[Daddu]

What are my options to install a bluetooth car kit in my non-prepped E90?

How much is the BMW retro kit and where do you suggest I buy one?

Has anyone had any experience with a Parrot kit?

I want to install myself.

[Kimo]

My wife's e90 has the installed iDrive/Bluetooth/BMW Assist system, and I liked it so much I wanted a similar capability in my e46. I purchased the Motorola HF850 Kit (HF - not HS) for about $145 and installed it this past weekend. With my Verizon Moto E815 phone, it works great, and I highly recommend it. The install is relatively easy if you are not afraid to tap into wires and to remove a few dash panels. I know how to do this in my E46, but have never done so in an e90 -- and my wife would shoot me if I tried. In any case, you only need to tap two wires: one into a switched power line, and another into an unswitched power line. The other wire goes to ground. Do a google search for Motorola HF850 if you are interested.
Mike

[Tjerk]

Hi,

Just got my E91 last week, with a Parrot CK3100 already installed. I can recommend the carkit it works very good with my Nokia phones.

I am also want to know where I can get a safe 12V power connection from for my navigation equipment.

[MMVI]

Hi...

I have a CK3100 installed, connecting to an Orange SPV ( a windows smartphone available here in the UK (www.orange.co.uk).

Apart from phone to kit issues (smartphone) it works very well.

Three recommendations for you however.

1. Get the BMW muting kit.
2. Have the parrot fitted into your ash tray, looks a treat and is
hidden away, but you will have to take the tray lining out.
3. Dont watch the engineer fit it. You will have kittens.

[12Esc]

My BMW dealer tried to install the CK3100 today but they were not able to connect it to the audio system (standard professional, no idrive). I told them to then attach an external speaker to the system. They also couldn't find out how to do this.
Is it really that hard to do? Tjerk, what dealer build the carkit into your car?

[MMVI]

Thats rubbish.

You DO need the e90 loom but it connects and works fine.
Of note even though I have the bmw wire kit is that it does not
say phone on the audio display as my old nokia kit in my e46 did.

My parrot mutes the stereo and plays over the speakers.
Be aware that whilst on a call the reverseing sensor is also muted as this uses the stereo speakers to operate.

Re my fitter. I have a local guy who knows what he is doing.

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by MMVI

Thats rubbish.

Carefull there my dear friend. You´re in the UK which means you might have the standard stereo setup without an extra amp. On that setup the parrot kit can be successfully installed since the speakers are driven directly by the radio. And the parrot kit cuts into the speaker lines and in case of a call disconnects the radio from the speakers and runs the phone signal over them instead.
And it doesn´t say "phone" on your E90 radio because the E90 radios no longer have a telephone mute wire (as the E46 still had) so basically your radio doesn´t even know there´s a call going on. The E90 radios get their information about an incoming call through the CAN-BUS if there´s a factory phone option installed.

Now, the previous poster is in the US and all US E90 have at least the Hifi-Stereo setup with an external amp. On that setup the parrot kit CANNOT be successfull installed. The Radio doesn´t run the speakers directly. Instead it feeds a low level signal to an external amp in the trunk. The parrot cannot cut into those lines because the singal level it provides during a call would be way too high (it´s meant to feed a speaker directly, not an amp)
It can´t cut into the speaker wires coming from the amp either because it´s a 10 speaker setup and has at least 6 speaker wires coming from it. The parrot can only cut into 4 at max, so you couldn´t mute all speakers and since you can´t mute the radio either (still CAN-BUS, remember), you´d still have some speakers still playing the radio signal.
The Logic 7 system is even worse. Here, you don´t even have the preamp signal runing to the amps anymore. Instead the audio signal from the radio is fed into the amp via a digital bus. The MOST-BUS.
Speaker side presents the same problem as the Hifi-System, just with 3 more speakers and 3 more problems....


So basically fitting an aftermarket bluetooth system to a US E90 is easy. But muting the speakers or even using them for the phone signal is near impossible. Until speciall E90 equipment becomes available that feeds onto the CAN-BUS and/or the MOST-BUS directly. Such equipment is not yet available. Or, with a lot of know how, you could design circuits yourself that disconnect either the pre-amp signals on the Hifi-System or disconnects all speakers on the Hifi-System or the Logic 7. You´d need quite a bunch of circuit breakers to do so.... And since it would need to be custom made (unless someone takes up production of special E90 kit), it´d be more expensive than facotry bluetooth.

Resume: Some of the cheaper retrofit solutions that work in Europe will only work on European cars that have less equipment than US E90 come with as standard.

To our stateside firends: If you want bluetooth, make sure to order it from the factory. Currently retrofitting BT is a PITA.

