Q about SES jumper plug. Adding BT, upgrading Nav and to DICE.
 

I am considering the following upgrades to my 2003 M3 coupe (build 02-2003), pre-wired for phone, has nav and iceLink, have iPhone 3G:


1) Adding the bluetooth upgrade as described in this post on another site: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showpos...57&postcount=1. The list of components includes an SES jumper plug.

I read in a post on this site ( http://www.xoutpost.com/618994-post1.html ) that there are two options for getting voice recognition with both phone and navigation--

a) Get ULF bluetooth module, which comes with VR already activated for both phone and nav; or
b) Get TCU bluetooth module, which might or might not come with VR already activated for phone, but not nav. A separate SES module for VR on nav would be needed.

The Questions:
Would the SES jumper plug be enough to give me VR recognition for the nav if I bought the TCU kit?

If not, has anyone installed the SES module along with the TCU and gotten good results?

Anthony

The SES jumper is just a bypass. So, the jumper by itself does nothing. You install the SES jumper if you do not have an SES module. And you remove the SES jumper if you are plugging in an SES module.

So, if you buy and install just a TCU, you would want to install the SES module. And, if the VR was not already turned on, you would want to turn on the voice recognition feature of the TCU (by dealer coding or something like NavCoder). The only down side with this installation is that you would not have voice recognition instructions for your nav computer.

Yes, several people have installed an SES module alongside a TCU. The key is to make sure that the voice recognition feature of the TCU is turned off. This is the default if you buy a new TCU module. If you buy a used TCU with VR turned on, then you would want to use NavCoder to turn it off.

Thanks for the response. That was just what I was looking for. Is there a parts list with part numbers included for the SES module? I've seen parts lists in the various BT threads that I've read the past two days, but I don't recall seeing the SES module listed among them. My eyes are getting blurry!

I have not seen a good SES part number list. They come in various languages, so you mainly want to be sure that you get an American English version. Here is the current version: part numbe 84.41-6 915 049.

Thanks again. Went to Tischer's OEM parts site, entered that part number, and here is what I got:

Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 84416915049 $845.80 $0.00 $676.64
CONTROL UNIT

So, here is what I have so far:

TCU
Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 84109195455 $422.50 $200.00 $338.00
RMFD TELEMATICS CONT

plus

SES
Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 84416915049 $845.80 $0.00 $676.64
CONTROL UNIT

equals

$1,014.64 (not incl. $200 core charge).
$1,214.64 (with core charge).
This does not include, of course, NavCoder to turn off VR in TCU if needed, and does not include necessary associated parts.



ULF

Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 84216958358 $589.90 $0.00 $471.92
CHARGING ELECTRONICS
$471.92 does not incl. necessary associated parts, but does not come with a core charge if necessary.


Am I missing something in comparing these two options for adding bluetooth with voice recognition for both phone and nav to a 2003 M3 (01-03 production, no BMW Assist, of course, and OEM nav). I assume that if I add the ULF, I will not need the eject box kit, 84.12-0 308 375 DB25 to 54-pin ULF/TCU plug adapter, or the SES jumper, but will need the pairing button.

That is it. The TCU-based system used to be cheaper, but then BMW raised the core from $50 to $200. It makes no sense to buy an SES module retail. In most cases, people already have one, or they found one cheap from eBay. Otherwise, if you really want the nav voice instructions, then the ULF system is the way to go.

You will not need the DB25 to 54-pin adapter for your car. But you will need a microphone (assuming that you do not have it already), you will need the SES jumper, and you will need the eject box or a home-made pairing button. BMW no longer sells the separate E46 pairing button.