couple of questions....

Hey, just picked up my '05 M3 yesterday and have a couple of questions. First has to do with the voice command button on the steering wheel. Shouldn't i be able to just hold that down for a second or two and then be prompted to give a command for temperature or radio or whatever or am i wrong? When i hit the button it does nothing no matter how long i hold it for. I do have the OEM navi system.

My second question has to do with the bluetooth. Wondering if i have it. Still driving home with the car so haven't had time to pull the carpet back in the trunk, but when i hit the R/T button it just says "activate phone". Anyone encountered this? I have turned the bluetooth on on my phone, but doesn't seem to find anything which leads me to believe that my car is not equipped with it, but maybe I'm not doing something right. Thanks

Steve

Please use the ENTER button. Thank you.

Sounds to me that you do not have bluetooth or voice capabilities Just because you have OEM nav does not necissarily mean you have these options.

Re the bluetooth, BMW has a list of "approved" phones that can be paired. I thought it was probably marketing bunk, but my phone wasn't on the list, and I never could get it paired, so maybe it's not.

Originally Posted by Lude2S

Hey, just picked up my '05 M3 yesterday and have a couple of questions. First has to do with the voice command button on the steering wheel. Shouldn't i be able to just hold that down for a second or two and then be prompted to give a command for temperature or radio or whatever or am i wrong? When i hit the button it does nothing no matter how long i hold it for. I do have the OEM navi system.

My second question has to do with the bluetooth. Wondering if i have it. Still driving home with the car so haven't had time to pull the carpet back in the trunk, but when i hit the R/T button it just says "activate phone". Anyone encountered this? I have turned the bluetooth on on my phone, but doesn't seem to find anything which leads me to believe that my car is not equipped with it, but maybe I'm not doing something right. Thanks

Steve

Steve,

To answer your questions, do you have BMW assist feature? Sounds like you do. I have an '04 M3 with navi and BMW assist. I had to upgrade my TCU module because the version I had did not have integrated bluetooth and whenever I tried the R/T button I would get the "activate phone" message. Apparently my TCU was an older version (vers 6 I think) and the current version is at vers 13. I paid just under $350 to have the dealership exchange to the current gen TCU, install (bluetooth antenna install as well) and program my car for voice command. I now have full bluetooth with my car and it works with my iPhone.

One other thing...it sounds to me like you don't have voice command programmed and I have a feeling that your TCU (assuming you have BMW assist) is an old version which doesn't have integrated bluetooth in it.

If you don't have BMW assist then your only option, I think, is to get the Bluetooth retrofit kit which should include the current gen ULF (bluetooth module), microphone and bluetooth antenna. This kit will run you upwards into the $700 - $800 range. With BMW assist you don't need the microphone unless you want to upgrade to a better quality microphone. The one that was already in my car is adequate for my needs so I chose to keep it. Anyway I hope this helps out.


M3 Gal, according to BMW my iPhone is not on the "approved" list for available bluetooth capable phones for use in my M3. I have been using my iPhone (current gen) in my M3 since upgrading my TCU with no problems at all... As long as you have bluetooth your phone should work assuming you have a TCU with integrated bluetooth or a dedicated bluetooth ULF module set up in your car.

Originally Posted by cak323i

Steve,

As long as you have bluetooth your phone should work assuming you have a TCU with integrated bluetooth or a dedicated bluetooth ULF module set up in your car.

Maybe, maybe not. I've got a Nokia 6120 or something thats not on the approved list and it'll pair, but I don't get all the functionality. Voice control works, sort of etc, so just 'cause you've got ULF doesn't necessarily mean it'll work properly with a non-listed phone.

Cheers
JM

Starting with 2005 model year US E46 cars the BMW Assist option includes bluetooth. In 2004 US cars the Assist feature did not include bluetooth. Prior to 2004, Assist was not a factory option. You can tell if you have Assist for a 2005 car (in the US) if you have the sharkfin on the roof. You can retrofit to add bluetooth if you don't have it, many people have done it and there is info on E46Fanatics.com and on M3forum.net as well as some DIYs on the web.

For the standard TCU electronics module that came with the car that controls Assist and Bluetooth for 2005 cars the only voice commands that are available are to control the phone, they do not control any other functions in the car. If you have Assist/bluetooth then when you press the talking man button it should beep and you can say a command. Start with "Help".

