For anyone interested in the BMW portable nav that integrates into the car stereo...

AW128i · 02-08-2011, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimD

Dave,

Thanks for the update. I've seen similar comments from others that got the BMW system. The dealers seem to think it will be a simple "click on the menu option" when they have their dianostic hooked up and it is not that simple. I hope they get it solved quickly.

I sent you a PM with a corrected link for the GPX converter but here is one for anybody else following this:

http://www.elsewhere.org/journal/gmaptogpx/

Jim

Oddly enough, it's supposed to be as simple as "clicking a button." Supposedly, they just go into retrofits and then choose which retrofit they installed and the computer does the rest. The problem they ran into when fitting the iPod adapter had to do with the other coding updates that were necessary and I have a feeling this is the same situation. The good news is, my car should have all the latest software updates when all is said and done.

AW128i · 02-08-2011, 07:27 PM

OK, got the car back and so far, I'm very happy. It was dark out already, so no pics of the install or the nav, but below are two pics of the radio. When you're on a BT call or a nav announcement is occurring, "Navigation announcement active" appears on the radio. Also, there is now a new "Navi" option in the audio settings on the radio.

The nav audio is heard through the driver's side front speakers only, as far as I can tell, which is common among integrated navigation systems. The only thing I'm unsure about is that the nav announcements don't mute the audio that's playing at all, at least as far as I can tell, anyway. Perhaps if the audio is turned up loud it may, but I didn't test that. That being said, listening to the radio at the volume I normally do, I was still able to hear the nav announcement. When I got a phone call, I just turned the volume on the radio down. The second time I got a call, I just turned the radio off by hitting the power button. I'll have to look into whether or not the audio should be muted at all.

ianc · 02-09-2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

The only thing I'm unsure about is that the nav announcements don't mute the audio that's playing at all

Oooh, that's not good. That's one of the chief bennies of going with the BMW system to begin with in my book. Please let us know updates on that.

Would really be interested in some pics as well when you get time. Thanks,

ianc

AW128i · 02-09-2011, 07:31 PM

So, I fooled around with the settings today on the unit and it turns out, I had the "master" volume on the GPS turned down to 50%. It seems to have a memory depending on whether or not the GPS is connected to the car; i.e., it saves one setting for when it's connected, and one for when it's not. I turned the master volume up to 100% and whoa, it's really loud now and can be heard over even loud music. I still don't think it mutes the audio at all, though it may be reducing the volume if the playing audio is above a certain threshold, a level which I'm haven't pinpointed yet. The reason I say this is because at one point I had the music up louder than I normally do and it seemed the the music volume was attenuated some while the nav announcement was occurring. It could just be a placebo effect, however, of me wanting the music to attenuate. In any event, with the master volume set to 100% the nav announcements are very loud and very clear and can easily be heard over any music playing at a normal, or even slightly higher than normal, volume. I adjusted the Navi volume in the radio settings down to 0 from where it was yesterday (+5). I'll see if that has an effect tomorrow on my ride to work. Unfortunately, there isn't any documentation about this anywhere so I'm not 100% certain about how it should perform, other than the audio should be heard over the car speakers and "Navigation announcement active" should be displayed on the radio. Both of those occur.

I'll snap some pics this weekend in daylight. It's dark when I leave my house in the AM and it's just about dark by the time I get home in the evening.

JimD · 02-09-2011, 08:45 PM

David,

Thanks for the information. It seems like what may have happened is the sound for the naviagation is coming out only on the drivers front speakers but the navigation announcements have increased in volume because the signal from the GPS is louder now. The fact that it seems to be playing music out of all the other speakers seems odd to me but maybe that is desirable from some standpoints. I can buy that for the navigation, maybe, but it seems like it is better for the radio to go silent when you get a phone call.

How is the bluetooth phone? With music in the background it seems like it would be hard not to get that coming through on the microphone. Is that why you turned the radio off? Did you get the remote microphone? It seems to help with my 885t.

Jim

AW128i · 02-09-2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimD

David,

Thanks for the information. It seems like what may have happened is the sound for the naviagation is coming out only on the drivers front speakers but the navigation announcements have increased in volume because the signal from the GPS is louder now. The fact that it seems to be playing music out of all the other speakers seems odd to me but maybe that is desirable from some standpoints. I can buy that for the navigation, maybe, but it seems like it is better for the radio to go silent when you get a phone call.

