Link to Intravee/Alpine thingy installation guide etc

[Dan1502]

I am considering one of these for my facelift X5 with no cd changer and the business cd (ie no comms pack, sat nav etc). I want to work out what's involved and whether I can fit it myself without having to do too much messing about with the interior. I would want to use it with my current iphone 3GS or iphone 4 when I get one although I do also have an old ipod 32 GB (hard drive type) that could be used and if so, left in the car permanently.

I've been finding out bits from various forums but haven't found comprehensive information and guides and having been a bit obsessed with the X5 purchase etc recently I can't afford to spend too much more time searching. Thanks in anticipation.

[Sanj]

Dan,

Try these sites for answers:

http://www.intravention.co.uk/

and

http://www.toysinyourcar.com/acatalog/intravee.html

Not cheap...

But the intravention site has a forum and some come up on there, 3 sold recently on this site and there is always eBay too.

With your non SatNav screen version you will be looking at limited use of the Intravee in UI2 mode. The unit is best suited to the full 16:9 screen really...

[paulmb]

Hello

I also haven't got the sat nav screen, just business cassette.

Just yesterday I've installed the DICE system, very impressed.

You can run the lead to the front or leave it in the boot, like I have, connected to an iPod.

I have full control using the radio head unit, with playlists, albums, artists or songs displayed on the dash.

Hope this helps.

[Dan1502]

Just had a brief look at the Dice system and it seems that it might be a cheaper and simpler option. If the old ipod works with it I'd happily leave that in the boot and buying that and an ipod specially would not be all that expensive. The only thing I would quite like is the ability to charge the iphone in the front but I could get a cheap charger for that. I need to check I have the wiring for a changer in place though.

However, if I wanted the ipod/iphone to plug in the front, say in the glovebox, would I just connect the unit directly to the back of the headunit?

Edited to add that I've just checked and this is compatible with the 4th Generation Ipod I have knocking about (in as new condition as it was a warranty replacement and saw little use) - I wonder whether it will skip a lot but if not then for the sake of £100 for the Dice unit it could be a bargain system.

It looks like I'd have to get the MOST system activated by the dealer too?

[paulmb]

Even if you don't have the changer in the boot, you will have the two leads that plug into the dice.
My changer started to play up, so I have disconnected it and now have the iPod nano in it's place.

I was lucky and picked up a nearly new Dice for £70 off eBay.

What is MOST?

[Dan1502]

It says that if you have not got a changer fitted you need to get the MOST enabled on the radio.

New units seem to be going for £100 now there new model of Dice has been launched and that was in 30s of searching so maybe they can be had for less. Is it any good? Do you think my ancient hard drive based ipod will be fine?

[Dan1502]

I bit the bullet and whilst there are a couple on ebay at the moment, my guess is they will go for an amount near enough to the £91 posted I've paid for a new one for it not to be worth buying second hand. The second hand units do come with a long lead to get to the glove box though whereas mine does not. However I will probably just leave the ipod in the rear as it has a protective case and I can attach velcro to that to secure it and that way it'll be tucked out of the way. Now I just hope it works!

[RichardP]

You'll get much better display on the MID with the Intravee than the DICE.

Intravee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JztVvzZS5zk

DICE (the best I could find was on the E46 Business, DICE is exactly the same on MID but it will display on the High cluster if you have one, so will the Intravee instead of the right side of the MID but in addition to the left side of the MID, with the DICE it's either left side of MID or Cluster).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htRkQypGsNg

Intravee is not just for Nav, although that is where there is the biggest difference, MID is not too far behind.

I'm not sure if the X5 ever came with the IRIS, if it did and you have one then you'll get no text display from the DICE and only text display from the Intravee if you have the non integrated version (no TONE and LIN keys on the lower right).

[Dan1502]

I'm a bit disappointed now to be honest but the dice is probably still usable. Basically the instruction manual for the Silverline that you can download from the website (which I did before buying) states that it is compatible with the Generation 4 Ipod. The model I received is a Silverline Pro and the instruction manual makes no mention of the 4G Ipod. Anyway, I set it all up in the boot and got it playing but not displaying track details. It displayed the setup text to show it was recognising the unit, software versions etc etc. I then checked it by plugging in my iphone 3GS (I'm not sure it charged this) and the track information was displayed. When I say displayed, I could choose between the dashboard or radio display.

So I tried loads difference settings both with the toggles on the unit and all options via the radio to no avail. The guy at the shop had warned me text display might not work but he was talking more about this being a possible issue with certain head units rather than ipods. So I ended up calling the tech support line in the US (using a discount number so 0.5p/min) and the guy was useless and didn't give a toss, suggesting I return it if not happy.

So having sat back and thought about it I will probably just treat it like a cd multichanger but with loads of cds in the short term as I can still skip through album by album and track by track but just not know what's what until I hear it - just like a cd changer. I can probably set up playlists and skip through these too.

My next move will probably be to route the cable to the glove box. I've seen a video on youtube that shows how to get it so far but I'm not sure about where to go once I get the cable to the front of the front seat area - probably along the console as shown but I'm not sure of the most discrete way to access the glove box or where it's best to put the unit so that it can be accessed if required (behind front of center tunnel trim?). Assistance with this would be great.

If I do this then I would then be able to use the ipod as above, select using it if required (or get a passenger to do it) or connect up my iphone and use that. The intravee does look better but the whole idea of this was to get a better alternative to a multuichanger for about the same price and to utilise the mint condition 40Gb ipod 4G I have. I don't know if the intravee supports text with this iphone?

If anyone has got the Generation 4 Ipod (really old black and white screen one) to work with text and can tell me how, I'll owe you a beer or two!

[RichardP]

The Intravee definitally supports text display from a 4G iPod.

[Dan1502]

I think I'm stuck with the Dice now, that's if it still works. There was water ingress in the car the evening a fitted it (leaving it in the rear quarter) and I'm not sure if it was ruined or not. The car's in the dealers being sorted (probably leak around the rear light cluster). If it is broken I guess I could make a credit card claim. Do you have to have the alpine thingy as well as the intravee?

[Sanj]

[quote=""Dan1502""]Do you have to have the alpine thingy as well as the intravee?[/quote]

Yes - both to work...