CIC to NBT Retrofit Done - Pic Heavy

[Hugo_za]

Here we are folks. It's been a wee wait while the kit was assembled but it arrived and was installed in an afternoon (no jokes). It is a challenging retrofit if you have no experience with these things. At the very least you need to be able to read wiring diagrams and also have either the knowledge required to disassemble the interior of your car or know how to sear and read the info on TIS. Others have covered more technical details of the install. My writeup will be step-by-step of what I did.

Before starting removed the footwell side carpets, centre console side plastic trim, and trim roof in driver's footwell. Info on how to do this can be found on TIS.

This is the kit. It includes MOST cable, USB cable, Adapter, Touch Module, 2x wiring sets for touch and controller, harness, touch controller, APIX cable, Bluetooth Antenna, HU_NBT.

Roof down and rear head rests out. These are a royal PITA to remove. I find that grabbing on to them and moving side to side is the easiest way to get them out.

Front seats forward as far as they will go. Rear bench out. Again, PITA to get out. Grabbing the outer edges and pulling up is the easiest way to get it out. It takes some effort, but eventually it will budge.

Rear backrest is held in place by two bolts, and once removed can be tilted forward. No need to remove the seatbelts. You have more than enough access to the COMBOX. Note the brace. This has to be removed.

Said brace removed. Little bolt is example of one of the 4 bolts securing the COMBOX to its frame.

COMBOX removed.

COMBOX wiring and MOST disconnected. The little blue tab needs to be pushed out in order for the most cables to be removed.

COMBOX MOST terminated.

At this stage we move to the front. Recline the front seats as far as they can, and move them all they way back.

Locate the ZGW underneath the driver's side dashboard.

Remove the MOST connecter, and disassemble it in the same manner as the COMBOX MOST.

ZGW MOST terminated.

Old CID removed. Next remove the backing plate.

Basic disassembly done. This is what a 6-series console looks like when it's stripped out like a nuclear winter :-D

Bind up the old CID Apix and power connectors and secure behind the dashboard.

Connect MOST cable supplied with the retrofit kit to the ZGW.

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Feed MOST through sidewall into cavity behind the HU.

Connect MOST to the FeNBT adapter.

Remove beige connecter from USB port in armrest storage.

Feed new USB cable underneath the console carrier from HU to armrest storage.

New USB cable connected.

New bluetooth antenna in a neat little wedge between the HU and air vents.

NBT hooked up and ready to be tested for the first time.

At this stage the old idrive controller (ZBE2) is still connected.

It works!

USB connection in armrest works.

Touch controller (ZBE3) and Touch ECU connected. This was a more technical step as it requires you to wire the ZBE3 and ECU to the CAN-H, CAN-L, Battery and Ground cables. Not that big a deal. I used splice connectors for a super clean install.

Touch works. I'm still not convinced about the usefulness of touch input since we drive on the right side of the road, and writing with the left hand is average at best.

The trim surround of the ZBE3 has to be removed since the surround from the ZBE2 stays in the centre console, and fits perfectly around the ZBE3. This can be done without destroying the surround. All you need is a small flat head screw driver and some patience.

ZBE3 in place and fits perfectly.

The instructions call for the PDC Camera buttons to be connected to the FeNBT adapter. Three wires in a 4-pin connector is all it takes. I actually replaced this blue one with a new one which I purchased from BMW, along with new crimp connectors.

First drive outside with the roof down. The screen is excellent (remember that this is one I ordered from China...not one that came with the kit).

And there you have it. I took the photo of the complete kit on 23 April 2019 at 2:58 PM and the install was done by 5:30pm.

As smoothly as the install went, it is not without challenges. Currently my PDC sounds and steering wheel track buttons do not work. Bimmer Retrofit are working with me to resolve the problem. I also cannot connect to the NBT though OBD despite having ZGH High installed. I will update the ZGW tomorrow to see if that solves the problem, or else connect directly to the NBT using an RJ45 cable. Once I can connect to it I can complete the coding and get my cameras back

To help troubleshoot any potential wiring issues I removed all the unused wires from the harness (more than half of them, in fact). I also initially cut the connector from the 4-pin connected to the PDC button, but have since re-pinned it to a new connector, just in case it ever needs to be reconnected.