How is the bluetooth phone? With music in the background it seems like it would be hard not to get that coming through on the microphone. Is that why you turned the radio off? Did you get the remote microphone? It seems to help with my 885t.

Jim

My pleasure

It doesn't surprise me that the nav announcements/phone calls are coming only through the driver's side front speakers. This is quite common among aftermarket GPS systems that are integrated with the stereo, and even some OE nav systems that I've encountered. However, it's my experience that all factory and integrated aftermarket GPS systems at a minimum attenuate the music, if not mute it altogether, when nav announcements are being given and/or a phone call is active. So, I would agree that the playing music should be muted during those situations.

The BT is great, actually. Yes, I had to turn the radio down quite a bit to have a clear conversation and the second time I actually turned the radio off. That being said, the two callers I spoke with both told me that the call sounded great and they could hear me very well and clearly. I do not have the remote microphone and I am only using the one built-in to the front of the GPS unit. As for the phone app on the GPS itself, it's great, with full phonebook and call log access. In addition, my phonebook downloaded almost instantly the first time I paired my phone and it seems the GPS retains the phonebook/call log info and only makes updates when the phone is repaired, which ensures quick updates. The GPS connects to my phone almost instantaneously when it's turned on, also.

Speaking of which, this GPS unit is extremely fast to startup. It helps that it has a sleep function which is entered into automatically when the vehicle is powered off and/or the GPS is removed from the cradle. From this sleep state, it takes probably no more than three to five seconds to turn back on and get a full GPS fix. And, the GPS will sleep for well over a week, according to Garmin, on a full battery, pretty much eliminating the need for a "cold" start during routine driving situations.

What else??

The traffic seems to be good so far, and more accurate than the Sirius traffic my last car was equipped with as part of its OE nav system. I opted for the non-ad-based traffic receiver because the price difference was nominal and I've experienced the annoying ads of the less option before.

The screen on this GPS unit is superb. It has phenomenally high resolution (I'd say almost iPhone 4 "retina" in nature), and the colors are vibrant and crisp. In addition, the screen is very bright. Even driving today at lunch time, in full sun, it wasn't necessary to have the screen brightness all the way up to see the map clearly. This evening, with the screen brightness set at 10% (there is one lower adjustment), I noted that the screen is just a tad dimmer than the vehicle's gauges (which I have on the second-to-lowest notch, according to the BC). I had the brightness set to 20% but decided that with the screen's vibrant colors and prominent placement on the dash, I wanted it just a bit dimmer for nighttime use. We'll see if I change that in the coming days. The brightness adjustment is dependent on the day or night display mode; i.e., you can set two different brightness levels.

More to follow as I use the GPS in the coming days/weeks...

One side note. I have a theory on the non-muting of the music media during nav announcements/phone calls. There are three wires from the GPS harness that connect to the radio, two for the nav sound output, one for the radio's "mute" wire. It's possible that the mute wire is only used to get the radio to display the "Navigation announcement active" notice on the radio. It's also possible that it really should be muting the radio and has nothing to do with the message displayed on the radio, which may be a result of input from the GPS sound output wires that are connected to the radio. Anywho, I actually can't find a wiring diagram for the U.S. Professional radio so it's possible that this "mute" pin on the radio plug is in a different location on the U.S. Professional radios and if so, that could explain why the audio isn't being muted. Does anyone know if there is a wiring diagram located on the radio itself? I know this is common with other car manufacturers. Also, does anyone know how to pull the radio out? I'm tempted to move the mute wire to another spot on the radio plug to see if that will work, assuming there's a wiring diagram available somewhere.

ianc · 02-10-2011, 10:43 AM

Thanks for the great information!

The mute question is quite interesting, but as you paid the dealer your dime, I would not hesitate to contact them for a definitive answer on whether the unit is operating as designed\intended.

Additionally, I find that this thread has become very fragmented and confusing for my tiny mind with links pointing off to here and there and discussions of newer\older Garmin models which are now superceded, accounts of mounting kits which are\aren't included, etc.

Could I ask you to just post a summary of exactly what it was necessary for you to purchase to get this working (along with part #'s if you have them), and some idea of the breakdown of parts and labor costs? I'm fairly handy, so if I do go this route, I would probably do the install myself except for the coding obviously.

