F80 M3 Base audio system upgrade

[Dogballs 109]

Well done, nice little “feature add” for $75!

[Neal 539]

Next small project, IPhone 13 user so pre empting new model next month. Need to change from BMW iPhone Snapin lightning to USB C for lossless audio /  bmw apps / phone charging  duties.

Going to use a usb c adapter from a G12 7 series and install in console and connect into a snapin port on Idrive. Will add power and light circuit . Should give 3 amps / 15 watts of charging.

Edited August 16 by Neal

[Dogballs 109]

1 hour ago, Neal said:

Next small project, IPhone 13 user so pre empting new model next month. Need to change from BMW iPhone Snapin lightning to USB C for lossless audio /  bmw apps / phone charging  duties.

Going to use a usb c adapter from a G12 7 series and install in console and connect into a snapin port on Idrive. Will add power and light circuit . Should give 3 amps / 15 watts of charging.

Excellent! - I’ve been scheming the same thing.. 

I’ve contemplated using a usb hub module ( which is a fdl option in nbt evo) rather than the “direct usb C module in the picture. - my thoughts are: the nbtevo never had usbC, so it my not be compatible?  - I struggled to find a definitive answer…

[Neal 539]

The nice thing about usb is backwards compatible so it’s 4 wire data connection should work of the hub or off USB 2 on evo. My plan is to use the usb c off usb 2 and possibly the regular usb off a hub for back seat use ( daughters phone when in charge of playlists 😀) I’ve added the FDL coding for a hub when I was trying to get usb 2 working after the ID6 retrofit. Found the issue to be a different USB FDL but left it configured.

Was looking at the console area behind the snap in base area and there looks like it could be mounted in the same manner as the console bunker light.
 

Also thinking of modding the iPhone snapin adapter connector from lightning to USB C so I still get the benefit of docking new usbc iphone. Would still get the benefits of the aerial boost from its amplified passive aerial in the snap in and the cooling fan.

For the power NBT USB ports has 2.1 amps of total charging  but the USBc adapter also has +12ve and light pin. On the G series it looks like they can use a power feed from the Fem module which no doubt can turn off for parasitic drain. But this gives 3 amps of charging if used. So just working out where to augment the power from. Last resort will be a spare switched unused position in rear fuse box. Or maybe divert power from snap in plate.

Let us know what you were thinking for powering the usb hub . Not sure if the area is pre wired for the blue connector.

This is what I’m think of for mounting position. It might need a custom 90 degree farka connector for depth but not sure at this stage.

 

 

 

 

[kwhelan 235]

Do you need to worry about the different standards for fast charging, I know the cords are chipped independently and the chargers have to support PD. I would want my usb-c to support fast charging of android as well as iphone, some of the new phones can use 65w now and someone in the backseat might have an ipad on a trip? Its only going to get more year by year and its the fast charge thats the important bit in an emergency.

for the cradle it would make more sense to change/modify the pocket to take a wireless pad, far more convenient, I purchased a beefy one from ali , they all seem to use a simple cable power feed, and dismantled it down to the actual coils and then fitted it to my car phone pocket and it works brilliantly. Bit of trial and error to make sure pad lines up with phone easily, added a wireless to apple car play adapter and everything is kaipai

Edited August 16 by kwhelan

[Neal 539]

On the charging front I thought I’d stick with wired so I’d have data / audio / charging. It also gives me the option to turn off appleplay if I’m after a higher quality audio stream from the phone via USB.  Notice the wifi transcoding for CarPlay over wifi smears the treble a bit using Spotify / Apple Music. BMW didn’t implement usb  CarPlay.

Thanks for the heads up on the cable chip. I’ll thinking of using a USB 90 degree male to straight male for the snap in adapter mod. I’m using a iPhone6 snap in adapters and modded the dock area a while back to take a larger iPhone. I’ll make sure it can support the 15 watts available from the BMW  USB c. 

Good point on the rear outlet. Current there is no 12 volt points in the back . Was thinking for phone charging and.audio Do have a Plugin usb c 40 watt charger in the SUV for tablet. Could add a 12v point in rear.

Also noticed that 7 / x7 series have a USB / tablet bracket and trim built into rear seats. But don’t think I could do that to the M3 seats.

