[jingai00]

Hello,

I just recently installed the BT eject box and RAZR cradle in my car. However, the phone does not seem to be charging. Does anyone have any ideas what might be wrong?

-Jonathan

[bmw0perat0r]

where did you get the cradle? I've been looking all over and haven't found it.

sorry I don't know the answer to your question.

[jingai00]

Circle BMW had it in stock.

[lnXcel]

Same problem here. I am using a RAZR V3m which I don't think should really matter. Although the V3m is CDMA based and the V3 GSM, the physical dimensions and mini USB pinout are the same between the two. Accessories for the two phone are interchangable as well. The interesting thing I noticed upon opening the package for the eject box was that the instruction for installing the box was in German. Did you notice the same or was I just special. Often times European parts are know to have a different electrical characteristics when compared to their US counterpart but I am not sure if this is the case here as I believe all RAZR share the same pinout and power requirement. I bought my eject box from Essex BMW here in NJ. Keep me in the loop if you figure out something and I'll do the same.

[LEDZEP]

Slightly off topic, but are any of your phones Verizon Wireless? I'm planning to get the Razr in the next few weeks - is it fully compatible with downloading address book, etc.?

[nightops]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Slightly off topic, but are any of your phones Verizon Wireless? I'm planning to get the Razr in the next few weeks - is it fully compatible with downloading address book, etc.?

LedZep- i've got the razor from verizon and it seems to be fully compatible, the names in my phone book show up at least and show up in the i drive screen-

[bmw0perat0r]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

Slightly off topic, but are any of your phones Verizon Wireless? I'm planning to get the Razr in the next few weeks - is it fully compatible with downloading address book, etc.?

I have the V3xx w/Cingular Wireless - works just fine with iDrive.

[LEDZEP]

Thanks guys!

[Technic]

Originally Posted by jingai00

Hello,

I just recently installed the BT eject box and RAZR cradle in my car. However, the phone does not seem to be charging. Does anyone have any ideas what might be wrong?

-Jonathan

Can you check the connector pins -on both the car and the cradle sides- and/or maybe the Telephone fuses? Maybe the best way to solve this is just to take it to the dealer, the cradle itself may be shot. I have installed the same cradle in a 2007 328i Coupe and in my E46 M3 and that sucker worked right after connecting it. There are no tricks to it...

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by lnXcel

Same problem here. I am using a RAZR V3m which I don't think should really matter. Although the V3m is CDMA based and the V3 GSM, the physical dimensions and mini USB pinout are the same between the two. Accessories for the two phone are interchangable as well. The interesting thing I noticed upon opening the package for the eject box was that the instruction for installing the box was in German. Did you notice the same or was I just special. Often times European parts are know to have a different electrical characteristics when compared to their US counterpart but I am not sure if this is the case here as I believe all RAZR share the same pinout and power requirement. I bought my eject box from Essex BMW here in NJ. Keep me in the loop if you figure out something and I'll do the same.

Mine was also in German. I use Cingular GSM, so that is unlikely the problem. The phone itself works fine, it just does not charge.. which is rather a bummer, given that's the primary reason I purchased the cradle..

It's odd that someone else has the same problem. I am wondering if maybe there is something else to connect -- the DIY I found here said to connect something in the trunk, but I could not find it. Maybe this needs to be connected to charge the phone?

[Park828]

what parts do you need to buy for the snap in thing to work?

[BoostedInPhx]

Does the phone have an indicator or display that shows you if it is charging? Is it possible it only charges when the car is running? The reference above about not making the connection in the trunk may be important.

From the DIY phone install:

7. Now you have to hookup the antenna in the trunk. It is located on the driver's side on the trunk. You will have to remove the carpet from the Driver's side. It was located mid-way to the back of the trunk. It was wrapped in black tape. Remove the terminator and snap to the two cables together.

If this is not connected the phone may be transmitting all the time trying to maintain contact with the cell tower since the external antenna is not connected. This takes a lot of power and may discharge the battery if it only charged when the car is running. On the Razor is there a separate antenna connection that could be disconnected to use the internal antenna to see if this makes a difference? Does it have a good signal?

[Kamando]

I have the same issue with my RAZR cradle. This is the second time my cradle has failed. It works perfect for a couple months then it gets to the point where it will only charge the phone when the cradle is in the open position, (which leads me to believe that it may be a pinched/broken wire issue from opening and closing it so much.) and then shortly after it will not charge at all. I have tried ejecting the entire cradle and reseating it with no luck. My cradle currently will no longer charge my RAZR. I will probably take it in to the BMW dealer again to see if they can fix it.

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by BoostedInPhx

Does the phone have an indicator or display that shows you if it is charging? Is it possible it only charges when the car is running?

