# Surely someone has tried out the iPod / BMW tandem...



## Moholy (Nov 8, 2003)

Eager to hear about reactions from anyone who has tried out the combination at a dealer today!


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## afshawnt (May 1, 2004)

I went to numerous dealers and they all said that they are expecting a "demo" part to come in. They tell me the part is on backorder and they could get them any day now.

I was disappointed because I brought my ipod in and was ready to buy it and have it installed. I guess I'll just call them once a day and wait it out. :dunno:


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## bbkat (Oct 27, 2002)

^ Anyone? :dunno:


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## jgrgnt (Apr 27, 2002)

Tried Crevier...

"on backorder for some time."


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## marcio (Apr 29, 2004)

Just spoke to my parts guy today. He said that there was a manufacturing problem with the iPod adapter. The part that was released had some wiring reversed, so they put a freeze on the part while they fix it, so not even a demo is available. There is no ETA on availability because of that.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

marcio said:


> Just spoke to my parts guy today. He said that there was a manufacturing problem with the iPod adapter. The part that was released had some wiring reversed, so they put a freeze on the part while they fix it, so not even a demo is available. There is no ETA on availability because of that.


:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Why am I SO not surprised? My parts gal said she thought it was really strange that there was even a release date put on the product, as that's never been done before for an accessory.


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## phrider (May 6, 2002)

Kaz said:


> My parts gal said she thought it was really strange that there was even a release date put on the product, as that's never been done before for an accessory.


Ahhh, the Joy of Marketing: buy a car for your iPod.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

phrider said:


> Ahhh, the Joy of Marketing: buy a car for your iPod.


The kid of one of the folks here at work asked the same thing: "Can I have a container for my iPod"


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## phrider (May 6, 2002)

Hey, BMW gets points for being the first on the block among the auto manufacturers. And they're tied with Alpine for the vaporware category.


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## marcio (Apr 29, 2004)

I bet the whole thing was marketed by Apple not by BMW. From the press releases, to launch dates, to delays, to lack of availability, everything has an Apple signature.


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## JetBlack330i (Feb 8, 2002)

phrider said:


> Hey, BMW gets points for being the first on the block among the auto manufacturers. And they're tied with Alpine for the vaporware category.


FIrst on the block?
A colleague had his iPod installed in his Acura RSX 6 months ago. And it works.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

JetBlack330i said:


> FIrst on the block?
> A colleague had his iPod installed in his Acura RSX 6 months ago. And it works.


But is it a Honda-provided solution? Probably not.


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## nickeltong (Mar 16, 2004)

I was out at Towne BMW yesterday in Williamsville / Buffalo NY and they didn't have any iPod your BMW demos nor even flyers. Then I went to the Apple Store in Walden Galleria a couple of miles away and the Apple Store had stacks of iPod your BMW flyers. Go Figure.


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## JetBlack330i (Feb 8, 2002)

Kaz said:


> But is it a Honda-provided solution? Probably not.


It was installed by the dealer and it works!!! What else matters? 
I will ask if it was OEM.


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## marcio (Apr 29, 2004)

JetBlack330i said:


> FIrst on the block?
> A colleague had his iPod installed in his Acura RSX 6 months ago. And it works.


Installed how? When my wife mentioned the new BMW adapter to someone, he said he already had the iPod installed in his car for more than a year, using a cassette adapter...

In a BMW, you could've had the iPod installed for a long time, using a Blitzsafe adapter, or the IceLink or even the BMW aux-in adapter, but none is an iPod integrated solution provided by the automaker.


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## Jon Long (Jul 21, 2004)

I have the iPod / BMW connection kit installed in my 330i ZHP that I just took delivery of last week. The kit was released on 7/12, my dealer had it on 7/14, and it was installed on 7/16 in time for me to take delivery of the car on 7/17 !  

I have known about the Denison ICELink for some time, and it seems like a very good product. It certainly has a few things better about it than the BMW/Apple solution. The ability to view the display, and control the iPod while connected to the car is a plus. The BMW kit locks the iPod (presumably for liability reasons) into a diagnostic type mode, where you cannot control it directly anymore.

