BimmerTech Blog is dedicated to BMW technology retrofits.
Tuesday, 19 March 2019 15:27
NBT Evo ID5/ID6 iDrive Upgrade for BMW F- & G-Series
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
NBT Evo ID5/ID6 is a BMW iDrive system version, sometimes referred to as iDrive 5.0/6.0. It was first announced at the end of 2015, and some 2016 models came to the market already equipped with it. NBT Evo ID5/ID6 was developed as a successor to NBT and NBT Evo ID4, and has a completely different hardware as well as a new user interface. If your BMW originally wasn’t equipped with it, it doesn’t mean you can’t have it :) BimmerTech’s NBT Evo ID5/ID6 retrofit is available for BMW 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, 6-, 7- and X-Series of Fx and Gx…
Monday, 04 March 2019 10:41
How To Bring the Convenience of Comfort Access to Your BMW's Trunk
Written by Paul Smith
Comfort Access is one of those features that really seems to polarize opinions. On the one hand, you've got the people who have used it, and now claim that they'd never buy a car without it, they can't even figure out how to use their partner's car, their eyes are finally open etc. etc. On the other hand, you've got the people who've never had a BMW with Comfort Access, and vehemently deny that keyless entry to your car could ever be worth paying extra for. But what would they know, eh? What is BMW Comfort Access? BMW's Comfort Access…
Did you know that the first vehicle with Bluetooth was released in 2000? (No, it wasn’t BMW, just a Chrysler). And 18 years later this technology is still one of the most important means of bringing your phone’s features into your favorite car. In BMWs there are two types of features you can get depending on the package or on the vehicle configurations you choose: 1) Basic Bluetooth & 2) Enhanced Bluetooth (EBT). Please keep in mind that the EBT features strongly depend on your model, your phone and even the network operator. Some cars equipped with Basic Bluetooth may…
Tuesday, 15 January 2019 15:40
BMW Original Apple CarPlay vs BimmerTech CarPlay MMI
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
Integrating an iPhone with your BMW is one of the best things that could happen to the owner of 2 of the most popular brands out there, and it’s all possible thanks to a BMW Apple CarPlay upgrade. Stats say that Apple CarPlay, together with Android Auto, “were available in 46% of new vehicles sold in Europe in Q1 2018 and 52% of new vehicles sold in the US.” And it’s great news, but what about BMWs with older iDrive systems that are not compatible with BMW CarPlay activation? For those who are not aware of this fact and have…
Friday, 21 December 2018 13:46
Do I Have CIC, NBT or NBT Evo? Navigation System Professional
Written by Anastasiia Husieva
BMW is constantly working on iDrive interface changes, as well as introducing newer, more advanced hardware and faster processors to support new features. The iDrive system (or the head unit, which is its main element) in each BMW defines not only the availability or absence of these very features, but also its price. And sometimes the financial difference is so drastic that you make an immediate decision – a 200 GB hard drive or full screen zoom for video playback may not be an absolute necessity for you. However, there are some key distinctions between the iDrive versions that will…
Wednesday, 21 November 2018 12:51
Your BMW, but more Googley: Google Assistant, Android Auto and more
Written by Paul Smith
How easy is it to get your BMW playing nicely with your Android phone? Well, it's an Apple world — if you drive a BMW, at least. From Siri and CarPlay integration with the iDrive to BMW ConnectedDrive features unique to iOS, the Bavarians have gone out of their way to make iPhone-users feel at home in their cars. But what if you're on Team Google? The kind of person with the latest Android phone and a smart home controlled by a small army of Google Home speakers, and you're only looking to bring all that Googley goodness into your…
Wednesday, 10 October 2018 14:39
How To Solve Automatic Tailgate Problems in Your BMW
Written by Paul Smith
Having automatic tailgate to your BMW adds some real convenience. But, depending on your usage, it might cause a few headaches, too. We take a look at a few issues you might be having with the motorized trunk in your BMW, and show you how to solve them. Opening your BMW's trunk unlocks all your doors So you're at home, and you just need to grab something from your car quickly. So you pop out to your driveway, open the trunk... and all the doors unlock. Well, that's a bit of a pain! Or maybe you're heading out somewhere with…
Thursday, 13 September 2018 15:15
4 Satellite Radio Stations Worth Activating SiriusXM In Your BMW For
Written by Paul Smith
So you've got SiriusXM in your BMW. Or maybe you haven't yet, but that's an easy fix. In many of the latest BMWs, activating SiriusXM Satellite Radio is now as simple as plugging in a USB stick thanks to our innovative coding method. Compared to adding satellite radio to a BMW at the dealership or through a remote coding session, our USB installation takes only a few moments, so you'll have your SiriusXM subscription active in your BMW in no time. So now what? You need some tunes! Or talk, or sports, or whatever else takes your fancy; with 150…
Friday, 24 August 2018 12:58
Bluetooth vs AUX vs USB: What's the Best Way To Stream Audio to your BMW?
Written by Paul Smith
You're a reasonable, 21st century person. Chances are that means you access most of your music collection through your smartphone, either to play the mp3s you've downloaded or to stream straight from Spotify, Apple Music or one of those other ones nobody really uses. But how do you go about bringing all that mobile musical joy into the most joyously mobile thing you have, your BMW? The short answer is to connect your smartphone to your BMW, and play your music through the car's stereo speakers. With so many wired and wireless connection options to choose from, though, each with…
Wednesday, 17 April 2019 00:00
How to Retrofit CarPlay into a 2016 or Older BMW
Written by Bart Donda
If available in your BMW, Apple CarPlay lets you connect your iPhone to your BMW and use iOS apps on the built-in dashboard display. You can listen to music, make calls, get directions, send texts and more — all while staying focused on the road. With the help of Siri, you can do all these things without taking your hands off the wheel. It’s a very useful feature that enhances your driving experience. When did BMW introduce CarPlay? For BMWs, CarPlay is quite a recent thing. It’s only available for 2017 and newer models, leaving many BMW owners without the…
