X5 E70 CCC upgrade to 10.25" Android

Originally Posted by rbryantaz

I got the new octacore Snapdragon 625 Android 9.0 head unit with 4G/64G from aliexpess (seller Kanor) last week.

The Unit:

I opted for the 4/64 version because it is supposed to have a screen with less glare. It comes with a black surround where the 3/32 octacore version has the silver finish on the surround.

There are also PX6 android units out there which are slightly cheaper and probably fine. The Snapdragon unit also has cellular support and updated video processing so it seemed like a good idea.

I installed most of it over the weekend and it went pretty well even though there was zero documentation other than wire labels.

My X5's options:

My 2007 CCC had the 6.5" screen, no nav, no reverse camera, no rear entertainment but did have the glovebox CD changer and SAT radio.

I have AUX in the center armrest but no USB.

Options were:

S645ABMW US Radio
S655ASatellite tuner
S663ARadio BMW Professional
S672ACD changer for 6 CDs
S677AHiFi System Professional DSP

I did not have to use the AUX cable and the sound is good. I saw no difference between connecting to the AUX in the armrest and not.

AUX input observations:

The aux input that they provide in the unit's wiring is just a splice into the aux input in the aftermarket connector that goes between the radio and the factory wiring. It is just effectively connected to pins 2, 7,8 as shown here from an e60 writeup that appears to be the same as the e70:






Reference: https://www.dvdgpsnav.com/blog/solut...oid-head-unit/

I bet most people's problems would be resolved by removing the wires shown above if using the latest unit (that way they aren't overdriven, grounded out, loaded, etc). I almost wonder if connecting a dummy connector into the AUX jack would also work to disconnect the rest of the system... Often aux jacks have an internal switch/disconnect when you plug something into them so just plugging something in would allow the units connections to start working even without driving a signal to it (because the signal is already driven on the same wires with the new unit)!

Please do let me know if I am missing something with the wiring here... It should be possible to identify any issues precisely...

GPS:

I plan to use the factory GPS connection to the sharkfin. I have to remove it from the connection in the rear behind the right rear panel and connect it via an aftermarket GPS extension cable. I discovered however that if I disconnect the antenna from the box I get an annoying SOS error when I start the car so I will have to either code that out or split the antenna. For now I ordered a splitter.
I recommend buying a 16ft fakra cable with male on one end and female on the other (extender) and then using a male to dual female splitter. The reason to do male to dual female and not the other way around (no threesome jokes please) is that the splicing of the cable is done in a better way than most fmale to dual male splitters that I see.

Aftermarket rear camera:

I bought a $21 latch camera with fake dynamic lines. The dynamic lines move if the car is moving and stay for a couple of seconds if you slow to a stop. I haven't tested it much but it seems okay and it can be ignored if desired. I used the latch camera because it seemed more centered. On second thought perhaps having it offset to the passenger side would given a better curb view when parallel parking.... I also needed a new latch because the rubber/plastic on mine had gone goopy from the sun here in AZ. I may consider splurging another $20 to put a camera in the factory location. I wired it so that it can be swapped with just the video and power connector so it is no big deal.

The install was actually easier than a lot of howto's show. The unit has a "camera 12v" line and a "Camera Det" line. I am not sure what the "Camera Det" line does but the 12v line does indeed drive battery voltage when the x5 goes into reverse. This is handy because you can connect that to the red wire that comes with the video cable as a power source. This is much better than connecting to reverse light (possibly with relay to make it stable, etc). I also ran a ground wire from the hatch to the ground lug on the passenger side (behind the access panel). I probably could have just connected it to the hatch body but this seemed like an easy thing to do that will provide a very stable ground.

Attachment 863419
I crimped a spade splice in just incase my camera video line fails or I need to upgrade it to one with more shielding but so far it seems just fine. Plus it is just nice to be able to disconnect things and i had them laying around.


I don't have object detection (perhaps that is what the det line is for but it seems to work just fine for $20 instead of hundreds for a factory camera retrofit.

Hey Rich,

Congrats with new Android device!

Regarding sound, did you try to disconnect AUX factory wires from the socket in the armrest? It gives better sound quality not only for Android but for factory sound as well.
You can see it in my video:


Have you connected central speaker to the android and tested it with factory radio and navigation on android? Without any installation manual it is not that obvious to connect those wires correctly. Two short twisted wires of android harness (white and blue) should be connected together, and two long twisted wires should go to the central speaker.