I understand about the difficulty with the pics. Really looking forward to seeing how the install looks though. Thanks for posting!

ianc

AW128i · 02-10-2011, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianc

Thanks for the great information!

The mute question is quite interesting, but as you paid the dealer your dime, I would not hesitate to contact them for a definitive answer on whether the unit is operating as designed\intended.

Additionally, I find that this thread has become very fragmented and confusing for my tiny mind with links pointing off to here and there and discussions of newer\older Garmin models which are now superceded, accounts of mounting kits which are\aren't included, etc.

Could I ask you to just post a summary of exactly what it was necessary for you to purchase to get this working (along with part #'s if you have them), and some idea of the breakdown of parts and labor costs? I'm fairly handy, so if I do go this route, I would probably do the install myself except for the coding obviously.

I understand about the difficulty with the pics. Really looking forward to seeing how the install looks though. Thanks for posting!

ianc

The dealer says it's functioning normally. Jason at Tischer was willing to look into it for me so if he finds anything out to the contrary, I'll be sure to post it up.

As for the parts necessary, there are three part #'s you need to be aware of: 65902187047, 65900445989, and 65902185897. In order, these are the Garmin nuvi 3790 GPS kit, installation kit, and the non-ad based traffic receiver. By the way, I originally obtained the part #'s from BMW's website and they're in the accessories section under Technology -> Convenience. The first part # (GPS kit) includes the GPS unit, the wiring harness/mounting bracket, and various other plugs, etc. The second part # (installation kit) includes the other required wiring harness that ties into the car and which the first wiring harness plugs into, the dash mounting bracket, and a few other miscellaneous parts. The third part # (traffice receiver) is self-explanatory. At a minimum, you need the first two part #'s for the install.

As for why I chose to have the dealer do the install, it's simple, when the dealer does the install, the GPS kit is included in the bumper-to-bumper warranty. In addition, you'll need to bring the car to the dealer for coding anyway, and they'll probably charge you for one hour of labor for that alone. BMW specs one hour for install and coding, so for the same price you'll pay for just the coding, the dealer can do the install too and then it'll be included in your B2B warranty. I'm a fanatical DIY guy, but some things are actually better off being left to the dealer

The GPS kit and the installation kit will run you about $460 and figure about $130 or so for the install/coding, depending on what your dealer's labor rate is, of course. The non-ad based traffic receiver will run you about another $70, if you choose to install one.

JimD · 02-10-2011, 12:41 PM

To those not familar with the way Garmins do traffic, I think you get an add based traffic system in the base price of the BMW unit. That is typical for high end Garmins. It is only supposed to pop up adds when you are not moving. There are reports it does it while travelling including when you have an important turn in front of you. The solution is to pay a little more and get a traffic receiver that does not depend on add revenue. I have the non-add one and I used to have MSN direct. It goes away 1/1/2012 and they want more money from me now and I haven't paid it yet. MSN direct is really nice but it goes away relatively soon. In addition to better traffic information you get gas prices, movie locations and times, weather reports (including radar images), etc..

I like the more through integration of the BMW portable but what I did is another alternative as I indicated earlier. Rather than highjack this thread, I will point out I put a link to my piece in an earlier comment.

Jim

AW128i · 02-10-2011, 12:48 PM

Unfortunately, the BMW units do not include traffic as standard. Optional are both an ad-based traffic receiver and a non-ad based traffic receiver. If you don't get either, you have no traffic information. The traffic information is provided by Navteq on both receivers.

What the BMW unit does include is lifetime map updates, which is ordinarily an option on the Garmin units.

ianc · 02-10-2011, 12:49 PM

AW1281, thanks very much for the summary; that really helps a lot! Your explanation of why not to DIY makes sense too, I'll have to inquire about that.

I'm not really familiar with the traffic feature either; the POC Tomtom 1 I have right now doesn't have it. What can the feature do for you? Can it route you to an alternate route based on whether the primary one is heavily congested at that specific time?

For example, the exit I get off at going to work often has a massive line of cars such that you're waiting 8-9 min. just trying to get off the freeway, so I get off one exit earlier and bash down the secondary roads, which can also be congested. Could the traffic feature help evaluate which route would be better on a morning by morning basis?

Thanks again for the info!

ianc

AW128i · 02-10-2011, 01:48 PM

The traffic feature will route you around the traffic - if possible - when it is reported on a road included on the current route.

