Sorry - yet another satnav query

[John]

Hi all,

im guessing this subject has been asked about a million times so sorry

got a 52 plate 3.0d sport, i reckon its the original satnav disc in it, so i want to know how to upgrade it cheaply if possible!

the disc says 2002 - 2 on it, its a navtec? disc, theres no postcode facility on it either, and the graphics are a bit blocky

so, can i get a disc that will upgrade it?? or am i looking at a hardware/player upgrade as well??

while im on the subject, my telly is of course analogue, and as im in Wales im digital here so telly dosnt work here(altho it works fine in england as i found out at the weekend)

so whats the cheapest/easiest option for upgrading to digital? i know i prob wont use the telly that much but id like it to work,

these are prob the first of a few questions guys, bear with me please

oh and one more i didnt get the original owners manual/book when i got the car, are these easy to come by??

thanks in advance guys,

John

[Denis O]

You can get later mapping discs. On 2002 car the nav computer may be a Mk3 CD based which offers little flexibility. You really need a Mk4 DVD based system to give good results. BMW discs are available at around £200 DVD or "other" sources which cannot be referenced on this site as they are illegal.

TV can be upgraded by getting a digital tuner, probably from eBay, which will cost lots and IMHO is a waste of money to watch TV on a little screen when you're parked.

Search the net and you'll probably find all the handbooks you need. Alternatively buy them on eBay.

[X5Sport]

Check whether the drive in the boot has 'DVD' on it. If so you have a Mk4 system. If not, it's a Mk3 - which is CD only.

You should also get the firmware upgraded to the latest version as that may be on the original version too. That is a DIY job as long as you follow the instructions about it to the letter. If you don't then there is a chance of bricking the unit.

Have a look on the Xoutpost site, in the Navigation Section, where you will be able to get Version 32 (the last official release for the Mk3/Mk4 systems before the iDrive versions came out, and the instructions for doing the upgrade. I have done it successfully several times on our E46 and E53 with no issues at all. It'll save you getting billed by the Dealer for about 10mins work!! You do need a CD writer to do it, but it is simple as long as you follow the BMW Instructions.

The current map disk is 2011-1, and my Dealer sells it for £175 a pop. 2011-2 will be out fairly soon.

[John]

Thanks for the replies lads,

i have been doing a bit of digging around today and seem to have found something, wont go into anymore as its not "official" ahem ahem

on a diferent note, i got my iphone paired with the car today so pleased with that, only slight thing is it says "sms not supported" but tbh this is not a huge problem

again, thanks,

John

[Sanj]

Welcome John,

You know the regards this site and what you might find elsewhere.

Either way, hope you get sorted at a reasonable price. Just work out what you have right now - CD or DVD based SatNav.

[John]

yep sanj, i know the score,

its a cd based satnav, so just weighing up the options at the mo,

i work abroad most of the time and im off to portugal next week for a few days so prob wont decide exactly what im getting/doing til i get back

[x555]

[quote=""John""]
while im on the subject, my telly is of course analogue, and as im in Wales im digital here so telly dosnt work here(altho it works fine in england as i found out at the weekend)

so whats the cheapest/easiest option for upgrading to digital? John[/quote]

It would be cheaper to move to England than upgrade the sat nav unit (especially if you get it from a dealers)

[B5tew]

Hi John
Have a look at this thread for your digital tv answers
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2172
Hope you get it all sorted
Stewart

[John]

Hi Stewart,

thanks for the reply, i had checked that thread out, followed the link on your post to the ebay listing for the cable, the listing says its for later X5's than mine i think, and the freeview box? is that any freeview box?

cheers,

John

[B5tew]

Hi John
As long as your TV tuner has the blue and white plugs the lead will fit . As for the freeview box I did a lot of research before deciding to get the Beat one I know there are ones on ebay and elswhere a lot cheaper but I found the one I had to be really good and worked on the move unless you were in a really built up area. Also found the USB good as you could put video and music on a memory stick and play it on the screen I bought a usb extension cable and had a socket in the centre console.
Dont be tempted to pay a fortune for the OEM BMW tuner as the reception is nowhere near as good as the Beat one.
Hope you get it all sorted
Stewart