Do I get it right you've got the rear camera with dynamic lines? Actually Android has its own dynamic lines so you supposed to have them both now on the screen, which is not comfortable.
I always recommend this camera to the standard place (and order it without parking lines): http://ali.onl/1onP
It has Sony sensor, great picture in day and night time, wide angle, very good quality.
Regarding connection, NO need to connect ground wire, the ground is in RCA yellow video cable, the additional one may give noise/lines to the picture.
Here you can see that cam angle from factory place and android dynamic lines:


I don't recommend to use GPS antenna splitter, it may give voltage issues and destroy GPS android module. GPS extension cable to the factory antenna is the best solution. Good to know you've come to that solution.

Originally Posted by Serge858

Hey Rich,

Congrats with new Android device!

Regarding sound, did you try to disconnect AUX factory wires from the socket in the armrest? It gives better sound quality not only for Android but for factory sound as well.
You can see it in my video:

Have you connected central speaker to the android and tested it with factory radio and navigation on android? Without any installation manual it is not that obvious to connect those wires correctly. Two short twisted wires of android harness (white and blue) should be connected together, and two long twisted wires should go to the central speaker.

Do I get it right you've got the rear camera with dynamic lines? Actually Android has its own dynamic lines so you supposed to have them both now on the screen, which is not comfortable.
I always recommend this camera to the standard place (and order it without parking lines): http://ali.onl/1onP
It has Sony sensor, great picture in day and night time, wide angle, very good quality.
Regarding connection, NO need to connect ground wire, the ground is in RCA yellow video cable, the additional one may give noise/lines to the picture.

I don't recommend to use GPS antenna splitter, it may give voltage issues and destroy GPS android module. GPS extension cable to the factory antenna is the best solution. Good to know you've come to that solution.

I might not have turned on the android lines, I currently only have one set which match what the camera is supposed to supply. I will have to check the setting and compare which is better. If android is better then I might switch to a camera without lines. Interesting point on using the video cable ground as the power ground, I didn't try that.

I don't have factory parking sensors, is there an extra aftermarket sensor that adds the detection and beeps? I saw the "camera det" wire but did not connect it.

I did connect the center speaker and it works well including for google maps. There were 2 speaker wires that I didn't connect They were something like Seaker 1 Fl and Speaker 2 Fl. They had the same connectors as the center and could have been connected into each other but they didn't seem to do anything:




The aux line from the armrest is just connected to the same exact wires that the head unit connects to (as I referenced in the connector pictures). The only way I can see it giving better sound is if the aux line in the arm rest to the radio connector is adding noise or in a setup where connecting to it disconnects from other things. That would make sense for people that have a the rear AV setup.

I did try to connect to the AUX input at first and saw no difference. I then traced the wires and saw that the aux input connects into the radio harness. The AUX output from the android unit just connects to the same exact wires as the aux input from the armrest doe on the other side of the connector. So connecting to the aux input just connects it back to wires it is already connected to through a longer wire (which is pointless).


Thanks,

Rich

Originally Posted by rbryantaz

I might not have turned on the android lines, I currently only have one set which match what the camera is supposed to supply. I will have to check the setting and compare which is better. If android is better then I might switch to a camera without lines. Interesting point on using the video cable ground as the power ground, I didn't try that.

I don't have factory parking sensors, is there an extra aftermarket sensor that adds the detection and beeps? I saw the "camera det" wire but did not connect it.

I did connect the center speaker and it works well including for google maps. There were 2 speaker wires that I didn't connect They were something like Seaker 1 Fl and Speaker 2 Fl. They had the same connectors as the center and could have been connected into each other but they didn't seem to do anything:

Attachment 864095


The aux line from the armrest is just connected to the same exact wires that the head unit connects to (as I referenced in the connector pictures). The only way I can see it giving better sound is if the aux line in the arm rest to the radio connector is adding noise or in a setup where connecting to it disconnects from other things. That would make sense for people that have a the rear AV setup.

I did try to connect to the AUX input at first and saw no difference. I then traced the wires and saw that the aux input connects into the radio harness. The AUX output from the android unit just connects to the same exact wires as the aux input from the armrest doe on the other side of the connector. So connecting to the aux input just connects it back to wires it is already connected to through a longer wire (which is pointless).


