hugo_nz

Does the car have and AUX input and did you connect the AUX 3.5mm jack when installing the unit? Here's a great video if you have the system I'm thinking of (or very similar)

He doesn't have a website yet (I've offered to create one of him) and the link below is correct too. My car needs a wash else I would've posted photos of it ?

I had a guy come out to the house and do a 3 stage on the 6-er. Cost $270, took all day, but seriously impressed with the results. Scott Turton 02102481252.

Depending on the equipment you might be able to retrofit combox for USB, Bluetooth and media input. What's the vin?

It depends on the iDrive version and by hardware. My e64 645ci had Bluetooth but only to connect to the BMW handset in the center console. Same story with my e64 740i. What's the year model of your E70?

That car will have CCC iDrive with the motorized display.

The 1-series received CIC starting 09/2008 so yours may well have CIC, but as it's a Japanese system the hardware will be different to that of ECE cars. Bluetooth streaming is possible if the car was optioned for it. Post the VIN and I'll check.

Hi folks, Removed these from my 6-er so looking to send them on to a new home. Listed on eBay too. Offers welcome. Great option if your car came with basic CIC from the factory as this one is enabled for NAV, voice command, apps etc. You just need a new screen to go with it. Worth around $1k, but will settle for $750.

It's a single unit. Dual slot loading drives combined in one headunit. Upgrading to Android generally involves either a breakout box or a smart-screen replacement...both of which still rely on the CCC computer to be installed.

Lol no electronics background here either Lol. Kombi swap will be next indeed but to a 6WB digital one ?

Leaving a client meeting today the iDrive was dead, and I had a drivetrain and adaptive headlight warning on the KOMBI. Luckily I knew exactly what was causing this. When I initially removed the Bimmer Retrofit adapter one of the CAN2 pins popped out of the quadlock, causing the exact same set of errors. I stopped at an electronics store on the way home to buy a couple of things, and as soon as I got home I checked my CAN2 wiring. The pins were secure, so I checked the splices on the CAN2 lines at the CAS. Bingo! Turns out the wire I used to connect the NBT to the CAN2 network was not thick enough, so the scotch locks did not cut clear through the sheathing, meaning very little splicing was taking place Removed the wire and taped up the CAN2 lines at the CAS and re-spliced at the ZGW using 18AGW wires. Also took the opportunity to do some cable tidying behind the headunit. All in all took around 45 minutes, and a test drive after confirmed everything is working as it should.The journey continues...

Not difficult at all, no. If you want to upgrade your X5 (E70 I'm guessing) you could always look at doing a CIC retrofit if you want to stay BMW OEM. I just happen to have a CIC unit on my bench ? You would need the screen, adapter and harness (looks like it might be plug and play, but you would need a module for PDC and RVC and the trim surround for the idrive and dash). I'd sell you the CIC for less than what the retrofit kits come in at.

