Bluetooth, How Do I Tell
 

Hello,

I am a proud new owner of a 2006 BMW X3 3.0, I would show pictures but my digital camera was stolen several weeks ago, long story...But I do have a question in regards to bluetooth.

My dealer, Carmax, told me that the car had bluetooth installed in it but I recieved no offical documentation in the BMW owners manually specificing that the car has it installed. After much searching on the internet I came across several guides explain how to get the car in discoverable mode. I have turned the car on and the key to the second position in the two minute period for my Blackberry Curve not to detect the bluetooth. My cell phone detects my headset as well as laptop so I know the bluetooth on the phone works.

Is there a way to verify that the bluetooth is turned on in the car or is even installed? I want to verify that it is even installed before I contact Carmax.

Thanks again.

Do you have a pairing button under the centre armrest? The armrest lifts up in two sections, with the top part housing (in UK cars) a phone eject box and pairing button, and in the lower, the CD changer.

Are you pressing and holding this button when you switch the ignition on?

Do you get a Pairing message up on either the nav screen (if you have nav) of the LCD on the radio?

I do not see a pairing button, let alone any button in the center armrest. I do see the button under R/T for the phone on the steering wheel, which I have held while turning the car on as well.

The radio fails to indicate anything to me as well, as far as bluetooth paring message. I do not have the NAV.

The steering wheels are standard and the 'speech bubble' button is not only used for the phone but also for the voice recognition which, if you have Nav, can be a seperate module just to control the Nav.

If you don't have a pairing button in the arm rest (which has the same icon as the steering wheel button, just to confuse) then it doesn't look like you have BT.

If the system is in pairing mode, you WILL see that on your radio display.

I took my BMW to an Offical BMW Dealership and they informed me that I did not have the bluetooth module/computer installed and that I only had the Phone Prep Kit installed.

I went back to Carmax and spoke with a manager onsite about how my Carmax sticker and paperwork stated that the car had Bluetooth Technology built into it.

Without any hesitation they agreed to install the offical BMW bluetooth system into the X3 at no cost to me.

Sounds like you got lucky:)

Nice work !