BMW iDrive Query

Shane732

As many of you posters will know I've recently purchased a 335i with iDrive. I'm still figuring out all the toys on it. It's unbelievable the amount of extra toys on this car compared to my last BMW.

One of the things I'm really interested in getting up and running is getting my ipod working properly with the iDrive.

I'm just after connecting my ipod through the usb connection and it connected properly. I went into the aux audio and selected usb. The ipod came up (Ipod Control {I think}) selected artists and nothing came up. Same thing happens with playlists, album, artists etc... I can access the music by going into music, which brings up a list of F01, F02, F03 etc... and within each of them a list of songs (in the four letter apple format {abfh for example}). I can'r get any artwork up either.

Do any of you guys have any idea what the problem might be? I'm correct in saying that I should be able to scroll through me songs, artists, album, playlists etc... through my idrive??

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Shane732

Would the problem be that I don't have the oem Y cable for the ipod??

Eric Cartman

what model ipod is it ? quite possible it needs to visit a bmw garage for an update

edit : it would appear the bmw Y cable is needed to properly kick the ipod into accessory mode, sounds like your using an ipod classic and the bmw is seeing it in disk mode

Shane732

Eric Cartman wrote: »

what model ipod is it ? quite possible it needs to visit a bmw garage for an update

It's an 80GB ipod classic running 1.1.2 software...

Do the garages charge for an update (probably a stupid question!)

Eric Cartman

Shane732 wrote: »

It's an 80GB ipod classic running 1.1.2 software...

Do the garages charge for an update (probably a stupid question!)

they would , but as explained above, y cable is your first port of call

Shane732

Eric Cartman wrote: »

they would , but as explained above, y cable is your first port of call

Yea it looks to be in disc mode.....

:mad: Nothing is ever easy!

Eric Cartman

hopefully the cable doesnt cost too much , lovely motor by the way , iDrive is my only gripe with it , silly things like this ruining an otherwise stunning motor

Shane732

Eric Cartman wrote: »

hopefully the cable doesnt cost too much , lovely motor by the way , iDrive is my only gripe with it , silly things like this ruining an otherwise stunning motor

No doubt the y-cable will be a silly price...

Thanks for the help.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

burn the Mp3 into a CD as mp3 files not CD. You can get about 200 songs on it....works a treat. Other way is to get a cheap portable hard disk and plug it into the USB. Music appears as a file structure. You can get a ipod kit in the glove box that connects with a ipod connector and works as a CD changer (I have this option and it works great dont really like the 6FL). Get a y cable or an iphone adapter with music out (and a iphone).

Eric Cartman

Shane732 wrote: »

No doubt the y-cable will be a silly price...

Thanks for the help.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-MINI-USB-Apple-iPod-Cable-adaptor-Genuine-part-/170598797273?pt=UK_MP3_Player_Accessories&hash=item27b87b0fd9 about 50 odd euro is what id say theyll charge

pajero12

Hmm Might help if we knew what the car looked like...:pac:

But yeah, As far as I know software update is needed, same as the brothers car!

Shane732

pajero12 wrote: »

Hmm Might help if we knew what the car looked like...:pac:

But yeah, As far as I know software update is needed, same as the brothers car!

My ipod is just an ipod classic I bought the ipod in 07/08 so it was probably around the same time the software on my idrive was installed.

I guess the first thing is to try the y-cable and see if it works. It not then I'll be getting a software update.

Should the idrive fully integrate with me ipod? I assume so.....

Shane732

Sorry but f*ck me I'm getting lost with all this 6FL, 6NR talk!!

What the hell is ipod out?!!

I'm pretty decent when it comes to technology but bloody hell!!!

Shane732

I sorted out the ipod issue with my idrive, the only problem I have now is that the sound quality of the music playing from the ipod through the idrive is shi*.

A lot of the music I have would be running at 192 kbps or lower. I was wondering if any of you know of any software that will upscale the bit rate of my music files to like 300 kbps or so?

I'm told that a higher bit rate will sort a lot of the problem out...

Any suggestions?

I'm going to post this in tech section as well

Vertakill

I don't think there is anything you can do other than redownload the music at a higher bit rate.

192kbps is pretty low. I only listen to 320kbps as a minimum now.

Shane732

Vertakill wrote: »

I don't think there is anything you can do other than redownload the music at a higher bit rate.

192kbps is pretty low. I only listen to 320kbps as a minimum now.

I know it's pretty low but some of the music would be quite old when 192 good. All the newer stuff it 300+