Having the iPod in glove box though is in some ways a plus for me. It keeps it out of sight from friends and foes. I don't worry about going around a corner and having it come flying out of the mounting dock, etc.. It's also one less thing to take down and hide when I go park somewhere for awhile.

So, I don't really mind not being able to see or control the iPod, although I really wish there was someway to display the song info/titles on the BMW display. Or alternatively, I'd think they could put some sort of safe mode into the iPod that displayed the usual disclaimer, and then allowed you to browse or view the current track info. While the driver may not want to use it, it would make it nice for a passenger to play DJ in your car with the iPod.

I'm hoping they make some improvements via firmware updates to the iPod to add some of these features. All in all though, it is a nice factory supported and authorized solution. The sound quality is great being direct into the head unit, picking a playlist and going into random makes a great radio station. They could improve the track changing speed though, it seems like the seek time between tracks is pretty sluggish.

They also give you a really nice little BMW/Apple instruction manual that nicely describes everything the connection kit can do. I made my dealer aware of the possible incorrect wiring issues that people are talking about, but they said they checked with BMW for the latest instructions and did not have any install issues. It worked perfectly for me once I plugged in the iPod, so it's all good!

If anyone has any questions, please let me know!

Jon Long
2004 330i ZHP - Imola Red
3G iPod - 20 GB w/Vaja iVod Case


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## jgrgnt (Apr 27, 2002)

Welcome to the 'fest, Jon!

Very nice write-up. :thumbup:


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## g046678 (Jul 7, 2004)

*Ipod*

I had the ipod adapter installed on my X3 last week. The controls work well, but the sound quality is bad. There is a definite hiss to the more quiet tracks on my playlist and the overall sound quality is bad. However, when I play the ipod through my stereo or using earphones the sound is great. I stopped by the dealer to let them hear it, they want me to drop the car off so they can look at it.


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## ShniGW (Jan 22, 2004)

Just to add my two cents:

1) I had to return my IceLink as I could not get it to work in my car. It would charge the Ipod, and sound would barely come out. Dension actually sent me some replacement parts, but those didn't fix it. Very frustrating to have to return it.

2) BMW has my ipod connection kit on hold for me to pick up. I am going to try to install myself. Does anyone know anything about the install? Trunk or in-dash?

3) I'm concerned that the IceLink is still the better choice, as I like the display of the Ipod. Too bad I couldn't get it to work. 

Tom...any solutions/suggestions? Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

Thanks.
Lee


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## krubenstein (Aug 5, 2004)

g046678 said:


> I had the ipod adapter installed on my X3 last week. The controls work well, but the sound quality is bad. There is a definite hiss to the more quiet tracks on my playlist and the overall sound quality is bad. However, when I play the ipod through my stereo or using earphones the sound is great. I stopped by the dealer to let them hear it, they want me to drop the car off so they can look at it.


I have an X3 with the BMW/Ipod installed and I am having the same hissing/interferance problem. Was your dealer able to fix the problem?


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## marcio (Apr 29, 2004)

My dealer still doesn't have a demo so I can see exactly how it works.

Questions for the ones who have the BMW iPod adapter installed: 
1. When you turn the car or the car stereo off, does the iPod turn itself off?
2. When you switch to AM/FM, does the iPod turn itself off? 
3. If you first turn the stereo on, and it's in AM/FM mode, does the iPod turn itself on?


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## nickeltong (Mar 16, 2004)

marcio said:


> My dealer still doesn't have a demo so I can see exactly how it works.
> 
> Questions for the ones who have the BMW iPod adapter installed:
> 1. When you turn the car or the car stereo off, does the iPod turn itself off?
> ...


After it's hooked up, the iPod will work like a CD changer. It will be on when you need it and off (standby/pause) when you don't. All the while, the iPod should be charging until it is fully charged.


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## dmindler (Aug 17, 2004)

*X3/iPod Problems*

I also just had the iPod connector installed in my X3. I also have a problem with noise/hiss over the sound system. Has anyone who had this problem found a solution? It's at the dealer again; they said they swapped it out with another connector and still have the problem. They thought it may be the iPod, but I'm sure it's not.