Now, the nuvi 3790 has a feature called trafficTrends, which monitors road speeds of the roads you regularly travel on and therefore monitors relative traffic patterns. It uses this information to try and pick better roads for routes. This is independent of the information received from the traffic receiver, if so equipped. Also, this particular nuvi has a feature called myTrends. This monitors your destinations saved as favorites and the roads you use to get to them and will, over time "know" where you're going based on those regular destinations. It then will be able to give traffic information based on the roads you typically travel on to reach those favorites, as well as an ETA. I'm very curious about the myTrends feature. I'm hoping to see some information about my daily commute soon.

JimD · 02-10-2011, 04:02 PM

Traffic is worth having because if it occasionally saves you being stuck somewhere it pays for itself. I've had a FM based system on my 760 since I bought it in mid-2009. I use it mainly on trips. The only real issue with it is time lag. For you to get the information, somebody has to report the issue and then it has to be entered into the system and broadcast to you. If you are right behind a wreck or something, it won't be sent to you yet. The more frequent issue I've had is it reported an issue that wasn't there anymore. When you get a traffic alert, it estimates the length of the delay. Many times the nuvi says it is better just to wait it out. Any alternate route would just add time. The value is not there if it doesn't tell you about something or if it tells you something that used to be there. An advance warning is of some value but if you can't navigate around the delay the value decreases.

In other areas or for different issues, it could be extremely valuable. I paid extra to extend mine from the initial offer to lifetime so I obviously see some value in it. My subscription is to ClearChannel since they have coverage in Columbia, SC where I live. The same antenna will work for Navteq but you have to get a subscription to them (they cost $50-60 for lifetime). Your antenna can receive both types at the same time. Reviews I've seen indicate the differences are not coinsistent between the two. For a given incident or a given location, one or the other will be better. But the next time, it could go the other way. There is a screen you can get to that shows what FM stations you are seeing a signal from and who they broadcast (clearchannel or Navteq).

Jim

ianc · 02-10-2011, 07:51 PM

Thanks alot for the info AW and JimD! I think I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this, but just holding off until I see some pics...

Thanks again guys!

ianc

P.S. Do you guys know the difference between the Portable Navigation Pro, and Portable Naviation Plus systems? Besides the $70$ price difference I mean?

AW128i · 02-10-2011, 08:10 PM

Pics will follow this weekend, I promise!

JimD · 02-11-2011, 06:46 PM

"Pro" used to mean 880 and "Plus" used to mean 760. Now "Pro" evidently means 3790. The 880 and 3790 are voice controlled. The 760 is touch controlled - like most nuvis. All have bluetooth built in. I personally like the 885/765 models because they have pretty up-to-date screens and other features and they also do MP3 playback. The 3790, like all the most recent nuvis, do not. If there is still a "Plus" it is probably like a 3790 except with touch control.

Jim

AW128i · 02-11-2011, 07:10 PM

There is still a "plus" model offered and it looks like one of the lower-priced nuvi models, compared with the 3790 at least. I didn't opt for the "plus" model because I could not verify whether or not it ties into the vehicle like the "pro" does. In addition, I couldn't verify which nuvi model is used in the kit. Finally, there wasn't much of a price difference between the two and the 3790 is the current top of the line nuvi model.

To be clear, the 3790 has touch and voice control. The voice control is actually very effective, but you have to be sure to turn the radio volume down low before trying to initiate a voice command. From there, it's fairly responsive.

ianc · 02-11-2011, 07:15 PM

Thanks Jim!

It is really not clear to me what the $70 difference between the two buys you, and bmwusa.com, although they do list both, is not clear on the differences. The Garmin website (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134) offers 3760-3790 models ranging in price from $400 - $500, but the descriptions don't seem too descriptive either.

I wrote Dan Miles at United BMW, so let's see what he comes up with...

ianc

AW128i · 02-11-2011, 07:18 PM

If you look at the Pro model on BMW's website, the pics they show are accurate to the 3790. If we can assume the Plus pics are also accurate, then perhaps we can decipher which nuvi model it is, or at least which model range it's in?

AW128i · 02-12-2011, 02:13 PM

OK, I have pics! They're not the greatest pics, but you get the idea.

