BMW E60 320D - What are those empty compartments under the spare wheel for?

DublinWriter

I was checking my spare tyre recently and I noticed there was a large moulded plastic container under the spare tyre with what looked like a half-dozen empty compartments for electronic options of some sort.

Anyone know what they are for?

Thanks!

Gumbo

Depends on what car you are talking about

5 series or 3 Series?

DublinWriter

520D

jhegarty

I believe that's where the IDrive lives.

It does vary by the different types of IDirve and year of the car.

Gumbo

DublinWriter wrote: »

520D

Could be empty wells that could house TV module, Sat Nav module, bluetooth etc.

I'll check my E60 later as i have all 3 of the above and in my E39 and E53, all the radio modules etc are in the boot under the spare tyre.

DublinWriter

kceire wrote: »

Could be empty wells that could house TV module, Sat Nav module, bluetooth etc.

I have Sat Nav and Bluetooth already - but all the wells in mine are empty.

HandsomeDan

Ooptional BMW hifi power amp can live in compartment

Viper_JB

There's normally the PDU for the parking sensors, and the MPM or micro power module that powers the iDrive, only know this because I got water spilled in the boot recently, it pooled at the bottom of the spare wheel well and killed my MPM unit , in lots of the E60's people will have moved these units as they're pretty much in the worst spot possible for them by default.

Gumbo

DublinWriter wrote: »

I have Sat Nav and Bluetooth already - but all the wells in mine are empty.

Post a pic.
Maybe your E60 is missing its Flux Capacitor

bmstuff

DublinWriter wrote: »

I was checking my spare tyre recently and I noticed there was a large moulded plastic container under the spare tyre with what looked like a half-dozen empty compartments for electronic options of some sort.

Anyone know what they are for?

Thanks!

You answered your own question, empty spots for optional modules that you do not have.

bmstuff

jhegarty wrote: »

I believe that's where the IDrive lives.

It does vary by the different types of IDirve and year of the car.

iDrive on the E60 was always in the same spot, front. Year on year.
Only exception is the Japanese E60.

keithclancy

Am I the only one that thinks BMWs iDrive system is the biggest haype of shíte ever ?

A few colleagues have the same opinion and end up with a TomTom stuck to the windscreen on the Pool cars.

listermint

keithclancy wrote: »

Am I the only one that thinks BMWs iDrive system is the biggest haype of shíte ever ?

A few colleagues have the same opinion and end up with a TomTom stuck to the windscreen on the Pool cars.

ive only noticed this from people who were to cheap to buy the new maps or too lazy to update them themselves.

So i have to disagree.

Viper_JB

keithclancy wrote: »

Am I the only one that thinks BMWs iDrive system is the biggest haype of shíte ever ?

A few colleagues have the same opinion and end up with a TomTom stuck to the windscreen on the Pool cars.

I hate entering in stuff on the sat nav, outside of that though I do actually like it, simple controls which can access a lot, I hate it when the dash has loads and loads of buttons on it.

keithclancy

listermint wrote: »

ive only noticed this from people who were to cheap to buy the new maps or too lazy to update them themselves.

So i have to disagree.

Maps are grand .. it just takes an age to enter anything compared to other systems.

Edit: Viper JB beat me too it.

listermint

keithclancy wrote: »

Maps are grand .. it just takes an age to enter anything compared to other systems.

Edit: Viper JB beat me too it.

True, but its accessible and doesnt have crappy touchscreens and wires hanging all over the place. I dont have Idrive in mine, but i wouldnt throw an aftermarket thing into my windshield if i had idrive. Hate things hanging off the dash.

And found idrive very usable if your anyway remotely tech inclined.

Viper_JB

keithclancy wrote: »

Maps are grand .. it just takes an age to enter anything compared to other systems.

Edit: Viper JB beat me too it.

Yer, I don't see how anyone could reasonably enter an address while driving without having a horrible accident. Although that's probably not a good idea regardless of your sat nav, and while I do hate entering in the addresses I like how it gets me there, good for turns offs and counting down the meters till the next turn.

keithclancy

listermint wrote: »

True, but its accessible and doesnt have crappy touchscreens and wires hanging all over the place. I dont have Idrive in mine, but i wouldnt throw an aftermarket thing into my windshield if i had idrive. Hate things hanging off the dash.

And found idrive very usable if your anyway remotely tech inclined.

I use a Brodit Dash mount with a Nexus 7, does everything and far better than iDrive.