[BellasBmw]

Can i have bluetooth installed on my car if i didnt order it as an option? And how much would it run? thanks!

edit: Im gettin a new cell in a couple weeks, and if i can install the bluetooth, ill def look for a compatible phone.

[FlyingFinn]

Originally Posted by MMVI

1. Get the BMW muting kit.

Do you happen to have the part number?

[b_pitt62]

Hi, I'm new in this forum and I'm writing from Italy...
I have a little question about my new E91.
I buyed a Parrot CK3000 adv and I want to install it to my car equipped with Navi professional and I-drive but it seems that I need an adapter in order to convert my original connector to ISO connector, Is this the correct cable that I have to buy?

http://www.parrot.biz/support/pdf/Pin%20out%20BMW2.pdf

Many thanks in advance
Regards
Mauro

[nyfinest]

I have a Razr Bluetooth Phone but not the Optional Bluetooth BMW Setup. The dealer told me theres no way to install it. Is this true???

[12Esc]

b_pitt: it's the right adaptor. I ordered it directly from parrot (about 25 euro's incl shipping) and it works fine, except for the 12v continuous. I'll have to find an alternative for that.

[LEDZEP]

Originally Posted by BellasBmw

Can i have bluetooth installed on my car if i didnt order it as an option? And how much would it run? thanks!

edit: Im gettin a new cell in a couple weeks, and if i can install the bluetooth, ill def look for a compatible phone.

Nope.

[MMVI]

Wow Tierfreund,,, I bow to your superior knowledge...
Just read your post on this issue. Glad you corrected me so that i did not mislead the US owners.

On that subject though, why do you think the US people get so much more for their money. I does ranker that we euro types seem to be funding the US kit list..

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by MMVI

Wow Tierfreund,,, I bow to your superior knowledge...
Just read your post on this issue. Glad you corrected me so that i did not mislead the US owners.

On that subject though, why do you think the US people get so much more for their money. I does ranker that we euro types seem to be funding the US kit list..

Thank you for the flowers, but I really only read up a little on the subject because it was easier to read than to experiment before I went ahead and did an aftermarket Nav/BT/Stereo install on my E90. Besides, I had my previous car stolen and was driving a Mini Cooper for 3months while the E90 was on order. Lots of time to read into the the E90 while longing for it

As for us Europeans subsidizing the US: Shhtt!!
Don´t let our transatlantic friends hear that. They think BMW are very expensive as they are. Althewhile they not only get lower base prices and lots more kit. But also far better warranty and included maintenance deals.
If they had to pay what we´re paying they´d all be taking a very long hard look at Lexuses (Lexi?, Lexica? What´s the plural of Lexus ? ).
But then, who am I to talk, actually you´re even subsidizing me! As far as I know, no other market has higher auto costs than the UK. Oh well, at least your economy is booming while the german economy is tanking...

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by Tierfreund

But then, who am I to talk, actually you´re even subsidizing me! As far as I know, no other market has higher auto costs than the UK.

Aint that the f*cking truth!

[cdxp]

I used to think cars were expensive in the UK too

325 SE "package" leather seats, pro - navi , saphire black, 160 alloys, electric seats. No xenons, no sunroof, no bluetooth and no &*$%ing MP3.

On The Road price US$98,000, and the fuel low light came on on the 10 Km drive home !

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by cdxp

I used to think cars were expensive in the UK too

325 SE "package" leather seats, pro - navi , saphire black, 160 alloys, electric seats. No xenons, no sunroof, no bluetooth and no &*$%ing MP3.

On The Road price US$98,000, and the fuel low light came on on the 10 Km drive home !

Autsch. You´ve got us beat.

[hunt55]

Tierfreund,

Maybe you can help us in the US or shed some light on the BT connectivity issue in the 325i. Check the threads on this site, in particular Motorola E815 and bluetooth.

I am surprised that BMW is struggling to resolve this issue which seems to be a programming problem with the TCU.

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by hunt55

Tierfreund,

Maybe you can help us in the US or shed some light on the BT connectivity issue in the 325i. Check the threads on this site, in particular Motorola E815 and bluetooth.

I am surprised that BMW is struggling to resolve this issue which seems to be a programming problem with the TCU.

I´m sorry, there´s absolutely nothing of use that I could add to that. I don´t really know anything much about (factory) bluetooth. Only about the audio connections

[msegal]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Nope.

You can get the BMW Bluetooth Kit installed after its built.. I did it .. It can be expensive if the dealer doesn't cover the install. Its called a ULF kit. See my thread here http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=121285

mark

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by msegal

You can get the BMW Bluetooth Kit installed after its built.. I did it .. It can be expensive if the dealer doesn't cover the install. Its called a ULF kit. See my thread here http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=121285

mark

What if you dont have Idrive?