The cradle without the GPS installed:

Side view of above:

Here you can see the BMW insignia that's located on the bottom of the front of the cradle:

GPS installed:

Side shot of the GPS in the cradle (Note, you can see that some of the wiring harness is exposed, but the dealer made it all but invisible):

And a "driver's" view of the GPS:

One thing I wanted to point out is that in the pics, the screen appears to be highly reflective and in fact, it is, being glass and all. However, when the GPS is on, I have yet to encounter a situation where the reflection affected the viewing of the unit at all.

JimD · 02-13-2011, 12:44 PM

Thanks for the pictures. The wires are indeed well hidden. A picture with the cover over the back of the mount off would be revealing - the wires would show. If it slips off that might be reasonable to do. The installer at the dealership was careful to route the wires under the mount nicely.

I agree that the Garmin display is not shiny and under most circumstances is very easy to see. It could be my positioning but I ran into some light situations involving a low sun angle where the reflection did get in the way, however. I needed to tilt the GPS down more than the BMW mount permitted due to the cradle hitting the dash. I moved the ball on the BMW mount up a little and it works better for me now. This is easier than it may sound like. The ball screw on the metal mount so all you have to do is take the metal mount off (two screw take the instrument cluster out, 4 screws take the hood over the gauges off and then two screws gets the mount out of the car), drill a new screw or two (I may be used one of the existing, I don't remember), reattach the ball and reassemble everything. Hopefully there is more clearance with the cradle of the 3790 than the 885t and you won't need to do this. I think your wires come through the center of the mount and, if so, this would be more diffiult - you'd have to drill the hole(s) in the car. I used my drillpress.

Jim

AW128i · 02-13-2011, 01:18 PM

Yes, without the cover (which is included in the installation kit, not the GPS kit, by the way) the wires would be completely exposed. And yes, Jim, the cradle wires are routed through the center of the ball mount on the bracket. So, once installed, it's pretty much permanent unless you want to remove the wiring pins from the plug, which is possible if you really wanted to. I'm more than satisfied with the the installation and I don't think I'll be taking any action to try and cover up the very small portion of the wiring harness that's exposed.

I used the GPS to actually go somewhere today I've never been before and I was more than satisfied with the unit. The traffic feature rerouted me at one point and it was helpful because there indeed was a backup due to an accident. Also, the junction view that pops up when you are nearing your highway exit is unreal! Not only does it show you which lane you need to be in, it has a driver's-point-of-view depiction of the upcoming interchange complete with road signs, overpasses, etc. Honestly, with this functionality you'd have to be a moron to be in the wrong lane if you're at all paying attention to the GPS when it gives announcements.