From other threads I have read here, it supposedly will charge even if the car is not running. Mine, however, never charges at all: The phone does not display "charging" when the ignition is off or on.

The reference above about not making the connection in the trunk may be important.

Yes, but the problem is that I cannot find that cable he is referring to. Another thread I found said something about that only being required on older vehicles, but I really just am not sure since I have never seen the "official" instructions.

Speaking of which, does anyone have the original BMW instructions in PDF format? The instructions that were included seemed to expect that you have already had the eject box installed.

On the Razor is there a separate antenna connection that could be disconnected to use the internal antenna to see if this makes a difference? Does it have a good signal?

It doesn't seem to have a seperate connection for the antenna -- at least, not one I could find. The signal strength does seem to be better, though. It's almost always full bars now.

The primary reason I bought this was to keep it charged though. This phone I keep in the car at all times just for convenience. If it doesn't charge the phone it's kind of worthless to me

[smellthebeans]

Sorry to hear that....

My GF purchased a Razor V3M (3G phone). its dimensions are slightly larger than my V3i (with itunes). We thought we could use the same charger both in the car and in the house. But guess what...her phone will not charge on my charger nor will mine on hers.

Only logical conlusion is they are pinned out differently?

[jingai00]

Originally Posted by smellthebeans

Sorry to hear that....

My GF purchased a Razor V3M (3G phone). its dimensions are slightly larger than my V3i (with itunes). We thought we could use the same charger both in the car and in the house. But guess what...her phone will not charge on my charger nor will mine on hers.

Only logical conlusion is they are pinned out differently?

Except for the fact that it's USB, and I know it's standard because it charges off my laptop using a USB cable. Maybe I just got a bad cradle.. I dunno.

Still, does anyone have the official installation instructions? I'd like to look them over to see if I just missed something obvious at least.

[smellthebeans]

I know.....thats what I thought term...hence "UNIVERSAL" Serial Bus...all pins would be the same....frankly I am baffled!

If you search the DIY section of post you will find the installation instructions for the docking cradle. I saw them a while back and did not save a copy.

My last advice is to take it back to. Perhaps they will submit a PUMA for a new cradle? I believe the PUMA is BMWs way of collecting data for such problems. They did one for my TCU (bluetooth) unit.

BTW. I skipped on the docking cradle and installed Sirius nstead.

[tintivilus]

Originally Posted by smellthebeans

My GF purchased a Razor V3M (3G phone). its dimensions are slightly larger than my V3i (with itunes). We thought we could use the same charger both in the car and in the house. But guess what...her phone will not charge on my charger nor will mine on hers.

Only logical conlusion is they are pinned out differently?

Originally Posted by smellthebeans

I know.....thats what I thought term...hence "UNIVERSAL" Serial Bus...all pins would be the same....frankly I am baffled!

There are basically only two kinds of Motorola EMU (Enhanced-Mini-USB) chargers: mid-rate and rapid. Mid-rate chargers always have zip-wire (looks like speaker cable) between the wall-wart and the plug and rapid chargers have a round cable. All car chargers are rapid chargers. Both the V3i and V3m should support both mid-rate and rapid chargers. Every once in a while you'll come across an oddball charger with a mini-USB plug (like a Blackberry charger or the MPx200 charger) that's its own animal but if you stick with the Mot-branded chargers you can mix-and-match to your heart's content.

Mid-Rate Charger (US)

Rapid Charger (US)

Both of these are fully supported by both the v3i and v3m, and just about every other Motorola product they'll plug into.

[mimi74]

The plugin is inverse on v3i / v3x (or all the v3 coming after v3i) so craddle can't go with new v3

[smellthebeans]

I purchased my phone on ebay last year. it came with a generic car charger. GFs Razor V3xx will not charge with it.

My V3i will charge with her Motorola branded wall charger.

Perhaps this explains why jingai00 cradle does not work?

Also, does he need the progman updated to use the cradle with bluetooth?

So the Bottom line is BMW needs to produce or mod the current cradle to support the new (V3xx & newer) Razor phones?

[tintivilus]

Originally Posted by smellthebeans

I purchased my phone on ebay last year. it came with a generic car charger. GFs Razor V3xx will not charge with it.

My V3i will charge with her Motorola branded wall charger.

Mot phones are a little picky about charging: you can't just slap +5V on Vbus and expect the phone to charge, which rules out a lot of generic "USB" chargers. The phone won't do anything until it ID's the connected accessory.

Originally Posted by smellthebeans

Also, does he need the progman updated to use the cradle with bluetooth?

nope.

[headred]

Looking through Circle, Tischer, Crown, Pacific etc. websites... do I need a cradle and the v3 snap in adaptor to make this work... roughly 200.00 for the cradle and 100.00+ for the adaptor? Is this right?