Bimmertech Carplay MMI Plus

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by KCTiger

I am leaning towards the Avin as well but the biggest holdup for me now is the announcement about iOS 13. Maverik259 asked about this in another CarPlay retrofit thread but I am repeating it here bc it is very important to me.

Haha I actually asked here about 8 posts above. Lol

[KCTiger]

Way to make this awkward KCTiger

[maDjzo]

Originally Posted by eldogo

Here are some shots

Ugh, there goes that plan..

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by maDjzo

Ugh, there goes that plan..

Lol.

I have emailed them a few times with proof of the dip switches but I haven't heard back from the for 3 days.

Also they need to dramatically improve the internal DAC.

I now use 2 phones in my X5. One connected to the CarPlay to display google maps, the second connected to the USB to listen to tidal and also run google maps. I then trick the car using the voice assistant to switch to USB to get audio without pressing Media.

So I get the CarPlay screen and use audio from the USB. SMH

[MJRPA]

Originally Posted by burnurass

For those of us with the older Nav system (NBT), I found a solution for adding carplay to the system. I have a 2014 F15 X5 for reference.

https://www.bimmer-tech.net/shop/bmw...ts/carplay-mmi

They just came out with the new version which is FULL SCREEN Apple Carplay.
It works pretty seamlessly and as advertised.
Once you plug in your phone, it switches to the Carplay screen. To switch back you can hit the menu button, radio, or Nav button on the iDrive controller.
To get back to Carplay, preset #8 automatically triggers Carplay or you can hold down the MENU button for a couple seconds.

In general I like the Carplay concept and have it in my other cars as well, interestingly enough all retrofitted. I guess the cars are all too old.
I'm probably going to not renew my subscription for the traffic info and online services from BMW now that I have this. $100 savings a year!

I had a local shop that I've used for years install it for me.
Some pics of it in action are attached

This is great, thanks for the link.

Does anyone know if there's a usb swap available for the center console to allow the USB to link my phone to idrive and actually charge the phone at the same time like a newer car? I recently picked up a 2014 f15. I guess the stock USB is low voltage and barely charges the phone.

[SupersixM]

Originally Posted by eldogo

Lol.

I have emailed them a few times with proof of the dip switches but I haven't heard back from the for 3 days.

Also they need to dramatically improve the internal DAC.

I now use 2 phones in my X5. One connected to the CarPlay to display google maps, the second connected to the USB to listen to tidal and also run google maps. I then trick the car using the voice assistant to switch to USB to get audio without pressing Media.

So I get the CarPlay screen and use audio from the USB. SMH

Sounds like alot of work and phones. lol..Avin finally replied. Units will be available by months end.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by SupersixM

Sounds like alot of work and phones. lol..Avin finally replied. Units will be available by months end.

Ah dope!

[KCTiger]

From Avin:

"Ios13 will work the same as the current iOS version now it's compatible with our system"

[burnurass]

Originally Posted by maDjzo

Nice! MMI Plus also offers a higher screen resolution compared to previous gen as well if I'm not mistaken. Just to confirm, still using factory mic yes? I think given it's full screen now, with factory mic this might be the best wired retrofit out, I might pull the trigger on this!

Yes, factory mic.

Originally Posted by Kzang

What is up with the front and rear camera options which adds several more hundred dollars? I already have the front/ rear and surround cameras so I don't need these?

Can you let us know the difficulty of retrofitting this? Is it a whole new display and just plug and play module?

Thanks

Uses the OEM display and is plug and play. It goes in-between the oem harness and the headunit. Only thing that you have to transfer is the Fiber Optic cable to the Bimmertech harness.

[Maverik259]

Looks like newer units with 9.0 only support up to iOS 12. Be interesting if this is just what they typed in cuz that's what was current if it'll have issues with an overhaul of CarPlay with 13. Only time will tell. I'll be on deployment when it comes out so guess I won't have to worry until 2020 haha.

Also idk what it is but none of these companies selling this Chinese shit seem to know how customer service works. I had the best customer service from unichip themselves but they had the worst product. Both Avin and 4x4 are just awful at communicating.

