New BMW Bluetooth

[Jakebisen]

I just bought a new 3 series with the bluetooth built in but I was told that you can't use a blackberry phone with bluetooth with the car does anyone know of anyway to get around this? My service provider is verizon and I have the 7250 phone

[finch]

Probably not as BT enabled Blackberry's are limited to BT headset comminication for security reasons. Same issue with the BT in the new Acura and Audi series of vehicles

[bostonnerd]

Probably not as BT enabled Blackberry's are limited to BT headset comminication for security reasons. Same issue with the BT in the new Acura and Audi series of vehicles

My 7290 works fine in my wifes's Acura TL. In one respect the Acura HF display is better then the phone's. Cingular masks off the roaming indicator on the BB display, but the display in the Acura shows roaming. Since it's Cingular, the only "roaming" I do is handoffs to AT&T tower sites but it's nice to see it.

[finch]

Great news about the Acura bostonnerd, My bud is having a heck of a time with the BT and his Audi A6, phones no prob. Blackberry still a no go...

[bostonnerd]

Great news about the Acura bostonnerd, My bud is having a heck of a time with the BT and his Audi A6, phones no prob. Blackberry still a no go...

Hmmm....I heard some of my coworkers whining about their Audis and the 7290 BT. I'll check it out on Monday and see if anyone has it working.

[barjohn]

The BB 7250 support both the headset and the handsfree profiles so it should pair up with the BMW's Bluetooth. What you won't be able to do is transfer phone numbers to the unit's memory. One of these days RIM will figure out that it must provide this ability to at least upload phonebook to a handsfree device. My Lexus has the same compatibility issue. The other problem is that the Bluetooth sound quality is less than great with BBs in general compared to other handsets. The 7100 is a perfect example with 3.8 sounding much better than 4.0. To load my phone numbers I had to go buy an inexpensive handset with Bluetooth and load my address book into it and then upload it to the Lexus. Then I can pair my BB and use it. Quite a pain in the A$$!

[sparky12]

The BB 7250 support both the headset and the handsfree profiles so it should pair up with the BMW's Bluetooth. What you won't be able to do is transfer phone numbers to the unit's memory. One of these days RIM will figure out that it must provide this ability to at least upload phonebook to a handsfree device. My Lexus has the same compatibility issue. The other problem is that the Bluetooth sound quality is less than great with BBs in general compared to other handsets. The 7100 is a perfect example with 3.8 sounding much better than 4.0. To load my phone numbers I had to go buy an inexpensive handset with Bluetooth and load my address book into it and then upload it to the Lexus. Then I can pair my BB and use it. Quite a pain in the A$$!

I'm guessing the cheap phone you bought had the OBEX BT profile? Which phone did you use?

[Xipper]

I test drove a new 330i 2 weeks ago, and my 7100t linked right up without any hassle. I was able to place and recieve calls via the handsfree system. I wasn't able to get the phone book to pull up or most recent dialed calls, but I didn't have much time either.

[nextelmcgee]

I have an 06 infinity m45 and the bb7520. Mine works fine. I can even use my dc feature. No phone book but other wise all is well.

[GenghisKhent]

I have a BMW 2004 (not 2005) 3 series (hand me down from my wife, don't ask). It does not have BlueTooth installed, but it can be installed as an option.

1. I don't know if there is any difference between that BlueTooth and the one in the new (presumably 2005) series. Does anyone know?

2. Per What Is - Supported Bluetooth features for Bluetooth-enabled handhelds (http://www.blackberry.com/knowledgecenterpublic/livelink.exe/fetch/2000/8021/7925/736516/What_Is_-_Supported_Bluetooth_features_for_Bluetooth-enabled_handhelds.html?nodeid=852837&vernum=0) the 7290 Bluetooth implementation supports the Headset and Hands Free Profiles. Therefore I *think* the 7290 would work with the BMW 3 series bluetooth. Xipper's info that his 7100t works seems to indicate the 7290 should work also because the aforementioned BB knowledge base article seems to indicate both phones have the same Bluetooth implementation. But has anyone got a 7290 to work with the BMW 3 series bluetooth?

[rsusanto]

Yes, I just got my Blackberry 7290 to work with my BMW 325 2006 series. In order to make it work, you need to upgrade your Blackberry Handheld OS to version 4.0. I upgraded mine an hour ago and now I can make and receive a call by using the built-in car steering wheel remote and microphone. The sound quality is really good. Connection quality is excellent. My BMW stereo is now showing the connection signal. I can also control the phone connection from my stereo. However, I still can't make my BMW to download the Blackberry address book. If any of you know how to do this, please let me know. Thanks.

[Garrett]

I've had mixed results using BT in the new RR. While I am able to connect, when dialing from the touchscreen in the car, the audio always seems to be at the BB only. I can't regularly get the audio over the RR speakers. Anyone else have luck with this?