02-08-2011, 07:27 PM	#24
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	OK, got the car back and so far, I'm very happy. It was dark out already, so no pics of the install or the nav, but below are two pics of the radio. When you're on a BT call or a nav announcement is occurring, "Navigation announcement active" appears on the radio. Also, there is now a new "Navi" option in the audio settings on the radio. The nav audio is heard through the driver's side front speakers only, as far as I can tell, which is common among integrated navigation systems. The only thing I'm unsure about is that the nav announcements don't mute the audio that's playing at all, at least as far as I can tell, anyway. Perhaps if the audio is turned up loud it may, but I didn't test that. That being said, listening to the radio at the volume I normally do, I was still able to hear the nav announcement. When I got a phone call, I just turned the volume on the radio down. The second time I got a call, I just turned the radio off by hitting the power button. I'll have to look into whether or not the audio should be muted at all.
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02-09-2011, 07:31 PM	#26
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	So, I fooled around with the settings today on the unit and it turns out, I had the "master" volume on the GPS turned down to 50%. It seems to have a memory depending on whether or not the GPS is connected to the car; i.e., it saves one setting for when it's connected, and one for when it's not. I turned the master volume up to 100% and whoa, it's really loud now and can be heard over even loud music. I still don't think it mutes the audio at all, though it may be reducing the volume if the playing audio is above a certain threshold, a level which I'm haven't pinpointed yet. The reason I say this is because at one point I had the music up louder than I normally do and it seemed the the music volume was attenuated some while the nav announcement was occurring. It could just be a placebo effect, however, of me wanting the music to attenuate. In any event, with the master volume set to 100% the nav announcements are very loud and very clear and can easily be heard over any music playing at a normal, or even slightly higher than normal, volume. I adjusted the Navi volume in the radio settings down to 0 from where it was yesterday (+5). I'll see if that has an effect tomorrow on my ride to work. Unfortunately, there isn't any documentation about this anywhere so I'm not 100% certain about how it should perform, other than the audio should be heard over the car speakers and "Navigation announcement active" should be displayed on the radio. Both of those occur. I'll snap some pics this weekend in daylight. It's dark when I leave my house in the AM and it's just about dark by the time I get home in the evening.
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02-09-2011, 08:45 PM	#27
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	David, Thanks for the information. It seems like what may have happened is the sound for the naviagation is coming out only on the drivers front speakers but the navigation announcements have increased in volume because the signal from the GPS is louder now. The fact that it seems to be playing music out of all the other speakers seems odd to me but maybe that is desirable from some standpoints. I can buy that for the navigation, maybe, but it seems like it is better for the radio to go silent when you get a phone call. How is the bluetooth phone? With music in the background it seems like it would be hard not to get that coming through on the microphone. Is that why you turned the radio off? Did you get the remote microphone? It seems to help with my 885t. Jim __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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02-10-2011, 10:43 AM	#29
ianc Ex '87 Carrera 246 Rep 1,259 Posts Drives: '10 TiAg 6MT 135i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Redwood Shores, California iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the great information! The mute question is quite interesting, but as you paid the dealer your dime, I would not hesitate to contact them for a definitive answer on whether the unit is operating as designed\intended. Additionally, I find that this thread has become very fragmented and confusing for my tiny mind with links pointing off to here and there and discussions of newer\older Garmin models which are now superceded, accounts of mounting kits which are\aren't included, etc. Could I ask you to just post a summary of exactly what it was necessary for you to purchase to get this working (along with part #'s if you have them), and some idea of the breakdown of parts and labor costs? I'm fairly handy, so if I do go this route, I would probably do the install myself except for the coding obviously. I understand about the difficulty with the pics. Really looking forward to seeing how the install looks though. Thanks for posting! ianc __________________ "I will tell you there is a big difference between driving money and driving blood, sweat and tears." - PorscheGuy79 "I got 328 loaner and was impressed with performance. It feels much faster than my 135i." - MOCKBA
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02-10-2011, 12:41 PM	#31
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	To those not familar with the way Garmins do traffic, I think you get an add based traffic system in the base price of the BMW unit. That is typical for high end Garmins. It is only supposed to pop up adds when you are not moving. There are reports it does it while travelling including when you have an important turn in front of you. The solution is to pay a little more and get a traffic receiver that does not depend on add revenue. I have the non-add one and I used to have MSN direct. It goes away 1/1/2012 and they want more money from me now and I haven't paid it yet. MSN direct is really nice but it goes away relatively soon. In addition to better traffic information you get gas prices, movie locations and times, weather reports (including radar images), etc.. I like the more through integration of the BMW portable but what I did is another alternative as I indicated earlier. Rather than highjack this thread, I will point out I put a link to my piece in an earlier comment. Jim __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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02-10-2011, 12:48 PM	#32
