# I-Step Update recommended?



## 4rne (Jun 27, 2016)

Hey there,

I got my new F36 GC in early June this year.
I've got problems with the spotify integration on iOS/BMW since the first second.
On all other BMWs i've driven spotify always worked like a charme.
When I connect my iPhone 6+ via USB with the car, spotify pops up with the BMW logo displayed and also on the iDrive Spotify gets opened, but it restarts (BMW logo on iPhone disappears and appears again) like 3-15 times by itself.
Before it finally works i'm not able to control spotify through iDrive. Even the time of the playing song is stuck. sometimes even the icons of the buttons are missing...

thats very frustrating, because short trips are already over when spotify finally starts working.

Because I tried this with 4 iPhones of friends and the results are the same, and i found nothing abound a bug in spotify via google, i took a look at the i-step of my car.

My BMW dealer told me that the car should have been updated to the latest software before they handed it out to me, but the i-step says something different if I understand that correct?

My iStep current/last/delivery is: F020-15-07-504

I think this belongs to ISTA-P Version: P3.56.3

The latest PSdZData I found is v59 from ISTA-P Version 3.59.0.600.

Seems like there are many iSteps between mine and the newest?

This page says my software is up2date: http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/co...mobile_devices/bluetooth_software_update.html

Do you think I should take my car to my dealer and tell them to update the cars firmware?
Is this recommended in general to have the latest iStep? Are there new features included that are nice to have?

Or would you suggest me to stay at my current iStep?

Thanks for your help!


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## Almaretto (Nov 17, 2015)

I am not sure whether it is policy or not to update vehicles before releasing to new owners. I thought it was only done by mandate by BMW AG for specific issues. You are correct that the newest Psdzdata is 3.59.0.600 with I-step F020-16-07-501 for your vehicle.

Bluetooth software update is different from dealer updated flash ECU (software/firmware) upgrades.
Bluetooth update is the kind of thing that would be helped if an older phone with older software works but newer phone or software does not.
What is does your vehicle state as your Media (MN)/ Telephone (TN) software version? Service centers often also have newer versions than downloaded through update website. I have MN-003.009.004/ TN=003.009.004, but there are newer versions.

If your service center flash updates your vehicle, you will not likely get "new features," perse; existing ones may just work better.


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## klil (Oct 24, 2015)

As far as I know, the MN / TN software version is always updated when you update the I-Step.
Rarely (less than once a year?), BMW releases MN / TN software updates on their website. If your I-Step is newer than the release that's on their website, it won't update.

*So chances are, if your car is relatively new or has ever had it's I-Step updated, the MN / TN update won't work.*

If your current I-Step is the same as the shipment I-Step, the software has not been updated. Your dealership lied.

Now, as to Spotify... You're using an iPhone, correct? Are you running the latest iOS? I had 8.? jailbroken and frequently had issues. Now I'm running 9.3.2 with no jailbreak (latest as of today) without issues.
A few months ago Spotify had issued an app update which broke the iDrive integration. They fixed it a few days afterwards.

The old iOS Spotify did not allow you to use the app on the iPhone when you were connected to the car. You could only choose playlist directly from iDrive (no search) and the iPhone would display a BMW logo.
The newest iOS Spotify app as of today (5.7.0, with 5 out of 5 stars and 16 thousand ratings on the App Store) allows you to use the app on the iPhone! The BMW logo pops up but there is a disclaimer you can accept so the app works normally. You can finally search for a song/artist on the iPhone without having to disconnect and reconnect to the car.

If you update iOS, the Spotify app and try to update the MN / TM software from BMW's website, I'd try to convince the dealership to update the I-Step. You can do that yourself if you have the cable, software and courage.

One more thing: there might be a problem with the USB connector on the car itself. I've seen two different F30s that would connect and disconnect the iPhone very quickly, causing the iPhone to vibrate insanely (as if you were plugging it on and out of the charger very quickly). The stealealership said that was common and I had to buy a specific cable to use the iPhones, but that's a lie. Pulling the cable toward the front of the car and closing the armrest so the cable was still putting pressure on the USB connector made the connection work properly.


