Notes on a 2011 E93 M3 TCU/MULF to Combox swap

[Technic]

Customer wants to have BMW Apps in his 2011 E93 M3 with Assist and iPod adapter, however his M3 was produced before even the Combox was available to order, much less BMW Apps.


What to do?


Enter BimmerTech with its PnP Combox OEM swap kit...


- unplug and remove TCU and MULF OEM modules (E93 shown):





- plug and install OEM Combox Telematics to existing OEM connectors, antennas and cables, terminate extra MOST connection:





100% OEM, no wires cut or spliced. No faults, 100% reversible back to factory spec.


BMW Apps, the enhanced iPod/USB adapter (Album Art and iPod Out) and dual-channel Bluetooth are upgraded and functional, and then some:


- BMW Online:











BMW Live:



Weather:



Panoramio:



RSS:



Not shown: Google Maps Street View and Local Search

Notes:

1) First issue first: Assist account was not transferred to the Combox. That should be done by the customer and the dealer by following the OEM procedure of registering the Combox IMEI (replacing the TCU IMEI in the account) with Assist. Will update the thread with the outcome.

2) MyInfo will not work with BMW Live: Adding BMW Live will replace the Assist entries from the iDrive and thus MyInfo, however the Telematics portion of the Combox still is active and functional. Once the Assist account is transferred the SOS button in the roof console will be active and functional, however that will be the only way to contact Assist if BMW Live is activated. All Assist basic services will be active and functional once the account is transferred.

Customer was very happy. Work done.

[DieselDiner]

Very nice summary, it's amazing what Bimmertech (and you) have wrought in terms of upgrades. You should also post this on the 3 series board, as it is certainly not limited to M3's.

[stega]

I agree, I am very happy!!!

[DieselDiner]

Stega, was this your car?

[Ali.K_BMW]

pm'ed

[stega]

Originally Posted by DieselDiner

Stega, was this your car?

Yes sir.

And I got a back up cam installed!!

[SamS]

Can someone explain BMW Live a bit better for me? I see that there is Google access, and I presume other internet sites? The Combox has an IMEI, the 3G cell coverage is free, and provided by AT&T?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by SamS

Can someone explain BMW Live a bit better for me? I see that there is Google access, and I presume other internet sites? The Combox has an IMEI, the 3G cell coverage is free, and provided by AT&T?

Once your iDrive/Combox are set for BMW Online/BMW Live then:

- pair your phone to the Combox thru Bluetooth.
- set your phone tethering for Bluetooth data transfer

Once that is done the Combox takes over and routes all iDrive Internet requests thru your phone. The iDrive software interfaces with the requests so you have control over what is shown and what can be selected on the screen, full OEM GUI.

The BMW Live gives you a subset of Google Maps features, business business search, local weather and RSS feeds access. This is a comparable service (but free) to the USA BMW Search feature ($199 a year), which provides Google business search, gas prices, local weather, Bloomberg stock ticker, CNN news and the capability of sending your location by email to anybody.

BMW Online is actually a browser so you can go to any website.

[SamS]

Thank you for that explanation.

So, will this work as described with a factory 6NR option, and an iPhone 4? Meaning, no additional tethering plan is needed since it tethers through Bluetooth?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by SamS

Thank you for that explanation.

So, will this work as described with a factory 6NR option, and an iPhone 4? Meaning, no additional tethering plan is needed since it tethers through Bluetooth?

Yes, it will work with a factory installed Combox/6NR option. The Combox telematics installed in this thread is exactly the same Combox installed at factory.

The tethering (thru Bluetooth) shown in this thread is by an iPhone 4 from AT&T. No hacking, no jailbroken.

[SamS]

Very good! I have an AT&T iPhone 4 and will order 6NR for my 2012 M3. I'm looking forward to this feature/functionality.

[mhaghighi]

i have the 2011 but pre march date production. how do i get the bmw live? I have the google search and yearly plan but no app feature

[Technic]

Originally Posted by mhaghighi

i have the 2011 but pre march date production. how do i get the bmw live? I have the google search and yearly plan but no app feature

You need a CIC software update and a coding session... and will lose the BMW Search if you activate the BMW Live.

[mhaghighi]

who makes the bmw live? I mean is it also a dealer upgrade option or is only after market?

[Technic]

Originally Posted by mhaghighi

who makes the bmw live? I mean is it also a dealer upgrade option or is only after market?

Press release:

BMW Live: Infotainment Services via the Customer's Mobile Phone

One of the latest attractive new services from BMW ConnectedDrive is BMW Live. Using any internet-capable mobile phone, and subject to data charges, it allows a limited number of the existing BMW Online services to be accessed via Bluetooth. All the available Online functions are transmitted by Bluetooth to the in-dash display. They can be operated easily and intuitively using the iDrive Controller, with the customer's mobile phone serving as the modem. From launch, BMW Live will provide free news via RSS feeds, weather information and the functions Google Local Search, Google Panoramio and Google Street View. To activate their favourite news feeds, customers simply input the relevant domain. The portal then automatically searches for the associated RSS feeds on the website. Headlines can be read aloud via BMW's text-to-speech function. The weather data, which includes both the current weather conditions and a four-day forecast, is presented on the monitor in clear, easily readable colour images.

The Google functions offered by BMW Live - Google Local Search, Panoramio and Street View - work similarly to the functions available in the current BMW Online system. The start page offers location selection, search box, categories and history. Addresses found using Google Local Search can be imported directly into the vehicle's navigation system. It is also possible, using the iDrive Controller, to select and display destination images from Google Panoramio and Street View, both while stationary and when on the move. The new BMW Live service from BMW ConnectedDrive is at present only available in the new BMW 1 Series. Customers can configure this service to their own individual requirements. Further BMW Live applications will shortly be made available worldwide (except in the USA, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan).

[apw2607]

Sorry for dredging up this oldish thread but did the customer ever transfer their BMW assist account over to the new combox ?

[mkPOTO]

awesome!

[Technic]

Originally Posted by apw2607

Sorry for dredging up this oldish thread but did the customer ever transfer their BMW assist account over to the new combox ?

The customer never told me so afterwards...

[stega]

I never re-activated assist as the car is often tracked/auto-x'd...

[ramez75]

Ok I been reading and still dont think I got the Combox.....I mean I know what it does but I still dont know what do I need to have it. Is it only software or hardware too

I have 2009 335ix E92. SO I have the CIC. So to get the Combox is it only software.

ALso the internet part will work by using the phone data plan is that compatible with DroidX

Thank you

[Technic]

Originally Posted by ramez75

Ok I been reading and still dont think I got the Combox.....I mean I know what it does but I still dont know what do I need to have it. Is it only software or hardware too

I have 2009 335ix E92. SO I have the CIC. So to get the Combox is it only software.

ALso the internet part will work by using the phone data plan is that compatible with DroidX

Thank you

The Combox is only factory-installed in MY2011.5-on 3-Series.

Search for more details.

[kscarrol]

Kind of off topic but... Technic, any word on when BMW might start offering the BMW apps upgrade for us 2011.5 builds with the combox? Always heard this fall and my dealer is clueless.