RR's response is something along the lines of "we don't recommend using BT in the vehicle"

[kenjieamemiya]

Yes, I just got my Blackberry 7290 to work with my BMW 325 2006 series. In order to make it work, you need to upgrade your Blackberry Handheld OS to version 4.0. I upgraded mine an hour ago and now I can make and receive a call by using the built-in car steering wheel remote and microphone. The sound quality is really good. Connection quality is excellent. My BMW stereo is now showing the connection signal. I can also control the phone connection from my stereo. However, I still can't make my BMW to download the Blackberry address book. If any of you know how to do this, please let me know. Thanks.

How did you specifically get it to pair with the BMW? I have a 2005 530i and my buddy has a 2006 545 - we cannot get either to work. I get an unable to pair message on the BB (7290) using 0000. Thanks.

[barjohn]

If the BMW is like my Lexus, the code isn't 0000.

[kenjieamemiya]

I test drove a new 330i 2 weeks ago, and my 7100t linked right up without any hassle. I was able to place and recieve calls via the handsfree system. I wasn't able to get the phone book to pull up or most recent dialed calls, but I didn't have much time either.
Could you specifically describe what you did to pair with the BMW? For instance did you use a different number than 0000?
Thanks

[barjohn]

You won't be able to get the phonebook or recent dialed calls as RIM doesn't support the OBX profile needed.

[amukhey]

How about a Cingular 7290 with 3.8 OS on a BMW 750Li? It doesnt seem to pick up the phone book but I will upgrade the OS before trying it tonight.

[kenjieamemiya]

Hi - Still was hoping to hear what anyone with a BMW specifically did to successfully pair. What were the steps and what was the code?

[r1man1963]

I have a 2004 330 CiC which I installed a BT module in place of the BMW Assist module. The pairing process will require you to get the BMW ULF unit in "Pairing Mode" and the phone in a mode to recognize the BT signal. Once the phone recognizes the BMW, it will ask for a 4 digit code which is a code tied to your ULF unit, should be a small card in your owners manual folder they gave you. I just tried to pair a BB7100t with my BMW and it worked right away but kept disconnecting on the phone display and saying something about "do you want to reconnect". The owners manual says that I need to change the setting on the BB to "automatic discovery" or something similar to that language. A BMW site I looked at said that the 7100 will pair up but will require "manual transmission of the phonebook", anyone knows how to do that or what it means ? I plan to get a BB7250 on Verizon soon and would love that to work, but, not sure if it will.

[amukhey]

On a BMW 750 LI using a Cingular 7290 with the latest module.

Thank you for contacting BMW of North America, LLC regarding your 2006 750Li. That is a great model vehicle, and we hope it is serving you well.

Unfortunately, Blackberry devices are not, and probably never will be, compatible with the BMW Bluetooth system in your vehicle. The BMW Bluetooth system uses the standard BT Hands-free Profile (HFP 1.0) with additional commands implemented on top of the BT standard to transfer phonebook data from the phone to the car. This enables the user to access their phonebook and dial from the vehicle's communication center.

BMW is working with phone suppliers and carriers to implement the additional commands, however, this support is not based on business agreements and, therefore, BMW has little leverage to influence phone suppliers to include it. Phones that do not support the additional commands may or may not pair or connect to the vehicle and will only have partial functionality at best. Because of this, phones that do not support the additional phonebook commands will not work as intended, may present significant issues, and are, therefore, listed as non-compatible phones.

For a list of the telephones currently tested and approved for full compatibility, please visit us at http://www.bmwtransact.com/bluetooth. This website is updated whenever a new telephone handset is approved for usage.

If you have any further questions, please respond to this e-mail or contact the Customer Relations and Services Department at 1-800-831-1117, Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. Again, thank you for contacting BMW.

[racyb]

Hi - Still was hoping to hear what anyone with a BMW specifically did to successfully pair. What were the steps and what was the code?
Yes, as stated in the previous posts, my BB 7290 also pairs with my 2006 330i. The phonebook does not copy over, but all the handsfree features work, and you can even program BMW's voice dialing to work with you paired BB.

It has been quite a while since I have paired them, so from my foggy memory:
1) Put the BMW Bluetooth system into search mode
2) turn on Bluetooth on your BB
3) BB->options->Bluetooth->add device
4) They should have found each other
5) input any 4 digit code when prompted by BB
6) input the same code into the BMW when prompted

Hope that helped.

[kenjieamemiya]

Just tried it today using several different pairing codes - paring failed each time.

[kenjieamemiya]

Regarding the message from BMW, still not clear on the implications. The Blackberry 7290 works like a champ with any of the Motorolla Bluetooth devices.

[prubenstein]

I have a 2003 BMW 330i with the BMW Bluetooth option installed. It works perfectly with both my sony-ericsson as well as my 7290. I did nothing special other than to follow the pairing instructions which came with the BMW unit.

