[manishk123]

So I couldn't resist the urge and took the plunge. Happy to announce that Apple car play is running perfectly fine in my 530D. Very surprising since I went upto MD level at BMW India to have it activated in my car and they said they couldn't do it.

All it took was 30 seconds and it was done!!

Btw the website has now moved to CarPlaySolutions.com and is now available for $125.

I also asked them about having any problems with updates and warranties etc and they were pretty sure it won't, since you're only activating features that are already built into the car, which BMW India, for reasons only known to them, didn't want you to have.

[abhi182]

Enabled the same on my F34 3GT
I used an individual user's services on car technology boards to obtain the FSC codes required for CarPlay - paid 50 EUR

[graaja]

Originally Posted by manishk123

...Very surprising since I went upto MD level at BMW India to have it activated in my car and they said they couldn't do it.

All it took was 30 seconds and it was done!!

... which BMW India, for reasons only known to them, didn't want you to have.

This is really sad! Why wouldn't they give this feature (for a cost of course) on cars that have supporting hardware? What reason could they have for such a decision?

[abhi182]

Originally Posted by graaja

This is really sad! Why wouldn't they give this feature (for a cost of course) on cars that have supporting hardware? What reason could they have for such a decision?

Because someone at BMW India thinks of this as an easy and practically free way of enhancing segmentation.
When you are trying to upsell a 3 series buyer to 5 at the showroom, an additional way to entice him/ her is to show carplay as an extra"feature"

[graaja]

Originally Posted by abhi182

Because someone at BMW India thinks of this as an easy and practically free way of enhancing segmentation.
When you are trying to upsell a 3 series buyer to 5 at the showroom, an additional way to entice him/ her is to show carplay as an extra"feature"

Yes. That could be one reason. I guess I am stuck with navigation on my cell phone for now in my 3GT (do not want to risk warranty with third party coding)!

[abhi182]

Originally Posted by graaja

Yes. That could be one reason. I guess I am stuck with navigation on my cell phone for now in my 3GT (do not want to risk warranty with third party coding)!

It won't affect the warranty.. I have been coding changes on my BMWs since 2012 and never had an issue
if in case you are worried abt warranty, it is pretty easy to roll changes back before you give your car for service

Having said that, i am also stick with navigation on phone only but hopefully the upcoming carplay google maps release should change that

[graaja]

Originally Posted by abhi182

It won't affect the warranty.. I have been coding changes on my BMWs since 2012 and never had an issue
if in case you are worried abt warranty, it is pretty easy to roll changes back before you give your car for service

Having said that, i am also stick with navigation on phone only but hopefully the upcoming carplay google maps release should change that

Is it possible to roll back the changes (and put it back after service) ourselves. If yes, then that would be definitely convenient.

Check out the below post. Looks like Carplay update for Google maps is released. Can you check and update with some pictures how Google map integrates in the iDrive?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-e...ml#post4463212

[abhi182]

Originally Posted by graaja

Is it possible to roll back the changes (and put it back after service) ourselves. If yes, then that would be definitely convenient.

Check out the below post. Looks like Carplay update for Google maps is released. Can you check and update with some pictures how Google map integrates in the iDrive?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-e...ml#post4463212

Yay!!
Updating now - will test on my commute back in the evening and post how thw experience was

As for rolling back changes, the way I make coding changes is a little more convoluted than the USB plug-n-play solutions talked about in this thread..
I do it the old fashioned way with a laptop running the BMW service application (e-sys) connected to the car obd port.

That way, you can save the original configuration before making any changes.
You can reload the original config before sending the car for service and reload your changes once it is back

[abhi182]

Originally Posted by graaja

Is it possible to roll back the changes (and put it back after service) ourselves. If yes, then that would be definitely convenient.

Check out the below post. Looks like Carplay update for Google maps is released. Can you check and update with some pictures how Google map integrates in the iDrive?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-e...ml#post4463212

Used google maps on the way back home today.
I'd rate it a solid 8/10 !
I have tried to use google maps on android auto on my XUV in the past but found it to more gimmicky than useful (I guess the touchscreen tends to make it difficult to use)

On the BMW though, the experience was a lot more fluid (better processor?)
Also, the drive controller combined with the minimalistic UI on CarPlay made controlling or switching through apps a lot easier (and I guess safer) compared to a touchscreen.

Especially loving Apple Music - combined with the idrive

Found a couple of shortcomings or bugs e.g. the speech option to add destination does not seem to use the car mic but I guess it should be fixed with later versions

[graaja]

Originally Posted by abhi182

...
On the BMW though, the experience was a lot more fluid (better processor?)
Also, the drive controller combined with the minimalistic UI on CarPlay made controlling or switching through apps a lot easier (and I guess safer) compared to a touchscreen.

