You may learn how to use your BMW head unit by watching the video below. If your map data version has “Premium” inscribed on it, your head unit is a CIC.
CIC (Pro Nav) – If your car has a CIC head unit installed, you’ll need a factory-installed combox.
The carpet in the boot must be taken out in order to determine whether your automobile has a combox installed.
- Open the boot and remove all of your stuff before continuing.
- The boot liner carpet readily pulls out, so remove it completely and lay it down.
- The flat supporting hard board in the boot should be removed, not just lifted up.
- The item circled on the left in the image above is the combox. A fuse box will be visible to the right if you are searching in the proper spot.
- You don’t have a combox if the area to the left of the fuse box is empty.
- If the combox in the circle is installed. Great! You can be coded.
Unfortunately, due to the length of time and complexity of the installation, we do not refit comboxes.
The cost of the coding retrofit, PS91.67 + VAT, remains the same if the combox is already in place. For PS91.67 plus VAT, we can currently add this extended Bluetooth option to your car. Simply phone one of our team members at 0118 958 3481, and they will schedule you.
Please go back one set and check out one of the other tutorials if you have Next, Move, or Motion.
In This Article...
Hi… I just received my brand-new 2014 M235i yesterday. When I learned that it doesn’t allow Bluetooth audio streaming, I was somewhat upset. I am aware that expanded Bluetooth capabilities can be programmed into an item if it has a combox. I’m not entirely sure where to look to see if my car has a combox, though. I keep hearing that it’s “in the trunk,” but I’m not sure if that means it’s under a different panel or in the same well as the batteries, the red connector box, and the tire pump, which it isn’t. I apologize for being such a newbie, but I had to start somewhere.
Just so you know, I had no issues setting up my iPhone for hands-free calling. However, the option for an audio connection is not available.
To find out what head unit version you have, go to Navigation, Settings, and Software. There will be a series of numbers followed by some letters. You may identify your system by those letters. It is NBT if you have the machine with a larger screen. If you have this, the combox and maybe the CIC system (smaller screen) are built into the head unit together with the combox. Enhanced Bluetooth (EBT) can be unlocked via a code, enabling office and music streaming.
Your trunk’s combox is placed underneath the panel. You must remove it entirely in order to see it; simply elevating the floor won’t do. It’s not at all attached. The floor only needs to be lifted out of the trunk as a whole. The fuse box and combox will then be visible. The Combox is the one facing the driver.
Available BMW Combox Installation
The future of how we connect while driving is represented by the unique equipment option known as BMW ConnectedDrive. You can connect to anything that gives you a sense of safety, security, and connectivity with the help of a wide selection of intelligent services and apps that provide you with the information and entertainment you need while traveling. ConnectedDrive is an essential advancement in BMW efficiency, whether it is for work or play. Our Combox Retrofit improves the multimedia capabilities of your car’s communication system, giving you daily access to even more functionality!
How can I identify my BMW with NBT?
The 5 Series E60/E61 was the first production vehicle to have CCC iDrive in 2003. After that, the X5 and X6 were added to additional BMW models until 2009. Throughout its existence, CCC iDrive benefited from two updates, which were released in 2007 and 2008. Some BMWs built in 2009 have the CCC head unit in addition to the new CiC controller (placed on the center console). These vehicles were regarded as “Hybrid” CCC/CiC iDrive systems but are essentially still CCC iDrive vehicles. Display resolution for the 8.8-inch, 640×240-pixel CCC iDrive system.
CCC Between the CCC and the CiC, the iDrive Systems’ antiquated LVDS transmission protocol necessitates an 8 pin, 8 wire link. Your IMI-1000 will be set up to work with the 8-wire LVDS connectors if your system is a CCC system.
If you have any of the following, you can determine if you have CCC iDrive:
1. 2x DVD/CD DRIVES: CCC iDrive Systems use a DVD drive to store and read the satellite navigation map data. If the main head unit has two DVD slots, the iDrive system is a CCC system.
2. The CCC menu system differs from other iDrive systems in that it has a center “i” and four primary menu items that correlate to the rotary controller’s directional “left, right, up and down” movements.
3. Determine whether you have the NAV option;
The 8.8-inch TFT/LCD display.
5. Rotary Controller Type – One of the three CCC iDrive rotary controllers are what you will have.
An illustration of the CCC iDrive System, which has a rectangular metal LVDS connector, is seen below.
What version of BMW iDrive do I have, and how do I know?
The iDrive system’s navigation is a crucial component that makes getting from A to B simple. But since roads and sites of interest constantly change, it’s critical to maintain your BMW’s GPS maps updated if you want to get the most out of your iDrive.
