New Z4. idrive update question

86zccrx · 12-17-2013, 11:23 AM

I just picked up my new '14 Z4 28i last week and noticed that the office feature doesn't seem to be working. I noticed that I am at an older version, 3.4.31. I went to bmw.com/update and see that there is a newer version available for my VIN number 3.5.4.
I formatted a thumb drive with FAT32, copied the bin file and tried to update the software, but it just gives me an error that no update files were found. I have tried a couple of thumb drives and tried both the arm rest & glove compartment usb port in the car. I saw an earlier post about just having to wait, but after 5-10 minutes, it still wasn't recognized.
I'm not sure if there is something simple I am missing to get it to update, or if it's something that I should ask the dealer to take a look at.
Also, here is a pic of the new car.

emcd4 · 12-20-2013, 10:22 PM

I have the same issue on my 2014 Z4 35i. I have had several discussions with BMW USA and 3 dealers in the Mpls. area. I have also tried different thumb drive formats and allocation sizes along with three different brands of thumb drives with no success. Nobody has come up with a solution except the dealers say bring it in so they can run diagnostics. Since my iDrive is currently working flawlessly with my current phone and the software limitations associated with the coupling with Android phones, I am not too interested in trying to fix something that is currently not broken.

It could be that the updated binary file is not compatible with the 2014 iDrive system or that the software is already the latest even though the version number doesn't indicate that.

If you ever stumble upon a solution, please post it here.

cuddapah · 12-21-2013, 05:44 AM

Mine is a 2011 Z4 and noticed similar issue. For software update or importing music, USB port in the glove compartment only should be used. I noticed that the USB port in the glove compartment never connects to any USB stick/drive properly. I have to shake it a little bit and hold it so that the USB stick/drive is recognized. Once the connection is made, it is easy either to update s/w or import music.

emcd4 · 12-21-2013, 04:18 PM

I also tried the glove box USB port with no luck. The manual specifically says to use the center arm rest USB. I think BMW changed this in 2012 or 2013.

Constant.S · 12-21-2013, 06:54 PM

try this: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...-stick-to-FAT/ Just make sure you put your correct Disk letter.
I think that idrive only reads certain data in FAT not NTFS . If this doesnt work you can always format it back to NTFS or FAT32.
EDIT: Please dont format your hard drive. That would really really suck.

Mayhem · 12-29-2013, 05:20 PM

I have had no issues with updating the software on both my 2011 335i and my 2012 35is. In each case I used a generic USB stick (small 1 GB) without any special formatting. I downloaded the correct update according to the last seven digits of my VIN, then used the center console port. I went into vehicle settings and followed the instruction on the software update.

I did have one initial hiccup with my 335i. I did my e89 first, so when I downloaded the update for the 335i, it appended a (1) to the file, so it looked like this "UPD01006(1).bin." My 335i did not recognize this file. I went back and renamed the file to "UPD01006.bin" and then it worked fine.

So far, I don't really notice the effects of the update in either car.

ManiacGT · 12-30-2013, 01:50 AM

This type of update just adds different phone handset support. So may add phone specific support to I drive dependent on phone model. Think of it like device drivers for a PC that need to be installed before a new device can be used properly.

Mayhem · 12-30-2013, 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManiacGT

This type of update just adds different phone handset support. So may add phone specific support to I drive dependent on phone model. Think of it like device drivers for a PC that need to be installed before a new device can be used properly.

Well here's the absurdity. It works with my Blackberry, but not with my iPhone 5. However, my iPhone 5 has some BMW apps, while the Blackberry doesn't. BMW needs to support one or the other fully.

ErikJ · 12-30-2013, 07:57 AM

I have the exact same experience.
The e-mail read on the idrive is just great and I do not want to give this up.
So I decided to keeps me keeping my BB for now and use the iphone for multimedia, BMWLive and Apps support, how strange is this...

86zccrx · 02-11-2014, 02:08 PM

So a bit of an update. After trying a couple of thumb drives and reformats, I still couldn't get it to work. I tested on my wife's X3 which had the same update file available for her VIN & it worked without any issue. BMW has replaced the combox which didn't resolve and now replaced the CIC which hasn't seemed to fix it either. They are still trying to figure out why it won't recognize the update file. Has anybody else had any issues like this?