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## dmindler (Aug 17, 2004)

*RE: X3/iPod Problems*

As I posted this I received a message from the dealer. If the iPod is held in your hand, the hiss disappears. If it is not held, the hiss comes back. They think it's the iPod since all connections were triple-checked and the connector was replaced with a new one.


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## sj330ciclvr (Mar 11, 2003)

*Just had the install done on 2002 330cic*

I purchased the adaptor kit a couple of weeks ago, and today had it installed at the dealer for $110. I really like it.....of course it could be improved, mainly with the addition of the song tags. Carrying hundreds of CD's is now really convienient! I highly reccomend.


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## sbono13 (Jul 27, 2004)

I had it installed at the SF BMW yesterday ($120 for labor). I really do like it... it sounds great in the 330i HK stereo, and I'm happy with the responsiveness when skipping tracks and playlists, etc. I do think it's unfortunate that there is a 5-playlist limit and songs not on those playlists are not really accessible (unless you are able to find them in disk 6, which plays all the songs off the ipod). 

Only one complaint...

Since i have playlists with 100-200 songs, I prefer playback using the random mode. However, the head unit forgets the random setting when switching CDs/playlists, modes, turning the stereo off, etc. Note that this occurs during CD playback too, so it's not a limitation of the iPod adapter per se.


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## g046678 (Jul 7, 2004)

*ipod problems*



krubenstein said:


> I have an X3 with the BMW/Ipod installed and I am having the same hissing/interferance problem. Was your dealer able to fix the problem?[/QUOTE
> 
> Not yet, I just dropped it off on Monday, and they still have not fixed it. They are trying to blame the ipod. I went and bought a doc from an apple that has a line out. When I connect the ipod via the bottom to this device and then hook it to my stereo. The sound is great. However the sound from the BMW is bad.


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## dmindler (Aug 17, 2004)

*ipod problems*

picked up my car last nite from the dealer. They had told me if the ipod was held in your hand, the hiss could not be heard. They demo'd it to me, but this was not true, you could still hear the hiss/background noise. But, I could hear a difference in the noise when the iPod was gently pressed between my hands.... possibly a problem with the iPod. I'll send it back to apple since it's under warranty.

The dealer was at a loss. They swapped the apple connector with another and triple-checked the wiring.

Best of luck to anyone else who ventures into this. I should have waited. The whole thing is a waste of my time/money and I would not go down this path if I knew then what I know now.


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## marcio (Apr 29, 2004)

dmindler said:


> I'll send it back to apple since it's under warranty.


Maybe you can borrow an iPod from someone to make sure it's your iPod?!

Sorry to hear about your problems. I decided to wait. I already have the AUX-IN, and neither the Apple/BMW nor the ice>Link seem to be very compelling upgrades right now.


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## g046678 (Jul 7, 2004)

dmindler said:


> picked up my car last nite from the dealer. They had told me if the ipod was held in your hand, the hiss could not be heard. They demo'd it to me, but this was not true, you could still hear the hiss/background noise. But, I could hear a difference in the noise when the iPod was gently pressed between my hands.... possibly a problem with the iPod. I'll send it back to apple since it's under warranty.
> 
> The dealer was at a loss. They swapped the apple connector with another and triple-checked the wiring.
> 
> Best of luck to anyone else who ventures into this. I should have waited. The whole thing is a waste of my time/money and I would not go down this path if I knew then what I know now.


Mine is still in the shop. I bought a dock that can connect to a home stereo,via RCA jacks to test my ipod. When I hook that up to my home stereo the sound from the ipod is great. However, when I connect the ipod, using the same port, to the car. The sound is hissy. I brought that device into the dealer to prove that the IPOD was fine.

Even with a device to prove the working order of the IPOD the service dept tried to find something else to blame.

First they claimed that the level that I recorded the music at must have been too low. 
I tried to explain, that this was digital, and these songs were ripped from a CD. This is not tape technology, where you have to set a level when you record. They stuck with that answer until I went up two levels of managment.

Then they claimed that the device must be bad. But they never used the dock with the RCA jacks to test the IPOD.

They have had my car now for 4 days.


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## dmindler (Aug 17, 2004)

*iPod Saga*

Couldn't find a friend who had an iPod to verify if indeed the iPod was at fault (versus the BMW-iPod Connector). I should start hanging out with younger people!

