X5 E70 Navigation Upgrade

[vinzer]

I am getting my X5 E70 2007in a week or so. I am getting the one with no GPS and also willing to install it at some point.
I also have the same question: Can someone confirm that it is possible to perform direct replacement of the existed 4:3 screen to wide one 16:9 ? For example on older E53 model it was possible and you could just simply replace 4:3 nav screen for 16:9 one. However I am not sure about newer E70 model. Did anyone tried it ? Can we get a pictures of the backside of the 16:9 and 4:3 screens ? Just to compare connectors.
My assumption is that it should be possible to directly repalce 4:3 to 16:9 screens and everything should work well. I was reading many different articles on the net and most people saying it should work.

Lets share information here about that.

[bd3500]

I tried to do this with my 2002 X5 3.0i after I bought it with no nav. It turned out to be about a $4000 proposition when it was all said and done. Would be much cheaper to just by an X5 with it already.

With that said, the '06 and older X5's used iBus which was much easier to do. Everything in the new X5's is Fiber optics. Not to be a nay sayer, but even if you get all the right components, the new X5's require require coding from the dealer when you install any electronic component. For example, to install Sirius (which was plug and play in the old E53) is 2 hours of labor for coding.

Everything is software driven as all modules on the BMW MOST bus have to be running the same software version and be coded to accept one another.

If you have the option, just buy the X5 with nav. You'll save yourself money, time, and frustration.

[vinzer]

Now I would like to confirm that if you have E70 with no navigation and with the small screen (not the 8.8 inch one) but the smaller one (around 6 inches) you may !!! install 8.8 screen and it will work.

Look at my picture below.

The only disadvantage is that the screen will be a bit messed up at the right side.
All connetors are the same - plug and play.

[sefann]

Nice picture. So what happens when you go into a submenu like entertainment. Does it utilize the entire screen? Also did you need a dealer to recode anything after you put it in. So I asked my dealer if they can add option 609 to my 2007 e70 and they want to charge me $90 to plug it up and see if they can or not. Just sad.

Also where did you obtain the larger screen. It looks like all the people I can find that sells the larger screen with nav are from Europe. Im so surprised that this retrofit business is so discouraged in the USA.

Thanks for the picture and info

[ukwildcat]

Originally Posted by Penguin

The BMW Nav system is not as good as a $100 Garmin. If I had it to do over again, I would not get the Nav in my X5,

I just got my new 2011 yesterday but I spent all day with it, and I just wanted to chime in for a minute.

This is certainly a common statement regarding ANY integrated vehicle NAV system, and it's not without merit.

I am an engineer by trade and I'm having quite a lot of trouble USING it, but when I get it to do what I want, I find this system is really excellent. This is one area where, so far, the documentation is next to useless, but hey..

The Lexus system I just came off of was EXTREMELY easy to use and offered a good implementation of basic features. It was not very pretty (the BMW system is BEAUTIFUL), it was not very fast and it's routing was not the best, but by and by it worked fine.

Garmin is prettier, it's faster and it also works fine. The simple fact that an integrated system is generally much larger and may have better controls is a big advantage over other systems. I think Garmin's real target market are the handheld users and their aircraft avionics (which are excellent) and not so much the auto market. Magellan doesn't ever seem to work well, and every time I see a little tiny Tom Tom unit on someone's dash I just can't help but laugh.

Free map updates are nothing to sneeze at, as our roads here change - sometimes quite dramatically - on a yearly basis, so points to the other makers for that.

What I like about the BMW system..

1. Pretty. VERY pretty. Many reviewers complain about their choice of color scheme and contrast, and while I readily see why they don't like it, it's been working great for me so far. It is (surprise surprise) VERY European in fit / finish / operation and if you don't like it, well.. The perspective view is actually very useful.

2. Fast. It's slow to start up (and that is already starting to make my right eye twitch every time I fire it up) but once it's up, everything is very fast. Most importantly, it recalculates routes instantly, which was actually a big problem with the Lexus.. By the time it had recalculated, I had probably missed the turn. Display update could be faster - I don't understand why in this day and age these systems aren't using at least the last generation in graphics, etc. but what do I know?

3. Accurate. This is the first system I've had that makes more intelligent choices about routing. Most systems use algorithms based on FAST or SHORT - this one adds EFFICIENT and that makes a BIG difference to me.

4. Features. Being integrated is the nicest piece, I suppose, but not just for looks, as of course it's integrated with Bluetooth (for dialing, contacts, etc.) and this has already proven to be a VERY nice addition.. If I could just figure out how in the world to give it a list of destinations, delete, reorder, etc.

It's true: nothing is perfect.

I noticed right away that versus other automakers, they don't charge very much for NAV. Even Toyota wants like $2500 for NAV, which is fairly ridiculous.

[vinzer]

Originally Posted by sefann

Nice picture. So what happens when you go into a submenu like entertainment. Does it utilize the entire screen? Also did you need a dealer to recode anything after you put it in. So I asked my dealer if they can add option 609 to my 2007 e70 and they want to charge me $90 to plug it up and see if they can or not. Just sad.

Also where did you obtain the larger screen. It looks like all the people I can find that sells the larger screen with nav are from Europe. Im so surprised that this retrofit business is so discouraged in the USA.

Thanks for the picture and info

sefann,

I did not go to dealer thus no recoding has been involved. Basically I started to install my CCC navigation which I bought from Europe (eBay). First I installed the display and was surprised that all connectors perfectly fitted (actually there are only two connectors there, one is for power and another is LVDS video signal). After that I started to install main CCC module with CD and DVD and here where problem has come - I am missing correct LVDS cable to connect my display and CCC unit. So I just uninstalled CCC unit and plug back original non-navigation one while keeping 8.8" display connected. After that I started the engine and here we go display shows the picture.

Picture is not fully correct in any of the menus - at the right side it is always empty space. So only the same size (6.5") is used on the 8.8" display for the information, the rest is empty, hoever filled with some BMW colors.

If you tak a look, one bottom line of pixels on display is also missing, however one line from the top of the screen is added and it is blank. So basically whole picture is shifted to the bottom for 1 pixel line. It is for all menus.

Once I get my cables I am planning to finally install my CCC.
Vlad

[sefann]

Thanks for the explanation Vlad. I will take note and make sure all the cables I need come along with purchase. I am about a month away from getting mine from europe too. Good luck with your install when your cable comes in. Do share some pictures when you are done. I really can't wait to buy mine now. Thanks.

[energie]

has anyone successfully retrofitted a navigation system to their E70 X5?

[vinzer]

Yes, I just did.

Ok how that was:

I got my E70 with no navigation. I bought separatelly few parts: CCC navigation + screen from ebay, plastic trim for the dashboard from the dealer. I also managed to use the same cable for the display instead of buying a new one and finally I did fan wiring by my self (3 wires, very simple).

After successfull installation to the vehicle I found that navigation works but I lost sound from my speakers, bluetooth, pdc and some other functions.

I went to the dealer and ask them to code my car. They estimated and told me the price - around 400$ CAD (in Canada the prices are crazy). I came back home and decided to code vehicle my self.

I got a cable for programming of the vehicle off the ebay, it cost aprox 140$. I also got software off torrent and spent 3 days reading one russian forum (I read russian well). Once I got all info I need I just simply programmed my vehicle. It took me aprox 15 minutes.

Thats it

Now I have installed CCC, working with all my options (except Voice control since I did not ordered a special code for that from BMW).

If anyone have a questions let me know. And yes, I now know how to program vehicles for almost any retrofits....

Vinzer

[energie]

wow! that is impressive. Do you have any pictures?

How much did it come to after everything?