12-17-2013, 11:23 AM	#1
86zccrx Second Lieutenant 356 Rep 237 Posts Drives: 2023 BMW M3 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Farmingdale, NY iTrader: (1)	New Z4. idrive update question I just picked up my new '14 Z4 28i last week and noticed that the office feature doesn't seem to be working. I noticed that I am at an older version, 3.4.31. I went to bmw.com/update and see that there is a newer version available for my VIN number 3.5.4. I formatted a thumb drive with FAT32, copied the bin file and tried to update the software, but it just gives me an error that no update files were found. I have tried a couple of thumb drives and tried both the arm rest & glove compartment usb port in the car. I saw an earlier post about just having to wait, but after 5-10 minutes, it still wasn't recognized. I'm not sure if there is something simple I am missing to get it to update, or if it's something that I should ask the dealer to take a look at. Also, here is a pic of the new car.
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12-20-2013, 10:22 PM	#2
emcd4 New Member 2 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 2020 BMW M4 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Arizona iTrader: (0)	I have the same issue on my 2014 Z4 35i. I have had several discussions with BMW USA and 3 dealers in the Mpls. area. I have also tried different thumb drive formats and allocation sizes along with three different brands of thumb drives with no success. Nobody has come up with a solution except the dealers say bring it in so they can run diagnostics. Since my iDrive is currently working flawlessly with my current phone and the software limitations associated with the coupling with Android phones, I am not too interested in trying to fix something that is currently not broken. It could be that the updated binary file is not compatible with the 2014 iDrive system or that the software is already the latest even though the version number doesn't indicate that. If you ever stumble upon a solution, please post it here.
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12-21-2013, 05:44 AM	#3
cuddapah First Lieutenant 41 Rep 312 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW Z4 sDrive 35i Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Jacksonville, FL iTrader: (0)	Mine is a 2011 Z4 and noticed similar issue. For software update or importing music, USB port in the glove compartment only should be used. I noticed that the USB port in the glove compartment never connects to any USB stick/drive properly. I have to shake it a little bit and hold it so that the USB stick/drive is recognized. Once the connection is made, it is easy either to update s/w or import music.
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12-21-2013, 04:18 PM	#4
emcd4 New Member 2 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 2020 BMW M4 Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Arizona iTrader: (0)	I also tried the glove box USB port with no luck. The manual specifically says to use the center arm rest USB. I think BMW changed this in 2012 or 2013.
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12-21-2013, 06:54 PM	#5
Constant.S Resistance is futile... 54 Rep 640 Posts Drives: BMW Z4 E89(N54) Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Greece/Canada iTrader: (0)	try this: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-...-stick-to-FAT/ Just make sure you put your correct Disk letter. I think that idrive only reads certain data in FAT not NTFS . If this doesnt work you can always format it back to NTFS or FAT32. EDIT: Please dont format your hard drive. That would really really suck. __________________ An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises. Last edited by Constant.S; 12-21-2013 at 07:03 PM..
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12-29-2013, 05:20 PM	#6
Mayhem Second Lieutenant 22 Rep 252 Posts Drives: 2012 Z4 sDrive35is Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Hollywood iTrader: (0)	I have had no issues with updating the software on both my 2011 335i and my 2012 35is. In each case I used a generic USB stick (small 1 GB) without any special formatting. I downloaded the correct update according to the last seven digits of my VIN, then used the center console port. I went into vehicle settings and followed the instruction on the software update. I did have one initial hiccup with my 335i. I did my e89 first, so when I downloaded the update for the 335i, it appended a (1) to the file, so it looked like this "UPD01006(1).bin." My 335i did not recognize this file. I went back and renamed the file to "UPD01006.bin" and then it worked fine. So far, I don't really notice the effects of the update in either car.
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12-30-2013, 01:50 AM	#7
ManiacGT Major 85 Rep 1,448 Posts Drives: Z4 sDrive 35i Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Manchester, UK iTrader: (0)	This type of update just adds different phone handset support. So may add phone specific support to I drive dependent on phone model. Think of it like device drivers for a PC that need to be installed before a new device can be used properly.
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12-30-2013, 07:57 AM	#9
ErikJ New Member 2 Rep 10 Posts Drives: Z4 E89 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Belgium iTrader: (0)	I have the exact same experience. The e-mail read on the idrive is just great and I do not want to give this up. So I decided to keeps me keeping my BB for now and use the iphone for multimedia, BMWLive and Apps support, how strange is this...
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02-11-2014, 02:08 PM	#10
86zccrx Second Lieutenant 356 Rep 237 Posts Drives: 2023 BMW M3 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Farmingdale, NY iTrader: (1)	So a bit of an update. After trying a couple of thumb drives and reformats, I still couldn't get it to work. I tested on my wife's X3 which had the same update file available for her VIN & it worked without any issue. BMW has replaced the combox which didn't resolve and now replaced the CIC which hasn't seemed to fix it either. They are still trying to figure out why it won't recognize the update file. Has anybody else had any issues like this?
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