List of me messing with my F06

[MoFoHo]

Originally Posted by suj999

From BMW connected drive store. My 640d is on ID5 so this maybe different of on earlier I drive model
https://www.bmw.co.uk/en/shop/ls/cp/connected-drive

Yep, you can check as often as you want and update untill the subscription runs out.

Very easy to update by USB, though the system can update over the air too if the licence is active but it doesn't do a full update over the air.

You use the BMW download manager to download the update. Then here is the instructions on what to do in the car.
https://youtu.be/9tjny0UaefY

Thanks, I may give it a go. My maps are from 2018, so could probably do with an update. Do you have the Connected Drive Booster Package? You get RTTI and online search, as well as news and weather...

[suj999]

Originally Posted by MoFoHo

Thanks, I may give it a go. My maps are from 2018, so could probably do with an update. Do you have the Connected Drive Booster Package? You get RTTI and online search, as well as news and weather...

No, I haven't got the booster pack as it's got limited use in our F06. May give it a go if it goes on sale.

[MoFoHo]

Originally Posted by suj999

No, I haven't got the booster pack as it's got limited use in our F06. May give it a go if it goes on sale.

I'd be lying if I said it was anywhere near as good as, say, Google Maps etc.
But it's worked for me on a few long journeys. The online search (buried in the points of interest menu) is genuinely useful though. I love it, it saves using my phone to find a postcode.

[suj999]

Thanks, helpful. I may give it a go.

Though.. I am sure, voice search already works for finding places when maps is open.

[suj999]

Next up it was the rear door speakers. Similar to the front...

Part numbers (same)
HiFi Mid:65139210451
Top HiFi Mid:65139364956

HiFi Tweeter:65139248716
Top HiFi Tweeter:65139226357

So the rear door on the HiFi spec doesn't come with tweeters.
Two top HiFi tweeters obtained,



Opening the door cards there are no screws but only clips in the back and the same stronger two metal clips in the middle.

I didn't think BMW would make different door cards for HiFi and Top HiFi variants, and I was right. Kind of..

The tweeter fitting space is there, with all the correct moulds and the cards are the same, but the space is is blanked out with a thin plastic card.

Here, I have compared the two in a picture..


Used a tool knife and pliers to cut it out. If done carefully, it was easy enough to do. The tweeters clip in to place easy enough, there is space for the attached capacitor too.

Then changed the mids

from this


To this,


Once done clip the door card back. (Do change any plastic clips that may have gotten damaged when removing, see above for clips)

All done and card clipped back. (Ignore the light reflections)


So after all was done, checked the set up over an extended period.

The sound quality had improved immensely to my ears and the Top HiFi speakers are also louder than the HiFi speakers.

One aspect I had encountered was the effect of the extra tweeter in the centre speaker.

I am aware that we humans can't really place low frequency (and mids up to a point) but higher frequency (esp frequencies above 2000 Hz)is what really enables us to locate where the sound is coming from. So having this extra tweeter in the centre made the stereo separation harder to hear and for the ears to locate the lefts and rights clearly.

So back to the centre and removed the Top HiFi tweeter and left the Top HiFi mids in.
It turns out, that this was a complaint in number of other BMWs inc H/K as mentioned lots in the 2series forum and many had disconnected the centre speakers.

[MoFoHo]

Originally Posted by suj999

Thanks, helpful. I may give it a go.

Though.. I am sure, voice search already works for finding places when maps is open.

Really? I did not know that...
I only use the voice control to call someone. I really need to read the manual some more!

[suj999]

Next it was Dashcam time and I hate nothing more than wires dangling everywhere, so it had to be hard wired.

Decided on a Viofo A119 Mini, btw by no means is this an advert or even a recommendation for this dash cam as the 1st one I think was faulty and got rubbish support from its UK distributor.
More on that later.

But whichever one you install, the wiring is likely to be the same.



This is a wedge type dash cam that is rather small unintrusive and kind of blends in to the background. I also thought its easier to keep the wires hidden due to the location of the power socket.