Anyway, though the iPod has a 1 year warranty, shipping/handling over 180 days old (which it is) would cost $32. Plus, possibility of $100 for their time spent if nothing found wrong. So, I bought another iPod to test, thinking I could return it within 14 days.

The new iPod is fine, so the problem must have been with the old iPod. Now I have to decide whether I want to spend the $32+ to send the old iPod back and hope they can fix it... will probably require alot of interaction w/ their support to prove my case.


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## rawskyb (Apr 14, 2002)

g046678 said:


> First they claimed that the level that I recorded the music at must have been too low.
> I tried to explain, that this was digital, and these songs were ripped from a CD. This is not tape technology, where you have to set a level when you record.
> 
> 
> > I'm not saying that the service guys were right (especially since recording at a low level is less likely to introduce noise), but you can indeed rip digital music from a CD to a file at varying sound levels. If you listen to a lot of CDs, you'll also notice that they are not all recorded at the same level. This is one of the reasons most audio recording software has an option to "normalize" when burning recordings. A file that is increased in recording level too much will distort very easily.


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## remington (Jul 3, 2003)

I had mine installed this morning (2003 325i). Sound quality is excellent. Better, IMO than the burned CDs I had been using. One thing I did notice right away is that if you have any equalizer settings in your iopd (ie. I had bass boost in mine) the sound quality suffered. Better to turn off any eq. settings on the ipod and let your car stereo adjust bass/treble. Those of you with a hiss may want to consider this.

Also keep in mind that the quality of the music file makes a big difference. Some of my older shareware-downloaded music doesn't sound as good and the volume levels vary, just as they do on the ipod itelf. The apple-format songs downloaded from itunes sound the best by far.

NOt to offend anyone, but the sounds is worlds better than those dreadful itrip or other FM modulated units. I don't know how anyone can tolerate those, the sound quality is AT BEST as good as FM radio which compared to digital media is crap. At worst it is REALLY crap.


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## nickeltong (Mar 16, 2004)

dmindler said:


> Couldn't find a friend who had an iPod to verify if indeed the iPod was at fault (versus the BMW-iPod Connector). I should start hanging out with younger people!
> 
> Anyway, though the iPod has a 1 year warranty, shipping/handling over 180 days old (which it is) would cost $32. Plus, possibility of $100 for their time spent if nothing found wrong. So, I bought another iPod to test, thinking I could return it within 14 days.
> 
> The new iPod is fine, so the problem must have been with the old iPod. Now I have to decide whether I want to spend the $32+ to send the old iPod back and hope they can fix it... will probably require alot of interaction w/ their support to prove my case.


Call Apple support. They will troubleshoot it with you to determine that infact you have a problem and will courrier you a box which you will courrier back with your iPod. They will likely send you a new iPod which you can sell on e-bay at minimal loss. When I sent mine back to fix they told me that they will charge me delivery but they never billed me. :thumbup:

BTW my iPod was a week past warrantee and they still fixed it. My excuse was I brought it back to the store where I bought it prior to warrantee expiry and they told me a couple of days later that they were not authorised to repair iPods and my warrantee ran out which was true. Besides, it was Apple's own periodical flash update that killed my iPod.


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## kahluver (Oct 8, 2004)

*IPOD Noise*

Has anyone found a fix for the IPOD connector noise issue? I have a 2004 X3 and also have the noise / hiss issue. My wife has a Z4 with the Aux input adapter and her IPOD is crystal clear. If the dealer can't fix this I think I may sway the IPOD adapter for the Aux input kit for my X3. AARRGHHH!!!


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## ewolf (Dec 28, 2004)

kahluver said:


> Has anyone found a fix for the IPOD connector noise issue? I have a 2004 X3 and also have the noise / hiss issue. My wife has a Z4 with the Aux input adapter and her IPOD is crystal clear. If the dealer can't fix this I think I may sway the IPOD adapter for the Aux input kit for my X3. AARRGHHH!!!


Kahluver, i'm trying to find a solution for this (digital) hissing, when you use your wife's IPod in your car, do you still have the hissing ?, If not we know the problem is in the Ipod, otherwise it is the BWM adapter (i have the same problem in my 320d)


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