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## 4rne (Jun 27, 2016)

> So chances are, if your car is relatively new or has ever had it's I-Step updated, the MN / TN update won't work.
> 
> If your current I-Step is the same as the shipment I-Step, the software has not been updated. Your dealership lied.


for me the car is brand new, but seems like the istep is pretty old... (F020-15-07-504)
current i-step and shipment i-step are definitely the same, atleast esys says so.



> Now, as to Spotify... You're using an iPhone, correct? Are you running the latest iOS? I had 8.? jailbroken and frequently had issues. Now I'm running 9.3.2 with no jailbreak (latest as of today) without issues.
> A few months ago Spotify had issued an app update which broke the iDrive integration. They fixed it a few days afterwards.
> 
> The old iOS Spotify did not allow you to use the app on the iPhone when you were connected to the car. You could only choose playlist directly from iDrive (no search) and the iPhone would display a BMW logo.
> The newest iOS Spotify app as of today (5.7.0, with 5 out of 5 stars and 16 thousand ratings on the App Store) allows you to use the app on the iPhone! The BMW logo pops up but there is a disclaimer you can accept so the app works normally. You can finally search for a song/artist on the iPhone without having to disconnect and reconnect to the car.


Yeah thats true, when I drove the other two BMWs spotify got completely locked. Since I've got my F36 spotify shows a disclaimer and is still usable. I also thought maybe its a spotify bug, because we tried it with 4 iPhones (mine got iOS 9.3, two got 9.3.3 (current stable), and one got 10 beta) all with the same spotify version (5.7.0.1055) with the changed behavior (disclaimer) none of them jailbroken and all showed the same symptoms 
But the spotify ratings are nearly 100% 5/5 Stars for the current version, and if that would be a spotify bug then others would have that problem too for sure I think...



> If you update iOS, the Spotify app and try to update the MN / TM software from BMW's website, I'd try to convince the dealership to update the I-Step. You can do that yourself if you have the cable, software and courage.


Done, Done, seems not to work because no update is provided, or is it another page then the one i found?
I have the cable and got Esys with the newest Data but I think I'm to scared  Because it's a leased car and I have it just like 3 1/2 weeks from now  And I read so much about ppl having problems with the update and broke their complete car atleast temporary.
And i've no charger for my car, so it won't work even if I would risk to break my car 



> One more thing: there might be a problem with the USB connector on the car itself. I've seen two different F30s that would connect and disconnect the iPhone very quickly, causing the iPhone to vibrate insanely (as if you were plugging it on and out of the charger very quickly). The stealealership said that was common and I had to buy a specific cable to use the iPhones, but that's a lie. Pulling the cable toward the front of the car and closing the armrest so the cable was still putting pressure on the USB connector made the connection work properly.


I think the USB port is 100% functional, because its only the "connection" between iDrive and Spotify that gets rebuild several times until its working. The phone charges constantly and watchings movies via USB Stick always works from the first time. Also playing music from my iPhone via "external devices -> usb: iPhone of ..." works always! But its not that nice as the spotify integration. Also I tried it two times with deezer now and the deezer integration directly worked!?
I rebooted my phone several times, turned it off turned it on, reinstalled spotify from App Store but no changes...


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## klil (Oct 24, 2015)

4rne said:


> current i-step and shipment i-step are definitely the same, atleast esys says so.


So the dealership definitely did not update the software.


4rne said:


> But the spotify ratings are nearly 100% 5/5 Stars for the current version, and if that would be a spotify bug then others would have that problem too for sure I think...


Exactly my thoughts.


4rne said:


> I read so much about ppl having problems with the update and broke their complete car atleast temporary.


Been there - I broke my car for a few hours but was able to fix it myself.

Well, ask the dealership to update the software for you. You'll probably need to show them the issue and they should do it under warranty.


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