Overall I am very happy with the kit and the support from Bimmer Retrofit. Beyond the headlights there is no way to tell that my car is Pre-LCI, and even then very few of the LCI models (even those with EVO) have the glass screens.

Happy to answer any questions

 

[boost3d]

raise:

Impressive!

 

[Rayzor]

:bravo:

 

[TurboLlew]

Well done!! :bravo:

 

[Danny2]

:bravo::bravo:

 

[Hugo_za]

Tanks folks. Update:

I ran connected the factory mic to the NBT. Simple task. and I kept the original pins intact too. I also wired a RJ45 lan cable directly to the quadlock on the NBT for programming. Works a treat. There was also an issue with the PDC light not coming on, and the car randomly switching to camera view but this was due to the FeNBT adapter having more pins to the PDC switch than what is required for my car.

The only issues still remaining with the retrofit are PDC sounds and steering wheel track select, but Bimmer Retrofit seem to think that this has something to do with my car having ZGW2 High and their adapter being configured for ZGW. They are working with their developer on solution.

 

[momoPike]

Thanks for the write up. Considering doing similar
Could you possibly help me with links to the other threads on this, as I looked and couldn’t find a lot wanna try get as much info as possible before I begin.

 

[Twinz]

Wow. That is an extremely well documented DIY.:bravo:

 

[Hugo_za]

BEFORE YOU READ THE ORIGINAL POST:
After doing the initial installation of the retrofit the kit I was faced with PDC sound and steering wheel track select issues. No amount of coding would fix it, and Bimmer Retrofit suggested a firmware update to the FeNBT box to address it. The problem may have arisen from the fact that my car has a ZGW2-High from factory, and the FeNBT is not 100% compatible with it. Another strange issue was that the NBT would not save my unit settings, so every time the car booted up it would reset to default, which in my car's case is UK MPG etc. So I did install version two today:

* Removed the FeNBT retrofit adapter
* Updated SWFL (both) and BTLD of the ZGW2-High with 8SK software. For my ZGW2-High they were btld_000010f5-003_004_090, SWFL_0000092b-005_018_00, SWFL000010f6-003_004_160. The ZGW now shows up as ZGW2 in esys, where before it was just ZGW (despite being a ZGW2-High)
* Tapped the CAN2 high and low at the CAS
* ZBE3 and Touch ECU are also tapped into CAN2
* Restored original PDC button wiring

The retrofit works 100%. Initially the NBT would not display my top view or PDC, but the sounds worked. I resolved this by doing a fresh FA code with my original FA but with the Zeitkriterium updated to 0712. The retrofit is 100% feature complete and I did not have to do any module swaps or modifications other than flashing the ZGW2 with 8SK software. Also, the car's original wiring is 100% intact, except for 2 splice connectors

FeNBT adapter removed

PDC TSRVC original button wiring restored and working

PDC TSRVC working 100%

Steering wheel list wheel functionality restored

The information above is still relevant as a guide if the ZGW2 route is not viable in your case. Steps like the removal of the COMBOX and USB cable routing as well as the disassembly steps are also still required, even with the 8SK method.

Also, the standard disclaimer applies. The information above is based on my experience and I give no guarantee that the information is applicable or relevant to any other car configuration.

 

[SubLoaded]

Is that list of songs displayed via bluetooth stream?

 

[Hugo_za]

Is that list of songs displayed via bluetooth stream?

Sadly no :-( Spotify in the first set of photos is from an iPod that lives in the car, and the song list in the new set is some music I have on the headunit's hard drive.

 

[Hugo_za]

Since I never listen to the radio I only accidentally noticed this morning that my radio reception was gone. Simple fix though. I removed pin 13 from the NBT quadlock and bridged it with pin 15. Isolated the removed pin and, presto, radio reception restored.

I also did some tinkering with my FA file and lo and behold the HU_NBT, KOMBI and AMP now show up in my list of ECU's when connecting through the ZGW in Esys.

Only minor niggle remaining is the GPS location that is a bit erratic.

 

[bmwcoupèita]

Since I never listen to the radio I only accidentally noticed this morning that my radio reception was gone. Simple fix though. I removed pin 13 from the NBT quadlock and bridged it with pin 15. Isolated the removed pin and, presto, radio reception restored.

I also did some tinkering with my FA file and lo and behold the HU_NBT, KOMBI and AMP now show up in my list of ECU's when connecting through the ZGW in Esys.