[barjohn]

The problem has to do with the phone book transfer function more than any other issue. Sometimes they will pair and other times they won't. RIM just seems more concerned with some phantom security issue than providing a functional Bluetooth capable device. Since phone book transfers don't happen everyday, I could live with limited security relative to phone book transfers. RIM apparently can't.

[ramiles]

What do you all make of this BB note regarding BMW compatability:

BMW Problems (http://www.blackberry.com/knowledgecenterpublic/livelink.exe/fetch/2000/8021/7925/736516/What_Is_-_Connection_problems_between_BlackBerry_handhelds_and_Motorola_Bluetooth_car_kits_in_2005_BMW_models.html?nodeid=817494)

[ramiles]

Update to my last post - I did upgrade to 4.0.2 BB OS thanks to the help and knowledge found on this site. BB now pairs and stays connected - Yahoo!. Phone book doesn't transfer, but for my most frequent calls I can load those into the BMW system easily (it has voice recognition). Cheers

[kenjieamemiya]

Someone in my company was able to pair with the BMW 645 2006 model. What explains all the inconsistencies??

[kenjieamemiya]

In all the situations for which BMW pairing was successful (7290 or 7100), were there no stored numbers in the phone book?

[genearch]

Someone in my company was able to pair with the BMW 645 2006 model. What explains all the inconsistencies??

There is no 2006 BMW 645. The 2006 will be a 650. also, they are not available yet, none built until early next month. we likely won't see one here in the states until early/mid Oct at the best case.

So.. how did he pair and how did it function?

[kenjieamemiya]

OK whatever model it was, it worked. Not surprisingly, no access to the phone book but all other functions are working.

[YoMama]

I have a new 2005 545 and got my 7100g to work with it. No problems pairing, did it automatically. Doesnt download the address book which is OK.

BUT if I am on a call and someone else calls, it automatically hangs up on my call and answers the new call. THIS IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD! One time, it hung up on an important call and connected me to a telemarketer. ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO GET AROUND THIS PROBLEM?

[barjohn]

Try setting the call waiting feature to the off state. Go to phone, options, call waiting. It will retrieve your state from the network and then set it to off and it sends it back to the network.

[shane.shadrix]

I have a 7250 and just purchased a Motorola IHF1000 Bluetooth car kit. It pairs fine and I can dial by number, kit based phone book or BB speed dial. The problem I am having is the mic ether cuts out or breaks up. It has never dropped a call, but i have the mic problem intermittently. I read about the os update referenced about the BMW kits and have been looking for the update. Does any one know where I can find it? The local verizon store and techsupport were no help.

Thanks,

Shane

[kenjieamemiya]

Update to my last post - I did upgrade to 4.0.2 BB OS thanks to the help and knowledge found on this site. BB now pairs and stays connected - Yahoo!. Phone book doesn't transfer, but for my most frequent calls I can load those into the BMW system easily (it has voice recognition). Cheers
I was finally able to pair my 7290 with my 530i. The BB indicates it is paired to the BMW but the system gets stuck on the screen asking me to activate the phone and then finally goes back to the main I-Drive menu. Even after this the BB is still connected to the BMW but I am still not able to run the phone. Are there any settings on BB that I might change to allow the phone to work?

[lowlife]

I have a 2005 BMW 530 and a BlackBerry 7100t which connect fine via bluetooth. I am able to process most functions, but the phone does not sync phonebook. For the voice dialing the BMW allows you to store voicetags on the system or you could just say the number (dont pause while doing this). The key words are "DIAL NAME. DAIL NUMBER" after you have pressed the speak button on the steering wheel.

Now, to finally answer the original question. I think the problem most people are having is that you are not doing the pairing process correctly. The key code that you use does not matter, the car works with any code. The part that took me a week to figure out, and may be your problem is that after you input the code into the phone and car, you must click the IDrive wheel down and click "CONFIRM PASSKEY". If you just wait the car will not pair.

If you need step by step let me know.

[sgw]

I've paired a 7100i with a bmw 750. The phonebook pairs the data and displays names in the address book on the idrive screen and displays the phone number the first time the i drive is pressed to make the call. Then it will not make the call to that number or display the number again. However if you manually dial numbers they work fine. Is this what i should be expecting or am i getting close to getting this to work? Do the gaps between the numbers i.e. (xxx) xxx xxxx in the blackberry format stop the bmw recognizing the numbers?
Any help would be much appreciated.

[kenjieamemiya]

My 7290 finally paired with my 530i (2005) and works with the steering wheel and voice commands. I had the Sirius satellite system installed and after the software was loaded, the 7290 worked as described by others. So it sounds like some cars come with firmware that has a bug in it ins term of bluetooth. I now can call out using the voice command and receive calls but the phone book does not transfer. I undestand that this will likely be up to RIM to change the blackberry to allow this transfer to occur. Also for those getting the unable to pair message with the iDrive system, follow the directions provided earlier.

