[duyibest]

Hello guys,

I am considering installing a NBT EVO retrofit kit on my E90 (2011 329xi without idrive or nav).
Mainly for the idrive to modernize my BMW since I plan to keep it for a long time.
I found this retrofit kit:
http://www.bimmerretrofit.com/store/...product_id=117

Did any of you tried this before and how do you feel about it?
If I am going to get it professionally installed, what shop would you recommend in Bay area and what would be approximate labor costs?

Any other insights are also welcome.
Thank you!

[GTRZilla]

Interested as well. Seen a couple of videos on YouTube, looks great

[beevanka]

Hi Duyibest,

I also live in the bay area, and I've been considering this for a long time as well.
I have a E92 with CIC iDrive, hit me up if you would like to do it together.

[mfractal]

Did you ask them how much is the kit? Probably costs a pretty penny !

[beevanka]

Originally Posted by mfractal

Did you ask them how much is the kit? Probably costs a pretty penny !

The kit is more than 1k. Not sure how much the labor costs.

[mfractal]

Originally Posted by beevanka

The kit is more than 1k. Not sure how much the labor costs.

Curious how they integrate the screen as its bigger than the cic one. Hard to understand from the pictures

[GTRZilla]

this thread should be more alive, cmon people, who bought it and won't tell us

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by mfractal

Curious how they integrate the screen as its bigger than the cic one. Hard to understand from the pictures

Screens are the same size. You take NBT screen and remove its bezel and put on the old CIC bezel (frame) on it. Several posts discuss it. It's not the physical install that will deter most of us it's the coding. There are some posts out there if you look long enough.

[Itec]

I buyed this kit in 2016! I first buyed CIC from bimmer retrofit (long time ago), in 2014 I learned that NBT is out, and in 2016 I finally buyed NBT EVO. Good thing I waited

I like the retrofit very much! I'm Italian (sorry for my English) and we love nice things My friend helped me do the installation, he is good with hands.
If your car do not has screen now,
you can install screen like this:



In Italy we have places which sell stereo units for cars and many of which make fabricates from plastic. They can install screen like on this picture.

or you can exchange dashboard to this: https://goo.gl/rnpC3T

I buyed 2 products from Bimmer Retrofit and I like them. Them always answer quickly and quality is well.

Sorry for my English, but I hope you understand.

[anees]

Firstly, you need to understand what you are doing here. It is a bit more than just the retrofit kit.

BMW switched to KANBUS2 topology and are now heavily using ethernet / flex ray topologies in their new cars.

The NBT EVO works best with the ATM, as the ATM has a SIM card, registered with the vehicle's VIN on BMW Connected Drive servers. And no, no one has found a way to circumvent this. Some retrofit providers have found a way to get RTTI, some pieces of Connected Drive, using a SIM gateway 'hack'. It will only be a matter of time before BMW plugs this loop hole, as there is an EU directive for all automotive manufactures to tighten up all security loopholes.

Also, newer NBT EVO units do not have a GPS aerial connection at the back of the unit, as they get this data from the ATM module, via an ethernet connection.

People have experienced the following errors on their retrofit:

incorrect vehicle positioning
related to an incorrect calculation or even ignoring of the data from the DSC control unit and yaw sensor. The data from the DSC control unit is always transmitted via the power line which is converted into CANBUS2 , and then sent to the NBT EVO. This conversion is done by the front electronics module, or the ZGW module in the newer cars.

echo when receiving / making calls
currently it only affects those with the Logic 7 setup. The only option is to replace the amplifier with one from an F30.
The echo is due to how the NBT EVO passes a command to mute all audio signals from the MOST bus.

weak FM radio signals
CCC and CIC passes a built-in amplifier signal to boost the radio reception. The NBT EVO does not have this. the only way to receive a good radio signal is to install a radio amplifier from an F30.

Coding will only get you so far, until you reach hardware limitations.

This is not to put you off doing your retrofit, but you did ask for opinions

If you really wanted to do this correctly or as close to OEM as possible:

• go to BMW, and buy an ATM, and beg them to register it with your vehicle VIN. You might be lucky...

