# CPT 9000 w/Assist and SES Voice Module



## Technic (Jun 24, 2002)

Have any forum member installed a SES Voice module in an E46 with Assist and the CPT9000 or the regular V60i? 

My question comes because in my 2004 M3 there is an extra connector besides the blue SES connector. It looks like an antenna plug (coaxial), and I do not have any idea for what it is or where it goes. For sure it does not go into the SES module... :dunno: 

Any help will be appreciated, thanks.


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## Technic (Jun 24, 2002)

Technic said:


> Have any forum member installed a SES Voice module in an E46 with Assist and the CPT9000 or the regular V60i?
> 
> My question comes because in my 2004 M3 there is an extra connector besides the blue SES connector. It looks like an antenna plug (coaxial), and I do not have any idea for what it is or where it goes. For sure it does not go into the SES module... :dunno:
> 
> Any help will be appreciated, thanks.


... I found it. _It is the connector for the optional bumper antenna. Sheesh..._


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## ChadS (Jan 4, 2002)

Sort of . . . that antenna cable goes to the front console where it would connect with the CPT-9000 cradle or bluetooth cradle with a snap-in adapter installed. It would then in the trunk connect to the bumper antenna.


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## Technic (Jun 24, 2002)

ChadS said:


> Sort of . . . that antenna cable goes to the front console where it would connect with the CPT-9000 cradle or bluetooth cradle with a snap-in adapter installed. It would then in the trunk connect to the bumper antenna.


Actually, _sort of again_: the CPT9000 cradle uses the shark fin antenna in cars with Assist. The bumper antenna is optional in this configuration according to BMWwireless.com. :thumbup:


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## ChadS (Jan 4, 2002)

Are you sure about that?? I looked at the bmwwireless.com website and didn't see anything that would show this. The ASSIST module uses the Shark-fin antenna and I didn't see any part listed that would combine the two antenna cables into one. If you look at the E46 install instructions for the CPT-9000 listed on that site they require that the bumper antenna be installed. If you wanted the CPT-9000 to use the Sharkfin antenna then you would have to disconnect the antenna from the ASSIST module and connect it to the cable that is bundled with the SES connector.


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## Technic (Jun 24, 2002)

ChadS said:


> Are you sure about that?? I looked at the bmwwireless.com website and didn't see anything that would show this. The ASSIST module uses the Shark-fin antenna and I didn't see any part listed that would combine the two antenna cables into one. If you look at the E46 install instructions for the CPT-9000 listed on that site they require that the bumper antenna be installed. If you wanted the CPT-9000 to use the Sharkfin antenna then you would have to disconnect the antenna from the ASSIST module and connect it to the cable that is bundled with the SES connector.


I was wrong in quoting bmwwireless for this. I discussed exactly this antenna issue with my local dealer after reading the installation document in the site; when I bought the V60i cradle they informed me that the bumper antenna was not required and that the phone signal was going to be routed to the sharkfin, and to disregard the installation document in bmwwireless.com.

Regardless, the TCU in the installation document is not an Assist module, is the actual CPT9000 TCU. That is the reason that I am using a V60i and not a CPT9000... this is my post describing my installation process.

So far the V60i signal strength is normal, both in my hand as in the cradle, so it seems that one of two things are happening: it does not need that bumper antenna, or the phone is actually using the Assist TCU as an antenna connection repeater. :dunno:


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## ChadS (Jan 4, 2002)

Technic said:


> Regardless, the TCU in the installation document is not an Assist module, is the actual CPT9000 TCU. That is the reason that I am using a V60i and not a CPT9000... this is my post describing my installation process.


There actually isn't a separate CPT-9000 TCU; it is part of the ASSIST module. If you don't have BMW ASSIST in the car, then installing the CPT-9000 is not possible without adding ASSIST. The V60i has a dedicated antenna connector which connects when docked into the cradle. This connects to the antenna cable that ends up in the trunk. I have a feeling that if you connect an antenna to it, you will notice the reception level increase. I know that when I connect the CPT-8000 in my '01 325Ci the number of bars usually jumps up one or two. What is probably happening in your car is that the antenna cable is being used as the antenna. I've seen the schematics for the ASSIST module and there is no connection that would tie in the antenna from the eject box to the ASSIST module. The V60i doesn't support routing the antenna signal through the data connector, so that isn't possible either. If the reception level is adequate for you, then you probably don't need to do anything. Keep in mind though that if you connect an antenna to that cable you should notice an increase in reception.