Sent 5 emails with no replay about issues I was having with Avin unit. 6th email was asking for return and I got a reply within 20 min telling me how it'll cost me 20% restocking fee blah blah blah and how they need all these photos and hoops. But then when I ask why I'd didn't get a response about my issues. Crickets. Just pathetic man.

And 4x4 finally told me that the 9.0 unit wasn't even in stock or available yet. And they haven't even seen one yet. But I can expect the unit to reach them on the 13th. WTF! Nothing on their website expressing this. Or in any email. Again just poor customer service.

They're all the same crap made by probably one Chinese company and just exported all over. So find the cheapest or best company you want and deal with them. Is my advice to all.

[jeffrey101]

My MMI Plus is in transit from Dubai via DHL. It's supposed to be delivered on Tuesday. After reading this thread, I'm a little nervous about the audio quality. I'll report back next week!

[Kakalika]

I'm thinking of going with the MMI Plus route instead of upgrading my NBT to Evo 6. Much cheaper.
I have an AVIN unit in my E70. Love the big screen, but support from 4X4 where I bought it has been practically zero.

[eldogo]

Hey, so i received an email with a software update for fixing the screen issue. In regards to the audio quality, I downloaded the Boom app which has several eq settings and you can also create a custom eq. This work around has worked well for me. I was able to bring up the mids and highs for clarity. Im glad this app has solved my issue, because i was so close to buying Bavsounds Amp.

[jeffrey101]

Originally Posted by jeffrey101

My MMI Plus is in transit from Dubai via DHL. It's supposed to be delivered on Tuesday. After reading this thread, I'm a little nervous about the audio quality. I'll report back next week!

Well, I got the MMI Plus installed. The hardest parts of the install were removing the trim to get the new USB cable threaded through to the center console (which is where I wanted it) and finding a spot for the MMI so I could fit the radio back in; there is not a lot of room, so I had to try different angles and spots for about 30 minutes before getting it.

For sound quality, I tuned the EQ in Spotify (which is my primary music app) and I think it sounds pretty good. It's not audiophile quality, but for streaming music, it exceeded my expectations. There is the issue previously reported where the native BMW screens don't fit perfectly in the screen. I'll be curious if an update fixes that...

All in, it works and I'm happy to have Carplay.

[6spdcoupe]

Originally Posted by jeffrey101

There is the issue previously reported where the native BMW screens don't fit perfectly in the screen. I'll be curious if an update fixes that...

Yes, the update does fix the fitment/slightly shifted image.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by 6spdcoupe

Yes, the update does fix the fitment/slightly shifted image.

I finally installed the update too and it fixed the screen issue.

[jeffrey101]

Originally Posted by eldogo

I finally installed the update too and it fixed the screen issue.

I emailed them for the update. Their instructions say to install via the micro-USB port on the MMI itself. I thought for sure you'd be able to just plug into the exposed USB port without going back into the dash. Is that how you guys did it? If not, what a PITA...

[findo16]

For those wondering if iOS13 car play would work. It does, it's an update to iOS not the actual unit we have in our cars, so I don't see a reason why it would not work on any other platform. Personally I have a unichip installed and new carplay works just fine.

[Maverik259]

Originally Posted by findo16

For those wondering if iOS13 car play would work. It does, it's an update to iOS not the actual unit we have in our cars, so I don't see a reason why it would not work on any other platform. Personally I have a unichip installed and new carplay works just fine.

Glad you had better luck with unichip than us lol. I'm loving my android unit. Not a single lost feature with it compared to all them other 3rd party CarPlay units.

[fromkrypton]

I'm debating over this add on unit or a full replacement unit. How does this unit handle listening to satellite radio that's linked to my car while in car play mode. I would prefer to use the subscription I have linked to my x5 than the Sirius iPhone app

[devlinsky]

The longer I read about those units the more I lean toward replacing the entire system to NBT evo. Yes, more expensive, but oem should work and sound better, let alone the touch screen issue - CarPlay without the touch screen would be a little odd and cumbersome to use, right? How would you add address to google maps without it, clicking, using the controller? Thanks, but no thanks.

[fromkrypton]

I ended up getting this unit on the cheap. From mainland China DHL to my door in Montreal Canada in 3 days. Works great, especially for the price compared to other models that look exactly the same