To get the power to it, I decided on a fuse splitter as a means to get power, handy as there is a fusebox behind the glove box.


I wanted switched power (ACC) that switches off the power to the camera when the ignition is off, so decided on Fuse 24. (maybe not the best fuse to mess with but it was easier to access and had a 10A fuse on it, so I could easily slit it and place a 5A fuse on my voltage converter). Fuse 24 is listed as 10A Steering column switches.


with the fuse splinter in place,


After this I attached a female cig lighter socket and attached the ground to a metal part next to the glove-box.
Used a trusted cig light USB adapter on it to get a USB power out with 5V 2.5A on it.


Then routed the wire (USB C) through behind the glovebox, onto the side panel on the passenger side (pops open easily with a trim tool). From there on to the A pillar (no need to remove as the cable can be easily tucked behind, and then on to the headliner, again very easy to tug the cable in.


All cables hidden and the USB plg just pops out to connect to the dash cam.


How it looks once all fitted.


Looks bigger than it is, in everyday use, you don't even notice its there. I have placed the camera on the perforated area by the middle with the lens just below, so from the outside it almost looks like a built in camera.

[suj999]

Now for the dashcam, its meant to have WiFi to view images, but after the 1st week this started playing up. (Dropping WiFi connection and WiFi refusing to turn back on)

Tried the latest firmware, new power, new memory card ect and still occasional issues. Contacted the seller through Amazon with a detailed fault and what I had done, and got something back about contacting the maker in china and logging a fault.. not at all helpful.

So ignored the seller and made an return through Amazon on the 1st unit and placed an order for another one.


The 2nd one seems to be all good, and working as required.

Hope it doesn't mess up though as I have not been impressed by the Amazon seller as per past experience.

Also ordered a polarising filter, as it gets rid of reflections and the images are far better. Don't know why this doesn't ship with the camera in the first place. It should!

[rorz12]

Originally Posted by suj999

Next up it was the rear door speakers. Similar to the front...

Part numbers (same)
HiFi Mid:65139210451
Top HiFi Mid:65139364956

HiFi Tweeter:65139248716
Top HiFi Tweeter:65139226357

So the rear door on the HiFi spec doesn't come with tweeters.
Two top HiFi tweeters obtained,
Attachment 3080512


Opening the door cards there are no screws but only clips in the back and the same stronger two metal clips in the middle.

I didn't think BMW would make different door cards for HiFi and Top HiFi variants, and I was right. Kind of..

The tweeter fitting space is there, with all the correct moulds and the cards are the same, but the space is is blanked out with a thin plastic card.

Here, I have compared the two in a picture..
Attachment 3080521

Used a tool knife and pliers to cut it out. If done carefully, it was easy enough to do. The tweeters clip in to place easy enough, there is space for the attached capacitor too.

Then changed the mids

from this
Attachment 3080531

To this,
Attachment 3080532

Once done clip the door card back. (Do change any plastic clips that may have gotten damaged when removing, see above for clips)

All done and card clipped back. (Ignore the light reflections)
Attachment 3080533

So after all was done, checked the set up over an extended period.

The sound quality had improved immensely to my ears and the Top HiFi speakers are also louder than the HiFi speakers.

One aspect I had encountered was the effect of the extra tweeter in the centre speaker.

I am aware that we humans can't really place low frequency (and mids up to a point) but higher frequency (esp frequencies above 2000 Hz)is what really enables us to locate where the sound is coming from. So having this extra tweeter in the centre made the stereo separation harder to hear and for the ears to locate the lefts and rights clearly.

So back to the centre and removed the Top HiFi tweeter and left the Top HiFi mids in.
It turns out, that this was a complaint in number of other BMWs inc H/K as mentioned lots in the 2series forum and many had disconnected the centre speakers.

Nice. I have the Top-HiFi system and when I bought my 650i I didn't realise until later that it only had 3 working speakers..