There is an alternate module to the TCU which is called a ULF which was available to retrofit bluetooth to cars that didn't have it. The ULF module plugs into the same place in the trunk as the TCU but doesn't have Assist functionality. In exchange you get bluetooth and voice control over the phone and the nav system. It used to be that if you were retrofitting, the TCU module was more expensive than the ULF but now it is reversed. You can get a TCU module from Tischer for about $330 while ULF modules run $550. As TCU modules are the "standard" feature, ULF modules are becoming scarce and you may only be able to find them on ebay, I am not sure you can get them new anymore. BTW, there were many versions of both the TCU and ULF modules and you should try to find the newest that you can (that is iBus based and compatible with the E46 cars). Early ULF modules were notoriously buggy and the earliest TCU modules with bluetooth didn't have voice commands for the phone.

You can read more here:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showpos...8&postcount=18
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=230898

Ok, well my car does not have the sharkfin. I did notice that when I was looking at this car and the '04 that I was looking for. I did notice that my rearview mirror does have the SOS buttons, though. Is this not part of assist? I thought maybe someone had simply deleted the sharkfin on my car as I have read of people doing this. Once my busy season of work is over (next week or so) I'll pull back the carpeting in my trunk and see whats back there. I could care less about Assist, but would really like to get bluetooth for the car.

One other thing I thought was weird was the fact that I had a CD nav disc in my system. The car was from Florida and on my drive back up I was noticing that soon as I got out of the Southeastern states, the nav knew nothing but freeways. Pulled the disc and sure enough it said Southeastern US and looked like a CD. Thought that was terribly strange as the drive said DVD on it. Stopped at my usual BMW dealer in Minneapolis and picked up the most current DVD with all of USA and Canada now, everything works fine.

Steve

Lude,

It sounds like you have BMW assist as they only came with mirrors that had the SOS button on them. All you have to do to get bluetooth is update your TCU which should cost you well under $350 including installation and programming. At least that's the route I went when I upgraded my TCU unit to the current gen TCU.

I have bluetooth and everytime I get into my M my phonebook loads within 5 seconds and I'm able to call and receive through my "bluetooth" section of my upgraded TCU. No issues there but if you want to get a dedicated bluetooth ULF module and other items then you will pay out between $700-$800. It's your choice but to me it was not worth it to go that route as I only cared about paring my iPhone to my car and make calls. Anyway GL on whatever route you deciede to go...

Originally Posted by profM3

You can get a TCU module from Tischer for about $330 while ULF modules run $550.

I didn't think about checking with Tischer BMW....good point

What would be added by going with a dedicated bluetooth ULF versus just getting a more current TCU?

Lude,

If you decide to go with the Bluetooth ULF retrofit instead of upgrading your TCU to the current gen TCU then this is what you will get.

With the Bluetooth ULF module you get bluetooth and voice control over the phone and the nav system. Exactly what profM3 put out...

With the updated TCU you get limited voice control (phone only - no nav) and control over your phone.

Hope this helps


profM3, If I put out anything in error please correct....thanks

To revive an old thread of mine, instead of starting a new one.

Finally had time this evening to take apart the one side of my trunk to get at my TCU and this is what I found:



Now after finding the PK number I decided to play around on the nav screen some more and for some reason got to a different screen than I had before and ended up getting the phone paired to the car!!! So I am really happy about that. Couple questions, though:

1. Am wondering why when i hit the R/T button on the steering wheel it is instantly dialing the first number in my phone book.

2. What are the two spare connections in the second picture?

3. Should I not have voice commands over the phone if I do have bluetooth? I never get a beep or anything no matter how long I hold the "talking man" button.

I do know that if I go into my phone manually by hitting menu and then going telephone that I can get to my phonebook and manually dialing. I tried just hitting the phone button on the nav unit and it instantly started dialing the first number in my phone book as well, like the R/T button. I am a bit confused, but still happy to have found my bluetooth!!

Originally Posted by johnm

Maybe, maybe not. I've got a Nokia 6120 or something thats not on the approved list and it'll pair, but I don't get all the functionality. Voice control works, sort of etc, so just 'cause you've got ULF doesn't necessarily mean it'll work properly with a non-listed phone.

Cheers
JM

JM,

Good point. I didn't think about that. Yes, not all phones give you full functionality....sad but true. I was lucky in that my iPhone worked...

Lude,
As for voice command, you need the dealership to program this into your car...