[Appropriate]

Ok, so I read through this abortion of a thread...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122545

... and let me see if I got this right... please let me know what portion is wrong if you can...

Assuming you have a new North American E92 (because they are all pre-wired), you can have bluetooth retrofitted (either by yourself, dealer, and/or other), and you can forgo the assist by getting the ULF module instead of the TCF module. The TCF will do both bluetooth and assist, but it costs more to program. But assuming you just do the ULF module... the result of this process would be that you have bluetooth and voice-command.

Questions:

1. Is any of this wrong? Which part?
2. Has anyone had a dealer do this? Can they do it? How much?
3. Has anyone had a third party do this? Can they do it? Did it also involve getting a dealer to do the programming? How much for the third party/dealer?
4. Is this German/English problem resolved at this point?
5. What can the voice-command control?

Basically, I ordered mine without, but since I haven't had a manual in a long time (like before cell phones were common), I didn't think about not having as many free hands as I've gotten used to with my automatics. So I'm already contemplating this retrofit while my E92 is about a month out from delivery (on a train to Bremerhaven as I write this!).

Thanks!

[Appropriate]

[Appropriate]

One last bump... before I let it die... I decided to see how it goes for a month or two, and then hit the dealer up for retro-fit solutions...

[UdubBadger]

when i called the dealer they said since i don't have the TCF there is NO way i can have bluetooth unless i pay them $2200 or buy and aftermarket one.

I opted for the parrot kit

$150 on ebay
$50 for the direct wiring harness from HFVT.com
$70 install at Bestbuy (good DIY guide on here though if you want to save $)

[Appropriate]

That sucks... I mean the pdf attached to the thread below indicates two hours plus parts on an E90... this just doesn't make any sense whatsoever...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3540

[LOLrance]

I suggest you PM Aoshichanx with a link to this thread or just PM him with the questions you have. He is quite busy these days and does not go on the forum as often but he still does reply to PM's.

[kbuys]

TCU is $675 from bimmernav. Overhead console $237 from Tischer. I installed everything myself. very easy since it is pre wired just plug in the connectors. Dealer took about an hour to program bluetooth and assist for $147. Everything is in English. Total cost was about $1000 for everything.

[Appropriate]

When did you do this? Do voice commands work in English?

[jrebeiro]

Originally Posted by kbuys

TCU is $675 from bimmernav. Overhead console $237 from Tischer. I installed everything myself. very easy since it is pre wired just plug in the connectors. Dealer took about an hour to program bluetooth and assist for $147. Everything is in English. Total cost was about $1000 for everything.

When you mess with the MOST bus everything else still works right? It's just that the Bluetooth and BMW Assist won't work unless it's coded?

[kbuys]

Originally Posted by Appropriate

When did you do this? Do voice commands work in English?

Installed the parts 2 weeks ago got it programmed last week.
All voice commands are still in English as are the options on the I-Drive menus

[kbuys]

Originally Posted by jrebeiro

When you mess with the MOST bus everything else still works right? It's just that the Bluetooth and BMW Assist won't work unless it's coded?

At first I was worried about messing with that but when I looked at it I only had 2 switch 2 cable positions. They had it on a loop since no TCU was installed so I just had put the cables in the correct holes. Everything else worked the same since you only mess with the TCU cables. Voice commands for everything else still worked just didn't know the TCU was there. Once I got it coded it had all of the options under phone and assist and voice input for phone worked.

[AoshichanX]

I would help you but you called my thread an abortion.

[Appropriate]

The thread, not the original post.

[kbuys]

I didn't think it was an abortion. I couldn't have done my retrofit without the information.

[Appropriate]

What was that? Order from bimmernav?

[kbuys]

If you are asking me. No. Bimmernav says all you need is his kit. Which isn't true you also need the overhead console (FZD) for it to work. From the post I learned you can get the other parts for almost half of BMW cost from Tischer. Also that BMW charges way to much to install when you can do it yourself.

[Appropriate]

Hold it... BMW charges way too much?

[kbuys]

According to the post Aoshichanx paid $538 for installation and programming. It took me 30 minutes to install all of the parts and cost only $147 for the programming, So that is almost $400 for them to install? Crazy. I would install the parts myself and take it to BMW just for programming. As for the parts Tischer is a BMW dealer but for some reason the parts are way cheaper than what my parts department quoted me.

[Appropriate]

kbuys,

Thx. You've sold me. If it turns out I end up needing it, I'll go the bimmernav/tischer route.

- Approps

[Streetfish]

do you need to have idrive/nav for it to work??

[Appropriate]

I don't think so, I think the programming will either program the radio display/controls to handle it, or the iDrive, depending on what you have.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by kbuys

According to the post Aoshichanx paid $538 for installation and programming. It took me 30 minutes to install all of the parts and cost only $147 for the programming, So that is almost $400 for them to install? Crazy. I would install the parts myself and take it to BMW just for programming. As for the parts Tischer is a BMW dealer but for some reason the parts are way cheaper than what my parts department quoted me.

You need to consider that the dealer was actually experimenting with their first Assist TCU retrofit installation, and that cost real money as the dealer is not going to assume any risks. Otherwise this was, as you already found out, an hour job at most.