Easiest way to get Android into E9x M3

[Redd]

1. It will work with factory GPS antenna with a GPS splitter cable. I'm using one, and GPS lock is much much faster than using the external GPS antenna that comes with the Android unit.

2. Imagine you have 2 devices in your car - Android and CCC - but only one can occupy the screen at one time. Likewise, only one can occupy the speakers at one time. So yes, you can still stream music via CCC, but you cannot have sound from the Android device which uses Aux. So you cannot have Waze on Android give you voice instructions while listening to tunes via CCC BT streaming.

3. Apple CarPlay is supported but requires a dongle. Never used it so don't know how well it works.

[yidgyi]

Had this for a couple months and just saw this thread. Here is my experience with AvinUSA's head unit.

Install was simple. Had an issue with fitting all the wires behind the unit but eventually I got it. I just pushed them to the side very aggressively until it stayed lol. Install might look complex but it really is just removing trims and unplug/plugging wires and routing.

I bought the unit primarily to track live data and to have Waze open in a larger screen since VA doesn't legally allow the use of radar detectors. At first this unit was pretty cool. Had tons of features over the stock head unit since its running an Android OS.

I connected bluetooth to the Android and started playing music. Immediately noticed the shitty audio quality. I was seriously contemplating on returning it because I love my music. It was so bad and had lots of interference. I found a way to play music via USB on the old iDrive screen while still using the Android screen and keeping that OEM sound quality. All good in that regard.

Next I tried using the OBD2 dongle that came with the head unit and bought TorquePRO. I couldn't get it to work to show me live data. The dongle never connected. I tried the Carly dongle, and that didn't work with TorquePRO. I bought another app called DashCommander and that seemed to work. Shows me all I need to know like real time live data AFRs, Timing, Coolant temp, IATs, boost(if S/C'd) etc. Pretty satisfied in this area with the head unit and the app I'm using.

Radio doesn't work that well for me on the old iDrive screen. Some stations don't even pick up and most are filled with static. Unsure if this is an installation issue or the antenna isn't receiving enough signal etc. Don't really care though because I play music via my iPhone.

The backup camera is pretty sweet. While giving you a view of whats behind you, the lines move depending on what steering angle you're in. The sensors beep as usual and it shows those small colored blocks to tell you how far an object is. Pretty impressed with this. I think you might even be able to enable the camera while moving but I haven't figured out how to do this or if its even possible.

As far as bugs or overheating, never experienced any of this with my unit. Runs flawless for what I ask it to do. I just wish I took more advantage of what it does because it is a pretty powerful unit in terms of what you can do. It's like an Android phone for your car. Like I said however, I mainly use it to track live data of what my car is doing.

If you have any specific questions let me know.

[GORDON.M3]

Anyone have the avin for non-idrive cars? Any good?

[Redd]

You can operate both reverse and DVR (front) camera while the car is moving. Reverse cam is accessed by the original parking sensor button on the dash. DVR front camera (if you have one) is accessed via the DVR icon on the Android homepage.

[Redd]

Originally Posted by yidgyi

I bought another app called DashCommander and that seemed to work. Shows me all I need to know like real time live data AFRs, Timing, Coolant temp, IATs, boost(if S/C'd) etc. Pretty satisfied in this area with the head unit and the app I'm using.

What did you use to for OBDII data to DashCommander. Was it a WiFi OBDII dongle?

[yidgyi]

Originally Posted by Redd

What did you use to for OBDII data to DashCommander. Was it a WiFi OBDII dongle?

Carly OBD wifi 2 dongle.

[SMG M3]

is sound quality only poor thru the AUX and USB? how about over apps like pandora, YouTube, ect.

[msan]

Originally Posted by Redd

2. Imagine you have 2 devices in your car - Android and CCC - but only one can occupy the screen at one time. Likewise, only one can occupy the speakers at one time. So yes, you can still stream music via CCC, but you cannot have sound from the Android device which uses Aux. So you cannot have Waze on Android give you voice instructions while listening to tunes via CCC BT streaming.

On my X5 AVIN I get voice instruction from Waze on Android through the center speaker (AVIN provides an audio Y splitter speaker cable to allow voice through center channel) and listen to music at the same time through AUX or Original car. I imagine its the same for the e9x cars.

[Redd]

Originally Posted by SMG M3

is sound quality only poor thru the AUX and USB? how about over apps like pandora, YouTube, ect.

Any sound source from the Android side will be via Aux and will be poorer quality than Bluetooth streaming via iDrive. You can tune it somewhat using both the iDrive and Android equalizers. I got it to within 80-90% of the original iDrive sound. So just depends how sensitive your ears are.

[Redd]

Originally Posted by msan

On my X5 AVIN I get voice instruction from Waze on Android through the center speaker (AVIN provides an audio Y splitter speaker cable to allow voice through center channel) and listen to music at the same time through AUX or Original car. I imagine its the same for the e9x cars.

Interesting! I'm in Asia so got my unit China direct. Not sure if AVIN made any enhancements to theirs. Let me check with my installer.

[nycplumber]

Anyone get to work with still having great sound from their speakers?

[Redd]

Originally Posted by nycplumber

Anyone get to work with still having great sound from their speakers?

Mine's decent after a bit of tweaking on the iDrive equalizers.

[Ginlaan]

I have logic7 and just finished install on the 8.1 unit. Sound is great as far as I am concerned. Although from years of having my car radio volume to its highest setting my hearing may not be up to par on all things called sound. I do get a faint chirp when using Pandora that I dint have on logic 7 side but it’s faint and not all the time so it doesn’t bother me.

Also, hardest part of this entire install were two should be easy to do items.getting the screen to fit in close enough to get the screw started. Left side much worse the right side. I think by moving that stiff wire plug from left side to right side of screenmakes it difficult to fit right. Also the frigging connector on the new harness. Omg. It’s huge and I could find only one tiny spot in the lower right corner so ccc unit could go back in. . Sounds easy right.

[Ra_]

Guys- my CCC is periodically rebooting...thinking about getting the avin unit in lieu of spending $ to fix CCC. Do you think this Ccc rebooting will be an issue if I keep it on the android side?

[Redd]

Not sure if the Aux feed goes via the CCC module. If it does, the Aux may not work if your CCC keeps rebooting.

[Ra_]

Originally Posted by Redd

Not sure if the Aux feed goes via the CCC module. If it does, the Aux may not work if your CCC keeps rebooting.

Ccc rebooting occurs once every few trips or so, typically during cold starts. After the reboot it works fine the rest of the drive.

Can the car start directly into the android side or does it require switching to android at every boot up?

[Redd]

It will start into whichever was last used. So if Android was last used, next start will be in Android.

[RM3NIAN]

Does anyone know if the sound quality with the 8.1 is better than the 7.1? Contemplating buying one of these for my 08 but worried about the sound quality.

[Redd]

Android OS won't change the sound quality. It's really not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

[yidgyi]

Originally Posted by Redd

Android OS won't change the sound quality. It's really not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

At medium volumes my speakers would static and pop. Going back to the default iDrive and USB would make the sound better again. I don't think its the OS either but the Bluetooth feature with how you have to wire to the Aux.

[Redd]

I stream Spotify from my old Lenovo phone via BT to the Android head unit which is then connected using AUX. No issues even at very loud volumes, listening to rock, rap or jazz. I have Individual Sound System.

[nycplumber]

Why not put a Dac in between the the aux in/out?