E65 B7 media system update

[Norrie]

I am seeking opinion, so someone I know in the UK has successful replaced the sat nav, radio, bluetooth etc with a wire in new system that replicates the size of the current screen factory fitted. It has many of the up to date features and is a touch screen, by use of the i drive one can switch back to the original screen functions. It costs just short of 300 pounds to purchase and a couple of hours to fit by an expert.

I am very tempted to get this installed by the person who did their own and is qualified. Question is am I devaluing the genuine nature of the vehicle? I have no intention of ever selling, unless I am dead, its no longer road legal or is scrap.

[hap]

As long as it’s reversible it’s no bother Norman
I’ve seen a few for mine and you would be pushed to distinguish them but as you know I’m a stickler oem

[JohnW]

I’ve fitted an Android 11 unit in my E93 B3 about a year ago, touch screen and also uses the original idrive controller and steering wheel buttons. It is light years ahead of the old CIC system. You can set either system to boot first by default - CIC or Android.
I also wired in an aftermarket and inexpensive reversing camera to it too, it uses a replacement boot handle and it also picks up the original reversing and front bumper sensors very well.
It is fantastic for wireless Apple CarPlay for my iPhone.
They really are quite easy to reinstate back to original as there are only two connections to the BMW harness: the quadlock piggy backs onto the original system socket and the Aux cable plug is just taken to the 3.5mm Aux socket for audio, that isn’t very neat IMO so I soldered it onto the back now it’s out of sight.
Hardest part is getting the cabling to sit back into the space behind the CIC drive unit in the dashboard.

The smaller disadvantages are:

1. Audio, needs to be ‘kick-started’ I.e., the audio speed camera alerts and voice directions from the Tomtom Go navigation app from start up are silent, until it gets another audio input, say from an mp3 track, it’s an annoying bug for me, should have been fixed by now. Also as it’s an Aux input it’s only analogue 2 channel sound, but it makes a decent stab at it, good enough for me and my old ears anyway.

2. Time it takes to boot up from start, far slower than OEM.

I have the Alpina animation start up logo files if you want them, the files easily imported into the system from a USB stick.

[Norrie]

Many thanks for the information, I would not be installing myself and am technically incompetent. The version fitted by the other owner of the B7 is the one which I guess I would opt for. He is a full time auto electrician. He would fit it for me.

[JohnW]

He shouldn’t have a problem fitting, and it’s easy to reverse back to original, I’m not a mechanic or auto electrician, was an electrician and can carry out bits and pieces myself, just with experience of owning several E90 series.

There may be a few bugs, as these units have not passed the Alpina or BMW quality checks and they do take a while to boot up from cold, much like an Android phone, but overall they are great. I was lucky and found mine used from a 5 series E60 owner who couldn’t get along with it.

No problem with the info and if you need any other details happy to help if I can.

[churchie386]

On my F31 D3 I upgraded the small screen to the larger BMW one, then installed a wireless Apple CarPlay retrofit kit. It works well and I can toggle back to the original BMW system if needed.

When operational it is very close to a factory fit CarPlay system, but there are a some subtle compromises.

The audio for CarPlay is acutally via the AUX input. On the F31 this is not the AUX jack in the armrest because the analogue audio signal is via the loom, but it still AUX as on the head unit. In essence when using CarPlay the built in head unit is used for amplicaition etc. This means if you are listening to the radio (which is on the headunit) one ca still use navigation apps on CarPlay, but navigation directions are not heard. If the audio you are listen too is from CarPlay (i.e. AUX on the head unit) then you can have both audio and nivigation directios. To save having to go into the headunit menus to select AUX, I simply have this as a hot key setting on iDrive.

When the CarPlay retro fit is installed, some coding may not be possible. BimmerCode will fail to connect with the unit in situ, so the solution is to disconnect it during coding. This ieasy on the F31 as the panel below the head unit is easy to open, which is where the box lives. But if disconnected the screen then will not functin as the headunit screen output is routed via the CarPlay unit.

It is easy to toggle back to the BMW system, which I use for checking tyre pressures mainly, and the integration with iDrive controller and steering wheels controls is all as one would expect. The rear parking display works (I don't have front sensors or a camera) as soon as reverse is selected. A retro fit camera is an option too.

It starts up immediately when turning on the car.

In general I'm impressed with kit I fitted (Road Top, from China, via Amazon), and the wide screen update I did earlier (which required coding) really sets it apart from the poverty system in there before. I would say it offer 95% of what a factory system offers by way of integration.