When I say speakers, I consider the woofer and tweeter as one. So my rear shelf speakers were working, but no sound from both rear doors, nor the front passenger door and neither the centre dash speaker. I mean I'm not sure how the hell the previous owner managed to pull that off.

Anyway, replaced them all with the Harmon Kardon variants (which are pretty much the same as Top-HiFi just unbranded), and what a freaking night and day difference. Actually, it sounded pretty good even with just the 3 speakers working so you can imagine when I had them all working again!

Are you going to upgrade your amp? I know the Top-HiFi amp is 600W (and its a beast), I'm guessing yours is somewhere around 300-400W?

Also, not sure how this would sound on yours, but I coded in the Bang & Olufson software into the head unit and along with some equilizer settings (that I got from another user who did a whole professional tuning for the 6 series acoustics) has completely changed the sound. In Studio mode, it's unbelievably clear and lifelike with tight thumping base. I could listen to music all day in my car.

[Luftpost]

Not a whole lot of Dash Cams installed on this side of the water, but I have had mine installed for a bit over a year now and it gives me a lot peace knowing its there if I needed. I did catch a meteorite the other morning on my way to work.

Same brand as yours, and mine has worked flawlessly. Hope it works well for you.

L

[suj999]

Originally Posted by rorz12

Nice. I have the Top-HiFi system and when I bought my 650i I didn't realise until later that it only had 3 working speakers..

When I say speakers, I consider the woofer and tweeter as one. So my rear shelf speakers were working, but no sound from both rear doors, nor the front passenger door and neither the centre dash speaker. I mean I'm not sure how the hell the previous owner managed to pull that off.

Anyway, replaced them all with the Harmon Kardon variants (which are pretty much the same as Top-HiFi just unbranded), and what a freaking night and day difference. Actually, it sounded pretty good even with just the 3 speakers working so you can imagine when I had them all working again!

Are you going to upgrade your amp? I know the Top-HiFi amp is 600W (and its a beast), I'm guessing yours is somewhere around 300-400W?

Also, not sure how this would sound on yours, but I coded in the Bang & Olufson software into the head unit and along with some equilizer settings (that I got from another user who did a whole professional tuning for the 6 series acoustics) has completely changed the sound. In Studio mode, it's unbelievably clear and lifelike with tight thumping base. I could listen to music all day in my car.

You are correct, the speaker upgrade to HK / Top HiFi made a very nice difference and I would say its a worth while upgrade for anyone with HiFi option.

Regarding if I'm going to upgrade the amp, it gets a bit more complicated and I probably won't do it. As the H/K amp uses an optical input it would require a rewiring from the head unit to the boot where the amp is.
Also, the H/K amp base output is set at 8 Ohm and the HiFi base speakers are 2 ohm modules, so ideally would need replacing too.

Hifi is around 300W, and I find it reasonable powered and don't really need the higher power. But I do like tinkering and if it wasn't for the unnecessary optical cable I would be tempted to change it over.

I do like the idea of coding in the head unit.

[suj999]

Originally Posted by Luftpost

Not a whole lot of Dash Cams installed on this side of the water, but I have had mine installed for a bit over a year now and it gives me a lot peace knowing its there if I needed. I did catch a meteorite the other morning on my way to work.

Same brand as yours, and mine has worked flawlessly. Hope it works well for you.

L

Hey, good to hear. I see you had gone for the barrel shape one.

I have had an old Viofo one back in the day. it lasted about 2 years and a bit.. lets see how long this lasts

[rasa bmw]

i have wired dashcam into armrest 12v socket,its all hidden,dont know who did it but it comes on when car is unlocked,even has motion sensor if i want to leave it on etc,and i think i will show off and say, ive also got bang and olufsen 16 speaker system,great,,its probably a bit more than i need as im from the age of listening to vinyl on a radiogram ha ha ,my f31 has harmen karden etc,sound's to basey,i have the settings on my b and o to the ones on this forum from a sound engineer who delved into it,write up in a topic on here,,

[FlyinLowSD]

Originally Posted by suj999

Next it was Dashcam time and I hate nothing more than wires dangling everywhere, so it had to be hard wired.

