New iDrive Firmware Released - Email Finally?
 

Looks like there is another update available, Version 1006.

Release notes:

> Office: Improved support for email messages. Improved display of text-message sender on iPhone devices with iOS6.

> Telephone: Improved USB connection for iPhone devices with iOS 5. Improved connectivity of certain devices. For certain devices, better display and stability during calls. Improved Bluetooth connection with HTC devices. Improved sorting of the phone book in Android devices in Japan.

> Multimedia: Improved display of additional album and track information. Improved connection and control in Bluetooth audio devices.

> Improved functionality of TeleService, BMW Online and Internet for iPhone
devices with iOS 5.

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/nav...update_vin.jsp

I am sick in bed, someone else will have to be the guinea pig on this one.

BJ

Cool! BMW is now allowing some software updates to be done at home. That was totally impossible on my old E60. Probably old news to a lot of festers, but new to me...

Yup.

Go to that download page. Enter your VIN. Download the file. Do not decompress.

Put the file in the root of a virgin thumbdrive. Can't be in a folder, can't be on there with other files. Empty thumbdrive, just the raw downloaded BIN file on there.

Start the car. Wait 60 seconds for iDrive to spool up fully. Insert the thumbdrive in the armrest USB port (not the glove compartment). Wait another 30 seconds for the drive to be recognized.

Scroll to Settings > Update and choose the 'update firmware' option. It'll see the file, reboot iDrive, and tell you when it's done.

BJ

Awesome, doing it now. Will report back with results. Thanks again BMW for providing me with the flash drive to do it with.

Cool.

Just so you know.....these updates always have email that works the very first time you try it. But the next time you turn the car off, walk away, and then come back and turn the car on, email dies.

If you get it working, test email a few times to confirm that it 'sticks' after you've shut the car off and turned it back on again a bit later.

BJ

Happy to report that the email issue has now been fixed. After the update I sent myself an email and it showed the notification in the control display and I was able to read it.

Another fix you now get an audible notification as well through the speakers. Not just for email but you also get audible notification for any app that has one so for example the gmail app on iOS you can hear the 'ding' through the car speakers.

Good to know, I will try again shortly then.

Great news! I have the file downloaded and will test myself shortly...

Interesting. Is Bluetooth Audio turned "off" on your phone?

BJ

No, audio is turned on for me. I tried both streaming through bluetooth on my iPhone 5 and through my iPod Touch thats plugged in to USB.

Well, were you able to test it again? Did the email "stick" this time?

BJ

Does the motor actually have to be running or just have the ignition on.

No "ding" through my speakers. I repaired the phone and it only allowed me to check telephone and audio. Nothing else was listed. Is that how yours was? When I plug the phone in my cradle it says bluetooth audio disabled. This is a 2012 car with iPhone 4S and iOS 6.0.1

Not sure, assume as long as iDrive has electricity it's going to take the update.

BJ

I'll try without starting the motor tomorrow.

The expected behavior AFAIK is you can either do the cable or the Bluetooth. One will disable the other in the menu. I did find that iTunes Match doesn't work with the cable. So I will try BT to see if it works that way.

The motor has to be running and the car has to be in park.

Thanks. But as a fellow manual transmission brother, we do not have Park :)

But I get it, car stationary. Don't know who the hell would update while driving, but you see worse on the commute to work everyday.

Did mine with motor off

I did the update on my E90, just pressed the button once to turn electronics on without starting the car and it worked fine. Also, I had the file on the root of the USB drive, but also had other files on there without a problem.

I just checked that the update properly installed, but didn't notice any immediate changes in functionality, but again it is an E90 so not sure how many of the improvements mentioned will pertain in my case. I'll need to play with it more over the weekend.

Thanks BJ unfortunately I didn't read this until 10:40 pm so I will up date mine in the morning. Hope you feel better.

I installed the update successfully but emails are still not coming through....I do receive txt msgs as per usual with no audio notification however.

Multimedia: MX-003.005.004
Telephone: MX-003.005.006

Golovko: If you can spell out your set up for both the iPhone and the idrive it would be appreciated

P.S. I'm on iOS 6.0.2 / iPhone 5

**Update... Good news: After spending some time in my car I was able to get it receive both emails and txt messages on a regular/frequent basis...
Bad news: After the success that I outlined above, I decided to turn off the car and let it sit a few mins....after which I restarted the car and tried to send an email.....No luck...emails were no longer coming through....but txt msgs continued to work fine....

It seems that this software update did not fix our issues after all....back to the drawing board.

Thanks for sharing. None of these are useful to me, but its nice to see updates being released. Hope you feel better.

The email fix must be at Apple's end as this feature was working in one iOS 6 Beta version and then got broken by the release version.

New text/emails sound via the car speakers has worked since day 1: flip the speaker switch to on on the upper left side of the iPhone.

I think you are right...I guess we all have to wait/hope that apple will get this problem resolved in upcoming updates.

P.S. my toggle switch on the upper left of the phone was in the 'on' position when I was testing but I still did not get any audible tones via the car speakers for new emails/text msgs

Ummm... it works with my iPhone 4S with the latest iOS version connected via USB. :dunno:

Yeah my iPhone was also set to on. When you plug yours into the cradle does it give you the warning that Bluetooth audio is off? Also when I paired the phone it only allowed me to check telephone and audio.