[JSpira]

If you are getting a 2009 3er, you will get a terrific new feature that lets you send locations to your car from your browser.

The new MyInfo feature has started to make its way into all new BMWs (except the X3) with the start of the 2009 model year. The X6 received this feature (along with a new GSM-based telematics unit) in April, but all other models had to wait until the new model year; then they, too, started to receive the new telematics unit (older units were CDMA).

Please feel free to ask any questions about my experience using the feature (and no, it´s not something one can retrofit).

My article on this is here.

[AndreyATC]

Yes i sadly accept the fact that i cant have it

It is very nice feature indeed

P.S. Besides Generation 5 and up BMW Assist unit, what else is needed for this to work?

[tmarshall57]

That is strange. I live in the UK and have a Feb 07 330d which has this feature and which I use regularly. I would have thought that the same hardware and basic software was present in all our cars and that the "enabler" for this feature was at the BMW country dealership.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by tmarshall57

That is strange. I live in the UK and have a Feb 07 330d which has this feature and which I use regularly. I would have thought that the same hardware and basic software was present in all our cars and that the "enabler" for this feature was at the BMW country dealership.

You can blame that on BMW wanting to provide the best possible service to owners. In the states, CDMA coverage is much more complete than GSM. So, the Onstar types of systems here used CDMA in the past.

The google info stuff only works on GSM. BMW changes over this year, with much better coverage of GSM at this point in time.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by AndreyATC

P.S. Besides Generation 5 and up BMW Assist unit, what else is needed for this to work?

You need the GSM TCU (older TCUs are CDMA) and newest progman.

In theory, you could retrofit the GSM TCU and update progman but there might be something else as well.

[apw2607]

Originally Posted by JSpira

You need the GSM TCU (older TCUs are CDMA) and newest progman.

In theory, you could retrofit the GSM TCU and update progman but there might be something else as well.

BMW actually started fitting the GSM TCU starting March 2008 production for the USA market. I know as its in my 2008 M3 !!!

BMW needs to unlock this. As already reported, Europe has had this for the older CCC based i-Drive for many years ... and the X6 has had this since March. Again that was based around the CCC.

[JSpira]

Ja, I know they went GSM earlier in some models but they didn´t update other parts of the car fully incl. software.

CCC has nothing to do with it by the way. The 2009 5er Series has the CCC and it supports My Info.

Have you tried sending info to your car since you have a GSM TCU?

[apw2607]

Yep. I did ... and got the message back saying the car wasn't compatible from Assist.

What's interesting .... Some Canadian owners reported that their 2008 MY 3-er from March production supported Google MY_INFO !

Who knows? Perhaps with a new Progman coming around the corner to fix some DCT issues, and pulling a Update "services" with BMW Assist, we might get this working?

Come on now BMW ... we have the GSM TCU in the car. Do the right thing and enable this for us !

[jocamryn]

I live in Germany and can't wait to get home and try this out!

So much technology in these cars these days, Light years away from the 5er that I remember 20 years ago.

[dailo]

Pretty lame they are blocking the 2008 cars from this even though they are capable of doing it.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by dailo

Pretty lame they are blocking the 2008 cars from this even though they are capable of doing it.

Well, they aren´t capable. The TCU is just one piece of the puzzle. And it´s not all 2008 cars either.

[AndreyATC]

Originally Posted by JSpira

You need the GSM TCU (older TCUs are CDMA) and newest progman.

In theory, you could retrofit the GSM TCU and update progman but there might be something else as well.

Well, this is technically my question, what else?
I know my unit does not support this, but anything else hardware wise?

[Rotary Rasp]

BMW builds cars for the entire world. CDMA may be larger in the US, but from a global standpoint, GSM is vastly larger.

Originally Posted by Kilgore Trout

You can blame that on BMW wanting to provide the best possible service to owners. In the states, CDMA coverage is much more complete than GSM. So, the Onstar types of systems here used CDMA in the past.

The google info stuff only works on GSM. BMW changes over this year, with much better coverage of GSM at this point in time.

[dailo]

Appears to be working for people with 04/08 or newer in Canada. Possible those cars got the correct hardware and the US ones didn't?

Originally Posted by JSpira

Well, they aren´t capable. The TCU is just one piece of the puzzle. And it´s not all 2008 cars either.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by Rotary Rasp

BMW builds cars for the entire world. CDMA may be larger in the US, but from a global standpoint, GSM is vastly larger.

Right. But, the point is that BMWAssist was based on CDMA in the states because of the superior CDMA infrastructure here. Verizon and Sprint both had much better coverage than Tmobile and AT&T/Cingular. That is probably still the case but AT&T has started to catch up. So, this is a reasonable time for BMW to standardize on one system. That allows them economies of scale, and gives them some technological advantages (which I don't quite understand) that will be necessary for this new features.

The point though was that it was sensible for BMW to go with CDMA in the past - for the superior coverage. Now that GSM coverage has improved, this switch is also reasonable.

[jocamryn]

Every year something new comes out. You want it, you gotta buy it. All part of marketing and really I guess if we want to keep up with all the upgrades we need to pay to play.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by jocamryn

Every year something new comes out. You want it, you gotta buy it. All part of marketing and really I guess if we want to keep up with all the upgrades we need to pay to play.

This is quite true. I'll have to be content with letting the BMW Assist people send destinations to my car as opposed to doing it myself in the 550i.

[team1ab]

then does my E70 have it??
it's production is 10/07

[Cloud9blue]

imagine you got hold of someone's account and keep sending random destinations to their car...

[weeeza]

i have a 2009 E93 and cannot get this feature to work, under BMW assist I do not have a "my info" section, I took it to the dealer and he said that my car does not have this feature.

well obviously he is wrong, but I tried a few times to send an address to the car via google with no success, any suggestions???

I looked under messages and they are not there, no where to be found in the BMW assist menu in idrive

[2kaccordocoupe]

Originally Posted by weeeza

i have a 2009 E93 and cannot get this feature to work, under BMW assist I do not have a "my info" section, I took it to the dealer and he said that my car does not have this feature.

well obviously he is wrong, but I tried a few times to send an address to the car via google with no success, any suggestions???

I looked under messages and they are not there, no where to be found in the BMW assist menu in idrive

I replied to your post in another thread, try this... If not hit the sos button and talk to the agent on the other end and have them check it out.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=147753&page=2

[marco5570]

and sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. The dealer has no idea nor does BMW. I was told wait for the 7 series to have the same problem and they may come up with a fix.