[johnfarese]

I just bought a 2006 Audi which is BT enabled and found the same problem. But I just used the voice activation feature of the car and stored all the numbers that way. I just have to say the entry now and it dials. It is a little tedious, but it works.

[mikem]

I have a new 2005 545 and got my 7100g to work with it. No problems pairing, did it automatically. Doesnt download the address book which is OK.

BUT if I am on a call and someone else calls, it automatically hangs up on my call and answers the new call. THIS IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD! One time, it hung up on an important call and connected me to a telemarketer. ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO GET AROUND THIS PROBLEM?


I'm having the same problem with my 06 lexus gs300. On a call and when another comes in, it drops and picks up. This is the most embarrassing thing that could happen to a sales guys that spends his day driving and talking.....

Any workarounds or fixes?

[barjohn]

I haven't had this problem yet but we need to have some controlled experiments so we know exactly what is happening. First, you need to see if it happens with a Bluetooth headset. Go where you have a two line phone and first call your phone and answer it with the Bluetooth headset, put the call on hold from the landline and call your headset from the second line and see if it switches you or gives you notice and a chance to manually select switching. If it drops the first call and then picks up the second we definitely have a Bluetooth bug. If it doesn't, then have a friend do the same thing from a landline while you are in the car and see what happens. If it now drops the first call where it didn't before, we know it is tied to the specific vehicle class and system. If it turn out to be a bug and you have that kind of data we can probably get it fixed.

[amukhey]

I have seen this with the 4.0 Module. Have you tried using the 4.02? I have not tried with 8700 yet with the 4.1

[jmejonesnovo]

The BB 7250 support both the headset and the handsfree profiles so it should pair up with the BMW's Bluetooth. What you won't be able to do is transfer phone numbers to the unit's memory. One of these days RIM will figure out that it must provide this ability to at least upload phonebook to a handsfree device. My Lexus has the same compatibility issue. The other problem is that the Bluetooth sound quality is less than great with BBs in general compared to other handsets. The 7100 is a perfect example with 3.8 sounding much better than 4.0. To load my phone numbers I had to go buy an inexpensive handset with Bluetooth and load my address book into it and then upload it to the Lexus. Then I can pair my BB and use it. Quite a pain in the A$$!

Being a newbie I respect Barjohn and am honored that I can disagree with him today. My new 8700 and all BB for that matter don't work well with third party handsfree devices. I just bought a TomTom GO 700 yesterday and before I could get to the B of Black-... their tech support told me forget about BB and handsfree. It's something in the RIM software that prohibits it's use. No patch or solution is available for TomTom yet. Of course this could be a totally seperate problem.

[barjohn]

Sorry to dissapoint you but handsfree has nothing to do with GPS which is what TomTom GO is. There is currently no support for GPS either directly or through any third party device. I think I even mentioned somewhere in a post that it would be a nice feature to have but I wasn't sure how it would be implimented without have a secondary storage card for maps. The person responding was looking to link in a Bluetooth GPS reciever and only download direction for getting from one point to another which could be stored inb memory. Handsfree here refers to the profile used in some Bluetooth headsets and in car systems that act as a speakerphone and also support the address book. I have no idea whether TomTom Go 5 portends to offer such a profile, but if it does it must be compliant with certain standards within the profile to work. Bluetooth devices have been problomatic becasue of small variances between the way manufacturers impliment them. If you have followed my posts and my web site you would see that I always recommend testing a particular combination first. Hence I always name the specific device that I have direct experience using. I don't go further.

In my testing of the handsfree profile on the 8700 it has been limited to the 2006 325i BMW and the 2005 Lexus RX330. The first worked fully as it should, the latter only provided the audio and no address book function.

I hope this clarifies the situation for you.

[BBFun]

I tried to connect a Cingular 8770 to a 645 and had major issues. I'm running on BB OS 4.1.
1. Inconsistent connecting - After fumbling through the idrive console for what felt like forever, I finally got it to connect. If I turned the car off it (and removed the key), then started it up again, the bb would not reconnect. After working though a myriad of troubleshooting steps - rebooting the bb, turning on/off bluetooth, disconnecting the bb's bluetooth connection to the car and reconnecting, deleting the 8770 connection on the car and re-adding it, etc. it would work. But each time it would loose connection meant at least 20 minutes of fumbling around to get it reconnected. I still don't know after hours how to reconnect it consistently

2. The idrive would stay on (sometimes) even after the key is out of the ignition whether I was in the middle of a call or not.

3. THE MOST DAUNTING OF ALL: The idrive wheel, which normally you are not able to move more clicks than the number of menu options available now spins 360 degrees in either direction. Basically you can spin it as many times to the right or left as you want and the car is in a mute mode where no voice activated commands work, no radio, and since the idrive scroll wheel is broken, I can't switch any menu items!!!

