E39 Touring OEM ULF Bluetooth Install

[camera doctor 25]

Just installed factory Bluetooth Handfree / Voice control to my Jap Import 2002 E39 530i Touring. Thouight I'd post a few pics and discoveries here, as I know there are others interested in doing this.

Firstly, after a couple of months email discussions with www.bimmernav.com, and help from Grant ( Hotwire ) it was decided the best route for a Ex Japan car was to buy the kit that assumes the car has no pre-wiring - even though my car had Japanese phone unit - as none of the Japanese kit is helpful, and is all discarded !!

Here is the Japanese Phone Box - Under the black plastic cover on the lefthand side of the wheel well

Next step is to remove the Nav Computer and Amplifier from the Lefthand side of the car ( and the CD changer if you have one - mine is removed for DICE unit already )

Behind that is the large opaque white connector that BMW calls X400

Bimmernav supplied a new loom that takes place of the Japanese ( if present ) plug, and has the correct plug on the other end for the ULF module, as the Jap plug, although similar, is wired completely differently.

The Bimmernav loom had a 3pin connector for the microphone, but I could not find the compatible plug in the rear of the car, so I traced the Japanese loom and spliced into it for the microphone.

As my car has the CD changer removed already, I decided to mount the ULF on the plate the CD changer previously mounted to - I removed the Jap box beside the wheel well, so I could also have put it there I guess, but the position I choose already had a screw for securing it.

And a closer View

Bluetooth Antenna was screwed under the spare wheel cover.

The Bimmernav loom had a pairing button patched onto it, plus they supplied a new centre consule box with a pairing button, which I will trace a couple of wires from the Jap Loom at a later date, but for now I paired my iPhone 4 with the patched button, and hey presto, the address book from my iPhone uploaded to the car ....

So,

I am stoked ! Sure there are cheaper options out there, but I prefer to have the OEM system, and it works really well, I also updated the microphone to the 2004+ version and it is nice and clear.

Voice control took a wee bit to get used to - it did not like my NZ accent for a start, but as most commands have 2 versions of what can be asked, one of them works !

I had previously updated the NAV to MKIV and NZ disc, and the voice control also works some of those functions!

You can store phone numbers by voice and recall them later by saying ' Dial Name' and speaking the name !!

The steering wheel controls work perfectly, and allow you to scroll thru the address book using the upper display.

You can also store and retrieve voice notes to yourself, which I find handy, as I do a lot of my thinking while driving back to the workshop after jobs

I am happy to help anybody with any answers I can provide if needed.

Edited June 15, 2011 by camera doctor

[M5V8 337]

I love pictures and big red arrows!

nice work.

[camera doctor 25]

[M5V8 337]

smart a*se

:lollies:

[isis 16]

i thought you needed to enable the bluetooth via navcoder or similar?

so this is a straight plug and play?

[camera doctor 25]

i thought you needed to enable the bluetooth via navcoder or similar?

so this is a straight plug and play?

Plug and Play once I traced the mic wires, i.e no coding was necessary.

Not sure if that would be the same in a car that previously had no Telephone, can only report what happened in mine

[hotwire 352]

Wondered when you would post the results of this Greg. Well done - Glad you're happy with it. Tis a brilliant system!

That's the third ULF that I have had involvement with & still aint got in my own car Still - with it not being prewired for (to early) I really CBF doing a ground up install - considering I don't often drive the car & my other half doesn't use her cell a lot anyway

[swauto 4]

Plug and Play once I traced the mic wires, i.e no coding was necessary.

Not sure if that would be the same in a car that previously had no Telephone, can only report what happened in mine

It depends on the VO in each car, since your MK4 ECU was an used ECE spec, so it was probably coded with ECE telephone VO already, so you dont need to do coding again this case:)

Otherwise you do have to code it

Edited June 15, 2011 by SWAUTOMOTIVE

[swauto 4]

Will be better to route the bluetooth antenna to the front, as we have customers that had pairing issue when load more luggage in boot if the bluetooth antenna is installed in boot.

Nice job tho

[Dogballs 115]

you can use the original jap wiring just change the pins around on the plug, as shown on the attached pdf

[hotwire 352]

you can use the original jap wiring just change the pins around on the plug, as shown on the attached pdf

Yep, that's what I did with the conversion I did a few years back. Compared both systems, picked out the wiring I needed for ULF & relocated into appropriate positions in the plug. Cut the Jap coding tag off & fitted the plug into the ULF module.

