[BGM]

Hey all,

Picked up my 08 plate e92 325d m sport yesterday. drove down from luton through central london and out the otherside, so had a long while to play with the toys.. impressed

Got a couple of questions though..

1) I believe the car has smartphone prep (there is a cradle slot in the centre console + bluetooth + pro nav etc), what is the part number i need for the iPhone adapter? I am seeing conflicting threads / info and i'm a bit confused on that one. i will call bmw in a bit and ask for a full original option list, but thought a pre emptive part query wouldnt hurt.

2) I am convinced that the iDrive software is ancient (it's brown). I test drove a slightly newer model prior to buying this one, and i recall the idrive being greyish and much much faster. would this just be a software upgrade, if so id quite like that done as it's painfully slow to use at the moment.

cheers for now, i'm sure there will be many more to come!!

ta

chris

[a1reader]

If your iDrive software is old, you can ask your dealer for an upgrade. However unless there is a fault with your current version, then it is chargeable. The best thing to do is to say to the dealer that the iDrive is very slow and crashes a lot, and they usually upgrade the software at no extra cost in such situations.

As for the cradle there are two versions. I presume you are using an iPhone 3G or 3GS. There is the standard bluetooth version (BMW part number 84 21 2 151 038) which connects your phone to the fin antenna and charges it, but better still if you have options 6FL (USB interface) and 6NF (Bluetooth phone connection) you can get the USB cradle (BMW Part number 84 21 2 151 043) which in addition will allow you to listen to music on your iphone and control playback through iDrive, which is frankly excellent.

Congratulations on the new car and like most of us here you will enjoy it immensely.

[lesfinnie]

Originally Posted by BGM

Hey all,

Picked up my 08 plate e92 325d m sport yesterday. drove down from luton through central london and out the otherside, so had a long while to play with the toys.. impressed

Got a couple of questions though..

1) I believe the car has smartphone prep (there is a cradle slot in the centre console + bluetooth + pro nav etc), what is the part number i need for the iPhone adapter? I am seeing conflicting threads / info and i'm a bit confused on that one. i will call bmw in a bit and ask for a full original option list, but thought a pre emptive part query wouldnt hurt.

2) I am convinced that the iDrive software is ancient (it's brown). I test drove a slightly newer model prior to buying this one, and i recall the idrive being greyish and much much faster. would this just be a software upgrade, if so id quite like that done as it's painfully slow to use at the moment.

cheers for now, i'm sure there will be many more to come!!

ta

chris

My understanding is that your i drive is the old type so the usb cable would not work, according to other posts on this you would need the newer i drive with the hard drive. You can indeed get a cradle but as stated it only charges the phone. Your phone should connect through bluetooth without this, as mine does. As to the brown display, you would indeed get the silver/blue display with an upgrade. My car was updated under warrenty due to the TCU being faulty and the display is now the newer one which changes the background plus the cd display is different. On the plus side it is faster.

[BGM]

Originally Posted by lesfinnie

My understanding is that your i drive is the old type so the usb cable would not work, according to other posts on this you would need the newer i drive with the hard drive. You can indeed get a cradle but as stated it only charges the phone. Your phone should connect through bluetooth without this, as mine does. As to the brown display, you would indeed get the silver/blue display with an upgrade. My car was updated under warrenty due to the TCU being faulty and the display is now the newer one which changes the background plus the cd display is different. On the plus side it is faster.

i'll double check those part numbers.. it is just a 'snap in' adapter yes, in which case is this something i could grab off of ebay? or does something need to be done to the car at the dealer?

lesfinnie, yeah it all connects through the bluetooth fine. i made a couple of calls on it yesterday.. i am most interested in getting the phone charged during a journey as we all know the battery does not last long!!

cheers guys

[wrighty]

Yep phone cradle from BMW is about £60 I have one in mine works fine and charges it.

[BGM]

Originally Posted by a1reader

As for the cradle there are two versions. I presume you are using an iPhone 3G or 3GS. There is the standard bluetooth version (BMW part number 84 21 2 151 038) which connects your phone to the fin antenna and charges it, but better still if you have options 6FL (USB interface) and 6NF (Bluetooth phone connection) you can get the USB cradle (BMW Part number 84 21 2 151 043) which in addition will allow you to listen to music on your iphone and control playback through iDrive, which is frankly excellent.

i seem to also be able to find part # 84.21.2.158.682 relating to iphone cradle.

what is this please?

[a1reader]

Originally Posted by BGM

i seem to also be able to find part # 84.21.2.158.682 relating to iphone cradle.

what is this please?

That's the cradle for the original iPhone (the 2G version). It has the same connector, but the device is a different shape, and therefore the 3G and 3GS iPhones wont fit

[BGM]

Originally Posted by a1reader

That's the cradle for the original iPhone (the 2G version). It has the same connector, but the device is a different shape, and therefore the 3G and 3GS iPhones wont fit

nice one, ta!

[BGM]

where did this thread get moved from.. i thought i put it in this sub forum.

weird.

[RichJ]

If the software etc is performing ok, is it worthwhile trying to get a software upgrade under warranty anyway or is it safer to leave as is, in case there are newer issues?

In addition would a software upgrade update the gearbox performance as well as i drive, bluetooth, phone book etc?

Thanks in advance.