I can just say "Navigate to *place*" and it'll start up Navigation itself.

Also can control music and so on without touching anything.

Screen is also big enough to use if there issues pronouncing the place. Brodit mount is solid too .. doesn't vibrate or anything.

bazz26

Not all cars fitted with iDrive have Sat Nav.

I have both in mine and find it grand though I don't use the Sat Nav very often as Ireland is small and I'm familiar with most places I'm getting to.

Victor Meldrew

listermint wrote: »

ive only noticed this from people who were to cheap to buy the new maps or too lazy to update them themselves.

So i have to disagree.

How do you update the maps? (apparently we drove through a bog a few weeks back..)

bazz26

Depending on which type you have, the Business and Professional systems store the maps on a dvd. The higher end one stores them on an interal hard drive.

Victor Meldrew

bazz26 wrote: »

Depending on which type you have, the Business and Professional systems store the maps on a dvd. The higher end one stores them on an interal hard drive.

CD has been living in the dash player. It does not say DVD on the dash player. car is a 2010 E60 SE business edition.

Not sure there is any hard disc in the system. doubt it as it is nowhere as posh as the brothers 320D display, and it has the 80GB hard disc.

So would I just be updating maps on a disc or can I update the actual IDrive functionality (as per, say, an android phone)

bazz26

I have the Business Edition Sat Nav and the maps are stored on a DVD. I can also play music from a DVD. Mine is a 2008 3 Series, I'd assume the 5 Series Business Edition would use the same system. The Professional Edition Sat Nav has a wider screen and two dvd/cd loaders in the dash.

I bought updated maps from here in the past:
http://www.satnavupgrades.co.uk/id47.html

Gumbo

I have the pro system with wide screen and twin slots in mine.
Updated to 2012 maps recently and also got my I drive firmware reflashed.

I live the I drive nav system, you should see the nav in the old avensis, that was a pain to use!

Got my maps and firmware at www.germaniks.com

Koops80

keithclancy wrote: »

I use a Brodit Dash mount with a Nexus 7, does everything and far better than iDrive.



I can just say "Navigate to *place*" and it'll start up Navigation itself.

Also can control music and so on without touching anything.

Screen is also big enough to use if there issues pronouncing the place. Brodit mount is solid too .. doesn't vibrate or anything.

Your setup looks like a cluttered taxi very un OEM. I drive is a very tidy user friendly set up and safer as you are using a mouse which means you can complete most of the options without looking at the screen(as you get used to it) or changing your posture.

Negative comments usually come from those who have outdated maps / quote top gear(ie you can't get familiar with a system in 30mins, therefore it's a bit stupid to say a system is hard to use without actually spending a little time getting used to it, after all its worth learning as you will more than likely spend a lot of time in your car)

keithclancy

Koops80 wrote: »

Your setup looks like a cluttered taxi very un OEM. I drive is a very tidy user friendly set up and safer as you are using a mouse which means you can complete most of the options without looking at the screen(as you get used to it) or changing your posture.

Negative comments usually come from those who have outdated maps / quote top gear(ie you can't get familiar with a system in 30mins, therefore it's a bit stupid to say a system is hard to use without actually spending a little time getting used to it, after all its worth learning as you will more than likely spend a lot of time in your car)

Mmm ... Nah ... The maps are fine ... Its just a bit sad its using the same text entry system as a 10 year old iPod.

Incredibly slow.

Its the only bad thing about an otherwise great car IMO.

My own car, I wouldn't spend the money on a pretty OEM solution, wouldn't do the job for me anyway.

bmstuff

keithclancy wrote: »

Mmm ... Nah ... The maps are fine ... Its just a bit sad its using the same text entry system as a 10 year old iPod.

Incredibly slow.

Its the only bad thing about an otherwise great car IMO.

My own car, I wouldn't spend the money on a pretty OEM solution, wouldn't do the job for me anyway.

There is not much wrong with newer iDrive systems, the CIC. Fully loaded iDrive demo below.

The first generation of iDrive was quiet bad, the MMI in the E65/E66.

Then came the CCC Professional, with a recent enough patch, will run very smoothly, even though it is still DVD based. The CCC actually caches a good part of the map data, so it does not keep reading the DVD all the time.

If you find yours slow, I strongly suspect a software update will fix it.

And now the CIC. Many people did the retrofit in their E60/E90. Not cheap. But seriously addicting and entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP5KVNNC6TA