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## Technic (Jun 24, 2002)

ChadS said:


> There actually isn't a separate CPT-9000 TCU; it is part of the ASSIST module. If you don't have BMW ASSIST in the car, then installing the CPT-9000 is not possible without adding ASSIST. The V60i has a dedicated antenna connector which connects when docked into the cradle. This connects to the antenna cable that ends up in the trunk. I have a feeling that if you connect an antenna to it, you will notice the reception level increase. I know that when I connect the CPT-8000 in my '01 325Ci the number of bars usually jumps up one or two. What is probably happening in your car is that the antenna cable is being used as the antenna. I've seen the schematics for the ASSIST module and there is no connection that would tie in the antenna from the eject box to the ASSIST module. The V60i doesn't support routing the antenna signal through the data connector, so that isn't possible either. If the reception level is adequate for you, then you probably don't need to do anything. Keep in mind though that if you connect an antenna to that cable you should notice an increase in reception.


Umm... interesting, thanks. :thumbup:

When you saw the schematics of the ASSIST, did you see any GPS antenna jumper between the TCU and the Navigation computer? I am retrofitting the Nav in my M3 and I can see that there is a GPS antenna already installed in the rear shelf, and it is connected to the TCU. My Nav retrokit comes with another GPS antenna that goes where the TCU one is.

So, can you see what is the configuration of a car with ASSIST and NAV in your schematics? Do they share somehow the GPS antenna or they have separate antennas? :dunno:


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## ChadS (Jan 4, 2002)

Technic said:


> Umm... interesting, thanks. :thumbup:
> 
> When you saw the schematics of the ASSIST, did you see any GPS antenna jumper between the TCU and the Navigation computer? I am retrofitting the Nav in my M3 and I can see that there is a GPS antenna already installed in the rear shelf, and it is connected to the TCU. My Nav retrokit comes with another GPS antenna that goes where the TCU one is.
> 
> So, can you see what is the configuration of a car with ASSIST and NAV in your schematics? Do they share somehow the GPS antenna or they have separate antennas? :dunno:


Unfortunately, the schematic I saw was for ASSIST without the nav system. I will see if I can find more info on this. Before the dedicated BMW ASSIST module was introduced in 2004, the nav system handled all ASSIST communications via the CPT-8000 / 7000 / 6000, etc. No phone, no ASSIST.

I'm not positive about this, but right now you should have a couple antennas connected to the ASSIST module. The sharkfin antenna should be connected to the black or purple connector on the module. The beige / natural color connector is the connector to the bluetooth antenna in the center console (only on 2005 models and some late 2004's). The blue antenna is the GPS antenna. I know on mine the the blue antenna connector is not used which leads me to believe that the ASSIST modules recieves the GPS coordinates via the I-BUS from the nav computer. In your case, I would first try connecting the GPS antenna to the nav system and see if ASSIST still functions. If not, then there may be some recoding of the ASSIST module that would have to be done and in that case it might be easier to have two GPS antennas.


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## Technic (Jun 24, 2002)

ChadS said:


> Unfortunately, the schematic I saw was for ASSIST without the nav system. I will see if I can find more info on this. Before the dedicated BMW ASSIST module was introduced in 2004, the nav system handled all ASSIST communications via the CPT-8000 / 7000 / 6000, etc. No phone, no ASSIST.
> 
> I'm not positive about this, but right now you should have a couple antennas connected to the ASSIST module. The sharkfin antenna should be connected to the black or purple connector on the module. The beige / natural color connector is the connector to the bluetooth antenna in the center console (only on 2005 models and some late 2004's). The blue antenna is the GPS antenna. I know on mine the the blue antenna connector is not used which leads me to believe that the ASSIST modules recieves the GPS coordinates via the I-BUS from the nav computer. In your case, I would first try connecting the GPS antenna to the nav system and see if ASSIST still functions. If not, then there may be some recoding of the ASSIST module that would have to be done and in that case it might be easier to have two GPS antennas.


Excellent Chad... :thumbup:

The final purpose of this thread was to find out the ASSIST/Navigation configuration related to the GPS antenna. Right now I am seeing that there is only one fixture dedicated for the GPS under the rear shelf already occupied by the ASSIST GPS antenna. I consulted the local BMW dealer about any antenna jumpers or some sharing and, as you can understand now, you know more than them.

Because there is only one space, I will follow your advice and connect this antenna to the Nav computer and take the car to the dealer for recoding (it is required anyway) and see what happens.

Thank you very much... :thumbup:


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