Sirius sat radio REMOTE RETROFIT -- and free 1-year service!

jphughan · 12-17-2013, 07:03 PM

Score another one for the legendary Mike Benvo of BPMSport!

I originally ordered my 2011.75 M3 without satellite radio, but I knew from reading these forums that the CIC nav system actually had the Sirius/XM hardware built in and was simply deactivated on cars that weren't ordered with sat radio, unlike the older CCC nav system where satellite radio was a separate module that was only installed when it was ordered. (I read somewhere that for a very brief time early in CIC's deployment, sat radio was still a separate hardware kit, but I'm not sure whether that's true and if so when the transition happened.) Therefore I figured that, theoretically at least, a satellite radio retrofit could be achieved purely through software.

Enter Mike Benvo.

I called him up and talked about this, and he confirmed that this could be achieved with some minor coding and the installation of an FSC code, which he could perform remotely, just like many of the other services he offers -- and it could even be done with a plain vanilla coding cable, which I already had since I do my own basic coding. So he obtained the required FSC code for my VIN, we set up a time for him to remote into my laptop that I'd connected to my car, and a few minutes later, I had a satellite radio option in iDrive and could play their demo channel.

Then I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, I could get the 1-year free trial through Sirius that new BMWs ordered with this option get. So I called up Sirius, read my ESN to them, and they confirmed that I was indeed eligible for a 1-year trial of their All Access Package. And a few moments later I had a looong list of channels to explore!

I'll now be going back to find the thread from a while ago about recommended Sirius/XM channels. But if anybody else with the CIC nav system doesn't have satellite radio and wished they did, Mike Benvo has struck again and got yet another of your BMW needs covered.

RS4now · 12-17-2013, 07:15 PM

congrats man and kudos to Mike. Can this be done with a 13'? I ordered mine the same, without Sat radio, because i dont really need it but why not if its free for a year.

cambit · 12-17-2013, 07:18 PM

is this cheaper than having the dealership install?

The Automotive Enthusiast · 12-17-2013, 07:19 PM

I requested Mike to do this for me 4-5 months ago, he said he'd have to look around. Never called me back.

RS4now · 12-17-2013, 07:25 PM

I believe dealer wants like 500-70$$. Im sure if Mike does it its cheaper

jphughan · 12-17-2013, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RS4now

congrats man and kudos to Mike. Can this be done with a 13'? I ordered mine the same, without Sat radio, because i dont really need it but why not if its free for a year.

Definitely doable with a '13. It's not exactly free though because Mike himself has to buy the required FSC code for your car from his sources, so you'll pay for that piece as well as his time to activate it for you, but after that you get the service itself free for a year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

I requested Mike to do this for me 4-5 months ago, he said he'd have to look around. Never called me back.

I was his guinea pig for this. Took him a little poking around to get it right, but he's now got everything nailed down, so I suspect he'd be able to help you out now if you follow up with him. Mike always has about 500 things going at once, so being the squeaky wheel seems to be the way to get his attention.

BPMSport · 12-17-2013, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rev ///Me

I requested Mike to do this for me 4-5 months ago, he said he'd have to look around. Never called me back.

No issue retrofitting satellite radio / BMW Apps to vehicles remotely. Just let us know if you'd like more information.

It's hard to keep track of all of the requests, especially for something not immediately available. My apologies for not getting back to you.

It's considerably less than the dealership.

Bart@AUTOcouture · 12-17-2013, 09:59 PM

Mike, I'll be calling you

geneatals · 12-18-2013, 10:56 AM

cost?

kscarrol · 12-18-2013, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

No issue retrofitting satellite radio / BMW Apps to vehicles remotely. Just let us know if you'd like more information.

It's hard to keep track of all of the requests, especially for something not immediately available. My apologies for not getting back to you.

It's considerably less than the dealership.

So Mike, has something changed? Previously you indicated that you couldn't do the BMW Apps remotely. Is that now possible?

BPMSport · 12-18-2013, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kscarrol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

No issue retrofitting satellite radio / BMW Apps to vehicles remotely. Just let us know if you'd like more information.

It's hard to keep track of all of the requests, especially for something not immediately available. My apologies for not getting back to you.

It's considerably less than the dealership.

