BMW E46 Integrated Bluetooth and Voice Command for Less than $100 Pictorial DIY

ok, I just checked the user guide here: http://www.parrot.com/usa/support/parrot-mki9000/ and it can be wired in both ways ... although I would recommend what they call the "line-in" wiring method.

If your not interested in trying to find a place to put that lil screen, I think the dice media bridge does bluetooth and supports streaming. I'm about to start looking into it, my old old old old dice unit has gotten so noisy. I was considering a Dynavin, but I'm going to wait. The Media Bridge seems like a good "patch" for now...

If and when I do, I'll have a used parrot kit for sale...

After wasting months with two different silverlines, I am now allergic to Dice products.

^ I've had mine for about 5 years now, I don't think its a silver line, its really old, but in the past year (maybe a little longer) it has had some engine wine through the speakers. Not sure what I'm going to do yet, no time right now to figure it out...

will this work for 2001 325i cassett radio?

Originally Posted by ZZen330

This might help: (from Parrot)

A new software version has been released for the CK3000 Evo v5.25 which improves the compatibilty with the Android phones, this update needs to be done at your local Certified Installer, which will do the update via serial cable (Dealer may charge for update)

In the mean time the procedure below may help

Pairing can be difficult, and as such the droid is not currently considered compatible with the evolution. The phone should pair; but may not connect. What some of our customers have been able to do is to pair with the Parrot, where the Droid reads "paired but not connected" then clear the memory on the Parrot, whence it will announce "memory erasing in progress please wait". Most steering wheel controls will allow you to clear the memory with a combination of the Volume Keys Vol- followed by Vol + 5 Times (-+-+-+-+-+). Or if you have the red/green keypad with the dial in the center, simply press and hold the red/green button at the same time. Normally when the Parrot is done it will announce PLEASE PAIR DEVICE when its done, but these customers have reported that it instead simply beeps indicating it connected to a phone, and sure enough the Droid showed it was connected and paired.

Again this work around has worked for many customers, but at this time we do not consider the Motorola Droid compatible with the CK3000 evolution, it is so with all of our other current devices, and as such do not guarantee its functionality.


Thanks For Choosing Parrot

I love the CK3000 setup. Many thanks to the OP.
Unfortunately, I am also an Android user.

When I first put the set-up in, I had an old Windows Mobile phone, which worked like a charm with the set-up.

Then I upgraded to my first Android phone, the Motorola Atrix 4G and had all kinds of issues pairing and connecting. Pairing would basically require the Bluetooth File Explorer app to bang at the Parrot until it paired. Connecting would take 1-2 minutes after starting the car. Barely functional but ok.

Recently, I upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy S III, and the result is that it just doesn't work. It pretends to pair, and that's pretty much it. It never connects.

So I went looking around and discovered the whole story about upgrading firmware. The short of it is that:
1. The CK3000 upgraded to 5.25C works beautifully with the new phone.
2. The upgrade was fairly inexpensive and fairly easy.

The key to the inexpensive upgrade is this post:
http://peter.holcroft.net/ck3000/

Basically, the pinout of the upgrade cable is reverse engineered and the cable can be made fairly cheaply.

If you have an RS-232 port lying around, or maybe an FTDI USB>RS-232 cable, all you need is a $5 TTL converter. I bought one called
"MAX232CPE Transfer Chip RS232 To TTL Converter Module COM Serial Board USB Cable" from "cenn2010" on EBay. It includes the USB power cable and flying wires that can be used to directly connect to the CK3000 for the firmware upgrade, so it's all you need.

The upgrade can be done in the car (with a laptop) as something needs to be supplying power (12V). Otherwise, a PC power supply can be used for the 12V supply.

I had some issues with my laptop running 64b Win7, but my desktop running 32b Win7 worked the first time.

Have fun with the upgrade!.

Laurent

Just to clarify, will this allow me to play music from my phone via blue tooth to the stereo? I use the Rhapsody app and Samsung Galaxy S II... anyone have exprience with that combo? Sounds like I might need that firmware update potentially, but just want to make sure that this will allow me to play music, since that is my primary usage.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Adrian325ci

Just to clarify, will this allow me to play music from my phone via blue tooth to the stereo? I use the Rhapsody app and Samsung Galaxy S II... anyone have exprience with that combo? Sounds like I might need that firmware update potentially, but just want to make sure that this will allow me to play music, since that is my primary usage.

Thanks!

From what I have read, NO, this will NOT allow you to utilize A2DP to listen to music over Bluetooth via your phone. Can anyone clarify this? This is a deal breaker for me

Originally Posted by TR4G-

From what I have read, NO, this will NOT allow you to utilize A2DP to listen to music over Bluetooth via your phone. Can anyone clarify this? This is a deal breaker for me

That's correct. No A2DP. That's purely phone integration. If you need music, you can do the AUX port mod, which is very simple (and nice to do at the same time, since you're going to be pulling the head unit out) and use a wired dock for your phone (that's what I do), or you can do the AUX port mod and put a small A2DP BT receiver connected to it if you insist on wireless.