Hey that’s a clever set-up! Thanks for the write-up. can I ask you to post a close-up along the A pillar and the headliner, where are you tucked the wire?
I have been pining for a dashcam since I joined my local BMWCCA weekend tours… such a blast driving some beautiful curvy roads and scenic areas… would love to capture some of that.

[Luftpost]

To make my install a bit more tidy (and forgiving), I utilized "Sticker Shield" (link below). I have a UV protectant windshield film on the inside, covering the entire windshield. The camera is attached to the Sticker Shield, which is attached to the windshield film, which is attached to the windshield film.

Sticker Shield is held on by static, and allows me to remove the camera and even my state inspection sticker without destroying the windshield.

I highly recommend this product.

L

Sticker Shield

[suj999]

Originally Posted by Luftpost

To make my install a bit more tidy (and forgiving), I utilized "Sticker Shield" (link below). I have a UV protectant windshield film on the inside, covering the entire windshield. The camera is attached to the Sticker Shield, which is attached to the windshield film, which is attached to the windshield film.

Sticker Shield is held on by static, and allows me to remove the camera and even my state inspection sticker without destroying the windshield.

I highly recommend this product.

L

Sticker Shield

Interestingly enough, the Dashcam I bought came with this sticker thing already on the box as an option to use.

I didn't use it though. Preferred the dash cam being mounted very firmly and don't have any plans on getting rid of it.

[ex46fanatic]

been following, let me know if you decide to do a rear view camera retrofit. I got parts ready but no wiring loom. Only thing ive retrofitted is comfort seats on mine, its pretty well specced otherwise minus cameras, blinds, comfort close.

[suj999]

Haven't updated this thread for a while.

Got the dealers to carry out a bit of repairs while it was under AUC warranty. Wasn't easy to get them to do it had to complain and request again, which was a shame as the fault was clearly there.

Initially replaced Seat Frame due to lose base.
Then got them to replace driver side Window motor and lifter as it kept stopping half way.

Next want to get the auto box serviced.

[suj999]

So forgot to update on this,


While I was there also had some service items done.
Engine oil change & filter
Brake fluid
Pollen Filter

[suj999]

The car has reached 55,000 Miles!





So took it to this place,



Rather nice folk, seem to specialise in F series, ZF gearbox servicing and timing chains.

Got the old gearbox oil taken out,


Didn't look too bad, but worth getting it serviced before 60K


New Original ZF filter, housing and bolts at the ready!


New filter bolted on,


Over the next 3 hours, oil filled and checked at the correct temperature. A lot of waiting around for the temps to drop..

But finally All done.


While I was there, the fuel filter was replaced too.

[suj999]

If anyone is interested, here is the instructions for the ZF Gearbox oil service guidance.

The Filter is part of the housing hence its changed.

ZF recommends that you change this transmission oil once every 80,000 to 120,000km (in miles that's 50K to 75K).

Here is the instructions,
https://aftermarket.zf.com/en/afterm...assenger-cars/

The PDF for the full guide is attached.

22f16dae-c571-11ec-a2e7-00505690da53.pdf


Most car manufacturers inc BMW don't provide a schedule for oil changes in automatic gearbox in the standard service schedule. In this case its worth following ZF's advice.

[rorz12]

Originally Posted by suj999

Haven't updated this thread for a while.

Got the dealers to carry out a bit of repairs while it was under AUC warranty. Wasn't easy to get them to do it had to complain and request again, which was a shame as the fault was clearly there.

Initially replaced Seat Frame due to lose base.
Then got them to replace driver side Window motor and lifter as it kept stopping half way.

Next want to get the auto box serviced.

I have similar problems. My driver window doesn't 100% close into the top seal and causes so much wind noise when driving over 100 KMPH. I don't know if it the window guide or motor or both. I tried removing the trim panel and adjusting bolt but didn't help.

Also have the annoying loose seat bushing. Do you know what the part number is to fix it?