So Mike, has something changed? Previously you indicated that you couldn't do the BMW Apps remotely. Is that now possible?

Yes, we have completed testing of our remote loading system for BMW Apps/Sirius. Everything will work as if it came this way from the factory. Functionality with the ///M Lap timer has also been verified, and the other BMW apps integrated features. We did not offer this previously until we verified 100% success rates for remote activation.

kscarrol · 12-18-2013, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

Yes, we have completed testing of our remote loading system for BMW Apps/Sirius. Everything will work as if it came this way from the factory. Functionality with the ///M Lap timer has also been verified, and the other BMW apps integrated features. We did not offer this previously until we verified 100% success rates for remote activation.

Sweet!

I'll be in touch for a tune and the Apps when I am back in the country....

BPMSport · 12-20-2013, 09:49 PM

Sounds good - just let us know!

BMWSpeedFreek · 12-21-2013, 07:44 AM

Great news!

PM enroute...

TexasSpartan · 12-27-2013, 07:02 PM

Did this earlier this year on my 2011 E92 with another vendor. Took about 25 minutes via remote coding. Got the 1 year free as well although don't use the Sat radio that much as I prefer the HD radio. Sirius sounds like crap compared to HD radio.

Someone? · 01-13-2014, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexasSpartan

Did this earlier this year on my 2011 E92 with another vendor. Took about 25 minutes via remote coding. Got the 1 year free as well although don't use the Sat radio that much as I prefer the HD radio. Sirius sounds like crap compared to HD radio.

Yah but Sirius is good for getting the scores to football, baseball games,lol

TexasSpartan · 01-14-2014, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibmike

Yah but Sirius is good for getting the scores to football, baseball games,lol

true dat.

gazosnic · 01-14-2014, 06:32 PM

can this be activated on euro CIC unit?

Johndong888 · 02-03-2014, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gazosnic

can this be activated on euro CIC unit?

If your CIC unit has the build in Sirius then yes. Euro/USA does not matter. Only HD radio does region matter.

There was one year where the Sirius receiver was not integrated into the CIC unit. Anything after 2009, from 2010 should have the Sirius built into the CIC units.

+ 1 For Mike Benvo. He's exceptional knowledgeable and friendly. He will make it work for you.

As for the Sirius XM cost, I didn't have it in my 2012 M3 because it would actually be CHEAPER for me to order it aftermarket than from the Factory. I only did this to save a hundred or two only because I already had coding work lined up for the car before I even received it. Naturally, dealership cost will be astronomically higher than factory.

Best,
John

12-17-2013, 07:03 PM	#1
jphughan Brigadier General 594 Rep 4,488 Posts Drives: '16 Cayman GT4 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	Sirius sat radio REMOTE RETROFIT -- and free 1-year service! Score another one for the legendary Mike Benvo of BPMSport! I originally ordered my 2011.75 M3 without satellite radio, but I knew from reading these forums that the CIC nav system actually had the Sirius/XM hardware built in and was simply deactivated on cars that weren't ordered with sat radio, unlike the older CCC nav system where satellite radio was a separate module that was only installed when it was ordered. (I read somewhere that for a very brief time early in CIC's deployment, sat radio was still a separate hardware kit, but I'm not sure whether that's true and if so when the transition happened.) Therefore I figured that, theoretically at least, a satellite radio retrofit could be achieved purely through software. Enter Mike Benvo. I called him up and talked about this, and he confirmed that this could be achieved with some minor coding and the installation of an FSC code, which he could perform remotely, just like many of the other services he offers -- and it could even be done with a plain vanilla coding cable, which I already had since I do my own basic coding. So he obtained the required FSC code for my VIN, we set up a time for him to remote into my laptop that I'd connected to my car, and a few minutes later, I had a satellite radio option in iDrive and could play their demo channel. Then I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, I could get the 1-year free trial through Sirius that new BMWs ordered with this option get. So I called up Sirius, read my ESN to them, and they confirmed that I was indeed eligible for a 1-year trial of their All Access Package. And a few moments later I had a looong list of channels to explore! I'll now be going back to find the thread from a while ago about recommended Sirius/XM channels. But if anybody else with the CIC nav system doesn't have satellite radio and wished they did, Mike Benvo has struck again and got yet another of your BMW needs covered. __________________ '16 Cayman GT4 (delivery pics, comparison to E92 M3 write-up) Gone but not forgotten: '11.75 M3 E92 Le Mans \| Black Nov w/ Alum \| 6MT (owned 5/2011 - 11/2015) Last edited by jphughan; 12-17-2013 at 07:08 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

