# iPhone / iPod Full Demonstration on USA-Spec PA12-BMW with Bluetooth & GPS



## delmarco (Jan 2, 2009)

This thread attempts to answer ALL questions about the E46 BMW iPod Integration kit known as the USA-Spec PA12-BMW.

First off, if you have a 1998 - 2005 (2006 for the M3 and convertibles/coupes) 3 series BMW vehicle. It is an E46 model and it DOES NOT have DSP! Your car DOES NOT have DSP!

DO NOT get the USA-Spec kit for DSP cars. Get the normal kit. :thumbup:

This video below will clear up ALL mysteries concerning what the USA-Spec is capable of and how it works with iPhones/iPods and Bluetooth Integration.






I get mail everyday asking about two of my more popular DIYs, the parrot bluetooth integration and the USA-Spec iPod integration, concerning how on earth is it possible that I have everything working in unison in my car and if the two kits would allow one iPhone in car to provide all functions to the drivers at once.

I also have Dice Silverline Unit Sponsors (who are well respected friends of mine and whom I 100% support and recommend when it comes to buying certain items) and I also have die-hard Dice proponents, who know little of the USA-Spec, belittling its range of functions and flexibility concerning the iPhone/iPod Touch higher functions.

I would like to turn those naysayers into believers while showing EVERYONE else that the USA-Spec ipod integration kit at 100 bucks coupled with the under-100 bucks ck3000 parrot+cttpar007 bluetooth integration kit is not a bad deal at all.

*MYTH:* The USA-Spec has no bells and whistles

*TRUTH:* This unit comes with everything you need to play ALL music off your iPod thru your car either via 5 Playlist that you create for it, Hybrid Direct-access mode where you can control music selection at BOTH the ipod interface or the car radio/steering wheel buttons interface, ALL Playlist shuffle/play mode where ALL music on you iPod is played thru the radio or Aux In mode for anything else.That is not saying it has less to it, but rather the usa-spec wears a streamlined grey armani suit to a business meeting whiles the dice brings it in powder blue frilly tuxedo.

*MYTH:* The USA-Spec cost as much if not more than the Dice unit

*TRUTH:* Google will quickly tell you the USA-Spec is $109 and up on amazon whiles the dice is $150 and up even on eBay. This price is NOT reflective of quality, performance or features but rather popularity of the Dice and copious amounts of advertising and sponsorship that the Dice gets. Also the Dice's commercially precedes the usa-spec so it is priced today like it was originally when it was the only competiton in town. I have owned both the dice and the spec and in all honesty and bias aside the 100% aluminum polished porcelin painted body of the usa-spec looks and feels MUCH MORE expensive than the black unpainted plastic body of the dice. Even the usa-spec's iPod rubber cable is worlds better than the plastic cable the Dice uses. This is important because the iPod cables on these things wear out quicker than the other parts.

*MYTH:* The USA-Spec does not allow for sirius or cd changer at the same time.

*TRUTH:* People who say this usually tell you that there is a special "slave cable" that you get with the Dice that allows the Dice to work with sirius or cd changer at the same time.

Guess what? The USA-Spec works off the same slave cable as the dice.

Guess what again? The USA-Spec is better at it. So much better at it that the issues of background noise or battery reset for freezes is completely 100% non-existant with the USA-Spec

*Downsides of the USA-Spec:*

-You cannot manage or text up playlists whiles driving your car. Which sucks because now you dont have that to distract you whiles driving.

-Probably wont work with oem navigation.

-Doesn't come with an ashtray "spec-dock" (which i believe you still have to pay extra for when buying a Dice)

-Connects thru the trunk prewiring cables and NOT directly to the back of the radio (the Dice is the same). However if you do not want to rumage thru your trunk for cables. The you can buy the bmw p/n cd changer cable for about $40 at the dealership and use it to connect the usa-spec or the dice directly to the back of the radio.


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## thayerV (Jan 15, 2010)

I've been looking for good iPod integration for my X3 but had already decided Dice was not the answer. Looks like you solved my problem. Thanks for posting.


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## thayerV (Jan 15, 2010)

*X3 USA-Spec Install*

I just finished the install on my 2009 X3. Here is the writeup on the X3 board:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5011150&postcount=11


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## jw08 (Dec 4, 2008)

Thanks for taking the time to post this and record the video. I am absolutely fed up dealing with the DICE unit. I've had nothing but problems with it since I got it a year ago and this looks like a great alternative. I especially like that it works with the Parrot BT kit. Right now, I use a Motorola T505 speaker that clips to the sun visor. While it works great, the 'integrated' system is very appealing.

Does the USA-Spec allow you to control music from the iPod? I'm asking because personally, no matter what interface, I think navigating songs and playlists on the iPod from the head unit or steering wheel is slow and clunky compared to direct access from the iPod. I normally just hit 'shuffle all' and go, but sometimes I want to select a single artist/album/song from the iPod without using the steering wheel / head unit.


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## delmarco (Jan 2, 2009)

jw08 said:


> Thanks for taking the time to post this and record the video. I am absolutely fed up dealing with the DICE unit. I've had nothing but problems with it since I got it a year ago and this looks like a great alternative. I especially like that it works with the Parrot BT kit. Right now, I use a Motorola T505 speaker that clips to the sun visor. While it works great, the 'integrated' system is very appealing.
> 
> Does the USA-Spec allow you to control music from the iPod? I'm asking because personally, no matter what interface, I think navigating songs and playlists on the iPod from the head unit or steering wheel is slow and clunky compared to direct access from the iPod. I normally just hit 'shuffle all' and go, but sometimes I want to select a single artist/album/song from the iPod without using the steering wheel / head unit.


You can control music directly on your iPod controls whiles the music is playing thru your radio.


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## buzzfgo (Jun 30, 2010)

I have a 2001 330i. Just installed the USA Spec with dsp. I didn't use the dsp cable and it seems to work fine. But are you sure the dsp can not be used? Also, text was displayed for songs the first time I used it. But now no text. It seemed to have disappeared after I used Pandora for the iphone. Any thoughts?


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