2001 X5 Phone

[sloan]

I recently bought a 2001 X5 with navigation and the factory phone was missing. I currently have cingular service and would like to buy a phone that is compatable with the car's system. Is this possible? If so, what phone do I need to buy? If not, what do I need to do to make it possible? My goal is to have a hands free phone system in the car that can be accessed through the car's controls.


Thanks.

One more thing...This site is grat! I have already had to replace my brakes and a rear door window regulator on the X5, and I couldn't have done it without the directions I found on this site.

I would check out ebay for the missing phone that you will need. I think that they make a gsm version for use with Cingular, but the only thing is that you will need another line of service with a new number or you will have to change sim cards back and forth, i really don't think you will want to use the phone for the car because it is old now.

The other option is to add a bluetooth system to your car and if you have a bluetooth phone, everything will be wireless.

[UCrewX5]

The phone system that came in a 2001 X5 was the CPT8000. And for the Cingular network the phone at that time was based on TDMA technology, which Cingular is quickly phasing out and they will no longer activate a phone that is TDMA based. Only those customers that have an activated TDMA phone are grandfathered, and even those customers are being given incentives to move off of that technology.

Of note, Cingular is not alone here. Even Verizon and Sprint are refusing to activate those older phones because they do not comply with their new network requirements. So trying to jump carriers isn't going to help you there.

Your best bet is to remove the CPT8000 system and install the BMW Bluetooth system in its place. I have the Bluetooth system retrofitted into my 2001 X5 and it works great!! Here was my experience with this - http://www.xoutpost.com/showarticle-26.html

[statdoc]

Carriers are also not allowed to do a new activation of any phone that is too old to be GPS enabled (which an old phone from 2001 would be). If you have one already in service, you can keep it on.