E83/X3 Bluetooth retrofit.

[enamoured]

Hi, Mine is 2005 3.0 X3 with sports package. As far as I can tell it does not have BMW assist. I am just wondering if there is something in the car that can tell me whether or not the car is pre-wired for bluetooth or not. I see two loose cables in roof-liner box but nothing inside rear panels in trunk. Lots of forums on net say that all 2005 X3 'US' spec were pre-wired but not sure if Canada spec are pre-wired or not. I will really appreciate if anyone can share something on it. Thanks in advance.

[scat19]

They would be prewired. Did you see all the links I gave you in the other thread? That was everything you need bud!

[enamoured]

Originally posted by scat19
They would be prewired. Did you see all the links I gave you in the other thread? That was everything you need bud!

Other thread...? I am sorry but there must be some mistake as this was my first post in this forum. I will do another search for bluetooth in this forum but if you could give me a link for that thread, it would be really great. Thanks.

[scat19]

Yeah here it is bud:
http://forums.beyond.ca/st/248382/bmw-bluetooth/
Sorry, strangely similar question and I thought it was the same person.

[enamoured]

Thanks for the link. Similar questions but for different cars, mine is X3. X3s are kinda last among equals when it comes to being a bimmer, they are not even made in Germany and are always a step behind when it comes to technology used by BMW. I know for sure that 2004 X3s did not come with BT, and 2005 ones with premium package or BMW assist had it there, whether it was activated or not is a different matter, AND all US spec cars were prewired for it regardless of what package you bought. My doubt is whether the Canada spec cars are prewired or not, I do not have premium or assist (no roofliner switch anyway) but do I have the wiring in place? To confuse me more is the presence of two spare cables in roofliner but no cable in the rear panel. :confused:

[scat19]

As I understand it, every BMW is pre-wired for pretty much anything. If not, retro-fit packages are available.

In my car I retrofitted foglights (using OEM switches etc), alarm, xenon lights, etc.

I'm pretty sure it will be a North American spec vs euro, so U.S is the same as Canada.

If you look at any Canadian bound car, it says "Canadian package" on the spec sheet - Which means they activate daytime running lights, and some other things (not sure),


Check out X3world.com

http://www.x3world.com/articles/x3/electronics-x3/9581-bmw-bluetooth-retrofit-into-bmw-x3.html

BMW retrofit kit

http://accessories.bmwusa.com/ItemView.aspx?modelId=155&categoryId=112&productCategoryId=&menuId=2&subItemId=2&productId=253

Bimmerfest is a great site, I found this:


http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3560310

Looks like the oem is inferior for phone support, this guy says:


Hello, I recently installed a BMW Bluetooth kit from EAS in my car. It cost me ~$800. I do have NAV. My car is a March 2005 build X3. The dealer system is the firts generation box. DO NOT GGET THIS BOX! IT does not link to many newer phones. BimmerNav and EAS have the latest (13th rev) boxes from Europe.

I looked at the Parrot system, which is probably a reasonable alternative. It requires several patches to be added to turn the volume down when calls come in, and to link into the steering wheel controls. By the time you add installation, my estimate was that it would cost > $500 for this, and I would still have an external item hanging off of my dash, plus the risk of some non-factory guy hacking my car. Never mind the risk to my CPO warranty. I decided that the extra $300 was a bargain, plus my solution is truly integrated, and totally BMW legit. It works great, and I really like the no hassle system. I just get in th ecar, and if my phone rings, the sound goes down, the screen tells me who is calling, and I press a button and answer the call. Call quality is great. I was able to install the entire thing myself, and the only tricky part was finding the microphone connector in the headliner. I learned about this issue on X3world.com. I can walk you through it no problems. I also had to go to Home Depot to get three m5x16 screws to bolt down the Bluetooth box, since EAS did not supply them.

The Parrot can cost considerable less if you don't want to link it into the sound and the steering wheel. Figure $250 installed. Another option, and the one I would probably have gone to if I did not have the NAV, is to upgrade the stereo to a Pioneer or Kenwood aftermarket head unit with flip out screen. These are slightly less than the Bluetooth box, provide NAV, have Bluetooth and Ipod control, and make your sound system much better. They can be linked to your steering wheel controls for a little bit more. When you are all done, depending on whether or not you get the big screen, or just a more traditional DIN head unit, the price can vary from < $400 with Bluetooth to > $1000 for the top of the line Alpine with all the goodies. Some don't like the appearance of this solution, and I understand their view. I wanted a factory look this time as well. In retrospect, the BMW stereo . NAV system is mediocre, and I wish I could choose again. I would have gone for the aftermarket upgrade if I had a chance to do it again.

Another option is to buy one of those NAV display units that clamps onto your dashboard. These can be founbd with Bluetooth, and often cost < $400. They can broadcast into yor FM radio, but you have to be set to the correct station to get this to work. More mad button pushing when a call comes in. Another alternative is a visor based clip on unit. Sony and others make these, and they typically cost less than $200. Some even have caller ID. They do not quiet your stereo automatically. I found the mad scramble to turn knobs and switch things around is a big part of the danger of driving while talking. Statistics show that the danger is 4X higher during the act of linking up the call than during the call. Totally integrated solutions are probably the safest. Only you can decide what you are willing to pay for.

Hope this helps. BMW USA doesn't know squat. BimmerNav and EAS are full of info on the real BMW solution.

[enamoured]

Yeah I have been scouring those sites too. Bimmerfest definitely has very informed people there. Thanks aggain scat19.

[scat19]

If you need any help retro-fitting, let me know.

Good luck on your search. Too bad I didn't know more from memory, I focus on the 3'er :)

[enamoured]

Thanks Scat, I will definitely appreciate a helping hand. Let me finish my research with pre-reqs. Thanks again.