Nav but no assist
 

I have ordered a 328i with Nav but no assist (hence no apps). Can someone clarify the below. (Searched the forum but found no clear replies as the Nav without assist also gives you a COMBOX?)

1) Do I need a Y cable for my Iphone 4 or would the Apple USB cable work?
2) BMW remote app and BMW connected would work?

answer to number 2 is no. you need apps and assist for those apps to work

#1 From all I have read, it should work with std cable because you get a basic combox with Nav.
#2 Will not work. Those apps communicate through the cellular data connection that comes with Assist.

Hopefully they'll add WiFi direct HW in the next version so you can do point-to-point WiFi connections for things like that.
With that, as long as you are in WiFi rang of the car with your phone or parked in garage with your home network, you would be able to send addresses to the Nav.

According to the latest (02/12) parts database, the Combox Media should be standard equipment in the USA F30. Therefore the white Apple USB cable should work.

Assist upgrades it to the Combox Telematics. No Telematics = No BMW Remote = No BMW Search.

Technically the only difference between the Combox Media and the Telematics is the GSM module in the Telematics. All the Combox features -BMW Apps, BMW ConnectedDrive, Bluetooth Audio, BMW Live, BMW Internet- are available in the media version but not activated. BMW Apps can be retrofitted by the dealer according to the same parts database, the rest can be retrofitted by aftermarket vendors.

There's no way of sending addresses to the Nav without the Telematics version so far. The Euro USB address import feature has not been fully implemented for the USA yet -it comes and goes depending on the US iDrive version. The Euro WiFi option is just that, a WiFi hotspot in the car. The same way that any tethering phone can do right now -see below.

Either Combox supports Bluetooth tethering, which enables BMW Live and BMW Internet to work thru any Bluetooth tethering-capable smartphone.

Interesting. I wonder if this changed from early production models (Nov '11 - Jan '11), as some of the first folks who got F30s in the US were reporting a standard Apple cable most definitely did not work and the only thing that did was the old Y-cable.

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=655575

Can you clarify more on the Euro WiFi option.
Many smartphones can be setup to act as hotspot, to share the cellelar data connection of the phone. In US, it typically requires an additional data subscription.

Does this use the built-in telemetics conenction for a data link. Or does it provide WiFi conneciton and then link to your phone data link over bluetooth?

What I know is that there's no MULF module anywhere in the 02/12 F30 parts database. The MULF is the Bluetooth/USB module that requires the "old" BMW iPod cable. The Combox uses the Apple white USB cable.

Is not unusual to replace modules in production, though.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/t...ot.html#media0

It uses your own phone hotspot feature.

Looks like it's a completely separate data modem + WiFi module.
It requires a separate SIM card or sharing of the SIM in your phone via SAP.

Do we have any F30 owners with recent production builds without Nav or Assist that can confirm if full ipod connectivity is there with just the standard Apple cable now?

... or anybody just take a photo of the module P/N in their car -if possible.

Where do you find it?

It's under the seat on my BMW

Comm Media
 

The Comm Box in the 2012 328i is in the trunk, just lift up the floor panel (lifts up very easily) and you will see it closest to the back seats. I do not have BMW Assist - other then it using my bluetooth phone. I do not have the Office Mobile folders on my idrive menu, I have NAV, but no BMW Apps.

BMW Apps can be added on by 3rd party Vendors. I think they need to purchase the code from BMW ($250) and add it in. I am going to do this next month. This all can be done via remote programming (3rd party) if you have a laptop. I am not sure if the dealerships will add this option in for us or not. Getting them to talk about it is very difficult.


You have to use the BMW Y Cable to control your iPhone like a USB stick/external source. You will not see album art/etc.. I tried it with the standard white apple USB cord, but it did not work. Since my sales guy told me I could stream pandora etc while we were test driving - after I bought the car found out it didnt have that option. So he gave me the $75 cable - which should be free.

sorry for the upside down pic

Koz

I had a base model F30 rental that was probably built in Jan/Feb. I plugged my iPhone 4 in with the Apple USB cable and had no functionality with the car at all. I had to use the 3mm mini headphone jack to get audio from the phone.

Thanks for posting the photos...

The good news... it is in fact the Combox Media.
The bad news... it seems that this is a new, stripped-features down Combox Media because of the OEM Y iPod cable requirement.

Still, I think that this is an issue of coding and not of any hardware limitation. All the features available in the Enhanced version should be just disabled in this unit, including the use of the white Apple USB cable.

I have heard that for models produced after February, the Apple cable works. Can anyone confirm the same?

Im February: Production date 2012 / 02 = NOPE

It would be interesting if this is true.

Im February: Production date 2012 / 02 = NOPE

It would be interesting if this is true.

I thought you needed BMW Assist combox for Apps to work?
They force you to get Assist if ordering Apps.

Is that a seperate combox, or is it a new Combox media with it all combined?

This was explained above.

Yours is the only Combox Media according to the P/N and its label, so far at least until 02/12 production according to the database.

In the UK this Combox Media can be ordered from factory in the Enhanced version -meaning Bluetooth Audio, Album Art, dual-channel Bluetooth.

2011 328xi Premium Package with Combox
 

With a 2011/12 factored 328xi I have some features described here like:

- Remote app working
- Bluetooth audio
- Message integration

and for sure idrive and connectdrive

But tried iphone with the white usb cable and connectecd apps was not successfull.

I seems that I need to retrofit the 6NR option to get apps and Internet access or just need to purchase a bmw assist plan?

Could you please give me more hints because all these option are so confusing

Thanks!