12-17-2013, 07:15 PM	#2
RS4now Private First Class 11 Rep 158 Posts Drives: M3 space gray Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Chicago iTrader: (1)	congrats man and kudos to Mike. Can this be done with a 13'? I ordered mine the same, without Sat radio, because i dont really need it but why not if its free for a year.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-17-2013, 07:18 PM	#3
cambit Private First Class 11 Rep 155 Posts Drives: 2013 BMW M3 COUPE Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: San Francisco, CA iTrader: (1)	is this cheaper than having the dealership install?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-17-2013, 07:25 PM	#5
RS4now Private First Class 11 Rep 158 Posts Drives: M3 space gray Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Chicago iTrader: (1)	I believe dealer wants like 500-70$$. Im sure if Mike does it its cheaper
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-17-2013, 09:59 PM	#8
Bart@AUTOcouture BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 1003 Rep 4,619 Posts Drives: F95X5M \| E46M3 \| E92M3 \| E60M5 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: South Florida iTrader: (5)	Mike, I'll be calling you
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-18-2013, 10:56 AM	#9
geneatals Ninja 390 Rep 4,014 Posts Drives: 2019 530e Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: So Cal (SFV) iTrader: (3)	cost? __________________ 2019 AW G30 530e l ZPP l ZMP l ZDH Retired: 2016 F80 M3, 2012 E90 M3, 2008 535i
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-20-2013, 09:49 PM	#13
BPMSport BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 3387 Rep 7,541 Posts Drives: Harrop M3 / F10 M5 / F82 M4 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SoCal iTrader: (9) Garage List 2000 BMW M5 [0.00] 1990 BMW 735i Turbo [0.00] 2008 BMW M3 [7.50] 2015 BMW M3 [0.00] 2015 BMW M5 [0.00]	Sounds good - just let us know! __________________ -----\| Like us on Facebook \| Instagram \|\| Tuning Information \| Remote Coding \|----- ----Visit us at www.BPMSport.com - Emotion. Driven. \| Toll Free: (888) 557-5133----
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-21-2013, 07:44 AM	#14
BMWSpeedFreek Lt Col. …who can’t wait for his next track day! 32 Rep 227 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 M3 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Richmond, BC. IG: @BMWSpeedFreek iTrader: (1)	Great news! PM enroute... __________________ •SOLD - '08 M5 Sepang Bronze/Full Merino leather/ Exec Pkg/HUD/SMG/H&R/DINAN/Coded •'12 E92 M3 Space Grey/M-DCT/ZCP/ZPP/DINAN/ACM Test Pipes/BPM StageII Tune & Coding/M Perf Exhaust, Race seats, Alcantra V2 steering wheel, gloss grills/ModeCarbon GTS wing/GTS DCT Tune, CF int trim, door sills/LUX H8 V3/CSF race oil cooler/Trackspec hood vents/GT4 Rep CF splitter & rotor ducting/Hawk DTC60/KW CS 2way NR/B'world/Hotchkis/Eibach/Apex
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-27-2013, 07:02 PM	#15
TexasSpartan Lieutenant 24 Rep 422 Posts Drives: '06 E85 3.0si Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Fulshear, TX iTrader: (0)	Did this earlier this year on my 2011 E92 with another vendor. Took about 25 minutes via remote coding. Got the 1 year free as well although don't use the Sat radio that much as I prefer the HD radio. Sirius sounds like crap compared to HD radio. __________________ 2006 E85 Z4 3.0si 2015 F10 535i M Sport Sold 2011 E92 M3 Sold 2007 E90 335i Sold 2006 E90 330i Sold
	Appreciate 0 Quote

01-14-2014, 06:32 PM	#18
gazosnic Major 107 Rep 1,042 Posts Drives: bmw m3 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: chicago iTrader: (3)	can this be activated on euro CIC unit?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search