I have a 530d fitted with the bluetooth phone system, with a Nokia 6310i in the BMW supplied (expensive) cradle.
After nearly two years of use I am not sure this is any better than a hard wired installation.
My main criticism is the sound quality and reception. My understanding (from the dealership) was that the phone & cradle connector pins enabled a direct connection with the car's mirophone & speakers, aerial etc.
I don't think this is the case - I think the system works via the bluetooth link - can anyone verify this?
Can the system be tuned for better performance?
What can I do to improve the sound transmission?
|
|
Simple to prove take it out of the cradle and see if it still works through the car audio system with better or worse sound quality.My bluetooth (parrot)has no cradle or any visible parts except the mike and works perfectly with phone in my pocket and is completely voice activated as all proper hands free should be.
|
|
There were problems with microphones on these, there are two mics. There is also a firmware upgrade - read this in a BMW forum while searching for other bluetooth info.
|
|
I thought the whole point of Bluetooth was that there was NO physical connection.
|
I think they must use the cradle for charging the phone,if it needs the cradle to work the phone it aint Bluetooth
|
|
|
|
I have the same system in my 330D - E46. The cradle only uses the car for power and the external aerial. You can use it out of the cradle and it will obviously only be using the phones battery and built in aerial.
In both cases it uses the mic and audio of the car and with the 6310i also transfers the address book to the car so that you can scroll through the address book from the steering wheel.
Interestingly - the audio quality that people can hear isn't too good for people I call - wheras I can hear them perfectly.
My car is Nov'04 - so I wonder if it needs an upgrade?
HTH
Robert
|
|
There still hasn't been an answer if it connects to the car's wiring thro' the cradle or Bluetooth.I would think that could be found out by holding the phone in your hand in the car and phoning and seeing if you were answered thro' the cars speakers rather than the handset.
|
I must have chosen my words badly .....
The connection is via Bluetooth into the cars systems. The cradle is ONLY used for power and aerial. This means that you can take the handset in and out of the cradle during a call and it makes no difference.
HTH
|
If the bluetooth link between phone & car is used for communication and data exchange, what are the other connector pins for?
My cradle has charging and aerial connectors, plus another seven pins - what are these for?
Also shortly after delivery the BMW dealership did something to the system which improved reception - I'm wondering if its possible to get it upgraded or reprogrammed again.
|
|
Some extra pins on cradles allow you to play mp3s through the car's system with proper stereo mp3 quality instead of bluetooth muffle.
|
|
|
|
I suspect that the other pins are not connected - the pins are all slightly spring loaded so that helps with the physical side of the connection. If there were no spring loaded pins in place then the phone wouldn't sit snug into the holder. Similarly - the Nokia data cable only uses 3 pins but has all 7 connected also.
|
|
|
|
|
