E60 i-Drive

[deeveus 81]

Got a E60 Jap import - Just wanting to know how to reset the i-drive or atleast reset the Navigation. I know it doesn't work here in NZ, but it's how you access the trip computer statistics - for some reason when I hit Navigation it just goes to a blank screen...

Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers.

[jochen 4]

Got a E60 Jap import - Just wanting to know how to reset the i-drive or atleast reset the Navigation. I know it doesn't work here in NZ, but it's how you access the trip computer statistics - for some reason when I hit Navigation it just goes to a blank screen...

Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers.

BM Workshop in Auckland can reprogram the radio tuner for you so that it is proper NZ frequencies, no band expander required.

Nav system cannot be changed without changing hardware

To reset the car, disconnect battery, need to select Computer, not Nav to access the trip comp

[318Touring 40]

I thought you iDrive has been Kiwi-ed by the previous owner?

In theory when you click right it should show you being somewhere in the middle of Pacific, it shouldn't come up blank.

Ask around at e60.net or ask the bimmersporter with E60 M5 as his is also a Jap import.

[RvT 9]

Any excuse to go sit in the car at 11pm and answer the thread. Wife will think it is normal

Yes you can program what you want on the RH side of the viewing panel.

Instructions

- Start screen

- Push ENTERTAINMENT

- Push Right (don't turn it)

- Should highlight the RH side of the screen

- Push idrive down

- should show you different options for the RH side

- Scroll to "computor"

- Activate / push down

All going well you will be happy.

Jochen, interested in your comment ...

"BM Workshop in Auckland can reprogram the radio tuner for you so that it is proper NZ frequencies, no band expander required"

Is this for real ??? Have been all over the web trying to find how to do it and no one out there has cracked it. M5Board forum says it it is not possible to do it as Japan speced car requires you to change the factory build sheet for the car in Germany and then everytime you update the software after that. Local dealer is agrees and says BMW NZ are of the same opinion as we are stuck with it. BMW introduced it to stop cars moving between countries especially from US back to Europe.

Sat Nav is impossibel with out shelling out $6k and replacing most of the brain & hardware.

[jochen 4]

"BM Workshop in Auckland can reprogram the radio tuner for you so that it is proper NZ frequencies, no band expander required"

Is this for real ??? Have been all over the web trying to find how to do it and no one out there has cracked it. M5Board forum says it it is not possible to do it as Japan speced car requires you to change the factory build sheet for the car in Germany and then everytime you update the software after that. Local dealer is agrees and says BMW NZ are of the same opinion as we are stuck with it. BMW introduced it to stop cars moving between countries especially from US back to Europe.

Yes, for real. BMW NZ quote the BMW factory line "do it our way"

But there are other ways.... call Guido at BMW Workshop, he's done a few.

The hardware in your car will work in NZ, it is a software change that is required.

The change will stay in place even with future recoding.

Worthwhile to do it this way, as a band expander is utter, total crap.

Sat Nav is impossibel with out shelling out $6k and replacing most of the brain & hardware.

Two issues wrong with this statement:

"impossible" - nothing is impossible :-)

"most of the brain" is wrong. The correct statement is "all of the brain" :-)

And the $$ is about right. But your E60 was cheap because it was Jap, right? I bet more than $6k cheaper...

In terms of the factory build sheet, you are basically correct.

[318Touring 40]

Now it's getting interesting....

I've heard the same, being impossible and car's configuration has to match between what's in it and what's stored in factory database. Meaning if you change the car's config without updating the factory database, it gets interesting when you have to take the car to BMW dealer to get any work done involving the software.

I'll be quite keen to know whether BMW Workshop is really able to reprogram the radio.

[RvT 9]

Deeveus525i

Is your radio set to NZ frequencies by previous owner or are you using a band expander?

I ended up with a band expander as all other attempts were dead ends. After Jochen's comments I am thinking I reacted too soon. My issue would be that I am based in Sth Is.

$6k is $6k and think that a navman in the glove box would be a cheaper alternative when I need a map plus I could take it with me when I use a rental in Akl etc.. Realistically, I would never use the sat nav in the M5 although the Heads Up Display (HUD) shows the directions. If you ever have the option on buying a BMW with HUD, DO IT !!!! It is a fantastic piece of gear and very much worth having. Impossible to retro fit though.

[hotwire 352]

Guys, as Jochen said: BMWorkshop in Auckland CAN reprogramme the radio in the E60 from Jap to NZ, but to my knowledge - they are the only place in the country that can.

Also as Jochen rightly says: Band expanders in BMW's are crap!

[deeveus 81]

Deeveus525i

Is your radio set to NZ frequencies by previous owner or are you using a band expander?

I ended up with a band expander as all other attempts were dead ends. After Jochen's comments I am thinking I reacted too soon. My issue would be that I am based in Sth Is.

$6k is $6k and think that a navman in the glove box would be a cheaper alternative when I need a map plus I could take it with me when I use a rental in Akl etc.. Realistically, I would never use the sat nav in the M5 although the Heads Up Display (HUD) shows the directions. If you ever have the option on buying a BMW with HUD, DO IT !!!! It is a fantastic piece of gear and very much worth having. Impossible to retro fit though.