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	Unfortunately, the BMW units do not include traffic as standard. Optional are both an ad-based traffic receiver and a non-ad based traffic receiver. If you don't get either, you have no traffic information. The traffic information is provided by Navteq on both receivers. What the BMW unit does include is lifetime map updates, which is ordinarily an option on the Garmin units. __________________ "The Camaro's V6 makes so much horsepower because them horses are trying as hard as they can to run the fuck away from that ugly ass car." -Golden3ye
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02-10-2011, 12:49 PM	#33
ianc Ex '87 Carrera 246 Rep 1,259 Posts Drives: '10 TiAg 6MT 135i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Redwood Shores, California iTrader: (0)	AW1281, thanks very much for the summary; that really helps a lot! Your explanation of why not to DIY makes sense too, I'll have to inquire about that. I'm not really familiar with the traffic feature either; the POC Tomtom 1 I have right now doesn't have it. What can the feature do for you? Can it route you to an alternate route based on whether the primary one is heavily congested at that specific time? For example, the exit I get off at going to work often has a massive line of cars such that you're waiting 8-9 min. just trying to get off the freeway, so I get off one exit earlier and bash down the secondary roads, which can also be congested. Could the traffic feature help evaluate which route would be better on a morning by morning basis? Thanks again for the info! ianc __________________ "I will tell you there is a big difference between driving money and driving blood, sweat and tears." - PorscheGuy79 "I got 328 loaner and was impressed with performance. It feels much faster than my 135i." - MOCKBA
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02-10-2011, 01:48 PM	#34
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	The traffic feature will route you around the traffic - if possible - when it is reported on a road included on the current route. Now, the nuvi 3790 has a feature called trafficTrends, which monitors road speeds of the roads you regularly travel on and therefore monitors relative traffic patterns. It uses this information to try and pick better roads for routes. This is independent of the information received from the traffic receiver, if so equipped. Also, this particular nuvi has a feature called myTrends. This monitors your destinations saved as favorites and the roads you use to get to them and will, over time "know" where you're going based on those regular destinations. It then will be able to give traffic information based on the roads you typically travel on to reach those favorites, as well as an ETA. I'm very curious about the myTrends feature. I'm hoping to see some information about my daily commute soon. __________________ "The Camaro's V6 makes so much horsepower because them horses are trying as hard as they can to run the fuck away from that ugly ass car." -Golden3ye
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02-10-2011, 04:02 PM	#35
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	Traffic is worth having because if it occasionally saves you being stuck somewhere it pays for itself. I've had a FM based system on my 760 since I bought it in mid-2009. I use it mainly on trips. The only real issue with it is time lag. For you to get the information, somebody has to report the issue and then it has to be entered into the system and broadcast to you. If you are right behind a wreck or something, it won't be sent to you yet. The more frequent issue I've had is it reported an issue that wasn't there anymore. When you get a traffic alert, it estimates the length of the delay. Many times the nuvi says it is better just to wait it out. Any alternate route would just add time. The value is not there if it doesn't tell you about something or if it tells you something that used to be there. An advance warning is of some value but if you can't navigate around the delay the value decreases. In other areas or for different issues, it could be extremely valuable. I paid extra to extend mine from the initial offer to lifetime so I obviously see some value in it. My subscription is to ClearChannel since they have coverage in Columbia, SC where I live. The same antenna will work for Navteq but you have to get a subscription to them (they cost $50-60 for lifetime). Your antenna can receive both types at the same time. Reviews I've seen indicate the differences are not coinsistent between the two. For a given incident or a given location, one or the other will be better. But the next time, it could go the other way. There is a screen you can get to that shows what FM stations you are seeing a signal from and who they broadcast (clearchannel or Navteq). Jim __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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02-10-2011, 07:51 PM	#36
ianc Ex '87 Carrera 246 Rep 1,259 Posts Drives: '10 TiAg 6MT 135i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Redwood Shores, California iTrader: (0)	Thanks alot for the info AW and JimD! I think I'm about ready to pull the trigger on this, but just holding off until I see some pics... Thanks again guys! ianc P.S. Do you guys know the difference between the Portable Navigation Pro, and Portable Naviation Plus systems? Besides the $70$ price difference I mean? __________________ "I will tell you there is a big difference between driving money and driving blood, sweat and tears." - PorscheGuy79 "I got 328 loaner and was impressed with performance. It feels much faster than my 135i." - MOCKBA Last edited by ianc; 02-10-2011 at 08:15 PM.. Reason: The Postscriptum
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02-10-2011, 08:10 PM	#37
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	Pics will follow this weekend, I promise!
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02-11-2011, 06:46 PM	#38
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	"Pro" used to mean 880 and "Plus" used to mean 760. Now "Pro" evidently means 3790. The 880 and 3790 are voice controlled. The 760 is touch controlled - like most nuvis. All have bluetooth built in. I personally like the 885/765 models because they have pretty up-to-date screens and other features and they also do MP3 playback. The 3790, like all the most recent nuvis, do not. If there is still a "Plus" it is probably like a 3790 except with touch control. Jim __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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02-11-2011, 07:10 PM	#39
