[XAMI]

Recently installed the BimmerDirect - Carplay/Android 8.8 screen replacement.
~~Any feedback, experience, advice for this same screen is welcomed.~~

Replaced the old non-nav screen on my 2016 m235i because i mainly wanted an updated style, with maps and an EQ.

Positives:
Maps works great (didn't have it before), I now have a full audio EQ which i didn't have on the stock screen (I have the HQ audio system)
Easier to browse and select songs/playlists.
Screen fills up the whole thing vs 2/3 on the stock system.
And that might be it.

Installation was pretty easy, only had to swap out about 3 plugs, it took me longer because i didn't want to break anything, and i reached out to support about some plugs that they mentioned, which mine didn't have which turned out to be normal.

Negatives:
-Very very generic "instructions" for a range of cars, which led to confusion.

-LOTS of settings to set, to get it to work, which aren't given to you at all. I spent more time with support getting the initial settings right, than it took to install the hardware. Support was amazing and fast, as i was in my car with everything apart, but they ended up having me go through and toggle every setting, then change it to the next, and to the next until it worked.
I wish they had a list of settings to use, that is specific to your VIN.

-Sometimes audio doesn't connect, and i have to switch the bluetooth destination to either carplay or bmw on my phone

-Sometimes an incoming call will kill the carplay connection.

-With announce text turned on, it will kill the carplay connection once a text comes through.

-My backup camera works half of the time, the other half it says "camera malfunction" no rhyme or reason. Also the reverse angle lines are completely gone and i can't get them back.

-Carplay mode is touchscreen, if i go into the old stock-drive system for car settings and touch the screen, it crashes and freezes.

-Hitting the next button on the stock stereo, will skip 2 songs, instead of just going to the next one.

All in all, its cool, but the frustration of songs dropping and not playing is really annoying (it'll say connected, show the song with the timer moving, but no audio)

My biggest frustration is the backup camera only working half of the time.
I really don't want to sit on the phone with support while they have me toggle every single setting to try and get it to work the way it should. (they had me do that to get it to this point)


I may end up reverting to the stock system if it frustrates me enough, even though i don't want to.

Has anyone else installed this same 8.8 screen on a 2016 235i non-nav car and gotten it to work perfectly? If so, i'd love to hear which settings you have used.

This is the one i purchased:
https://bimmerdirect.com/collections...y-android-auto

[HUGMEE]

I had a horrible experience with BimmerDirect from beginning to end not to mention the rep Ian G. is rude and their units are overpriced.

These screens are dropped shipped and the same unit is $199 through Road Top. Amazon's Ninetom is Road Top. I went to Autoabc for $220. They are all the same units.

[XAMI]

Originally Posted by HUGMEE

I had a horrible experience with BimmerDirect from beginning to end not to mention the rep Ian G. is rude and their units are overpriced.

These screens are dropped shipped and the same unit is $199 through Road Top. Amazon's Ninetom is Road Top. I went to Autoabc for $220. They are all the same units.

Thanks, so did you end up ditching the BD hardware, and got the exact same one through Autoabc and it worked the way it should?

[f22fiend]

No offense man but you sound pretty uneducated when it comes to this stuff. I actaully have the same unit as you in my 240i. They give you like 12 pages of PDF stuff that tells you how to setup most of this stuff. You being too lazy to do the easy screen resolution setup thing speaks multitudes.

It's literally a Chinese/Taiwain factory overseas that makes electronics for $300. They literally tell you that off the cuff. So it's a chinese company outright telling you that everyone is selling garbage... and they're willing to sell you a slightly better compromise. That's pretty honest in my eyes.

I've used the generic RT/Amazon stuff and there's is an obvious improvement. The screens are not even the same resolutions for starters. Or the software. Or anything else.

People like you coming here to cry about things that are guaranteed to be partially their fault, with no real facts, are probably why these overseas factories no longer want to deal with Americans and hide behind TEMU so much.

rant over lmaooo

Originally Posted by XAMI

Recently installed the BimmerDirect - Carplay/Android 8.8 screen replacement.
~~Any feedback, experience, advice for this same screen is welcomed.~~

Replaced the old non-nav screen on my 2016 m235i because i mainly wanted an updated style, with maps and an EQ.

Positives:
Maps works great (didn't have it before), I now have a full audio EQ which i didn't have on the stock screen (I have the HQ audio system)
Easier to browse and select songs/playlists.
Screen fills up the whole thing vs 2/3 on the stock system.
And that might be it.

Installation was pretty easy, only had to swap out about 3 plugs, it took me longer because i didn't want to break anything, and i reached out to support about some plugs that they mentioned, which mine didn't have which turned out to be normal.

Negatives:
-Very very generic "instructions" for a range of cars, which led to confusion.

-LOTS of settings to set, to get it to work, which aren't given to you at all. I spent more time with support getting the initial settings right, than it took to install the hardware. Support was amazing and fast, as i was in my car with everything apart, but they ended up having me go through and toggle every setting, then change it to the next, and to the next until it worked.
I wish they had a list of settings to use, that is specific to your VIN.

-Sometimes audio doesn't connect, and i have to switch the bluetooth destination to either carplay or bmw on my phone

-Sometimes an incoming call will kill the carplay connection.

-With announce text turned on, it will kill the carplay connection once a text comes through.

-My backup camera works half of the time, the other half it says "camera malfunction" no rhyme or reason. Also the reverse angle lines are completely gone and i can't get them back.

-Carplay mode is touchscreen, if i go into the old stock-drive system for car settings and touch the screen, it crashes and freezes.

-Hitting the next button on the stock stereo, will skip 2 songs, instead of just going to the next one.

All in all, its cool, but the frustration of songs dropping and not playing is really annoying (it'll say connected, show the song with the timer moving, but no audio)

My biggest frustration is the backup camera only working half of the time.
I really don't want to sit on the phone with support while they have me toggle every single setting to try and get it to work the way it should. (they had me do that to get it to this point)


I may end up reverting to the stock system if it frustrates me enough, even though i don't want to.

Has anyone else installed this same 8.8 screen on a 2016 235i non-nav car and gotten it to work perfectly? If so, i'd love to hear which settings you have used.

This is the one i purchased:
https://bimmerdirect.com/collections...y-android-auto

[jiggersplat]

Oh lord, I bought from these/this guy. I thought it would be nice to have a company with a web page and a US address for support/service if anything went wrong instead of Ali Express. Boy was I wrong. DO NOT RECOMMEND. Guy is a total ass. Had the rudest, most unhelpful exchange I have ever had with "customer service".

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I've been installing aftermarket stereos since the 90s. I built a custom PC into my car in 2006. I build some pretty complicated electronics system for work, so I'm not exactly dumb either. The guy basically implied that I'm too stupid to get it work and just sent me a return label.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by f22fiend

People like you coming here to cry about things that are guaranteed to be partially their fault, with no real facts, are probably why these overseas factories no longer want to deal with Americans and hide behind TEMU so much.

rant over lmaooo