Especially loving Apple Music - combined with the idrive

Found a couple of shortcomings or bugs e.g. the speech option to add destination does not seem to use the car mic but I guess it should be fixed with later versions

Now I am seriously tempted to get the E-Sys software and the hardware

It would be still more awesome if the navigation also integrates with the Heads Up Display. That would make it a killer feature.

[abhi182]

Originally Posted by graaja

Now I am seriously tempted to get the E-Sys software and the hardware

It would be still more awesome if the navigation also integrates with the Heads Up Display. That would make it a killer feature.

It doesn't - I don't have a HUD on my car but nothing comes on the display under the speedo the way it does for Bmw nav
Having said that . the voiceover kind of makes up for it

On a side note, the hardware costs almost nothing if you like DIY..
Just buy a OBD II female connector and a meter of CAT6 cable

Solder and crimp and you are done

[graaja]

Originally Posted by manishk123

So I couldn't resist the urge and took the plunge. Happy to announce that Apple car play is running perfectly fine in my 530D. Very surprising since I went upto MD level at BMW India to have it activated in my car and they said they couldn't do it.

All it took was 30 seconds and it was done!!

Btw the website has now moved to CarPlaySolutions.com and is now available for $125.

I also asked them about having any problems with updates and warranties etc and they were pretty sure it won't, since you're only activating features that are already built into the car, which BMW India, for reasons only known to them, didn't want you to have.

The link in the first post does not work anymore. It gives a "Sorry. This shop is currently unavailable" error. Even the CarplaySolutions.com throws the same error.

Maybe BMW is forcing them to shut shop and they keep moving to different shop names. If this is the case, how do we get any support in case of any problems - like rolling back before giving to BMW for any warranty claims etc.?

PS: This is something like the AliExpress stores that sell VCDS cables for VAG cars. They exist only for a short window of time and once they sell some number of cables, they just disappear from AliExpress.

Originally Posted by abhi182

As for rolling back changes, the way I make coding changes is a little more convoluted than the USB plug-n-play solutions talked about in this thread..
I do it the old fashioned way with a laptop running the BMW service application (e-sys) connected to the car obd port.

That way, you can save the original configuration before making any changes.
You can reload the original config before sending the car for service and reload your changes once it is back

I have a few questions:

1. So, using the E-Sys and FSC code method, you are just setting some flag to enable an already existing feature, not doing a complete upgrade of the iDrive firmware, right?
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, then if BMW upgrades the iDrive firmware sometime in the future during a service, that will disable CarPlay. In this case, do we have to get another FSC code to enable it again? Or the one we got earlier is enough?
3. I read in some forum that CarPlay can be enabled only if the iDrive hardware has the WiFi hotspot feature. In your 3GT, is CarPlay wireless or wired?

The more I read about this, my resolve to keep the BMW totally free of any mods is dissolving

[abhi182]

Originally Posted by graaja

The link in the first post does not work anymore. It gives a "Sorry. This shop is currently unavailable" error. Even the CarplaySolutions.com throws the same error.

Maybe BMW is forcing them to shut shop and they keep moving to different shop names. If this is the case, how do we get any support in case of any problems - like rolling back before giving to BMW for any warranty claims etc.?

PS: This is something like the AliExpress stores that sell VCDS cables for VAG cars. They exist only for a short window of time and once they sell some number of cables, they just disappear from AliExpress.



I have a few questions:

1. So, using the E-Sys and FSC code method, you are just setting some flag to enable an already existing feature, not doing a complete upgrade of the iDrive firmware, right?
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, then if BMW upgrades the iDrive firmware sometime in the future during a service, that will disable CarPlay. In this case, do we have to get another FSC code to enable it again? Or the one we got earlier is enough?
3. I read in some forum that CarPlay can be enabled only if the iDrive hardware has the WiFi hotspot feature. In your 3GT, is CarPlay wireless or wired?

The more I read about this, my resolve to keep the BMW totally free of any mods is dissolving

1- It's not a complete upgrade.. In fact its hardly a firmware flash at all
There are a few things that happen as a part of this

a) FSC Coding: Your idrive has a bunch of activation keys on it (called FSC files).. what keys they are is a function of what is enabled for your car (e.g. an India make 3GT will have a key for India maps)

B) VO Coding: It also has a bunch of vehicle order (feature set) identifiers (e.g. 6CP for carplay)
Not all features require an activation key (e.g. enhanced bluetooth) but all features do require the presence of a corresponding identifier.


