Bluetooth phone retrofit & music together

PELeardo · 04-17-2013, 04:39 PM

Hi,

So I've been researching the BMW bluetooth retrofit kits out there for my '03 E39 with factory Nav. BMW does make the ULF module to integrate an iPhone or other smart phone's bluetooth to be used through the car like any bluetooth system you would find today. They even make various adapters that allow you in dock the phone in a cradle in the center arm rest like the original BMW phone system did so the phone can use the enhanced signal reception from the car's atenna. All this is great, but I can't find any info on if this system is also compatible with any connection cables that would otherwise allow you to connect your phone to the radio and play music from my iPhone through the car.

It seems that there is one attachment that allows for music to be played (either by installing a dock in the car and connecting it to the changer port in the trunk, or using an AUX port somewhere in the dash) and there is this separate retrofit kit that allows for bluetooth, but if you want to charge the phone in the arm rest cradle there's no way to play music through the car via that cradle as well.

Does anyone out there no what I'm talking about, or have any experience with this?? I can't be the only person who's through about this!!

Thanks guys

530dE39 · 04-22-2013, 09:07 PM

I was going through exactly the same. I have an iPhone 4S. What I did is this. The snap-in adapters for the E39 are almost next to nothing. Some motorola phone, a nokia, and siemens and that's it. All very old phones.
The new snap-in adapter, however, doesn't fit in the armrest as per default. BMW tells you it isn't compatible and only for E60 and up. Since I saw an E60 with exactly the same ULF module and cables running I tried the following. I took my dremel and simply cut off on a work-bench a few milimeters from both sides (the length). The snap in now perfectly goes into the armrest, clicks in, fits perfect. Phone charges. Phone of course connects without issues on the bluetooth ULF. However, no music. To use this, you'll or need to get very creative with the aux and pull some cables through the mid-console maybe or get something like a DICE. The ULF is mono anyway b.t.w.!! Stereo sound via A2DP (what you'd like!) won't work. So a DICE is definitly advisable. You can still use your armrest snap-in to charge the phone then, but just hook it to the dice over bluetooth instead.

What I'm really surprised of and didn't figure out why exaclty yet, is that when I hook a motorola android phone (like a RAZR or an ATRIX) to the ULF, that it reads the sms-s from the phone and they are accessable through the menu on the car. With iPhone this isn't the case. Anybody any idea what/why this is?

04-17-2013, 04:39 PM	#1
PELeardo New Member 0 Rep 5 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Bluetooth phone retrofit & music together Hi, So I've been researching the BMW bluetooth retrofit kits out there for my '03 E39 with factory Nav. BMW does make the ULF module to integrate an iPhone or other smart phone's bluetooth to be used through the car like any bluetooth system you would find today. They even make various adapters that allow you in dock the phone in a cradle in the center arm rest like the original BMW phone system did so the phone can use the enhanced signal reception from the car's atenna. All this is great, but I can't find any info on if this system is also compatible with any connection cables that would otherwise allow you to connect your phone to the radio and play music from my iPhone through the car. It seems that there is one attachment that allows for music to be played (either by installing a dock in the car and connecting it to the changer port in the trunk, or using an AUX port somewhere in the dash) and there is this separate retrofit kit that allows for bluetooth, but if you want to charge the phone in the arm rest cradle there's no way to play music through the car via that cradle as well. Does anyone out there no what I'm talking about, or have any experience with this?? I can't be the only person who's through about this!! Thanks guys
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04-22-2013, 09:07 PM	#2
530dE39 New Member 11 Rep 28 Posts Drives: 530d E39 12-2002 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Warsaw, PL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2017 BMW x5 [0.00]	I was going through exactly the same. I have an iPhone 4S. What I did is this. The snap-in adapters for the E39 are almost next to nothing. Some motorola phone, a nokia, and siemens and that's it. All very old phones. The new snap-in adapter, however, doesn't fit in the armrest as per default. BMW tells you it isn't compatible and only for E60 and up. Since I saw an E60 with exactly the same ULF module and cables running I tried the following. I took my dremel and simply cut off on a work-bench a few milimeters from both sides (the length). The snap in now perfectly goes into the armrest, clicks in, fits perfect. Phone charges. Phone of course connects without issues on the bluetooth ULF. However, no music. To use this, you'll or need to get very creative with the aux and pull some cables through the mid-console maybe or get something like a DICE. The ULF is mono anyway b.t.w.!! Stereo sound via A2DP (what you'd like!) won't work. So a DICE is definitly advisable. You can still use your armrest snap-in to charge the phone then, but just hook it to the dice over bluetooth instead. What I'm really surprised of and didn't figure out why exaclty yet, is that when I hook a motorola android phone (like a RAZR or an ATRIX) to the ULF, that it reads the sms-s from the phone and they are accessable through the menu on the car. With iPhone this isn't the case. Anybody any idea what/why this is?
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