Thanks,

Rich

There is a choice of aftermarket universal parking sensors but not sure if they will work with android easily. Not sure about Camera DET wire function.

Regarding AUX in the armrest I meant there is a filter inside that unit, so for better sound quality you need to unplug it.

Originally Posted by Serge858

There is a choice of aftermarket universal parking sensors but not sure if they will work with android easily. Not sure about Camera DET wire function.

Regarding AUX in the armrest I meant there is a filter inside that unit, so for better sound quality you need to unplug it.

There is no filter on my '07 e70 Aux only input (the one without the USB).

The factory Aux plus USB has a filter as does the aftermarket copy that I have but that should not introduce noise. All high end audio equipment has RC protection on line level inputs, they are to keep the noise down and for ESD protection.
I did some listening tests and did not notice a difference by plugging it the aux input block (with no aux cable installed). Have you repeated the experiment or could you just have had a bad one? It really shouldn't impact sound quality at all to have the RC components there in the sizes I saw.

I happened to have the original e70 aux only input, my e90 aux+usb, and an aftermarket aux+usb.


Note that the connectors on the BMW pieces are barely soldered at all, I think they are some sort of snap in connection. I decided that I didn't like it and soldered them both.

The E70 is really simple with just a connection:




The E90 has 100nF caps and a 300k Ohm resistor (as does the aftermarket unit).



Aftermarket ebay/aliexpress unit. The usb is probably fine but the aux input 3.5mm connector didn't seem great. I don't really plan on using it much anyway.




I did something slightly different for the USB. My e70 didn't have USB so I used the aftermarket USB+aux connector with an aftermarket BMW style USB cable. I then cut one end off from the USB cable and soldered on a universal USB 2.0 male (USB A) connector. This was long enough to reach the android head unit USB connectors in the glovebox from the armrest. This way there is no cutting or changing to have USB in the armrest. My next step is to put in an OTG charge connector to charge from the power port and still connect to the data... Note that the wire colors were non standard on the wire but I just checked them with my ohm meter. I was able to test it by using it as a USB extension cable with my mouse to my PC to know that I got it right.

I also did the other end of the cable which I can use with a basic USB extension cable if desired. I didn't take a picture of the long cable but here is the short one.



There is a seller on aliexpress who makes this cable with or without the aux/usb input piece if anyone wants it. I just made one because I didn't feel like waiting: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3284...c00icOPZe&mp=1



Now...

Does anyone know how to get the head unit to tether over USB rather than WIFI? Most of the apps to turn on the hotspot on my phone with bluetooth don't seem to work with my new android 9 phone.


-Rich

rbryantaz - Thanks for the posts. I am interested in the KANOR myself but can't find much information on it. Can you post some screenshots of the various pages? Does it have the ID7 user interface? Does it have a SD slot?

Thanks in advance!

Originally Posted by bobfiggs

rbryantaz - Thanks for the posts. I am interested in the KANOR myself but can't find much information on it. Can you post some screenshots of the various pages? Does it have the ID7 user interface? Does it have a SD slot?

Thanks in advance!

I guess it is an ID7 interface. That only applies to the android config menus though.

It doesn't change any of the factory screens, it just displays them on the new screen.

You can switch back and forth between the old CCC system and the android side of the world with a long press of the menu button (or by swiping downward from the top from the factory side or via a the home screen).

It really is two separate worlds, android and factory.

It does integrate pretty well with the radio, google maps plays directions over the radio, etc but to change channels on the radio you have to switch back to the factory side.

I wish there were an off the shelf HD radio USB dongle like the DAB+ dongles, that would be a nice addition given that there is no DAB+ in the USA. If I had that I might not even use the factory radio.

I also just ordered the non idrive E90 version of this which may actually be a cleaner integration... I have to cut the dash but it may be nice to see when I am in AUX mode on the radio screen while looking at the android side rather than having to just toggle blindly or go into the factory screens to see it as I have to on the CCC x5.