I think what Greg did was probably simpler though.

One thing I haven't bothered to confirm though, the system I changed was in a BM24 equipped car - a car I had just changed radio & nav in. Greg's is a BM54 car - I am not sure if the phone prep wiring is the same in both.

[Dogballs 115]

Yep, that's what I did with the conversion I did a few years back. Compared both systems, picked out the wiring I needed for ULF & relocated into appropriate positions in the plug. Cut the Jap coding tag off & fitted the plug into the ULF module.

I think what Greg did was probably simpler though.

One thing I haven't bothered to confirm though, the system I changed was in a BM24 equipped car - a car I had just changed radio & nav in. Greg's is a BM54 car - I am not sure if the phone prep wiring is the same in both.

I'm pretty sure it is, I've done it on my x5 with the BM54..

[hotwire 352]

Yea, was aware of how Greg was doing his with his BM54 car. The system I did a few yrs back (a Jap to BM24) - they supplied an interface loom incorporating an amplifier with the 54 pin socket & plug each end as they told me that without DSP - the car needed this amp. Apparently, as I understand, in a BM54 equipped vehicle - this amp is not required.

[jochen 4]

It depends on the VO in each car, since your MK4 ECU was an used ECE spec, so it was probably coded with ECE telephone VO already, so you dont need to do coding again this case:)

Otherwise you do have to code it

Not true for the Mk4 and the ULF

The coding of the VO is only to tell things like INPA that a ULF should be present, but the VO for ULF has as much impact on the coding of the ULF as the VO for a different colour paint job

NavCoder happily codes the ULF to do whatever you want, no mucking about with VO required.

[jochen 4]

Just installed factory Bluetooth Handfree / Voice control to my Jap Import 2002 E39 530i Touring. Thouight I'd post a few pics and discoveries here, as I know there are others interested in doing this.

Firstly, after a couple of months email discussions with www.bimmernav.com, and help from Grant ( Hotwire ) it was decided the best route for a Ex Japan car was to buy the kit that assumes the car has no pre-wiring - even though my car had Japanese phone unit - as none of the Japanese kit is helpful, and is all discarded !!

Quick note to any Jap BMW owners contemplating this retrofit:

The ULF ONLY works with the Euro Mk2, Mk3 or Mk4 nav units.

It does NOT work with the Japanese nav unit.

Why? Because the jap nav system has a special telephone interface for the jap phone, and it works completely differently to the ULF.

The ULF sits on the ibus with all the other ibus devices like the nav system

And thus the nav system must expect the ULF to be on the ibus

Which the euro nav does

and the jap nav doesn't

CameraDoctor had already previously replaced his jap nav with the Euro nav, effectively turning the nav system into standard Euro nav system. And thus 100% compatible with the ULF

Edited June 15, 2011 by jochen

[jochen 4]

Tip: mount the bluetooth antenna ABOVE the rear parcel tray, under the parcel tray carpet.

Much better signal towards the front of the cabin, as the antenna is not enclosed in a steel box (which it is right now!) and the signal is not obstructed anywhere near as much

[camera doctor 25]

Tip: mount the bluetooth antenna ABOVE the rear parcel tray, under the parcel tray carpet.

Much better signal towards the front of the cabin, as the antenna is not enclosed in a steel box (which it is right now!) and the signal is not obstructed anywhere near as much

Cheers Jochen,

My car is a touring, so it is mounted under the wooden floor, not steel.

No issues so far, but poster SWAutomotive suggested I may have issues if luggage was above it, so I may look at running it up to the centre consule as per the bimmernav website, would need to get a longer cable I think - any idea where I could get that ??

[jochen 4]

Cheers Jochen,

My car is a touring, so it is mounted under the wooden floor, not steel.

No issues so far, but poster SWAutomotive suggested I may have issues if luggage was above it, so I may look at running it up to the centre consule as per the bimmernav website, would need to get a longer cable I think - any idea where I could get that ??

Put it in the C pillar, midway up as high as the cable reaches.

