My 2005 X5 Aftermarket Radio Install Thread

[Crowz]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

I have two unresolved issues with my Seicane install.

1-When I insert a DVD the music screen comes up rather than DVD screen. DVD shows in file browser and some DVDs I can watch by opening those files. Directions say it should come up automatically but it does not. Any ideas?

2- I have not been able to find how to get the ODB bluetooth interface to connect to Seicane to use Torque. I have tried to connect from both the app and the Seicane unit. My phone connects but I haven't been able to see the interface to pair it for the Torque app. Thoughts?

1 - Mine starts playing the movie but mine is a different model radio.

2 - Torque is fickle about what Bluetooth interface it will work with. Mine just found it and worked as I demonstrated a several pages back. But I have read all kinds of post elsewhere with people complaining about finding an interface that worked with torque even on phones. Some had it working on certain phones and not other and different versions of android were effecting it.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

Sorry, bud. None. Clarify this if you would.

Your phone can/cannot connect to the OBD BT connector?

I connected my cheap a$$ OBD connector (not that yours is cheap, but mine was) to my phone a few years ago. But I was worried if the new android radio would see it. Here's my experience:

I used an OBD extension cable on the 1st couple of attempts. They failed, but I am not sure it was the OBD connector. I needed to eliminate the extension cable as a problem, so I removed it and started anew. Since most folks here probably wont have an extension, maybe this'll help:

The most important observation I made was early- and seemingly insignificant until this post.

The cheapo OBD unit takes a minute to fire up. Now, I dunno if that's my BT OBD connector or just the OBD stuff booting up (or whatever).

This is important if you're like most of us who are in the world of 'right the hell now,' we forgot about modem negotiations, protocols and the like. We wanty and we wanty NOW!

I especially expect thing to be WAY better in Windows 10 than 3, Vista, 7,or 8.

So my experience was that I had to plug, unplug, fiddle, faddle, for a few times.. and the cheap BT OBD2 connector I have doesn't link to the radio (or anything) for a 1/2 minute or so at boot.

After the OBD connector got a minute to find its footing, I could connect. The lights on my BT OBD connector came alive and danced like a 90's car show. You may have done all of this, but it was new to me this weekend.

Phone connects to radio bluetooth just as it should. That's not a problem. My assumption is that if my phone bluetooth is seen so should the OBD interface.

Problem is that the OBD bluetooth interface for the torque app on the Seicane radio is not seen by the Seicane bluetooth setup screen. Interface is a ELM 327. That's what the Seicane radio doesn't find in bluetooth connections available search.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by Crowz

1 - Mine starts playing the movie but mine is a different model radio.

2 - Torque is fickle about what Bluetooth interface it will work with. Mine just found it and worked as I demonstrated a several pages back. But I have read all kinds of post elsewhere with people complaining about finding an interface that worked with torque even on phones. Some had it working on certain phones and not other and different versions of android were effecting it.

Purchased interface from Seicane so it should be OK.

[semcoinc]

Originally Posted by Crowz

1 - Mine starts playing the movie but mine is a different model radio.

2 - Torque is fickle about what Bluetooth interface it will work with. Mine just found it and worked as I demonstrated a several pages back. But I have read all kinds of post elsewhere with people complaining about finding an interface that worked with torque even on phones. Some had it working on certain phones and not other and different versions of android were effecting it.

I have chosen WiFI OBDII readers/transmitters and have found that to be workable for my needs with Torque.

But, of course, I cannot stream or do anything else needing the WiFi Hot Spot of my phone while using the WiFi OBDII dongle.



Mike

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

Phone connects to radio bluetooth just as it should. That's not a problem. My assumption is that if my phone bluetooth is seen so should the OBD interface.

If the bluetooth protocol were as strictly adhered to from one manufacturer to the next, you might be in safe company with your assumption. But this is one of those points where the variable of manufacturer plays way to heavily against the application of the protocol. Simply put: Bluetooth *should* be the same device to device, but most of these radios will show that not to be the case. This is clear when we see the radio manufacturers suggesting that only their BT OBD connector is supported. What that really means is that they've tested it, it worked, and they can make a couple extra bucks on it as 'supported.' Bluetooth is not Bluetooth though it should be.

Originally Posted by bcredliner

Problem is that the OBD bluetooth interface for the torque app on the Seicane radio is not seen by the Seicane bluetooth setup screen. Interface is a ELM 327. That's what the Seicane radio doesn't find in bluetooth connections available search.

Yep. This is a symptom of the above.

Now something to consider:

If you're connected to your phone to the OBD BT adapter while you're sitting in the car trying to pair your OBD BT adapter to the radio, your OBD BT adapter could care less. Most of the low grade BT OBD connectors will only allow one connection at a time. Simply, if it's connected to the phone, it's not looking for a radio, and it's not advertising as available.