I also just installed the $65 "hidden DVR" that goes in the rear view mirror. I also got the rear camera and am using a generic backup camera through a converter. The DVR powers the camera so the normal 12V converter on the backup cameras isn't really required. I cut it off and spliced it directly which worked well on one camera but didn't work for another so it seems to depend on the camera... I am working on fine tuning that. I think I can get a license plate camera mount which will fit the camera that comes with the DVR but I may have to flip the camera upside down. More parts are on order...

-Rich

I went away on holiday for just over 2 weeks and took the E70 around the block when I got back (in hindsight should have been a lot longer) the android screen didn't turn on and only had lines where the CCC text normally is. I turned the car off and turned it back on again and the picture came back but with the same lines through it. You can vaguely see them on the image, I apologize but the sun was right above me.

I believe the cause has something to do with a low battery or the drive I just took was too short to charge because I got KOMBI A559 Dashboard supply was switched off code, but the now the code has been cleared.

My question is, will the lines eventually disappear or have they been burnt in? The lines were only on for about 5mins.

Thanks in advance.

Has anyone added a wireless Carlinkit USB CarPlay dongle to their Android setup? Any experience to share?

I've finally pulled the trigger to order an Android 9.0 (4GB RAM /64GB Flash Snapdragon) unit. My final goal is to run wireless Apple CarPlay with Carlinkit usb dongle.

I'll update my progress along the way. Stay tuned!

Hello Waferguy, who did you order yours from? I am looking to order the same unit on AliExpress. Good luck

Originally Posted by JamesUK

Hello Waferguy, who did you order yours from? I am looking to order the same unit on AliExpress. Good luck

The shop is called Astrowind

Hey guys,
Long time lurker and the forums have helped me immensely with my e90 and e70, so I figured it was time to give a little back. I recently bought an Android head unit from Avin (not one of the fancy new snapdragon ones, I got the older unit for $100 less), and a wireless Carlink Kit from Amazon for $80, and a wifi ODB2 iCar Pro dongle for $30. Took me 90 minutes to pull the whole dash apart, install everything, and it's worked great. My car had the aux in the armrest along with the usb, so I had to run an AUX cable from the unit, under the center channel and into the arm rest. Overall, I thought it was going to be crazy but it was waaay more simple than I expected. So, for all of you waiting on this upgrade-- do it!!! Its so nice having Android Auto (for me) and wireless CarPlay (for my wife) in my 10 year old car!!!

Matt

Originally Posted by mattnemo585

Hey guys,
Long time lurker and the forums have helped me immensely with my e90 and e70, so I figured it was time to give a little back. I recently bought an Android head unit from Avin (not one of the fancy new snapdragon ones, I got the older unit for $100 less), and a wireless Carlink Kit from Amazon for $80, and a wifi ODB2 iCar Pro dongle for $30. Took me 90 minutes to pull the whole dash apart, install everything, and it's worked great. My car had the aux in the armrest along with the usb, so I had to run an AUX cable from the unit, under the center channel and into the arm rest. Overall, I thought it was going to be crazy but it was waaay more simple than I expected. So, for all of you waiting on this upgrade-- do it!!! Its so nice having Android Auto (for me) and wireless CarPlay (for my wife) in my 10 year old car!!!

Matt

Sounds good! I didn't have to use armrest 3.5mm aux for audio, but also don't have armrest USB aux. Guess only those with USB aux need the 3.5mm aux plugged in. I assume if you unplug that you don't have AVIN audio?

Originally Posted by rbryantaz

Does anyone know how to get the head unit to tether over USB rather than WIFI? Most of the apps to turn on the hotspot on my phone with bluetooth don't seem to work with my new android 9 phone.


-Rich

Hi Rich, did you figure this out? Not sure if what you mean, but I plug my android phone into the AVIN USB and Android Auto starts up on the screen. Leave the phone in the armrest and control it all on the AVIN.

Originally Posted by waferguy

I've finally pulled the trigger to order an Android 9.0 (4GB RAM /64GB Flash Snapdragon) unit. My final goal is to run wireless Apple CarPlay with Carlinkit usb dongle.

I'll update my progress along the way. Stay tuned!

All, I've managed to install the unit. It turns out my 2011 E70 LCI CIC (made Oct 2010) needs to use the armrest Aux in order to have sound.

I also check the main square CIC plug. There is no Aux wires. I believe the armrest Aux connects to Combox at the boot.

Anyway, everything works as it should be. I use Personal Hotspot to install few apps & happy so far.

