Anyone got an Andrive Headunit for their X5??

[applekev]

http://www.mimientertainment.co.uk/DVD- ... uct_id=220

Thinking about one of these instead of the andrive,only really because of the inability to have good radio signal on the and rive, any comments or suggestions welcome.

[ProfessorX]

Hi all sorry ive been so busy at work ive not yet put up my appraisal if my andrive, i will do soon and im
Absolutely loving it! One thing i will say though is that those mimi entertainment units are what i looked at and saw one in person aswell as the dynavin. I went for the andrive as the mimi unit was really really crap. More chinese than a chow mein lol. It was not good at all and the radio signal is not particular to andrive, in fact andrive is far better than dynavin for the radio and mimi units and all the other third party units have similar issues with the amp setup in the X5. Hence the mimi radio signal is junk too!

[dobbor1]

Hi mate not heard from you for a while. Having had my Andrive for a bit now I can say that is is really good. The sound quality is excellent. The only 2 issues I still have is the radio signal is pants. I have tested the BMW aerial amp and it is has power going to it. When I have a signal and take the power off I lose it so it definitely works. Not sure what to do there. Can't even receive local channels very good. The other issue which Phil is looking into is that the unit doesn't remember the last function I was on before I switch off. It boots up on a different function completely and is annoying. Any issues with you so far?

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[Horizon]

Why doesn't he just replace your headunit if it is faulty out of the box? I think you are being a little too patient with this guy. How many has he sold? Sounds like your a Guinnepig for them in the UK
Have you tried plugging a standard aerial into it to see if that sorts your problem..

[dobbor1]

I will have to try another aerial you're right. As for guinea pigs. The 7 inch screen with android 4.0.4 is a new product but is suppose to be much more advanced than the 6 inch 2.3.0 version they have sold a lot of especially  for the 5 series BMW. If I can't get these 2 issues sorted I'll have the unit changed.

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[dark_stranger]

To be honest, glad I held back on this device and will do so, until you get a satisfactory resolution on the radio issue.

[dobbor1]

I have done some more testing today and found that I have a loose connection on the BMW aerial Fakra connector side. The coax seems to have a high resistance fault right near the edge of the connector and when it is wiggled the signal improves. I may have sorted it at last. I'll know better once I change the connector. I hope it clears as it has been doing my head in....

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[dobbor1]

Ok, the plan is to chop off the existing OEM Fakra connector from the existing aerial cable and terminate a standard DIN male connector.  The X5 coax is very small in diameter so before I do it myself, will the DIN fit ok or will the coax be too small and a Fakra re-fitted??

[Horizon]

You can get converter cables from eBay I think. My Dynavin came with a standard. Aerial adapter on the end of the coax cable that came out of the headunit. Then there was a converter short cable adapter to change to Fakra . I will look on EBay to see if I can see one


http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004TW7U0I/r ... wo=&hvqmt=

That's arse roads about, but you can get them to adapt Fakra to female din.

[dobbor1]

I have one of these which came with the unit. Its the female jack end which is the factory connector which is faulty off the car coax.

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[dobbor1]

Sorted out the FM radio problem. It was the BMW end of the Fakra connector which was faulty. Got a new one fitted and it works a treat now. Thank god for that. Also the random booting has suddenly sorted itself out as well. Linked or coincidence???

Now I can finally say the Andrive unit is working very well.

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[dobbor1]

OK so the random boot returned and it appears that its not the Andrive unit at fault. Having spoken to Phil @ Andrive today he confirms that the car is sending a system check pulse on initial car ignition down the can bus box through the mode cable which is telling the unit to switch modes. The later model E53 cars carry out a system check as is known to most of us but also includes a pulse to the radio loom. Phil is in the process of modifying the canbus box to suit the X5. This does not occur on other BMW models and are not affected. I am happy now I know the cause and that there is a solution. In the mean time I stand by the fact that the Andrive system is really good and meets all my requirements. Phil has also been very helpful since I bought the unit and not just left me in the shi#t.

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[ProfessorX]

Hi There again,

Nice to know that you fixed the radio issue, no third party stereo is going to be as good, and that is because of the way BMW radio amps are set up. That said, mine is actually very good reception, and far better than the dynavin which was in the my X5 before i bought it (i saw it on the test drive)

I have an earlier x5 and dont have this random switching from the canbus pulse. I have heard of the problem with other third party units on the later vehicles.

All in all, Im incredibly pleased with my Andrive, everything works as it should and the android is fantastic. Wifi works perfectly tethering with my phone, the screen is responsive and fast, the possibilities really are endless as i have found more and more apps which can be used in car.

One thing I would say is that the Andrive system is what you make of it. If you do want one of their systems, it isnt just and in car dvd and sat nav, it is a full in car computer. It works best when set up as such. Ive installed a powered hub and flush mounted usb sockets, so i can now attach a 1tb hard disk with music and movies, and feed it to my rear view screens while using the sat nav.

I can also attach any other usb accessories which android can use, such as the interface for torque, to give me OBD2 functions via the headunit.

Its a great piece of kit and like dobbor1 I have had fantastic support from Phil and Paul over at Andrive.

Im now told by Phil that Andrive now have new offices and people are welcome to visit and see the units in action.

Im well happy with my purchase and would recommend the Andrive unit to anyone!

[dobbor1]

Have you got a link to which USB Hub and flush mounted sockets you bought please?
Have you connected the Hub to the Android or non android side?

Any Pictures of where you have put them?

Dobbo

[Andrive]

Hi Dobbo,

I presume professor X used the flush usb port we recommended to him. You can find it here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221146362872

You can use any hub but if you want it powered youll need either a 12v one or a 12v>5v converter and a regular hub.

Heres a few pics of the unit installed in my personal E39.

Home screen, customised to my preference, with apps, widgets and wallpaper.



The N7 Music Player app is incredibly slick, and free from the Play store









Wifi Settings



Connected to 3G and OBD2/ECU socket



Torque Running showing it's various functions...

Main Torque App Screen



Fault Code reader:



Trip Information



Various Gauges, screen is fully customisable. Currently I have Mpg, Coolant Temp, on the fly BHP meter, Engine Load, Fuel Flow..but you can choose whatever.



Youtube:



BBC iPlayer (Free App)



Titanium Backup, for the Android fans - Note the rooted status



A certain Website in the browser:



Angry Birds, to play whilst waiting for the wife outside the hairdressers lol



TomTom



Route Planned: (address edited out)



Route Underway:



Flush Mounted USB port for any usb accessories, connected to hub behind the dash - handy to have a port with easy access. You could add 2 or 3 of these if you so desired. I may add more.



3G Dongle plugged into port for illustration.