• install a ZWG-02 high module in your car ( this will convert p-line, kan bus, etc.. into CAN2 for the EVO unit ). You will need to wire the gateway to your OBD for an ethernet connection.

• Change the IHKA module to a very late LCI E9X one. There is some logic here...as the newer F-models NBT faceplate connect directly to the IHKA, which then passes on the NBT control signals to the gateway, which then passes it onto the NBT...
  
  You would install a CIC faceplate and connect the ribbon cable to the back on the IHKA.
  
  I have not tried this out, but have asked around if anyone has the CIC faceplate ribbon cable pinout. So far, no answers or no one willing to provide this info due to their capitalist nature

Originally Posted by GTRZilla

this thread should be more alive, cmon people, who bought it and won't tell us

[tgreer]

Originally Posted by anees

Some retrofit providers have found a way to get RTTI, some pieces of Connected Drive, using a SIM gateway 'hack'.

Any idea who? Only NBT (non EVO) so far as I can find, if you have any more info please share, as I'd like to go EVO but want RTTI

[anees]

You are correct. At the moment it is only the non-EVO NBT which can be setup for RTTI. I think it is bimmer retrofit who offer this service. I'm not sure if they do something similar for the UK.

Originally Posted by tgreer

Any idea who? Only NBT (non EVO) so far as I can find, if you have any more info please share, as I'd like to go EVO but want RTTI

[Bokila]

I have done a full NBT EVO ID5/ID6 installation into my 2008 E93. I used a kit from Bimmer Tech which simplifies things but theres still a number of things that comes up during installation. I'm also using their MMI HD unit for front and rear camera as well as iPhone screen mirroring.

I have some pics from parts of the installation if you have questions about specific things - I left the coding completely to Bimmer Tech so dont ask me to much about that.

[flexspec]

Did the retrofit on my e90, as well as amp upgrade to solve the echo issue.
IHKA works perfectly.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=954202

In the process I've learned to code with E-Sys, NCSExpert and use INPA, ISTA/D and ISTA/P.

Bimmerretrofit is a good company, they do the head unit coding so that all features work with the your car (including the climate control).

The best time to buy from them is Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

[bmwretrofit]

Originally Posted by anees

You are correct. At the moment it is only the non-EVO NBT which can be setup for RTTI. I think it is bimmer retrofit who offer this service. I'm not sure if they do something similar for the UK.

Yes, we do offer RTTI activation for NBT units in UK

[GTRZilla]

Originally Posted by iceweasel

Did the retrofit on my e90, as well as amp upgrade to solve the echo issue.
IHKA works perfectly.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=954202

In the process I've learned to code with E-Sys, NCSExpert and use INPA, ISTA/D and ISTA/P.

Bimmerretrofit is a good company, they do the head unit coding so that all features work with the your car (including the climate control).

The best time to buy from them is Black Friday/Cyber Monday.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

How much did the kit run you?

[lnxguy]

Might wanna look into this, a far cheaper option.

https://avinusa.com/8-8-bmw-3-series...on-system.html

[mizta insane]

Originally Posted by lnxguy

Might wanna look into this, a far cheaper option.

https://avinusa.com/8-8-bmw-3-series...on-system.html

Looking at this, it's not a BMW system NBT - It look like a regular android tablet with Android OS 4.4.4 with a SKIN/THEME to look like NBT.

Correct me if i'm wrong?

[lnxguy]

Originally Posted by mizta insane

Looking at this, it's not a BMW system NBT - It look like a regular android tablet with Android OS 4.4.4 with a SKIN/THEME to look like NBT.

Correct me if i'm wrong?

I'd ask the vendor.

[mizta insane]

I check with the vendor and it's just an android pass-through tablet.

[zakaza]

Hi everyone, I've also been looking into doing this and I found a foreign forum that did this with perfections. I wonder if the android version can be powered without the head unit.

[ArcticRik]

Originally Posted by zakaza

Hi everyone, I've also been looking into doing this and I found a foreign forum that did this with perfections. I wonder if the android version can be powered without the head unit.

I think that looks great, except the ac unit and the nav unit should swap positions