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How to retrofit Bluetooth and USB - Finished!

E8x 
158K views 56 replies 24 participants last post by  Avon 
#1 ·
Right, where to begin!

Firstly there is a how to thread already by Guy, Have a read . He paved the way with this retrofit, much respect mate.

Before I start with the thread, there are a few things to be aware of.

Firstly it is NOT possible to do this retrofit to a car that is fitted with a business head unit. If I need to tell you the differences between business and professional, you're probably better off paying someone else to do this install. To complete this install, you'll need a professional head unit, or sat nav installed.

Second, There were a limited run of Professional head units that have bluetooth and USB functionality built it. my advice on this is that if it doesn't have the bluetooth symbol on the sticker on top of it, it DOESN'T have bluetooth.

There were a few different professional head units. The first generation of Alpine made ones, which have 2 rubber knobs on them, these do NOT have built in bluetooth or USB.

The next version was the same essentially, with a few tweeks to the internals and the rubber knobs were replaced with better looking ones that had chrome rings on them. To look at, there are very few differences though. They are both called CD73 and when you look at the top, they have a big black heatsink at the 9 o'clock position.

Looks like this (image from google)



These CD73 units do NOT have bluetooth built in either! It's only the later built ones that have it, the design changed, the black heat sink is gone and the label on the top is different. If you're unsure as to which version you have, just remove the head unit and have a look at the top. The ones with bluetooth built in are few and far between, don't trust abn ebay seller that claims it's got it, unless you see the bluetooth sticker on the label, it doens't have it built in!

OK, so you've got this far. If your head unit doesn't have bluetooth and USB built in, here's where you go next. You can either replace it for one that down, they do pop up occasionally on ebay, or you can retrofit USB and then bluetooth with the addition of a box called a MULF. This is what I'll be doing in this guide.
 
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#28 ·
rob-the-viking said:
Before you code this, if you've fitted a professional head unit, you will need to code this to the car first, the head unit acts as the MOST gateway, so to talk to the MULF in the boot over the fiber optic leads, the professional head unit MUST be coded correctly.
I've changed radio business to professional. When I try to code all modules i get error "mulf2 not found". That is probably because I did not code new radio to the car. How do I do this? Just add to VO? What is the option code for the radio prof? Anything else i need to do to be able to talk to the Mulf?

Thanks

Michael
 
#29 ·
There was no $662 radio business in the VO list.I added $663 - radio prof. RAD2 appeared. Still couldnt prgram 2ULF. "SG nicht angeschlosses oder meldet sich nicht".

Programmed RAD2 manually - Bluettoth_Rad2 Aktiv, ULF_ECE Aktiv. Bluettoth works. I can make calls. I did not check usb yet.

Seems like I cannot get NCS to program MULF2 via MOST connection.

Any ideas?
 
#30 ·
I've read through this and the other Bluetooth/USB retrofit guides, and I'm not sure what head unit I have in my car still! The car is a 2010 e82 with professional navigation. The head unit looks like this



I don't have the USB under my armrest, and this is all I'd really want, is it as simple as getting the retrofit kit plugging into the (hopefully) optical connection on the back of the head unit and running to the arm rest with a new facia plate?

Thanks for any help guys!
 
#32 ·
Hi rob like the thread mate. I have auto changer in boot along with dab module. so I take it I have the fibre optics there pro hu and aux only in arm rest. So if I bought mulf unit and mic and usb what else would I require is the fibre optics like a ring main were I could join in to the dab unit or would there be a junction box some were.
 
#33 ·
Wibbles said:
You cannot programed MULF with a normal DCAN cable, you need an ICOM but there is a trick. I'll post later when I'm available.
Hi Wibbles, can you post how to do that?

Michal
 
#35 ·
Hi there.
HELP!

I have an E82 2011 with sat nav, iDrive and USB and bluetooth antenna and comms unit.

It never came with the car phone option.

I read that if I buy a mic and install a wire from MULF pin 1 to the mic pin 1 and Mulf pin 19 to mic pin 2 then after programkming I will have a working car phone. Is this correct?

Do I need to install anything to the back of the radio?

Are there any wiring diagrams to help?

Please help. It all seems so confusing depending on the options that people have.
 
#37 ·
I have read through this snd many other posts and concluded i need serious help, hopefully someone can point me in the right direction..

I have a Dec 2007 520d lci model

I upgraded my idrive from old champ/mask with no nav to cic pro with nav and usb ( simple cable with usb to white/cream port at back of head unit) i updated maps from usb port so all seems to be working ok

I have a dab radio i believe in the trunk left side with fibre optic cables among others that i assume connects to back of head unit for digital radio

I am confused when some say i maybe only need a mic and bluetooth arial. I dont have any ulf/mulf/mulf2 modules in the boot

I have prob emptied my pockets for what i think i needed and bought

mulf unit, arial and a full wiring harness to install in boot and run harness all way to head unit.