The Parrot mod is not as full featured as a modern head unit, but for a 10-yr old head unit and a cheap addition (Parrot, AUX), it's a great deal.

Laurent

LaurentR, I may have to try the firmware upgrade procedure. Thanks for providing it!

Unfortunately, the iOS 6 update on my iPhone 4S killed the ability for me to press the "talking head" button on the steering wheel to activate Siri. It acts like it activates Siri but stops after 1 or 2 seconds as if it heard nothing.

EDIT: This only happens when the iPhone is plugged into my USA-Spec PA-12 and playing music; when unplugged it activates Siri just fine.

Sometimes it takes 1-2 minutes for the iPhone to pair with the Parrot CK3000.

EDIT2: Resetting the Parrot (hold green and red buttons until the lady says resetting) fixed the delay.

Additionally, when the iPhone does finally pair (that audible *chirp*), and I have music playing through my USA-Spec PA12, the music stops for about 5 seconds before resuming. Quite annoying. I remember it not doing this in iOS 4 (and maybe early in iOS 5).

Ran the update to 5.25C today.

Phone pairs. Buttons on steering wheel work. Microphone works. But absolutely nothing plays through the car speakers.

UGH

I installed this last weekend and accidentally pinched the mic wire when concealing it behind the A-pillar. Does anyone have one for sale from the kit, or know where to get one that would replace the one that came with the parrot kit?

Nevermind, after doing some searching I bought the one mentioned in this thread...hopefully it works out!

Originally Posted by spencers

Ran the update to 5.25C today.

Phone pairs. Buttons on steering wheel work. Microphone works. But absolutely nothing plays through the car speakers.

UGH

Hmm... Anyone experiencing the same thing? I'm strongly considering this as I've already got the USA-Spec PA12-BMW and am now just currently waiting for my 30-pin to Lightning adapter to come in the mail from Apple so I can use it with my iPhone 5. Since the iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6 out of the box, I'd like to use Bluetooth/Siri/etc. while also listening to music while the iPhone is charging if I were to purchase the CK3000.

Has anyone been able to get things situated?

Sorry if this was addressed earlier in the thread. I have a 2003 m3 with navigation that is prewired for Bluetooth. What do I need to buy in order to use siri from my iPhone 5? Some of the functions I want are steering wheel controls where I press a button to activate a call, read texts aloud via siri through my speakers, and send texts via siri through the mic that is located by the moon roof button. I don't need to stream music from my phone through Bluetooth, it would be nice but not necessary. I also have a six disc cd changer in the trunk if that info was important. Thanks in advance for the help. It is greatly appreciated.

Originally Posted by filipinoise

Hmm... Anyone experiencing the same thing? I'm strongly considering this as I've already got the USA-Spec PA12-BMW and am now just currently waiting for my 30-pin to Lightning adapter to come in the mail from Apple so I can use it with my iPhone 5. Since the iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6 out of the box, I'd like to use Bluetooth/Siri/etc. while also listening to music while the iPhone is charging if I were to purchase the CK3000.

Has anyone been able to get things situated?

I've tested a friend's iPhone 5 with my USA-Spec PA12 (with lightning to dock adapter) and it works just fine; including the steering wheel buttons. I totally forgot to check bluetooth operability though.

I'm still at a loss on what I should do about my situation after the Parrot update. I miss having bluetooth in my car. I may just bite the bullet and pick up another kit off ebay.

Siri on iPhone 5 works fine in my car with this parrot kit, incase any one wants to know

Originally Posted by spencers

I'm still at a loss on what I should do about my situation after the Parrot update. I miss having bluetooth in my car. I may just bite the bullet and pick up another kit off ebay.

Just to follow up, I bought a brand new Eclipse BT-E600 kit off eBay for $25 shipped. Came with 5.11C on the blue box. Bluetooth works again!

I guess I now have an extra blue box to play with.

Will my" Harmon Kardon BMW Business CD Radio" work the same. I notice it was posted "BMW Business CD53 Radio( (all year Blaupunkt or Alpine models)". Thanks. And yes the prices have gone up even more in 3 years.

I want to do this to my car!

Originally Posted by Pearlmcp

Will my" Harmon Kardon BMW Business CD Radio" work the same. I notice it was posted "BMW Business CD53 Radio( (all year Blaupunkt or Alpine models)". Thanks. And yes the prices have gone up even more in 3 years.

Yes, it should work.

All that's happening is that the Parrot kit sits in between your HU and the speakers and sends the appropriate signal (phone or radio) to the speakers. So in theory it would just send the signal to the amp instead of direct to the speakers.

Others may wish to chime in with more info.

I have been using my set up for over 6 months and I am very happy with it on version 5.10c / BlackBerry Bold 9700 without a problem. Using the above steps I'll look to upgrading to 5.25c just because

In respect of $$... try eBay for a used setup or lurk the forum classifieds - you will get lucky eventually. E.g. on eBay recently a used MKi9200 kit with all E46 harnesses went for <$130.

Good luck.