I love technology. Aren't these things fun? (n)

[barjohn]

After pairing the devices did you go into the properties screen for the device and set it to trusted=yes? If you didn't make the BMW a trusted device you will have problems with it wanting to request permission to connect.

[BBFun]

barjohn-
Trusted was set to Yes. Thanks anyway. I did get it to work for at least a few test calls at one point. Now it is totally screwed up though.

[petersenca45]

I got my 7130e a couple of weeks ago and finally got a number of bugs worked out.

I picked up my 2006 325i today with bluetooth (very happy)! The first time I tried to pair the car with the phone it worked, and even downloaded my phonebook (although it only pulled down the name, type of number (ie moble, office, etc) and the area code. I got a couple of calls on my car on the way back to work and it worked like a charm. I even made calls by dialing through the raido. Then came the evening....

When I got in my car to go home, the phone and the car did not automatically pair. When I hit the phone button in the car, I only got a searching for paired devices message on the car. As for the phone, it indicated that bluetooth was disconnected. From within the phone I tried to connect under the BMW profile, but only got the disconnect message. I erased the profile, set up the pairing again, and got a successful pair. But as soon as I tried to make a call, I got the "searching for paired devices" message on the car, and a disconnected message in the 7130e.

I paired and unpaired 5 or 6 times. Although it always found the phone and said it was a successful pair, as soon as I tried to do anything, I got the searching message again, with the same disconnect message on the phone. I tried "trusted" and with encription on and off. No luck. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[pablor]

I tried to connect a Cingular 8770 to a 645 and had major issues. I'm running on BB OS 4.1.
1. Inconsistent connecting - After fumbling through the idrive console for what felt like forever, I finally got it to connect. If I turned the car off it (and removed the key), then started it up again, the bb would not reconnect. After working though a myriad of troubleshooting steps - rebooting the bb, turning on/off bluetooth, disconnecting the bb's bluetooth connection to the car and reconnecting, deleting the 8770 connection on the car and re-adding it, etc. it would work. But each time it would loose connection meant at least 20 minutes of fumbling around to get it reconnected. I still don't know after hours how to reconnect it consistently

2. The idrive would stay on (sometimes) even after the key is out of the ignition whether I was in the middle of a call or not.

3. THE MOST DAUNTING OF ALL: The idrive wheel, which normally you are not able to move more clicks than the number of menu options available now spins 360 degrees in either direction. Basically you can spin it as many times to the right or left as you want and the car is in a mute mode where no voice activated commands work, no radio, and since the idrive scroll wheel is broken, I can't switch any menu items!!!

I love technology. Aren't these things fun? (n)

Sounds like you have to take your car to the dealer and get them to upgrade the CIP software. Current software for 545/645 is at v19.1 or higher. All your problems will go away with later software. Dealer should upgrade for free if you tell them you have bluetooth problems. 2004-2005 BMW 5 and 6 series software versions 18 and older do not work properly with any bluetooth phone. Dealers will not upgrade software until you ask them to do it, and they will charge you unless it is a warranty item which means that you have to tell them what is not working properly that needs new software upgrades. If your Idrive is completely stuck there is a CTRL-ALT-DEL sequence to get it going again. For cars with navigation it is the radio power key, cd eject and dvd eject, all at the same time.

hope this helps

Pablo

[pablor]

I got my 7130e a couple of weeks ago and finally got a number of bugs worked out.

I picked up my 2006 325i today with bluetooth (very happy)! The first time I tried to pair the car with the phone it worked, and even downloaded my phonebook (although it only pulled down the name, type of number (ie moble, office, etc) and the area code. I got a couple of calls on my car on the way back to work and it worked like a charm. I even made calls by dialing through the raido. Then came the evening....

When I got in my car to go home, the phone and the car did not automatically pair. When I hit the phone button in the car, I only got a searching for paired devices message on the car. As for the phone, it indicated that bluetooth was disconnected. From within the phone I tried to connect under the BMW profile, but only got the disconnect message. I erased the profile, set up the pairing again, and got a successful pair. But as soon as I tried to make a call, I got the "searching for paired devices" message on the car, and a disconnected message in the 7130e.

I paired and unpaired 5 or 6 times. Although it always found the phone and said it was a successful pair, as soon as I tried to do anything, I got the searching message again, with the same disconnect message on the phone. I tried "trusted" and with encription on and off. No luck. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Make sure your BB sofware is 4.02 or higher...

[petersenca45]

Make sure your BB sofware is 4.02 or higher...

I am running 4.1. It seems that this is a fairly common problem on the 2006 BMWs. Apparently, there is a BMW service bulletin on the issue, but no fix as of two weeks ago. I am still waiting on a response from my dealer.

Here is a good thread on Bimmerfest.com: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117194

[pablor]

I still think they need to update your software in your car... I am hearing of no problems on the 8700 on the 5 series...