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	There is still a "plus" model offered and it looks like one of the lower-priced nuvi models, compared with the 3790 at least. I didn't opt for the "plus" model because I could not verify whether or not it ties into the vehicle like the "pro" does. In addition, I couldn't verify which nuvi model is used in the kit. Finally, there wasn't much of a price difference between the two and the 3790 is the current top of the line nuvi model. To be clear, the 3790 has touch and voice control. The voice control is actually very effective, but you have to be sure to turn the radio volume down low before trying to initiate a voice command. From there, it's fairly responsive. __________________ "The Camaro's V6 makes so much horsepower because them horses are trying as hard as they can to run the fuck away from that ugly ass car." -Golden3ye
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02-11-2011, 07:15 PM	#40
ianc Ex '87 Carrera 246 Rep 1,259 Posts Drives: '10 TiAg 6MT 135i Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Redwood Shores, California iTrader: (0)	Thanks Jim! It is really not clear to me what the $70 difference between the two buys you, and bmwusa.com, although they do list both, is not clear on the differences. The Garmin website (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134) offers 3760-3790 models ranging in price from $400 - $500, but the descriptions don't seem too descriptive either. I wrote Dan Miles at United BMW, so let's see what he comes up with... ianc __________________ "I will tell you there is a big difference between driving money and driving blood, sweat and tears." - PorscheGuy79 "I got 328 loaner and was impressed with performance. It feels much faster than my 135i." - MOCKBA
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02-11-2011, 07:18 PM	#41
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	If you look at the Pro model on BMW's website, the pics they show are accurate to the 3790. If we can assume the Plus pics are also accurate, then perhaps we can decipher which nuvi model it is, or at least which model range it's in? __________________ "The Camaro's V6 makes so much horsepower because them horses are trying as hard as they can to run the fuck away from that ugly ass car." -Golden3ye
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02-12-2011, 02:13 PM	#42
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	OK, I have pics! They're not the greatest pics, but you get the idea. The cradle without the GPS installed: Side view of above: Here you can see the BMW insignia that's located on the bottom of the front of the cradle: GPS installed: Side shot of the GPS in the cradle (Note, you can see that some of the wiring harness is exposed, but the dealer made it all but invisible): And a "driver's" view of the GPS: One thing I wanted to point out is that in the pics, the screen appears to be highly reflective and in fact, it is, being glass and all. However, when the GPS is on, I have yet to encounter a situation where the reflection affected the viewing of the unit at all.
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02-13-2011, 12:44 PM	#43
JimD Brigadier General 368 Rep 3,547 Posts Drives: 128i convertible Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Lexington, SC iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the pictures. The wires are indeed well hidden. A picture with the cover over the back of the mount off would be revealing - the wires would show. If it slips off that might be reasonable to do. The installer at the dealership was careful to route the wires under the mount nicely. I agree that the Garmin display is not shiny and under most circumstances is very easy to see. It could be my positioning but I ran into some light situations involving a low sun angle where the reflection did get in the way, however. I needed to tilt the GPS down more than the BMW mount permitted due to the cradle hitting the dash. I moved the ball on the BMW mount up a little and it works better for me now. This is easier than it may sound like. The ball screw on the metal mount so all you have to do is take the metal mount off (two screw take the instrument cluster out, 4 screws take the hood over the gauges off and then two screws gets the mount out of the car), drill a new screw or two (I may be used one of the existing, I don't remember), reattach the ball and reassemble everything. Hopefully there is more clearance with the cradle of the 3790 than the 885t and you won't need to do this. I think your wires come through the center of the mount and, if so, this would be more diffiult - you'd have to drill the hole(s) in the car. I used my drillpress. Jim __________________ 128i Convertible, MT, Alpine White, Black Top, Taupe Leatherette, Walnut, Sport Ordered 5/22/09, Completed 6/4/09, At Port 6/9/09, On the Georgia Highway 6/13/09, Ship Arrived Charleston 6/24/09 at 10pm, PCD 7/21/09
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02-13-2011, 01:18 PM	#44
AW128i Major 44 Rep 1,003 Posts Drives: E82 N51 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southeastern, PA iTrader: (1)	Yes, without the cover (which is included in the installation kit, not the GPS kit, by the way) the wires would be completely exposed. And yes, Jim, the cradle wires are routed through the center of the ball mount on the bracket. So, once installed, it's pretty much permanent unless you want to remove the wiring pins from the plug, which is possible if you really wanted to. I'm more than satisfied with the the installation and I don't think I'll be taking any action to try and cover up the very small portion of the wiring harness that's exposed. I used the GPS to actually go somewhere today I've never been before and I was more than satisfied with the unit. The traffic feature rerouted me at one point and it was helpful because there indeed was a backup due to an accident. Also, the junction view that pops up when you are nearing your highway exit is unreal! Not only does it show you which lane you need to be in, it has a driver's-point-of-view depiction of the upcoming interchange complete with road signs, overpasses, etc. Honestly, with this functionality you'd have to be a moron to be in the wrong lane if you're at all paying attention to the GPS when it gives announcements.
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