position was almost impossible Every time I align one side the other side goes out of wack again It's held in position by a few screws and bolts and after 40 mins or so of pushing and pulling, it finally sat nicely in place and everything aligned!


After almost 9 hours from starting time this is how it looked




10 hours of working through




And this is how it's sitting now




Currently, I am waiting for my CIC iDrive system with all the plastic faceplates to arrive from overseas. It's going to be the longest wait coz I can't stand driving the car with a big hole like this in the dash and no radio That past Saturday was the only free day I have for a long time and the weather was crap anyway.. So I took advantage of the circumstances and hid in my garage and worked on the car from 12 midday till 1am. Yes it took me 13 hours but I was very careful throughout the whole job, organisation and taking photos as you go is very important. Thank God I didn't break or snap anything, you can call it an OEM replacement dash swap!

Also one critical step for me was to find a centre console trim in "fine wood trim burr walnut" as BMW calls it. It had to be the CIC version too! After calling a few wreckers with negative results, I ended up contacting the guys I got my iDrive dash off and they found it for me after 4 days I don't like the wood anyway and was planning to get my whole trim wrapped in 3M carbon fiber wrap, but even though it'll get wrapped I had to find the right colour OEM replacement for my trim before wrapping it or else my automotive OCD senses won't be happy knowing my trim is wrapped in carbon fibre on different colour trims!


This was the best text I received last week LOLL

[Socket]

Awesome job Pitty, great pics too, now that you know what u are doing would it be quicker next time lol. Should have yelled out would have been happy to swing by and help you out. Looking forward to seeing the finished project. Nice.

[alien07]

WOw! Really detailed with pics. Good job mate! Your contact has a nice msport wheel with paddles? Or a m sport seat for me?

[335i-boy]

Awesome awesome job pitos. I would hesitate getting this done at a dealer in fear I would be left with badly fitting pieces, rattles, squeaks...let alone doing the job myself.

Thanks for the time lapse photos. It gives us good idea on what it takes to get this done. Looking forward to you having it all fitted and working nicely. Really nice work so far mate.

[KUSH]

Any further yet

[7smurfs]

wow impressive effort there

[NJAY87]

Be interested to know where you sourced the dash from originally as have been trying to get my hands on the same !!

[naynay]

go to a bmw wrecker

[OnlyDriveGerman]

Good work man. Enjoy the upgrade!