BEFORE YOU READ ON: After doing the initial installation of the retrofit the kit I was faced with PDC sound and steering wheel track select issues. No amount of coding would fix it, and Bimmer Retrofit suggested a firmware update to the FeNBT box to address it. The problem may have arisen from the fact that my car has a ZGW2-High from factory, and the FeNBT is not 100% compatible with it. Another strange issue was that the NBT would not save my unit settings, so every time the car booted up it would reset to default, which in my car's case is UK MPG etc. So I did install version two today: * Removed the FeNBT retrofit adapter * Updated SWFL (both) and BTLD of the ZGW2-High with 8SK software. For my ZGW2-High they were btld_000010f5-003_004_090, SWFL_0000092b-005_018_00, SWFL000010f6-003_004_160. The ZGW now shows up as ZGW2 in esys, where before it was just ZGW (despite being a ZGW2-High) * Tapped the CAN2 high and low at the CAS * ZBE3 and Touch ECU are also tapped into CAN2 * Restored original PDC button wiring The retrofit works 100%. Initially the NBT would not display my top view or PDC, but the sounds worked. I resolved this by doing a fresh FA code with my original FA but with the Zeitkriterium updated to 0712. The retrofit is 100% feature complete and I did not have to do any module swaps or modifications other than flashing the ZGW2 with 8SK software. Also, the car's original wiring is 100% intact, except for 2 splice connectors ? FeNBT adapter removed PDC TSRVC original button wiring restored and working PDC TSRVC working 100% Steering wheel list wheel functionality restored The information above is still relevant as a guide if the ZGW2 route is not viable in your case. Steps like the removal of the COMBOX and USB cable routing as well as the disassembly steps are also still required, even with the 8SK method. Also, the standard disclaimer applies. The information below is based on my experience and I give no guarantee that the information is applicable or relevant to any other car configuration. Here we are folks. It's been a wee wait while the kit was assembled but it arrived and was installed in an afternoon (no jokes). It is a challenging retrofit if you have no experience with these things. At the very least you need to be able to read wiring diagrams and also have either the knowledge required to disassemble the interior of your car or know how to sear and read the info on TIS. Others have covered more technical details of the install. My writeup will be step-by-step of what I did. Before starting removed the footwell side carpets, centre console side plastic trim, and trim roof in driver's footwell. Info on how to do this can be found on TIS. This is the kit. It includes MOST cable, USB cable, Adapter, Touch Module, 2x wiring sets for touch and controller, harness, touch controller, APIX cable, Bluetooth Antenna, HU_NBT. Roof down and rear head rests out. These are a royal PITA to remove. I find that grabbing on to them and moving side to side is the easiest way to get them out. Front seats forward as far as they will go. Rear bench out. Again, PITA to get out. Grabbing the outer edges and pulling up is the easiest way to get it out. It takes some effort, but eventually it will budge. Rear backrest is held in place by two bolts, and once removed can be tilted forward. No need to remove the seatbelts. You have more than enough access to the COMBOX. Note the brace. This has to be removed. Said brace removed. Little bolt is example of one of the 4 bolts securing the COMBOX to its frame. COMBOX removed. COMBOX wiring and MOST disconnected. The little blue tab needs to be pushed out in order for the most cables to be removed. COMBOX MOST terminated. At this stage we move to the front. Recline the front seats as far as they can, and move them all they way back. Locate the ZGW underneath the driver's side dashboard. Remove the MOST connecter, and disassemble it in the same manner as the COMBOX MOST. ZGW MOST terminated. Old CID removed. Next remove the backing plate. Basic disassembly done. This is what a 6-series console looks like when it's stripped out like a nuclear winter ? Bind up the old CID Apix and power connectors and secure behind the dashboard. Connect MOST cable supplied with the retrofit kit to the ZGW. Feed MOST through sidewall into cavity behind the HU. Connect MOST to the FeNBT adapter. Remove beige connecter from USB port in armrest storage. Feed new USB cable underneath the console carrier from HU to armrest storage. New USB cable connected. New bluetooth antenna in a neat little wedge between the HU and air vents. NBT hooked up and ready to be tested for the first time. At this stage the old idrive controller (ZBE2) is still connected. It works! USB connection in armrest works. Touch controller (ZBE3) and Touch ECU connected. This was a more technical step as it requires you to wire the ZBE3 and ECU to the CAN-H, CAN-L, Battery and Ground cables. Not that big a deal. I used splice connectors for a super clean install. Touch works. I'm still not convinced about the usefulness of touch input since we drive on the right side of the road, and writing with the left hand is average at best. The trim surround of the ZBE3 has to be removed since the surround from the ZBE2 stays in the centre console, and fits perfectly around the ZBE3. This can be done without destroying the surround. All you need is a small flat head screw driver and some patience. ZBE3 in place and fits perfectly. The instructions call for the PDC Camera buttons to be connected to the FeNBT adapter. Three wires in a 4-pin connector is all it takes. I actually replaced this blue one with a new one which I purchased from BMW, along with new crimp connectors. First drive outside with the roof down. The screen is excellent (remember that this is one I ordered from China...not one that came with the kit). And there you have it. I took the photo of the complete kit on 23 April 2019 at 2:58 PM and the install was done by 5:30pm. As smoothly as the install went, it is not without challenges. Currently my PDC sounds and steering wheel track buttons do not work. Bimmer Retrofit are working with me to resolve the problem. I also cannot connect to the NBT though OBD despite having ZGH High installed. I will update the ZGW tomorrow to see if that solves the problem, or else connect directly to the NBT using an RJ45 cable. Once I can connect to it I can complete the coding and get my cameras back ? To help troubleshoot any potential wiring issues I removed all the unused wires from the harness (more than half of them, in fact). I also initially cut the connector from the 4-pin connected to the PDC button, but have since re-pinned it to a new connector, just in case it ever needs to be reconnected. Overall I am very happy with the kit and the support from Bimmer Retrofit. Beyond the headlights there is no way to tell that my car is Pre-LCI, and even then very few of the LCI models (even those with EVO) have the glass screens. Happy to answer any questions ?

