iDRIVE

ok so i got an aftermarket radio put into my 745Li and now my idrive does not work at all i could still go through all the menus on the screen but when i try to select something nothing happens. Like i cant even set the time. My steering wheel buttons dont work either I really have no clue what could have happened? Is there any way to get iDrive back??

Originally Posted by kpugh

ok so i got an aftermarket radio put into my 745Li and now my idrive does not work at all i could still go through all the menus on the screen but when i try to select something nothing happens. Like i cant even set the time. My steering wheel buttons dont work either I really have no clue what could have happened? Is there any way to get iDrive back??

Who installed an aftermarket stereo for you? Whoever did that has never worked on 7s before.....I hope you didn't do this yourself. Your cd player that you just replaced also know as the ASK unit is part of you MOST fiber ring.....you have just broken the ring quick means nothing else that is part of that ring will work....so that means no nav, voice control etc.

You will have to put the factory CD player back in or try looping the fiber connection with a fiber loop... You can't by it at the dealership..its typically used when you want to bypass a bad module on the fiber network

Originally Posted by kpugh

ok so i got an aftermarket radio put into my 745Li and now my idrive does not work at all i could still go through all the menus on the screen but when i try to select something nothing happens. Like i cant even set the time. My steering wheel buttons dont work either I really have no clue what could have happened? Is there any way to get iDrive back??

post pictures of the aftermarket radio

kinda like this?? lol jk

Originally Posted by trip7

kinda like this?? lol jk

i have a feeling its gonna look close to that

Originally Posted by trip7

kinda like this?? lol jk

Hahahaha sorry can't stop laughing

lol thats funny but this is the aftermarket radio
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/att...1&d=1298231973


http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/att...1&d=1298231973

WHY THE AFTERMARKET RADIO ???? DONT LOOK SO GOOD. WELL MY OPINON

definitely a first from what i've seen in a 7. personally i feel like it took away from a natural elegance. i don't feel like it really flows with a luxury interior. but if you like it thats all that matters. that aux input must be a lot easier to work with. hopefully you figure out your idrive situation.

Originally Posted by trip7

definitely a first from what i've seen in a 7. Personally i feel like it took away from a natural elegance. I don't feel like it really flows with a luxury interior. But if you like it thats all that matters. That aux input must be a lot easier to work with. Hopefully you figure out your idrive situation.

i agree big time took the elegance away, i mean its not a chevy or a ford to put a jvc,pioneer, ect ect... On it, but thats your ride and your loot go for it mann and enjoy it and i hope you do figure out the idrive issuie.

Well, that there is your problem. Aside from looking like a heaping pile of rhino dung (just my opinion) it looks like they replaced the ASK, which is an integral part of the MOST ring. MOST is the fiber optic network that all of the various stereo & I drive modules use to communicate (as I understand it anyways).
My guess is that your installer didnt put a lollipop in the place of the ask and as such broke the ring. Lollipop is about $20 from dealer, BUT im not sure if you can just bypass the ASK and still ahve everything else work...im sure others will chime in.

i put the aftermarket radio in because when i bought from dealer the regular radio didnt work it would play for like 10-15 secs skip then cut right back off they said they would fix the problem but they never did so i just decided to put this radio in and now one of my bros just bought a 750 and seeing how that idrive is i am jealous and am trying to get mines fixed the way it should be..i no big mistake buying with it not working correctly.. i am just wondering now if it is still possible for idrivve to work?

Probably can get it to work with the lollipop. hopefully someone else can chime in to confirm. On a side note, how did they wire it to even get sound out? Did they bypass the stock amp? Does the new stereo work?
FYI - the original problem MAY have been a faulty ASK (can get used for a few hundred $$) or Logic 7 Amp (frequent item, search here for diagnosis and cost). If they havent hacked up the dash too much, you may consider finding the real problem, and get parts on ebay or similar and put it back to stock. just a thought.

Start by looking through here for info on the lollipop and how MOST works:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/arc.../t-451068.html

Originally Posted by kpugh

i put the aftermarket radio in because when i bought from dealer the regular radio didnt work it would play for like 10-15 secs skip then cut right back off they said they would fix the problem but they never did so i just decided to put this radio in and now one of my bros just bought a 750 and seeing how that idrive is i am jealous and am trying to get mines fixed the way it should be..i no big mistake buying with it not working correctly.. i am just wondering now if it is still possible for idrivve to work?

hmmm getting it to work with the i dirve, you have to play around with the elec and the module that controls the Idrive. It not a back yard job in my option.

with your new radio do you have the two wires that are meant for the steering wheel volume ?

Here are some module a friend of a friend used.

http://www.incarelectrics.co.uk/Vehi...108-1335-1336/

hope this helps.

RTGrove hit the nail on the head. I would revert back to the stock head unit and Logic 7 amp. The stock HU is actually pretty good, and competes with most HU's on the market. If the installer didn't hack up the wires I would buy an ASK unit, you can even find new on ebay and fix it. Other than that you need to close the MOST fiber ring, which should give you the idrive back. Picture a circle around that circle, is the NAVI, Idrive, Phone, Radio, etc. If you remove one of those items from the circle you now have an open or blank space. You need to fill that space to complete the circle again, this is in short why your Idrive system isn't working. Ebay finds:

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trk...All-Categories

appreciate all the input

remove that terrible headunit and put the stock cd player back in

Please keep us posted on what you decide to do and the outcome...

Originally Posted by kpugh

appreciate all the input

with the radio install, the Fiber Optic light ring has been broken. You can buy the lollipop and reconnect it if the fiber-optics were not damaged.

Using the lollipop along with the aftermarket unit will give you a bit of the i-drive system back. Many of the audio features such as Park Distance Control, Voice Activation, Bluetooth, etc won't work.

If you want everything to work, get rid of that unit and buy a new ASK unit and just add an amplifier to that. The L7 is isn't bad at all. I just hope your installer didn't mess up the wood trim or the mounting locations to badly. That wood ain't cheap!

still cant belive you did that!

and the shop actually went along with it, but then again not a lot of people know how to work on these cars.

you know, the whole time i owed my 7 i have NEVER seen anybody do anything like that to a 7...

and i have seen people go ALL out with the 7s... SUBS, AMPS, ALL NEW SPEAKERS, TVs EVERYWHERE... 26s

but they still kept the stock headunit and just added stuff on to that

you literally lose the main part of this car without the ASK unit (CD player)

i say you find a totaled 7 and take out the ASK unit and go from there

Oh my........

Definitely get that thing out of the car.

If it isn't too damaged and by re-introducing all of the stock components you get it to work as designed....you will be thrilled with the outcome.

Hi guys can you tell me anything about the speaker my rear speakers have a lot of static I think it is the amp but I'm not sure... Any ideas

Originally Posted by kpugh

appreciate all the input

Sounds like installer didnt know what they were getting into. I think, as others have already stated, your best bet is to take the loss, remove the new radio and have old radio repaired/reinstalled.