cost for dealer installed ipod interface

[gotwish]

I just had the new ipod interface installed in my 650i, and made the mistake of not asking how much to install. My car has all options except for comfort access (Build date two weeks before that was offered) and the dealer charged me three hours ($300.00) for installation!! Is this normal?? Dealer said they had to upgrade software for the ipod to work. Did these guys know what they were doing? Upgrade was to 22.02--They didn't know about 23.00.

[chuck92103]

I just had the new ipod interface installed in my 650i, and made the mistake of not asking how much to install. My car has all options except for comfort access (Build date two weeks before that was offered) and the dealer charged me three hours ($300.00) for installation!! Is this normal?? Dealer said they had to upgrade software for the ipod to work. Did these guys know what they were doing? Upgrade was to 22.02--They didn't know about 23.00.

There has been a lot of rumblings about this issue. Thanks to Cobradav, we have been able to shed some light on the truth.

1. If your car is a 650 (which started to be built in Sept 05, no software update is required.

2. Cars prior to Sept 05, i.e. 645, will not work as built. However, there is an MP3 retrofit software configuration change that BMW will provide to 645 owners free of charge to get MP3's working in the in-dash single CD/DVD players. Why is this important? It is believed part of the software code associated with the MP3 retrofit is also required for the iPOD to work.

3. If you look at the iPOD installation, it is simply a matter of removing the CD changer, and plugging in the adapter. 5 minute job. The directions at the end of the install state that a CIP flash update "should" be done but does not say it is required. Dealers are following the install process to the letter and charging you for it.

4. There is one caveat to this which makes a dealer visit necessary. If you have a car WITHOUT a CD changer, the iPOD won't work. Even if you added a CD changer later it won't work. The car must be programmed to recognize the addtional device on the MOST bus, in this case a CD changer or iPOD. Also, the glove box has to be removed to get the wiring from the computer to the CD changer/iPOD adapter. So there is some labor in coding and installation required.

My advise to 650 owners. By the iPOD adapter if your have a CD changer and see if it works. If it does not, remove it, put your CD changer back in and pay the dealer to get it to work.

My advise to 645 owners. Get the MP3 retrofit. Then remove the CD changer, and install. It should work as documented by several owners already. I believe BMW is keeping this hush hush for they know they should be providing the code for free and do not know how to handle pre Sept builds without pissing off the customers who paid $80k for a car with broken MP3 capabilities. Even the CIP bulletin states 3/05 645 builds or later can have the retrofit. Yet earlier 645's have gotten the MP3 capability to work. :dunno: All I can say is some dealers know what they are doing and some don't.

What bugs the hell out of me is this. If you take your car in for software issues, which all versions have, the software update is free. But if you want to add a device they charge you for recoding and fixing their own glitches in the process.

The irony is this. Read the iPOD installation instructions. They say to remove CD and plug in box and then test it out. Then afterwards load latest code. :dunno:. If updated code were required, wouldn't you load it first and then install the iPOD? :dunno:. I really think the iPOD box is just an interface to iDrive to fool it into thinking the iPOD is a CD changer. The iDrive interface for the iPOD confirms this. The MP3 code allows the car to understand other media formats whether on CD/DVD drives, CD changer, or iPOD.

I am further frustrated by the dealers lack of understanding about coding requirements. I had to take them the MP3 bulletin for they did not know what I was talking about.

I also bet you a dollar to a donut, when MP3 capable CD changers come out, they will work plug and play without coding as long as your car already understands MP3/iPOD media files already.

[jg59]

I have got a question for you ipod guys... if you have a video ipod, does it play the video? If not, could it? Or do you need a whole other interface or is there no chance?

[chuck92103]

I have got a question for you ipod guys... if you have a video ipod, does it play the video? If not, could it? Or do you need a whole other interface or is there no chance?

Doubtful. Although the MOST bus could understand video signal I do not believe it is enabled on the CD changer connection.

There are TV/DVD upgrade that folks are getting in Europe and some companies in the U.S. sell the product themselves.

[BigHat]

I have got a question for you ipod guys... if you have a video ipod, does it play the video? If not, could it? Or do you need a whole other interface or is there no chance?

1. No

2. No

3. No chance through the MOST bus.