[barjohn]

I have the 2006 325i and have been using it with the 8700c without a single problem. It pairs quickly with the car and the address book and voice dialing work very well. I have had no issues with device pairing once properly set up. It will even pair with my device when I leave it in the house and I go into the garage and start up the car. (Distance about 20' through the wall). Sound quality and volume have been excellent.

[gentryma1]

I have the 2006 BMW 330i and the 7130e. Works like a champ... except for occassionally the car reboots the phone. I've had Motorola H700 headset reboot the phone too. So I don't blame my BMW. :) Amazingly the BMW syncs the address book AND the "home", "mobile", "work" tags. My RAZR didn't even do that!

Oh... make sure you don't use dashes in your numbers like "xxx-xxx-xxxx". The BMW interprets them as spaces "xxx xxx xxxx" and therefore they don't match your address book and even though you see the names in the address book the callerid just shows numbers! Discovered this today. Put in your numbers "xxxxxxxxxx"

-Matt

[petersenca45]

I am running 4.1. It seems that this is a fairly common problem on the 2006 BMWs. Apparently, there is a BMW service bulletin on the issue, but no fix as of two weeks ago. I am still waiting on a response from my dealer.

Here is a good thread on Bimmerfest.com: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117194

My bluetooth only worked about 25% of the time with my Blackberry 7130e (10/05 production 325i no iDrive). I got my BMW software upgraded to CIP 20.0.2 a week ago, and my phone has connected 100% of the time since.

[basket case]

I have a 2004 BMW M3 Convertible and have just got the 8700 T-Mobile phone.

I am finding that whilst I can get it to pair and work with the car it would appear to crash the 8700 handset every time after a few minutes.

I had a 7290 and this would work fine with the car.

Does anyone know why this is and does anyone have a solution.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[pablor]

barjohn-
Trusted was set to Yes. Thanks anyway. I did get it to work for at least a few test calls at one point. Now it is totally screwed up though.

Upgrade the software on the BMW at the dealer with CIP 20 or higher. All your problems will be gone...

[prubenstein]

I just got my new BMW 330i with BT and the navigation package. I have a 8700 which would not pair at all with my 2003 BMW 330i so I wasn't to optimistic. But, the phone paired immediately and downloaded my address book which I can now access by voice while driving. I have noticed that the phone has rebooted once or twice but only while I was trying to program other parts of the navigation system. So far not a major problem. The hands free voice quality is excellent. All in all I am very pleasantly surprised.

[dpm]

I activated the bluetooth on a 2006 330i, paired fine, placed and received calls. The problem was the address book - only received the first four contacts under each letter. Any ideas? I have an 8700c.

[RDA]

Sorry to dissapoint you but handsfree has nothing to do with GPS which is what TomTom GO is.Certain models of the TomTom Go range support Bluetooth handsfree in addition to being portable GPS devices. This is what the poster is referring to.

[amexman]

With a 2003 745LI BMW, there is now an upgrade/add-on device that is bluetooth. Inserts in the phone connection in the armrest.
I have successfully paired this with my 8700, and it is great.
All my numbers appear on the dashboard screen, and I can dial from the screen. BMW Parts rep told me it would not work. HA HA.
Iwent back to show him and he could not believe it.

[merd]

I have a new 06 330i and my 7520 paired up immediately... However I do have to caution you of a few things.

1) You have to be running at least 4.0 software, if you are running 4.0 you can use basic BT features such as the car dialing, etc... however it will NOT download you phonebook, etc

2) I just upgraded to 4.1 software, and now my phonebook downloads into the Idrive system...

HOWEVER! I now have lost the ability to dial by name in phone mode application during non in car operation... totally pissed me off

[mleuba]

Update to Bluetooth compatibility with BMW. I have a 2006 525i and had no problem pairing with my 7250 from Verizon. Steering wheel controls, car audio integration all work. No PIM integration yet though. That will be awesome.

[ZBB]

I just installed BT in my '03 530i (E39) using the OEM retrofit kit (with a 4th gen Bluetooth ULF module bought on ebay).

System works great -- and my 7100g with OS 4.1 paired fine and transferred the address book.

Only thing not working is voice control -- but it looks like the BMW part that was already in my car was the wrong one, so will pick up the correct version from the dealer and try again.

[jeff009]

My wife has had a 06 325i for sometime now and it has worked well with BT. She uses a RAZR and no real problems. I've set it up to work with both the 7290 and 7100g. I just upgraded my 7100g to 4.1 and now I get the address book download, which is great. The only downside, it appears that if I have an address entry with multiple phone numbers, it shows each on the radio display as a seperate entry and no way to know which is what number, am I missing something? Some way to show the number so I know if I'm calling a office, mobile,or home number?

Thanks,

Jeff

[jeff009]

My wife has had a 06 325i for sometime now and it has worked well with BT. She uses a RAZR and no real problems. I've set it up to work with both the 7290 and 7100g. I just upgraded my 7100g to 4.1 and now I get the address book download, which is great. The only downside, it appears that if I have an address entry with multiple phone numbers, it shows each on the radio display as a seperate entry and no way to know which is what number, am I missing something? Some way to show the number so I know if I'm calling a office, mobile,or home number?

