[robwoods]

Apologies if this has come up before, but can I use my normal Apple iPod cable to connect iPhone 3Gs to the USB port in the armrest, or do I need BMW's special cable?

It says I can use the Apple cable in the brochure but it doesn't seem to work. It just says 'Not connected' on the screen.

2nd Gen X3 with Bluetooth and USB Audio delivered 2 days ago.

Any thoughts?

[gareth12468]

Originally Posted by robwoods

Apologies if this has come up before, but can I use my normal Apple iPod cable to connect iPhone 3Gs to the USB port in the armrest, or do I need BMW's special cable?

It says I can use the Apple cable in the brochure but it doesn't seem to work. It just says 'Not connected' on the screen.

2nd Gen X3 with Bluetooth and USB Audio delivered 2 days ago.

Any thoughts?

I don't have navigation and I need to use the Y cable provided by BMW to connect my wife's iPhone 3Gs.....

[sfax]

Originally Posted by robwoods

Apologies if this has come up before, but can I use my normal Apple iPod cable to connect iPhone 3Gs to the USB port in the armrest, or do I need BMW's special cable?

It says I can use the Apple cable in the brochure but it doesn't seem to work. It just says 'Not connected' on the screen.

2nd Gen X3 with Bluetooth and USB Audio delivered 2 days ago.

Any thoughts?

I think on depends on whether you have nav. With pro nav, definitely yes, all you need is the white Apple USB cable (I used to have a 3G and that worked). Without nav, I'm not sure, you may need a Y-cable that connects to USB and aux sockets in the arm rest. Hopefully someone without nav can put me straight if I'm wrong

[Alanintx]

There is a thread on this somewhere in this forum that goes into this issue in great detail.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by Alanintx

There is a thread on this somewhere in this forum that goes into this issue in great detail.

Yup, here

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507610

but it's for US specs and refers to the technology pack so I wasn't sure on UK equivalent

[doukeyi]

Originally Posted by sfax

Yup, here

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=507610

but it's for US specs and refers to the technology pack so I wasn't sure on UK equivalent

Great thread. Is there any way I could bookmark this thread in this forum? I would like to keep it handy when I need to take a look

[sfax]

Originally Posted by doukeyi

Great thread. Is there any way I could bookmark this thread in this forum? I would like to keep it handy when I need to take a look

No, but you can just add it as a normal bookmark/favourite in your browser because all thread pages have a unique URL. Create an XBimmers folder and you're away

I found it by searching for "USB white" but I knew it was there

[bluesmachine]

I have an X3 35 with nav in the US and a 3Gs and the white cable produces the same error message that my ipod can't be read. not the biggest deal with bluetooth but still curious why it wont work.

my 6NR cradle comes in in a few days so i'll see how that is.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by bluesmachine

I have an X3 35 with nav in the US and a 3Gs and the white cable produces the same error message that my ipod can't be read. not the biggest deal with bluetooth but still curious why it wont work.

my 6NR cradle comes in in a few days so i'll see how that is.

Do you have the tech package? If yes, have you tried a USB flash drive (should also let you play music)? Could be a fault.

[robwoods]

I only have the cheapest UK Bluetooth option, but it comes with USB Audio connectivity which is advertised as giving the full iPhone integration (albeit with the small non-nav screen). Supposed to get track names, artwork etc etc.

The 'Y' cable is just accessing the music via a 3.5mm audio plug, which is fine except it gives none of the on screen track info etc.

The UK X3 brochure says "When you use the optional USB audio interface together with an original Apple iPod USB cable you can have the original album cover for each track blah blah........ USB Audio interface is standard with all Bluetooth options."

So I beleive it should work, but just doesn't. The dealership are going to try it with the 'special' BMW USB cable, but I fail to see why I should have to buy that when the brochure is so explicit.

Anyone else in UK have the entry level bluetooth, non-nav and made this work?

[sfax]

The Y cable is USB and aux. See link I posted above. It has a picture of one

The brochure re. USB is wrong. It's actually talking about 6NF Telephone USB Audio Interface which isn't standard, it's a cost option, and it's related to snap-in adapters being able to play music on mobile phones

[tank531]

sfax - if ever you are out of work you have a 2nd career lined up already. Perhaps a once and for all 'BMW technology white paper' in .pdf posted here, for free download, with images should sort it once and for all? Could I propose you change your status from L Col. to CTO?

[sfax]

Originally Posted by tank531

sfax - if ever you are out of work you have a 2nd career lined up already. Perhaps a once and for all 'BMW technology white paper' in .pdf posted here, for free download, with images should sort it once and for all? Could I propose you change your status from L Col. to CTO?

Haha, it's born of frustration that BMW are so bad at explaining their tech options all the way through the organisation from HQ in Germany to each country's useless customer service departments to dealerships who seem to just make things up rather than be honest and say they don't know. <Deep breath>

[pwdrskr]

I have a Y-cable I'm not using. $20 US + shipping if you want it.

[robwoods]

Thanks for the offer pdwrskr, but I'm going into the dealership today in Nottingham for them to explain it to me. I'll be taking my brochure as evidence!

Completely agree with sfax, they have absolutely no idea what the tech in their car does (apart from the original design team I hope!). The sales people are still stuck with engines and trim choices as the main options, whereas these days iPhone connectivity and quality of loudspeakers is nearly just as important to most.

[Redbhuna]

I've got basic bluetooth and no Nav. Can't use the white iPhone/iPod cable so I tried the Y cable my wife has for her mini (3rd party one from Singapore via eBay, works a treat for £10 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=290456988853)

It lets me pick my iPhone in the CD/Multimedia list and I can choose albums/artists/playlists etc. via iDrive and the screen display the track info but no Album art. Sorry for the quality of the pick but the short cable meant I couldn't get a good shot with the phone (iPhone 4).

[robwoods]

Thanks Red. The dealership have lent me a Y Cable which works a treat with my non-nav basic-bluetooth X3. I tried a SendStation Pocketdock which I already own, which is a little block that plugs into the iPhone's dock connector and provides mini-USB and 3.5mm audio, but this didn't work. So I'm not sure what is special about these Y connectors but you seem to need one.

I need to mount my iPhone on the dashboard so I can use TomTom so the next challenge is to get extender cables and see if it still works then.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by robwoods

I tried a SendStation Pocketdock which I already own, which is a little block that plugs into the iPhone's dock connector and provides mini-USB and 3.5mm audio, but this didn't work. So I'm not sure what is special about these Y connectors but you seem to need one.

The Y connector does the decoding of the mp3 data to audio (and outputs to the AUX socket) as well as charging the iPod/iPhone, and it also manages the interface so that you can control track selection and see track information displayed on iDrive. Unless you use something else that does all of this, it won't work.

Cars with nav have the decoding and interface built into the iDrive and so don't need the Y cable to do these things, just a USB connection

[robwoods]

Thanks sfax, indeed I received this from Sytner in Nottingham today

'With option 6NH, Bluetooth hands-free facility with USB audio interface the customer will not have ComBox and will need to use the Y-cable. As you know with the Y-cable it is not possible to view album art display or contact cards.'

Combox is the thing that decodes within iDrive, that I do not have. I wish they would say some of this in the brochure so that we can make more informed buying decisions!

[sfax]

Originally Posted by robwoods

I wish they would say some of this in the brochure so that we can make more informed buying decisions!

Completely agree. The information in the brochure is confusing in places and too vague in others. It also contains quite a few mistakes for good measure. Fortunately, forums like this one can usually give more info but I'm sure lots of people never visit a forum and are left very frustrated by the lack of information.