Only minor niggle remaining is the GPS location that is a bit erratic.

Hi, can you write the codes you put in the VO to encode NBT?
What codes did you delete and what codes did you add?
thank you

 

[Hugo_za]

Since I never listen to the radio I only accidentally noticed this morning that my radio reception was gone. Simple fix though. I removed pin 13 from the NBT quadlock and bridged it with pin 15. Isolated the removed pin and, presto, radio reception restored.

I also did some tinkering with my FA file and lo and behold the HU_NBT, KOMBI and AMP now show up in my list of ECU's when connecting through the ZGW in Esys.

Only minor niggle remaining is the GPS location that is a bit erratic.

Hi, can you write the codes you put in the VO to encode NBT?
What codes did you delete and what codes did you add?
thank you

I only removed the codes related to telematics and assist. Everything else pretty much remains.

Original FA options:
1CD,223,229,230,2H9,2PA,2TB,2VA,302,323,387,388,3AG,3MB,423,428,430,441,481,494,4AS,4KS,4ND,4UR,508,524,5A1,5DL,609,610,612,615,616,620,633,654,677,698,6AA,6AB,6FL,6NF,6NR,6VC,850,853,877,880,8KA,8S2,8S3,8SM,8TF,8TL,8TN

Retrofit FA Options:
1CD,223,229,230,2H9,2PA,2TB,2VA,302,323,387,388,3AG,3MB,423,428,430,441,481,494,4AS,4KS,4ND,4UR,508,524,5A1,5DL,609,610,612,616,620,654,677,698,6FL,6NF,6NR,6VC,6WA,850,853,877,880,8KA,8S2,8S3,8SM,8TF,8TL,8TN,

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A few more updates:
5/3/2019: Leaving a client meeting the iDrive was dead, and I had a drivetrain and adaptive headlight warning on the KOMBI. Luckily I knew exactly what was causing this. When I initially removed the Bimmer Retrofit adapter one of the CAN2 pins popped out of the quadlock, causing the exact same set of errors. I stopped at an electronics store on the way home to buy a couple of things, and as soon as I got home I checked my CAN2 wiring. The pins were secure, so I checked the splices on the CAN2 lines at the CAS. Bingo! Turns out the wire I used to connect the NBT to the CAN2 network was not thick enough, so the scotch locks did not cut clear through the sheathing, meaning very little splicing was taking place Removed the wire and taped up the CAN2 lines at the CAS and re-spliced at the ZGW using 18AGW wires. Also took the opportunity to do some cable tidying behind the headunit. All in all took around 45 minutes, and a test drive after confirmed everything is working as it should.

5/16/2019: With the retrofit done and working 100% I noticed that ISTA was running quite slow when doing its it's initial test and subsequent fault clearing. 5 minutes to do a complete identification with test, and another 5 minutes to clear any errors and re-test. The control unit tree was also a mess since it was looking for CIC, CID, Combox and ZBE2 whilst not knowing what to do with the ZBE3 and TBX. KOMBI and AMP were also showing as red, and obviously NBT wasn't showing at all.

I corrected this in two steps. First was to update the FA, second was to update the VCM with the SVT Actual data. The basic steps re-configured the control unit tree to now show the actual connections, i.e no MOST connection to from the ZGW, etc. AMP, KOMBI and HU_NBT were missing from both ECU and VCM reads now, but I fixed this by running a new TAL calculation and in TAL processing selecting HWInstall only. Esys was also set to update VCM after TAL processing. Presto, all three missing modules show up in both ISTA and Esys. ISTA now does the identification and test in under a minute again.

Oh, and the TBX had a "no coding data" error in ISTA so I injected a CafD in Esys and coded it. Error gone

5/17/2019: Roadtrips are most fun when the passenger can play DJ. Connecting USB devices to the port in the armrest is annoying difficult owing to the angle and stupid sliding cover. So, I figured "why not repurpose the glovebox USB". Took out the glovebox, removed the old USB cable from the main wiring harness, routed it to the cupholders. Used the Dremel to make a neat hole in the cupholder insert for the glovebox USB port. Connected the cable to the headunit and presto, it works. Picks up any device plugged into that port as though it was plugged into a snap-in adapter usually found in the armrest.