iphone 4 music to idrive?

[Bebs]

Hi all, I've been looking at these snap in iphone cradles with usb that you can buy from your dealership.
I run a 2004 E60 545 and I'd like to hook up my iphone and play music over the idrive system (the cradle is currently for an old sony ericsson)

Any thoughts on how to do this?

Thanks

[Animal]

I've got the same car and was told by Specialist Cars Tring that the in-car software is too old; the only cradle available for an iPhone is the basic version which acts as a charger only.

[Bebs]

Is it possible to hook up an ipod via a cable in that case or am I stuck with CDs and radio forever?

[mrmr96]

I think there's a few options.

Cheapest is an FM modulator, which take the headphone out from the iPod and transmits it as a micro radio station that the car picks up. Quality isn't great and you have to use the iPod controls.

Better would be an AUX in cable. Still uses the headphone out. Quality is better but you still use the iPod controls.

Best but expensive would be a Denison Gateway 500, or an mObridge. These are interface boxes which live between the head unit and the CD changer. They basically trick the headunit into thinking that there's a CD with LOADS of songs on it. Pricey at circa £500, but allow you to use the in-built iDrive screen and controller.

I looked at all these options and ended up using an AUX in. You can get cables from ebay etc which are a Y shape, where the bottom leg goes to the 30pin adapter on the bottom of the iphone/ipod and then the left fork goes to a USB plug for power (use a USB/ciggie lighter adapter to get power) and the right fork goes to a 3.5mm jack which goes into the AUX in. The USB powers the ipod, and the AUX has the sound. Quality is good enough for me, given the cost. You do have to use the ipod controls to scroll through music, but in a lot of ways it's better than the Denison and mObridge because you have the full ipod menu - i.e. colour/coverflow etc whereas using Denison/mObridge you only get like 10 lines of display on the screen. Combo this with a Brodit dash mount and it's not a bad solution. It is a little more fiddly to use than the iDrive controller jog wheel, but for the difference in price I think it's worth it.

Denison/mObridge/BMW iPod kit ~ £500
Ebay Y lead ~£3. Brodit cradle with pass through ~£50


Links:
Y Lead:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-dock-car-Audio-AUX-3...

Brodit Pro Clip:
http://www.dsldevelopments.com/

Denison:
http://www.dension.com/product/iPod-iPhone-car-ada...

mObridge:
http://www.mobridge-ipod.co.uk/

[Bebs]

Thank you so much for the detailed reply.. very good of you

I think AUX cable as suggested is the way to go.

Forgive me for asking but where is the AUX IN situated on the car?

[Zod]

Aux in will be in the glovebox if it's fitted, which is not a given in a 2004 car. It's a pain though, because you need to have the phone ina cradle to control what's playing. Get the Dension. It integrates with the iDrive.

[eastsider]

With iDrive, Denison might be the way to go. I looked at one for my previous E46 as a swap for the CD changer, but was warned off due to the very slow speed of scrolling through hundreds/thousands of albums on an iPod (at the speed of a CD changer changing disc ie not quick!). I went for a 'hard wired' FM modulator via the glovebox, about £100 fitted, worked a treat.

In my LCI E60, I have the cradle in the armrest box, but under that there is a 1/8" jack and USB - buy the special lead from BMW (or on eBay for £25 ish) plug in and away you go, full iDrive integration. Even with iDrive scrolling down hundreds of lines is a bit annoying but it works well.

[Zod]

eastsider said:

With iDrive, Denison might be the way to go. I looked at one for my previous E46 as a swap for the CD changer, but was warned off due to the very slow speed of scrolling through hundreds/thousands of albums on an iPod (at the speed of a CD changer changing disc ie not quick!). I went for a 'hard wired' FM modulator via the glovebox, about £100 fitted, worked a treat.

In my LCI E60, I have the cradle in the armrest box, but under that there is a 1/8" jack and USB - buy the special lead from BMW (or on eBay for £25 ish) plug in and away you go, full iDrive integration. Even with iDrive scrolling down hundreds of lines is a bit annoying but it works well.

No usb in cars of that vintage.

[mrmr96]

Zod said:

Aux in will be in the glovebox if it's fitted, which is not a given in a 2004 car. It's a pain though, because you need to have the phone ina cradle to control what's playing. Get the Dension. It integrates with the iDrive.

Indeed. If there's no AUX fitted as standard then you can use a hard wired FM modulator to get the same result.

This is basically a box which sits "in line" between the radio aerial (on the roof) and the aerial input on the back of the radio, it takes power from the car and has an "aux in" type input for your signal. These boxes are better than the ones which just "broadcast" because they actually cut out the signal from the normal aerial, so there's less chance of interference and also no problems with reception etc. The stock headunit needs to be tuned into the correct FM frequency and then whatever's playing from your iPod via the aux connection comes out the head unit.

Because it uses the FM modulator rather than a direct AUX input the quality won't be quite as good, but the connections for your ipod will be the same. So you'd need the FM modulator, the Y Lead and the Brodit Pro clip. Depending on the FM modulator you get they will be £20-£50 probably.

[6BMW]

My Aux on my 535d was between the rear airconditioner vents behind the drivers armrest thingy..

[Bebs]

I had a look in the glovebox and cannot see any AUX. Will take a look between rear aircon vents.

Looks like FM box is the only way then.. any suggestions on which to get?

Thanks fellas

[mrmr96]

Bebs said:

I had a look in the glovebox and cannot see any AUX. Will take a look between rear aircon vents.

Looks like FM box is the only way then.. any suggestions on which to get?

Thanks fellas

This shows you the basic idea:
http://forums.focaljet.com/ice-car-entertainment/5...

Here's some more thoughts on FM transmitters:
http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk/blog/category/ip...

Denison do an FM modulator kit which comes with the ipod interface cable, which is a slightly neater solution than using the Y lead because that would have plugged into a USB adapter in your ciggie lighter. Not cheap but comes with cradle etc.
http://www.ipodcarkitdirect.co.uk/Dension_ice%3ELi...
You might decide that the brodit cradles are better though, as this Denison one clips to the air vents, whereas brodit ones clip to the dash and are more solid. What you could probably do would be to get this Denison kit and then get a Pro Clip dash mount (just the cheap £15 clip bit, rather than the cradle) and then just mount the Denison cradle to the Brodit clip.

[Bebs]

mrmr96: really appreciate your input and efforts

Will order one of these hard wired FM modulators I think and get it installed.

to all of you chaps - thank you so much for your suggestions.

[mrmr96]

No problem. I went through all this with my BMW recently!