iDrive Delete?

1slowbeem · 08-08-2019, 06:12 PM

Hey guys,

I have an '08 135i with the flip up iDrive screen. Yesterday the idrive shit the bed and it now crashes and restarts every 3 minutes (it opens and closes each time this happens so you can imagine how annoying it is). The ONLY thing i use it for is the aux.

So, rather than buying a whole new idrive system, is there any way to do a full idrive delete, and then put a standard radio with an aux into the CD port?

By delete i mean get rid of the flip up screen and controls. I would only want to keep the speakers for the new radio.

Thanks in advance, hopefully this makes sense. I suck when it comes to electronics in cars.

The Wind Breezes · 08-08-2019, 07:22 PM

I need to do this to my 2012. What a useless system.

Fantastipotamus · 08-11-2019, 09:29 AM

I’m in a sort of similar spot with my also ‘08, also 135i, also NH, also M-sport package, also 6mt also flip-up screen 1-series.

this will not be a helpful reply from a ‘how to remove completely’ standpoint...

~$2k is a ridiculous amount of money to replace the CCC system, but I was considering doing the CIC retrofit (which is... also $2k??

). However, I also did some research and found these guys out of Texas: http://www.bmwlogicseven.com/ you can drop them an email and ask for a quote or describe your issue, but it sounds pretty spot on based on their website description of CCC issues. At least I would email to let them know your unit is incoming, they generally request payment after they’re done vs upfront (at least they did with me), but you could verify that too if you wanted.

I ended up sending them my screen (not the CCC unit itself - he and I both thought my issue sounded like a screen problem..... it.. was not

) and he was pretty good. Since I got the screen back, my issue hasn’t resurfaced, so I’m biding my time until it does, at which point I’ll ship the unit to them.

The removal of the unit is pretty easy, here’s the video I used:

. Took me like 20 minutes to remove it and $20 to ship in one of the USPS priority preset cost boxes.

However - something you could consider, if you don’t want to send it out to him, is that the flip up screen has two cables, one for the video input, and a second which powers the screen and flip-up mechanism. All you really need to do is remove the power cable (you have to pull the screen to do that though - it’s on the drivers side, just uncouple it and put the screen back in) and it’ll never flip up again.

If you fully remove it, you’ll have a hole in your dash and stuff, which sucks. Also keep in mind while you might only use it for AUX, there’s a lot of stuff in there only accessible through that screen. Warning messages, car configuration stuff, stereo settings, TPMS reset, etc etc. That’s more or less why I didn’t go too far into the ‘remove completely’ route. GL

08-08-2019, 06:12 PM	#1
1slowbeem Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: N54 135i M-sport (6mt) Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	iDrive Delete? Hey guys, I have an '08 135i with the flip up iDrive screen. Yesterday the idrive shit the bed and it now crashes and restarts every 3 minutes (it opens and closes each time this happens so you can imagine how annoying it is). The ONLY thing i use it for is the aux. So, rather than buying a whole new idrive system, is there any way to do a full idrive delete, and then put a standard radio with an aux into the CD port? By delete i mean get rid of the flip up screen and controls. I would only want to keep the speakers for the new radio. Thanks in advance, hopefully this makes sense. I suck when it comes to electronics in cars.
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08-08-2019, 07:22 PM	#2
The Wind Breezes Lieutenant Colonel 912 Rep 1,850 Posts Drives: 135i N55 DCT Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	I need to do this to my 2012. What a useless system.
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08-11-2019, 09:29 AM	#3
Fantastipotamus Private 51 Rep 85 Posts Drives: 2015 M4 Vert DCT Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: NH iTrader: (0)	I’m in a sort of similar spot with my also ‘08, also 135i, also NH, also M-sport package, also 6mt also flip-up screen 1-series. this will not be a helpful reply from a ‘how to remove completely’ standpoint... ~$2k is a ridiculous amount of money to replace the CCC system, but I was considering doing the CIC retrofit (which is... also $2k?? ). However, I also did some research and found these guys out of Texas: http://www.bmwlogicseven.com/ you can drop them an email and ask for a quote or describe your issue, but it sounds pretty spot on based on their website description of CCC issues. At least I would email to let them know your unit is incoming, they generally request payment after they’re done vs upfront (at least they did with me), but you could verify that too if you wanted. I ended up sending them my screen (not the CCC unit itself - he and I both thought my issue sounded like a screen problem..... it.. was not ) and he was pretty good. Since I got the screen back, my issue hasn’t resurfaced, so I’m biding my time until it does, at which point I’ll ship the unit to them. The removal of the unit is pretty easy, here’s the video I used: . Took me like 20 minutes to remove it and $20 to ship in one of the USPS priority preset cost boxes. However - something you could consider, if you don’t want to send it out to him, is that the flip up screen has two cables, one for the video input, and a second which powers the screen and flip-up mechanism. All you really need to do is remove the power cable (you have to pull the screen to do that though - it’s on the drivers side, just uncouple it and put the screen back in) and it’ll never flip up again. If you fully remove it, you’ll have a hole in your dash and stuff, which sucks. Also keep in mind while you might only use it for AUX, there’s a lot of stuff in there only accessible through that screen. Warning messages, car configuration stuff, stereo settings, TPMS reset, etc etc. That’s more or less why I didn’t go too far into the ‘remove completely’ route. GL
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