[Neal 539]

@kwhelan  Thanks for the heads up on USB C charging specs , better understanding now , I didn't realize it supported different voltages. eg , 5 - 20 volts. Makes sense as 65 watts over 5 volts would need thicker cable compared with 20 volts at 3 amps.  Will stick with the BMW USB C 5 volt variant. 

Otherwise if wanted fast charge something like this would be good to hide away and just add  pannel insert. Could be an option for rear passenger device charging though.  

https://www.edecoa.com/featured/newly-arrival-5kv-solar-inverter-100w-12v24v-usb-c-car-laptop-charger-universal-65w-pd-3-0-type-c-laptop-adapter-dual-2-4a-usb-qc-3-0-fast-charging-for-phone-tablet-edecoa-4.html

 

[kwhelan 235]

On 8/18/2024 at 6:47 PM, Neal said:

@kwhelan  Thanks for the heads up on USB C charging specs , better understanding now , I didn't realize it supported different voltages. eg , 5 - 20 volts. Makes sense as 65 watts over 5 volts would need thicker cable compared with 20 volts at 3 amps.  Will stick with the BMW USB C 5 volt variant. 

its an ever changing rabbit hole , the new macbooks are 140w over a usb-c port for example and even the laptops external ports are 20w output, wait till you go down the thunderbolt minefield, ports look exactly the same but the cables aren't ,

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/CABJ5C3003/J5create-240W-Full-Featured-USB4-Gen3-Cable-240W-P

looks exactly the same as a usb-c one from the $2 shop but it definitely isn't

It amazes me there aren't a few more sparks but it all seems to be pretty bulletproof so far

 

 

[Neal 539]

Parts arrived today. Will change location as not enough room to mount USB adapter into back of armrest. Would require too much plastic to be removed around the armrest hinge area. I also tried the usb adapter into where the console light fitting . Didn’t go far enough back depth wise.
 

I’ve also abandoned the idea of putting a usb extension into the back seat console freash air area. Think I’ll stop with a 12 volt outlet.

I think this will be plan B location. Looks like it will fit 

[Neal 539]

Finished the usb c mount . Cut up part of the trim that came with the adapter and made an insert out of it. Didnt like my chances of cutting a countersunk rectangle into the aux / usb trim. 

I did find that in that position the usb c plus HSB cable was hard up against the hand brake bracket. Swapped the positions of the adapters around as the old usb / aux doesnt need the same depth. Thinking I’ll stop with this combo and not install a hub for third USB port off idrive.

Wiring wise need to sort a BMW HSD cable and will connect to the USB connection point feeding the snap in adapter.

Need to make up a small loom for the fast charging connector on the usb c . Needs a 12volt Ve+ from terminal 30b , a ground connection and a interior light feed extended from the  armrest bunker light. 

[Neal 539]

On the BMW USB C adaptor front I'm now a self taught expert haha

So they can be run in four different modes

1. Connected to USB 2 on idrive just via HSD cable ( provides idrive change rate .5amps or 5 watts)
2. Connected to USB 2 on idrive, HSD cable , 12volt feed from fuse 129 via 0.85mm2 cable ( provides 3 amps , 15 watts )
3. Connected to Optional BMW USB hub, via thicker HSD cable with 0.5mm2 wires inside ( Provides 2.1 amps or 12 watts of charging )
4. Connected to Optional USB hub , 12 volt feed from spare fuse position on 0.85mm2 ( provides 3 amps , 15 watts )

There is also a built in back light for the USB C , so I'll feed it from a piggy back connection from Armrest console light.

Just planning on option 2 for now.

My plan, run new 0.85mm2 wire from Fuse 129 in boot fusebox to armrest position. Run new 0.85mm2 earth wire from Armrest to an earth combe behind left passenger set bolster.

Run spare wire  0.5mm2 wire and earth to fuse box similar to above to give USB hub options 

Run 1.5mm2 wire from spare position fuse box position to armrest for 12volt accessory point , same size wire from for earth to factory earth point.

Need to find wire with

Red with black stripe 085.mm2 for factory colour 

Brown 0.85mm2 cable for standard negative earth colour

And 12volt accessory wire as I did for boot outlet.

 

 

Edited September 5 by Neal