My head unit only has space for one set fibre optic plug. I expect i need to loose dab radio for this?

Have i done the right thing by buying the mulf unit with arial and harness or what Before i pull the car apart to run cables?

Theres more....

I have slso gone and purchased digital tv module which will come with all wiring harness as the seller said i will need

Help please
 
#38 ·
I have stripped out the boot and all i can find is the dab radio module which i aint bothered about having.

I am thinking that maybe both the new units i bought will have fibre optic wiring so i assume there is some kind of hub available to buy for connecting both or even all three at same time as ther is only one connection point at the back of my hu for fibre optic

I did think as i am getting the full harness for each unit it wouldnt be too difficult, starting to yhink this maybe beyond me to fit
 
#42 ·
i need some advice...

i have installed NBT to my car, and a oem mic, BUT when i make phone calls, the persen i am speaking to, is hearing him self, very loud... almost so the phones mic i activ to and send the sound from my speakers to him... its abut a few sec delay....

any idees? i cant relly use it:S

i have this:
but not the mic.. i am using bmw OEM... i just use 2 cabels, i think the bmw is using 3 one for shilde.. but can that make that big diffret?
 
#43 ·
I know this is quite an old thread but I'm hoping there may be someone who can help me.

I have just bought a 1 series and would like to get the hands free working. I have ordered the parts mentioned in the original post apart from the cable for the microphone. Please could somebody advise on the correct cable size for the microphone and also what style pins BMW use for the plugs. I would prefer to get the parts from RS rather than pay the BMW tax.
 
#44 ·
tom_allen said:
I know this is quite an old thread but I'm hoping there may be someone who can help me.

I have just bought a 1 series and would like to get the hands free working. I have ordered the parts mentioned in the original post apart from the cable for the microphone. Please could somebody advise on the correct cable size for the microphone and also what style pins BMW use for the plugs. I would prefer to get the parts from RS rather than pay the BMW tax.
What headunit/features do you have now ?.... on my latest 130i the previous owner retro fitted with a rare version of the BMW Professional headunit which has built in bluetooth for handsfree along with adding a BMW microphone as well as USB and DAB etc ,just needed coding but apart from that much simplier way of getting these features rather than fitting modules/wiring in the boot if you dont already have the parts.
 
#46 ·
Samy93 said:
I've read through this and the other Bluetooth/USB retrofit guides, and I'm not sure what head unit I have in my car still! The car is a 2010 e82 with professional navigation. The head unit looks like this



I don't have the USB under my armrest, and this is all I'd really want, is it as simple as getting the retrofit kit plugging into the (hopefully) optical connection on the back of the head unit and running to the arm rest with a new facia plate?

Thanks for any help guys!
Hi guys.. sorry to drag up this old thread .. I have a 2010 e90 lci with the following
TcU unit
Mulf2 unit
Telematics
Bluetooth
Sos button
I drive
Aux socket in arm rest
Snap in connector in arm rest
The thing I'm absolutely desperate for is usb in the arm rest. Surely it can't be much to install this with the mulf already in place.
Please could you advise exact advice on what I need to buy/do to.enable this

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
#47 ·
Hello, I hope to find an angel who can help me. I have an e91 12/2006 with CCC to which I added a microphone, ant. bluetooth, mulf2 High and wiring. I added $ 620, $ 644 and $ 6FL to the VO, fa-write on CAS and FRM, process and code car completed with NCS on K + Dcan cable. But on the CCC I can not find USB and Telephone, which I am missing? Please help me !!!
 
#49 ·
On my 123d could I have (I think) a more recent professional radio fitted by previous owner, that was in place of a business One. I have an aux/usb port by handbrake and the bluetooth 'mulf' in boot. But while the phone will hook up via bluetooth to radio it will only let me hear an incoming calling, they cannot hear me and I cannot play music through it...rather frustrating. I velive I have microphones installed by interior light. So is it just a case of have radio coded to the car, thats what I reckon having read thread? I bought some inpa edibias cd/dvds but am walking for the cable, is this easily sorted or a major headache? Thanks for any help you can give me
 
#50 ·
First thing i would check 100% that there is a microphone and it is wired up etc, im not sure if coding would be an issue if it receives call ok so i would check hardware and wiring first as thats obvious thing if they can not here you speak, i know on my car the mike was retro fitted (badly) and i rewired it which sorted out similar issues.
 
#51 ·
Thank you Thetyrant, I prised back the lighting cover after buying a mic off ebay only to find there was one in there - a check on original spec says the car had aux/usb but not bluetooth, yet it hears incoming calls. I think you could be right, theres the mulf in boot, mic in roof and yet it could boil down to wiring just not being in place! I think I need to get the rolf lining undone and a pillar trim off check it as you say.
 
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