At the time of bootup, Your idrive sytem will check what feature sets it is supposed to enable and will activate those
FOr feature sets that require the presence of a encryption key, it will check for the same
and will not activate features sets that require a key but the key isn't present

C) CAFD coding: once the feature set module is activated, the module will check for what parameters or flags are required to be enabled/disables/configured..

An easy analogy for A, B, C would be say MS office on a windows laptop

- B: When windows boots, the registry that loads will have MS office marked as present.. if it isn't present, you won't see MS office as a choice within available programs


- A : If B is true, When you click on say excel, office will check for presence of activation key.. if it is missing, excel won't load

- C : If A, B are true then excel will load - the features/options it presents will be a function of the choices you have selected within the excel settings menu


Now for certain features , like enhanced Bluetooth (two phones simultaneously connected), you just need to modify A and C .. In my case, my vehicle was marked as 6NH (normal BT) which I changed to 6NS (which corresponds to A) .. and then activated desired features by changing the active/inactive flags on the CAFD (which corresponds to C)


For features that require an activation key (like carplay), you also need to purchase the key (which cost me 50Euro) and do B

Even though it may sound complicated, like I said before, it is far removed from a complete firmware flash.
If you get all your ducks in a row, the whole process will take 10 mins from start to finish as all you are doing is 1) uploading a official BMW softkey, 2) adding 6CP flag to your VO, 3) marking carplay_swt and apple_enhancements as active (or aktiv as it appears on BMW)

For your other questions

2- it's possible the feature may disappear if BMW does a full firmware flash on your headunit but won't disappear on a normal update
even if it disappears, you should still be able to reupload the soft key (FSC) to reactivate

3) idrive hotspot - I guess what they meant is whether idrive has wifi hardware or not (which yours will for sure)
what you may or may not have is a wifi antenna

Now in my case, while the HU has wifi hardware, it does not have a wifi antenna plugged into the HU
I knew this upfront as in my earlier trysts with e-sys, i had enabled the hotspot and miracast flag as active
However, I also knew that my car does not have a wifi antenna as miracast would be slow/drop connection if I moved the phone away from the dash
Thus when I enabled carplay, I knew I may face the same issue
Now with carplay, I get flawless connectivity as long as the phone is placed near the cup holder/under the HU but start getting delayed response/connection drop if I move it away

I checked the wifi signal from the HU on my iphone with airplay on and it showed a RSSI (signal strength) of -72dbm when close to the HU which is usable but not perfect (think of it as a 3 bars of 5 on your laptop wifi)

Now I originally activated carplay just for kicks but now that since carplay is actually getting full time usage, I ordered a BMW wifi antenna yesterday (some 10 GBP odd) which I will get next week
In fact Aliexpress has the antennas for 4/5 USD but din't have the patience to wait a month (search for "BMW NBT Evo wifi antenna" or "BMW Fakra wifi antenna")

What this means for you is :
a) You may already have an antenna and don't need to do anything other than ordering the softkey and buying/building an enet cable

b) You may not have an antenna but are OK leaving the phone under the dash - don't worry, while under the dash, there is zero lag

c) or do what I did - try carplay, if you like it, order an antenna.. getting access to the antenna connector panel at the back of the headunit should be a thirty minute task ..attaching the antenna is plug & play.. or you can always ask a good workshop to do it for you

[graaja]

Originally Posted by abhi182

1- It's not a complete upgrade.. In fact its hardly a firmware flash at all
There are a few things that happen as a part of this
...

That was a fantastic explanation. If I could click the "Thanks" button a 100 times, I would have!!

Next order of business is ordering an enet cable!

EDIT: ENet cable ordered

[aseemsood]

Dear abhi182,
This sounds exciting. I was waiting for the Google Maps on CarPlay option to be enabled. Thanks for confirming that it is working for you. Also, thanks for such a detailed description.

Originally Posted by abhi182

For features that require an activation key (like carplay), you also need to purchase the key (which cost me 50Euro) and do B

Two questions:

1) I noticed that some sites claim to have FSC generator softwares available for download. Did you ever try those?

2) Any guidance on where to purchase the FSC key that you bought for Euro 50?

Originally Posted by graaja

Next order of business is ordering an enet cable!
EDIT: ENet cable ordered

Hi graaja,
I searched online and found many ENet buying options but all of them indicate delivery in 15-20 days. May I ask where did you buy the cable and how much delivery time are they promising?