Hi gang, So after my stint with the android screen replacement, and the subsequent discovery that (a) it was not suited to the convertible owing to extreme glare and (b) I managed to crack my original iDrive screen, I decided to embark on an NBT retrofit. My insurance is kind enough to pick up the tab since I put the claim through them and the NBT retrofit costs half of what just a replacement CIC screen costs. Why NBT and not EVO? This was a tough decision, but ultimately I chose to go with NBT since EVO would mean losing my HUD. There would also be some issues with regards to the screen since a modified F15 screen would be supplied. The NBT kit would allow me to retain the HUD, but I was unhappy with being supplied the older-looking display (plastic frames with no glass). Bimmer Retrofit were unable to source an LCI display (they didn't even know you got those). Here's a rundown of the screens: Notice how the NBT EVO screen shape is just slightly different. Either way, even when comparing these to, say, an X5's NBT display it's clear that no other model's display would fit given how wide the original CIC display trim was designed to be. The mounting is also different to most every other BMW (two screws on the bottom, two screws on the back plate and two screws along the top) So, I managed to find a supplier who sells the glass LCI screens brand new, and mine arrived today. US$299 is a steal: I hooked it up to our F15 X5 to make sure it works, and it does. 100%. I'll keep this thread updated with the retrofit progress. LINK to display supplier.

This is the culprit. The new plug I installed on cylinder 8 seems to be faulty. Swapped plugs and coils between 7 and 8 and the misfire followed to no 7 along with lumpy acceleration just before the car went into limp. Put one of the better looking old plugs back and presto, no limp, no misfire and no my lumpy acceleration. I also checked the injectors with an endoscope today. All of them are index 09. I re-entered all their adaption values in ISTA and did a cylinder purge. Immediately noticed how the smell of the exhaust gas went from fuel-rich to smelling no worse than water vapour.

Hi Folks, Finally received the socket required to change the plugs on the 6er. Did it this morning, and it was a fairly quick and painless job. Old plugs don't look great, and right after I put everything back together took the car for a drive and had a misfire on cylinder 8. Now, my car has been having some random misfire issues which is why I decided to swap out the plugs and coils. Only injectors left to check (will use an endoscope to check the index numbers). ISTA did also report that the fuel pressure on bank one did not pass the diagnostic test, but the cylinder specific tests did not show any issues with the injectors :confused2 Anyway, photo of the old plugs below. Viewer link for full resolution: https://ibb.co/QKF3NGy Grateful for any feedback. H

E60 would use a Dension Gateway 500s-bt if you have a CD changer.

Thanks for the comments folks. I think the gloss wood has a place in certain types of cars. I am not a fan of brushed aluminium and even less of piano black. My other option was carbon fiber (which I now subsequently have 2x1.5m worth of lying in my office)

I have been slowly warming up to the idea of open-pore, non-glassy wood trim in cars. It looks super great in the X5, and I am kind-of over the glossy wood idea on premium sports cars. So, I found a black wood grain textured vinyl and proceeded to wrap the 6-er's wood trim. Not my first time doing a wrap, but first time using a heat gun whilst wrapping and boy does it make a world of difference. The Vinyl is super easy to mold around curves and corners. Anyway, pics attached. Let me know what you think ?

Holy shitballs. I just looked at the historic prices. It was like $500k new in SGD (or around $600k NZD)

Yup imported. And not surprising given that the Design Pure lines were $7000 options (7 seat models). The B&O sound option was $10k. Whoever ordered this car new was rolling in it. A quick calculation puts the NZ New equivalent at $210,000.

Z...actually lol. But nah, maybe $60 each a week in fuel for our regular kind of day to day driving.

Here it is folks! Pretty awesome ride and I love the fact that it handles like a sports car with the practicality of a SUV!

So the unit is not bad at all. I have made a video talking about the 5 things I love and hate about it. Overall it's a decent piece of kit and yeah, it's a nice way to get Apple Car Play. I removed mine from the 6er because the screen is glossy to the point of being useless with the roof down. Going to be doing an NBT retrofit soon ? Link to the video:

So I decided the NBT and EVO retrofits were both too compromised for me to consider but still wanted a more up to date system. Enter the Android screen replacement. I have been following Avin's progress in releasing theirs for months, but was put off by their final price. So I tracked down the OEM (I believe) who's head-units I have also used in other cars before. I paid just over US$500 for the unit, shipped and landed. Installed this evening and while the install was simple enough their very simplified installation instructions neglect to mention that the iDrive controller needs to be looped in too. Either way, will post my install photos tomorrow and do video review of the unit in the coming days. For now here's a photo of the finished look.