Has Anyone with MY2016 added CarPlay with JUST Coding (no NBT EVO head unit)?

[Sherhart]

As title states, wondering if anyone has done CarPlay with JUST coding for MY2016 - and if so - what the experience has been. Coding is clearly the inexpensive way to go, but I also know that lags and reboots are possible side effects as the 2016 head unit has 2GB RAM vs. 4GB RAM in the NBT EVO head unit. It's also not clear what trade-offs I might be making in terms of lost functionality.

Other option is to go ahead and bite the bullet on an NBT EVO head unit (tons or refurbs for under $600 on Ebay) and THEN do coding as I believe from what I have read that it is all plug-and-play for MY2016 and would give me everything short of touchscreen (which I could do with new screen, but don't care to have).

Really appreciate anyone who can weigh in here with their experience with either coding only or coding plus NBT EVO head unit on MY2016.

Thanks!
Jimbo

[Sahbatage]

sub'd, have been wondering how to do the same. Also not all that interested in touch screen, OCD can't handle the fingerprints anyway and it's not all that convenient while driving. I have a February 2016 build.

[blkcow]

Interested too. Do you know if it can be reversed should problems arise?

[kubax86]

Hello,
Yes, It is possible without changing hardware, but person that is decided to do it has to know that NBT EVO ID4 has 2GB RAM and sometimes reboots may occur - if using BMW iDrive navigation and so on. I've done many in the past and every customer is happy - they've gain CarPlay Fullscreen functionality at low cost. So flashing to iDrive 5/6(iDrive 5 or 6 is just a matter of coding), then activating all features with FSC kit including CarPlay and Fullscreen is possible without hardware swap. To use CarPlay, WiFi antenna should be added. It will work without it, but could be laggy. Antenna is cheap and super easy to install.

It can be reversed if it couses a lot of problems - to be honest no one ever wanted to reverse it.

Thanks

[dpgfunk]

Coding your current unit will run the risk of rebooting. If you're going to do it, do it right.

I did the full swap for my MY2016. It is plug and play but you will needed the new head unit coded to work with your car. You also need a wifi antenna (for CarPlay) which plugs into the back of the new unit. Lastly, but optional, you will need an updated iDrive controller as the button assignments are different (the Radio and Tel button are now Com and Map, respectively). It will still work with your old iDrive controller, but if you are OCD, you'll want the buttons to match their labeled functions.

[kubax86]

Originally Posted by dpgfunk

Coding your current unit will run the risk of rebooting. If you're going to do it, do it right.

I did the full swap for my MY2016. It is plug and play but you will needed the new head unit coded to work with your car. You also need a wifi antenna (for CarPlay) which plugs into the back of the new unit. Lastly, but optional, you will need an updated iDrive controller as the button assignments are different (the Radio and Tel button are now Com and Map, respectively). It will still work with your old iDrive controller, but if you are OCD, you'll want the buttons to match their labeled functions.

You can use old controller with proper button assignments. You just have to know how to code it properly.

If you want to swap, you can code headunit in the car, it does not have to prepared before.

[Sherhart]

Thanks for the replies Kubax and dgpfunk. It sounds like there is little harm in trying the coding only route as I can always decide to upgrade to NBT EVO head unit + antenna and recode if I'm not happy with the coding-only performance.

Jim

[jzhu625]

Originally Posted by Railgun

FWIW, I just had kubax86 flash/code a full retrofit as well as an F15 touchscreen. I can't speak to trying to code an ID4 HU as such, but I figure if I'm going to do it, do it right.

I can throw my recommendation for his services.

what was the cost?

[Crazy Penguin]

coding this. What?
For wired carplay with no touch screen?

Carplay not only sucks but its shit when wired and idrive knob controlled.

[kubax86]

Originally Posted by Crazy Penguin

coding this. What?
For wired carplay with no touch screen?

Carplay not only sucks but its shit when wired and idrive knob controlled.

There is no wired CarPlay on BMW cars

[bsmf8x]

Originally Posted by Sherhart

As title states, wondering if anyone has done CarPlay with JUST coding for MY2016 - and if so - what the experience has been. Coding is clearly the inexpensive way to go, but I also know that lags and reboots are possible side effects as the 2016 head unit has 2GB RAM vs. 4GB RAM in the NBT EVO head unit. It's also not clear what trade-offs I might be making in terms of lost functionality.

Other option is to go ahead and bite the bullet on an NBT EVO head unit (tons or refurbs for under $600 on Ebay) and THEN do coding as I believe from what I have read that it is all plug-and-play for MY2016 and would give me everything short of touchscreen (which I could do with new screen, but don't care to have).

Really appreciate anyone who can weigh in here with their experience with either coding only or coding plus NBT EVO head unit on MY2016.

Thanks!
Jimbo

I'm in the same predicament. Getting a new headunit or the NBT evo wharever is out of the question because I think paying 500-1000$ for CarPlay is insane.

How bad is the rebooting & lagginess? If anyone has done it please give some input. I have a 2016 with iDrive 4 (F82) and want to just add the WiFi antenna + coding. If it's really shitty I'd just skip out on it, I could care less about a new infotainment but the CarPlay is important to me.

[blkcow]

There’s also the option of going the CarPlay MMI route. I ended up doing it and it works pretty well. No lags or reboots since it’s got its own set of electronics

[kubax86]

Originally Posted by murdrdf82

I'm in the same predicament. Getting a new headunit or the NBT evo wharever is out of the question because I think paying 500-1000$ for CarPlay is insane.

How bad is the rebooting & lagginess? If anyone has done it please give some input. I have a 2016 with iDrive 4 (F82) and want to just add the WiFi antenna + coding. If it's really shitty I'd just skip out on it, I could care less about a new infotainment but the CarPlay is important to me.

Lags and reboots are like 1-2%. Most of the people didn’t even have them.

[ReactiveShooter]

what benefits are there to this if you dont have an iphone?

[evo828]

Hi, on my EU M4 (2016) i have managed to update all units to i-step F020-20-03-530. Except for HU-NBT and KOMBI which are still on F020-16-03-503 and i do not know how to update them to the higher i-step (ICOM and ISTA+ was used but unsuccessful).
Do I need to update HU-NBT first to some newer i-level before trying to enable the carplay via e-sys coding?
My hardware is: NBTEvo_E

[kubax86]

Originally Posted by evo828

Hi, on my EU M4 (2016) i have managed to update all units to i-step F020-20-03-530. Except for HU-NBT and KOMBI which are still on F020-16-03-503 and i do not know how to update them to the higher i-step (ICOM and ISTA+ was used but unsuccessful).
Do I need to update HU-NBT first to some newer i-level before trying to enable the carplay via e-sys coding?
My hardware is: NBTEvo_E

Use router with ICOM or ENET for Cluster/Headunit update.

[evo828]

Originally Posted by kubax86

Use router with ICOM or ENET for Cluster/Headunit update.

Thank you. Just to better understand : So I need to use router (with DHCP) that will provide IP to ICOM and to the car as well?

If using ENET cable - also through router?