Many of the most recent BMW models include over-the-air (OTA) map updates, which use the vehicle’s integrated SIM card to automatically download the most recent map data. The procedure in these automobiles is comparable to updating your smartphone to the most recent iOS or Android version; all you have to do is restart your car after your iDrive has downloaded the data.
For vehicles that do not allow OTA updates, a manual upgrade is necessary. Previously, updating BMW navigation maps required changing a DVD holding the map data. More newer vehicles include built-in hard drives that hold the data, allowing you to update your map by overwriting the hard drive’s contents. You can accomplish this with BMW by connecting a USB stick with the updated map data to the USB port in your vehicle.
It’s a good idea to determine which map version you need, which relies on your iDrive system, before purchasing a new BMW map. Use the settings menu when your iDrive navigation is open to navigate to “Navigation system version,” where you can see the region, version, and year of your current GPS data.
How can I tell whether my BMW requires an upgrade?
Find your vehicle’s VIN to discover if there are any upgrades available for it. The best way to see it is to glance at the bottom of your windshield from outside the car; it is typically printed into the driver’s side of the dashboard. If there are any updates, enter your VIN here. Download any updates that are accessible on a USB drive.
BMW, is iDrive free?
Since July 2019, BMW has made wireless CarPlay available as a subscription service, which is compatible with many models from 2017 and later that have the required hardware. BMW has reconsidered its approach to CarPlay availability, nevertheless, in light of customer feedback. BMW said in December 2019 that owners of 2019 and 2020 models equipped with the newest iDrive 7.0 will not be required to pay any further costs. Of course, that only applies to the most recent models; compatible BMWs with iDrive 6.0 from 2018 and before will have to pay a $300 one-time cost.
Has the BMW CIC Bluetooth?
Bluetooth audio streaming for BMW You can only skip to the previous or next song if your BMW has the CIC / ENTRY iDrive system installed. You can explore the playlist on the NBT and NBT Evo head units and select any song to play.
BMW added Bluetooth when?
The most secure and convenient method of using a mobile phone while driving is to pair it with your car via Bluetooth. Due to this, in December 2002, BMW became the first automaker to introduce the Bluetooth communication standard for use with mobile phones. The wireless link enables drivers to control their mobile phones using voice commands, the iDrive Controller, or the multifunctional steering wheel. The radio display or the on-board monitor can be used to access the mobile phone’s phone book, which is synced with the on-board computer.
When did BMW first release iDrive?
BMW introduces the iDrive in 2001. The 2001 BMW 7 Series featured the first BMW iDrive. The BMW iDrive was the brand-new control system that BMW introduced. The amount of buttons on the dashboard were drastically reduced when it was first introduced in the BMW 7 Series.
Can I get a technological upgrade for my BMW?
Nearly the entire BMW fleet—more than 30 BMW models—can now be upgraded remotely. Until the interim version has been downloaded and installed, vehicles with software older than version 20-07 cannot install the most recent version.
What does BMW CIC stand for?
With the F01/F02 7 Series, it made its debut in September 2008. The Becker-produced CIC, or Car Information Computer, runs on the QNX operating system. It is an optional feature for the following automobiles:
- 1-Series E81/E82/E87/E88 from September 2008 to March 2014
- 1-Series F20/F21, 2009 to 2013,
- E90/E91/E92/E93 3-Series – 09/2008 – 10/2013
- F30/F31/F34/F80 3-Series – 02/2012 – 11/2012
- 5-Series E60/E61, November 2008 to May 2010.
- 5-Series F07 – 2010 to 2012
- 5-Series F10, March 2010–September 2012
- 5-Series F11, 2009 to 2012
- 6-Series E63/E64: November 2008 until July 2010
- 6-Series F06, March 2012 to March 2013
- F12/F13 6-Series, 12/2010 – 03/2013
- 11/2008 – 07/2013 7-Series F01/F02/F03
- 7-Series F04: November 2008 to June 2015
- X1 E84 – 10/2009 – 06/2015
- X3 F25 – 10/2010 – 04/2013
- X5 E70 – 10/2009 – 06/2013
- X6 E71 – 10/2009 – 08/2014
- Z4 E89 – 04/2009 – 2016
A significant improvement to iDrive is the CIC system, which swaps out the controller, computer, and display. To address one of the frequent iDrive issues, the display is more responsive and has a greater quality than CCC. There is also support for internet access.
TeleAtlas maps, which are stored on an inbuilt 2.5″ 80 GB hard drive, are used by CIC-based systems. Additionally, this HDD has an 8 GB capacity for playback-ready music files. A USB connector is available in the glove box to make it easier to upload music files to the HDD.
All CIC-based iDrive systems support DVD video as of 2009 LCI manufacture. However, for automatic transmission cars, this only works when the parking brake is engaged, and for manual transmission cars, only while the car is in the “Park” position. While driving, DVD audio will still be playing.