Wish I could answer that mate, but I can't. I do pick up all radio stations however crap the reception may be.

Cheers.

[Yuen 16]

Grant & Jochen: Why are band expanders bad? Do they decrease the reception quality somehow? By reasoning I can understand that having another link in the chain would decrease quality but interested to hear your explanations.

[hotwire 352]

Grant & Jochen: Why are band expanders bad? Do they decrease the reception quality somehow? By reasoning I can understand that having another link in the chain would decrease quality but interested to hear your explanations.

To put simply - they absorb the reception ability of the radio tuner & in turn reception quality deminishes. Jochen, with his background, could explain the technicalities of this.

From experience with these - have fitted probably hundreds at work over the years - reception is always deminished somewhat but varies from car to car & brand to brand of expander.

BMW, late model specifically, (through experience with mine) tend to suffer badly from this problem - again - not sure of specifics but I would think because of the aerial complexities in these vehicles - aerial amplifiers etc. Fitted with the correct tuner however (mine being 99 was pre "world tuner") - the reception is brilliant - before that & with an expander - it was crap.

[jochen 4]

Grant & Jochen: Why are band expanders bad? Do they decrease the reception quality somehow? By reasoning I can understand that having another link in the chain would decrease quality but interested to hear your explanations.

Band expanders ...

...reduce sensitivity by about 10dB (makes it harder for the radio to receive stations)

...reduce selectivity heaps (makes it harder for the radio to distinguish between strong and weak stations close together)

...do not provide full band coverage (you have some frequencies you cannot receive)

...create user confusions (display doesn't match tuned frequency)

...generate interference (they radiate signals that cause interference with other radios)

They are a cheap piece of shitty crap. I hate them.

It makes a WORLD of difference to remove the band expander and have a radio designed for NZ

[Yuen 16]

To put simply - they absorb the reception ability of the radio tuner & in turn reception quality deminishes. Jochen, with his background, could explain the technicalities of this.

From experience with these - have fitted probably hundreds at work over the years - reception is always deminished somewhat but varies from car to car & brand to brand of expander.

BMW, late model specifically, (through experience with mine) tend to suffer badly from this problem - again - not sure of specifics but I would think because of the aerial complexities in these vehicles - aerial amplifiers etc. Fitted with the correct tuner however (mine being 99 was pre "world tuner") - the reception is brilliant - before that & with an expander - it was crap.

Band expanders ...

...reduce sensitivity by about 10dB (makes it harder for the radio to receive stations)

...reduce selectivity heaps (makes it harder for the radio to distinguish between strong and weak stations close together)

...do not provide full band coverage (you have some frequencies you cannot receive)

...create user confusions (display doesn't match tuned frequency)

...generate interference (they radiate signals that cause interference with other radios)

They are a cheap piece of shitty crap. I hate them.

It makes a WORLD of difference to remove the band expander and have a radio designed for NZ

Thanks for the explanations guys. It does explain a few things. My experience with a band expander in a Mazda was good, reception was clear. However in an old Honda I get to certain places where it starts receiving two stations at the same frequency.

[jochen 4]

Thanks for the explanations guys. It does explain a few things. My experience with a band expander in a Mazda was good, reception was clear. However in an old Honda I get to certain places where it starts receiving two stations at the same frequency.

Yuen, don't forget: you are in Auckland, so you live and drive in a very strong signal coverage area. FM is broadcast from the Sky Tower, and from the Bombays to Orewa is generally a good strong signal.

But head out of town into the country, like in the Waikato, and then you really notice the difference between a proper NZ radio and a Jap radio with a band expander.

When the FM signal gets weaker, this is when you need the good receiver performance. And this is where band expanders really show how crap they are.

Jochen

[hotwire 352]

Yuen, don't forget: you are in Auckland, so you live and drive in a very strong signal coverage area. FM is broadcast from the Sky Tower, and from the Bombays to Orewa is generally a good strong signal.

But head out of town into the country, like in the Waikato, and then you really notice the difference between a proper NZ radio and a Jap radio with a band expander.

When the FM signal gets weaker, this is when you need the good receiver performance. And this is where band expanders really show how crap they are.

Jochen

For sure!!!! From Experience

[cainchapman 0]

I'm with Jochen on this, Band expanders are crap.

The guts of it is, that in NZ our FM frequencies run from 87MHz-108MHz (21MHz band) and the Japanese radio is from 76MHz-90MHz (14MHz band). So, it takes the 21MHz spread and shifts (and worse, compresses 21MHz into 14MHz) down the spectrum. This is why you can end up with a number of stations appearing in the same frequency when a band expander (should be called a compressor) is installed.

For reference, every 3dB of power lost is power halved. i.e. a dropped from 88dB to 85dB, easier to liken it to a Richter scale. So a 10dB loss is massive in reality.

[Yuen 16]

I see, you raised a good point Jochen - I don't drive out of Auckland that much and when I did I always assumed that the areas I had bad reception in were just due to the hills etc, who knows, it could have been the band expander then!