Have your phone 'forget' the OBD BT connector. Power it down- unplug or turn off ignition. Restart the BT OBD connector and look for it again with the radio.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by PropellerHead

If the bluetooth protocol were as strictly adhered to from one manufacturer to the next, you might be in safe company with your assumption. But this is one of those points where the variable of manufacturer plays way to heavily against the application of the protocol. Simply put: Bluetooth *should* be the same device to device, but most of these radios will show that not to be the case. This is clear when we see the radio manufacturers suggesting that only their BT OBD connector is supported. What that really means is that they've tested it, it worked, and they can make a couple extra bucks on it as 'supported.' Bluetooth is not Bluetooth though it should be. Yep. This is a symptom of the above.

Now something to consider:

If you're connected to your phone to the OBD BT adapter while you're sitting in the car trying to pair your OBD BT adapter to the radio, your OBD BT adapter could care less. Most of the low grade BT OBD connectors will only allow one connection at a time. Simply, if it's connected to the phone, it's not looking for a radio, and it's not advertising as available.

Have your phone 'forget' the OBD BT connector. Power it down- unplug or turn off ignition. Restart the BT OBD connector and look for it again with the radio.

I purchased the OBD BT connector from Seicane so that if I had problems I could go back to Seicane for technical support if it was needed. Since then I have learned asking them is like asking a rock.

I only used the phone to test the OBD BT connector by pairing with my phone to Dash Command. That was successful. I closed the app so phone is not connected to OBD.

I have done the forget and power down several times with the phone disconnected.

[X5only]

Originally Posted by semcoinc

I love my budget priced Android Eonon GA6166 (they make a GA8XXX series now) which I had to upgrade the SoM board from 1GB RAM to 4GB Ram and now the unit screams through apps.

My conversion was from Factory NAV (NO DSP).

In conjunction with a complete speaker upgrade, my X5 is the best audio experience and my favorite ride, despite the lower gas mileage than my 3-Series vehicles.

I think the market is making no less than 2GB RAM units now so that should be decent but just a little while ago 1GB was common and was pathetically slow and could not manage much more than two simple apps.

Initially, I was disappointed to lose the OBC functionality but that soon faded with the usefulness of the modern Android based infotainment system.

With the BMW IBUS app patched into the Android head unit the OBC functionality is restored + MORE. A visual screen of all OBC functions is available for full time or part time viewing. Modest light coding is available and precise temperature readouts of coolant and engine oil are available.

The latest update to the IBUS app is a great improvement over what was an already great OBC functionality restoration.

Mike

Hey Mike, where did you buy the RAM upgrade from? Was it easy to install? I got Eonon GA8201A but it has 2GB RAM (Hynix). I'd like to upgrade it to 4GB RAM.

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

I closed the app so phone is not connected to OBD.

I have done the forget and power down several times with the phone disconnected.

Careful. Just because the Torque app is closed, the BT connection is still present/connected to the phone. The phone is connected to the BT OBD connector whether or not the app is running. The BT connection doesn't care if the app is running or not.

So if you're sure you have disconnected/'forgot' the OBD connector on the phone and you still can't connect, the thing to do is check whether or not you can connect to *any* BT device from the radio. Pick anything new- a headset, your phone, a notebook PC with BT, anything.

Once that works (or if it already does), unpair every BT device from your radio and start again. Look only for the OBD connector and if it is 'seen', connect to it 1st before anything else. Then (re)connect to other BT devices.

Incidentally, mine is the same model as yours sold by Xtrons. Of course this is just software and logos for difference from Seicane so that shouldn't matter. But my BT OBD connector works great. I connect to my phone without issue as well.

If you can connect to anything over BT- and you're double dog sure that the phone absolutely cannot be connected to the OBD while trying to connect the radio (hint: power down the phone if you want to be sure)- you're back to talking to the rocks for support.

[semcoinc]

Originally Posted by X5only

Hey Mike, where did you buy the RAM upgrade from? Was it easy to install? I got Eonon GA8201A but it has 2GB RAM (Hynix). I'd like to upgrade it to 4GB RAM.

Hi X5only,

I got the upgrade PX5 SoM board w/4GB RAM and 32GB Flash from AliExpress here:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/WITS...814725689.html

This moved my PX3 board Android 5.1 system to a PX5 board Android 6.0. With 4GB RAM available, I routinely only use about 35% of my available RAM and have very good app responsiveness across all my apps.

Check your GA8201A system carefully for compatibility with this PX5 board upgrade.

You may want to visit

http://forum.xda-developers.com

for additional upgrade insight.

Mike

[X5only]

Originally Posted by semcoinc

Hi X5only,

I got the upgrade PX5 SoM board w/4GB RAM and 32GB Flash from AliExpress here:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/WITS...814725689.html

This moved my PX3 board Android 5.1 system to a PX5 board Android 6.0. With 4GB RAM available, I routinely only use about 35% of my available RAM and have very good app responsiveness across all my apps.

Check your GA8201A system carefully for compatibility with this PX5 board upgrade.

You may want to visit

http://forum.xda-developers.com

for additional upgrade insight.

Mike

Thanks Mike. Ok, I got a nice break - Eonon responded positively that I can send back my new GA8201A in exchange for GA9201A which comes with a newer and faster processor as well as 4GB of RAM I pay the price difference and shipping back the GA8201A.