Thanks,

Jeff



Well should have asked the wife to begin with, she showed me how to get a more detailed view of what number to dial. Once over the letter in the address book, click the station up or down on the steering wheel and you get a list of the names, description, and actual #.

Jeff

[vicsong11]

I have been reading this thread, and am hoping there may be someone out there who has a new 07 530i. I haven't tried to hook up my BB 7290 yet, but I wanted to get some advice on how to proceed. If it doesn't work all the time (as the dealership warned me), I would rather look for a different provider (currently with T Mobile) who has a BB that would work better. Thanks for any advice~

[jtrote]

Has anyone put the cingular 8700c software on a T-Mobile 8700g and tried out the Bluetooth functions? I want to get an 8700g (I have T-Mobile service) and need it to integrate with the BMW Bluetooth function (in an '06 330i). The cingular 8700c is listed by BMW as a compatible phone, but the T-Mobile 8700g is not (and forum members report that the 8700g does not pair with full functionality on the car's system). Has anyone installed the cingular software on the T-Mobile 8700g and tried this out?

[JohnW]

i have a 2006 Z4 and paired my 8700 with it. the car comes with a specific passcode unique to the vehicle. It paired immediately with my phone and downloaded all 1500 names in my phone book. I did not have to do anything special to get it to work. I believe you must have 4.0 OS though. Works great!

JohnW

[sdennislee]

I just changed to the 7100i from the 7520. Both phones paired up easily and one the first try with the 2007 BMW 525xi. Both phones also sync'd the address book with the BMW. Here's the rub, with the 7520 the BMW presented me the address book in the same fashion as the 7520 i.e. names were displayed last name first if thats how the 7520 was set. with the 7100i no matter how I configure the address book the BMW will only display names First Name first. I admit this is not a huge issue compared to some I have read here but with 565 contacts it is annoying. Has any figured a fix to this?

[jc4usc]

I finally got my Pearl to work with my 750i and it works like a charm. Thanks to some earlier post, I realized that I need to disable the phone transfer and after that no apparent problems.

I'm able to use voice dailing and all... It's actually easier for me to dial directly from the Pearl itself.

I also had it previously set up with the 8700 and was able to use the phone book with that model, but I am willing to pass on that for the pleasure of the Pearl! (y)

[FLIP954RR]

My 8700g pairs fine with my 330-even downloaded the phone book-pairs up and had no problems with it-knock on wood.

[remyers]

2006 Z4 and a BB7290. Paired with no problems using the BMW supplied code, but would not download the address book. Upgraded the BB to 4.1 and address book now downloads fine.

[thielsa]

I have a 7130C, and just bought a 2006 325xi. When I paired the car and the blackberry, I was prompted to set up my own four digit code on each device. The only thing that I messed up on the first linkage was to click on the option to automatically connect to the device when it was in range on my blackberry. This required a second pairing. Since then, I've been blown away. My address book is automatically synced on the car. When someone calls, me, it displays the name on the radio. Additionally, it displays the signal strength on the radio display. The quality is outstanding as well. After having this for a few weeks, I'm going to have trouble buying a car without it in the future.

[rosey]

I have a bb 8700 that paired with my 06 330xi (no nav). It worked great for a month. Got a new 8700 and it worked for a month as well. Now it is paired and connects but when calling there is no sound and the other party cannot hear. I have deleted and repaired a number of times but I cant get the sound to work. Their is a slight static noise. Any suggestions?

[dhendriksen]

oops.

[dhendriksen]

oops.

[dhendriksen]

oops.

[sbiml]

I finally got my Pearl to work with my 750i and it works like a charm. Thanks to some earlier post, I realized that I need to disable the phone transfer and after that no apparent problems.

I'm able to use voice dailing and all... It's actually easier for me to dial directly from the Pearl itself.

I also had it previously set up with the 8700 and was able to use the phone book with that model, but I am willing to pass on that for the pleasure of the Pearl! (y)


I recently got a Pearl and have paired it with my 2006 M3. It works fine but the voice dialing doesn't. Did you do anything special to make it happen? Thanks for any feedback you can supply

[UFM]

I wonder if anyone can help me out please.

I own a 2006 325i, without navigation. I have a Blackberry 8100 Pearl. I cant seem to get them to pair together. I followed instructions to the letter, and the phone recognizes the BMW. The BMW recognizes the phone too, as on the screen it will say "Blackberry 8100". But the connection between them never holds for more than a few seconds and then disconnects. Obviously I cant make or receive phone calls.

As a side note, I got my Blackberry 8100 to pair up really easily with our Acura TL, and my wifes RAZR pairs up with the BMW too.