Better, less obstructed view of the vehicle interior

Otherwise, if you want to go to the C pillar, you'll need a 50 ohm SMB extension cable....

[swauto 4]

Not true for the Mk4 and the ULF

The coding of the VO is only to tell things like INPA that a ULF should be present, but the VO for ULF has as much impact on the coding of the ULF as the VO for a different colour paint job

NavCoder happily codes the ULF to do whatever you want, no mucking about with VO required.

Not talking about the coding for ULF, I was thinking that if ULF VO is not in the car then the MK4 probably does not know ULF is in the car. I mean MK4 provides UI so, without coding MK4 with ULF VO, it may not show telephone option on screen.

So you can code MK4 without adding VO in car but everthing will revert back to default coding acording to car VO if dealer code it again.

So to get 100% retrofit, just need to add VO in and code whole car with new VO list. so it will not going to change again

[jochen 4]

Not talking about the coding for ULF, I was thinking that if ULF VO is not in the car then the MK4 probably does not know ULF is in the car. I mean MK4 provides UI so, without coding MK4 with ULF VO, it may not show telephone option on screen.

Nope, the Mk4 automatically sees the ULF as soon as the ULF is connected to the databus.

The Mk4 needs no coding to detect if the ULF is present or not.

Not only does it not need coding, there is no coding foreseen. Nothing to change. Plug and play.

So you can code MK4 without adding VO in car but everthing will revert back to default coding acording to car VO if dealer code it again.

Well, dealer struggles anyway with the unforseen combination of Japanese Market car fitted with Mk4 nav computer :-)

[Ozmatey 0]

Thanks for such a comprehensive thread on this topic.

I completely pulled apart the rear of my 1998 E39 528iT - both to learn where all the modules are located and to install an OEM ULF.

HOWEVER.....

My car has a DSP, Mk IV Sat Nav, Loewe TV receiver in it along with the Built in Motorola GSM phone in the centre console.

I could not for the life of me find a 54 pin connector or ariel connector ANYWHERE.

I'm guessing that since the car was prewired for the built in GSM phone, they didn't also provide the wiring for the ULF. Does that sound right?

Is there any way to have BOTH the phone and ULF in at the same time? I would be even prepared to remove the phone all together if I could get my ULF to work.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Glenn

Melbourne AU

[Dogballs 115]

Thanks for such a comprehensive thread on this topic.

I completely pulled apart the rear of my 1998 E39 528iT - both to learn where all the modules are located and to install an OEM ULF.

HOWEVER.....

My car has a DSP, Mk IV Sat Nav, Loewe TV receiver in it along with the Built in Motorola GSM phone in the centre console.

I could not for the life of me find a 54 pin connector or ariel connector ANYWHERE.

I'm guessing that since the car was prewired for the built in GSM phone, they didn't also provide the wiring for the ULF. Does that sound right?

Is there any way to have BOTH the phone and ULF in at the same time? I would be even prepared to remove the phone all together if I could get my ULF to work.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

Glenn

Melbourne AU

Hi Glenn,

I suspect you have a 'SA629' phone..??

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.do?mode...hg=84&fg=10

it is possible to get your ULF working but it isnt a simple plug and play.. you will need to modify the loom to suit..

have you got a bluetooth antenna for your ULF? ( and coax cable?)

D

[jochen 4]

I could not for the life of me find a 54 pin connector or ariel connector ANYWHERE.

I'm guessing that since the car was prewired for the built in GSM phone, they didn't also provide the wiring for the ULF. Does that sound right?

Is there any way to have BOTH the phone and ULF in at the same time? I would be even prepared to remove the phone all together if I could get my ULF to work.

The ULF is a phone

The Motorola phone is a phone

You can have one or the other, not both. Only one phone can exist in the vehicle.

The phone transceiver is in the trunk/boot space, close to the nav. Easy to recognise.

Post a photo and we can identify the modules for you

[Japan1 0]

Camera doctor, I am in Japan would like to do this conversion. Do you know the part number for the loom. I have everything else.

[TAJ 0]

Hi Guys,

i am new to the forum. I see the last post was in 2015. I am guessing that some might not even be driving an E39 anymore.

I was just wondering if there is anybody who can help me do the conversion in my 2002 Japenies imported wagon?

 

Thanks

TJ