With Android 9.0, there is Split Screen built-in too. Nice for a wide display.

Originally Posted by cvgtpc1

Sounds good! I didn't have to use armrest 3.5mm aux for audio, but also don't have armrest USB aux. Guess only those with USB aux need the 3.5mm aux plugged in. I assume if you unplug that you don't have AVIN audio?

Yep, the audio from the AVIN disappears if I unplug it. Otherwise, it's been working fine.

I have used the Yokotron 10.25 versions for a few years, however recently the unit became stuck on the bmw logo screen and will not move forward. I can access the original BMW iDrive with zero issues but the android unit is frozen. Please Help!

If you have access to the new software/hardware please share.

The Carlinkit dongle has arrived. I have managed to setup & run CarPlay. Happy!

However, I want to start CarPlay by default. I think I need an auto-startup manager at boot time. Need to play with it a bit!

Originally Posted by waferguy

The Carlinkit dongle has arrived. I have managed to setup & run CarPlay. Happy!

However, I want to start CarPlay by default. I think I need an auto-startup manager at boot time. Need to play with it a bit!

An update.

I've tried few Startup Manager apps & ended up using AutoStart which is free. Now I can just put my iPhone on a wireless charger & start the car. Wait for about a minute, CarPlay will auto run.

I notice the Android boot sequence includes trying Bluetooth connection & few other stuff. I guess I have to root the unit in order to disable some of those apps to speed up boot time before running CarPlay. I need to look into it.

Originally Posted by hotwillz33

I have used the Yokotron 10.25 versions for a few years, however recently the unit became stuck on the bmw logo screen and will not move forward. I can access the original BMW iDrive with zero issues but the android unit is frozen. Please Help!

If you have access to the new software/hardware please share.

You will need to basically need to do a recovery with a USB drive. You will most likely need to get the recovery software/programs from Yokotron then.

Originally Posted by waferguy

An update.

I've tried few Startup Manager apps & ended up using AutoStart which is free. Now I can just put my iPhone on a wireless charger & start the car. Wait for about a minute, CarPlay will auto run.

I notice the Android boot sequence includes trying Bluetooth connection & few other stuff. I guess I have to root the unit in order to disable some of those apps to speed up boot time before running CarPlay. I need to look into it.

Good luck with rooting...no admin password. But if you do get it going, please share. BTW, where do you place the wireless charger and which charger are you using?

Quick question - my head unit died in my 2013 X5d.

Will the android unit work with the head unit being dead? Right now I have no radio, iDrive, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by ill_kuma

You will need to basically need to do a recovery with a USB drive. You will most likely need to get the recovery software/programs from Yokotron then.



Good luck with rooting...no admin password. But if you do get it going, please share. BTW, where do you place the wireless charger and which charger are you using?

I use a Huawei CP60 15W charger. It nicely fits in the cup holder. See attached picture.

Originally Posted by 335iMsport

Quick question - my head unit died in my 2013 X5d.

Will the android unit work with the head unit being dead? Right now I have no radio, iDrive, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Can your iDrive at least boot up? At minimum, you need to switch audio to AUX for the Android side to have sound!

The Android unit makes iDrive & Android coexist with the T-joint cable. To get sound, the Android side tap into AUX input of iDrive.

I hope it's clear to you now.

Originally Posted by waferguy

Can your iDrive at least boot up? At minimum, you need to switch audio to AUX for the Android side to have sound!



The Android unit makes iDrive & Android coexist with the T-joint cable. To get sound, the Android side tap into AUX input of iDrive.



I hope it's clear to you now.

Yes, thank you. I was thinking the exact thing - in order for audio to work, I'd need to switch to AUX, which I cannot do as iDrive is dead.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by waferguy

An update.

I notice the Android boot sequence includes trying Bluetooth connection & few other stuff. I guess I have to root the unit in order to disable some of those apps to speed up boot time before running CarPlay. I need to look into it.

All,

Is there a way to turn off Android Bluetooth in Android 9.0 unit? There is a On/Off option on WiFi, but not on Bluetooth!

Carlinkit dongle has its own WiFi & Bluetooth. For CarPlay, Android Bluetooth is redundant. I want to turn it off to speed up boot time.

For now, I've removed all paired devices in Android.