I dont know what OS I have on my Pearl. Its less than a month old. How do I check that if I need to?

Thank you very much.

[UFM]

I think from the help of someone above this problem seems solved. Under device properties the address book transfer is enabled I think automatically. Just disable it. And that seems to have done the trick. Well see long term if it works or not.

Thanks!

[FreeDog]

I am having the same problem with my new 525i where the connnection will only last 2-5 seconds. How were you able to solve it and have you found any other problems with 7100 and BMW?

[ThereIsNoBall]

Hi All,

Just wanted to share that my Pearl is syncing with my 2005 330ci perfectly. Steering wheel controls and phonebook sync'ed just fine without intervention.

To the best of my knowledge, getting a blackberry to sync with a Bimmer requires:

1. No "Groups" in your address book. Your Bimmer likes 1 big list of numbers.
2. No "letters" or "symbols" in any "Phone Number" field. "-", "(", and ")" appear to be OK though.

Once your phonebook is organized to the car's liking, following the pairing instructions detailed in previous posts and you should be good to go. Credit where it's due: I got this information from reading a pile of posts on BimmerBoard.

It worked for me, I hope it works for you. Please post if any of this is incorrect.

Good luck,
TINB

[MarkF]

"I finally got my Pearl to work with my 750i and it works like a charm. Thanks to some earlier post, I realized that I need to disable the phone transfer and after that no apparent problems."

Does anyone know exactly what "disable the phone transfer" means here? Is this something done on the Pearl or the BMW. I can pair the Pearl with the BMW 530i but can't get the address book built, it keeps failing.

[oasis]

Has anyone had any luck getting a blackberry 8100 pearl to pair in their 2006bmw 3 series? And if so, did it require a blackberry software update to do it?

Thanks

[herbiesmate]

I work for a mobile re-seller and we had a few clients who could not connect their devices. After speaking directly to BMW they told me that only certain handsets have been tested with their kits and so the list they publish will only show these. They did say that other handsets will work but they just haven't been tested so they can't recommend them. One of our directors has an '06 3 Series BMW and she is not very techy. She has managed to connect the 8100 to her vehicle and so has another of our directors. My guess is that if you cannot connect properly that there is either a problem with the Bluetooth function on your handset or there is something you're not doing correctly.

[c7ped]

1. No "Groups" in your address book. Your Bimmer likes 1 big list of numbers.
2. No "letters" or "symbols" in any "Phone Number" field. "-", "(", and ")" appear to be OK though.

Once your phonebook is organized to the car's liking, following the pairing instructions detailed in previous posts and you should be good to go. TINB

As the post above recommended, the answer is that BMW's don't like Contact Groups in the address book. It causes different connection problems but usually you loose your connection after a few seconds.

[sjnesh]

I successfully paired my 8300 with my cousins m6

[jcarey]

Hi guys,
Just joined today and saw thsi thread and thought my experience might be of interest. I bought a 2004 BMW 745i last month and it did not come with a phone handlset installed but it had the BMW Assist feature. In researching how to add a BT module for hands free phone use, it turns out that my car was prewired for a CPT9000 phone and V-60 series handsets. This phone system supprots a BTUM in place of the handset so I bought oen used off a BMW discussion forum (New Cars, Used Cars For Sale, Car Prices, Car Reviews, Forums, Videos and the largest automotive community & social network at Roadfly.com (http://www.roadfly.com)) and inastalled it today.

The results were great: Installation took 1 minute, pairing it with my BB 8800 worked first time but the phone needed a numeric code that came with the BTUM to complete the pairing process. Once it was done, my phone nos stored in my phone all loaded into the cars memory automatically. Once I browsed the communications menu, I found that the recent calls were saved and displayed a numbers instead of names. Everything worked including placing a call from the steering wheel.

[mudrebel21]

I just recently got my BMW 325i and am having a few problems with the Bluetooth option...i can get the bluetooth to connect and address book works fine..its great...when i place a call i can talk for maybe 5 to 10 seconds on the cars audio...then it drops the call back to my handset...when i receive a call it picks up fine...answer it and i start talking and then drops the call back to the handset...still connected to BMW bluetooth but yet drops the call..and i hang up and its still connected and i still can see my address book all missed calls...any ideas? I am fairly good with the blackberry bc thats what i do..Blackberry Exchange Admin...so i dont think its the phone..maybe someone with good knowledge on the car can help...any advice would be appreciate...

thanks

B

[deezmfnutz]

My 8100 Pearl and my bros 8703e both paired perfectely with my new 2007 750Li. Phone book transfered nicely. Works great.

[dulcamara]

7130c works perfectly with 07 335i

[test54]

My 8100 Pearl and my bros 8703e both paired perfectely with my new 2007 750Li. Phone book transfered nicely. Works great.

750Li - very envious. love my X5 but have been looking at the 750's

[dheida]

750Li - very envious. love my X5 but have been looking at the 750's

Someday....