XSeries-forum

I tried everything I can find online to get my Bluetooth to pair with both Samsung and Oppo phone with no success

TCU unit with BMW Assist

Do I have Bluetooth to begin with?

Check your VIN (last 7 characters) again bmwvin.com

You may have a TCU failure (not unknown) or it may not support the version of Bluetooth your phones use.  BMW only runs BT Version 1 with Address Book data version 1.1 so your phone must support both.

Have you cleared the paired phone memory in the TCU if it's full it won't allow any new pairings?

I tried to pair my Bluetooth with my Samsung A7 and Oppo phone without any success.. Am unable to get into pairing mode at all.. my X5 2005 model came with TCU unit. I understand TCU pairing are a bit different from ULF hence even after trying so many suggestion online still unable to get the pairing message

Not sure if I have Bluetooth but I read online e53 June 2004 model onwards Came with Bluetooth. I even tried using Pa Soft 1.4.0 to force pairing.. delete previous pairing, reset password still nothing

Currently also owned e46 M3 and which I retrofit with ULF unit and pairing works easily.

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Vehicle information
VIN WBAFA12080LW07303
Type code FA12
Type X5 3.0I (EUR)
E series E53 ()
Series X
Type GEFZG
Steering RL
Doors 5
Engine M54
Displacement 3.00
Power 170
Drive ALLR
Transmission AUT
Colour STERLINGGRAU METALLIC (472)
Upholstery LEDER DAKOTA/SCHWARZ (LCSW)
Prod.date 2005-05-11
Vehicle upgrades
Spare/replacement key fob    Read more
Vehicle options
S1CA Selection of COP relevant vehicles
S205 Automatic transmission
S220 Self-levelling suspension
S226 Sports suspension settings
S230 Extra package, EU-specific
S249 Multifunction f steering wheel
S255 Sports leather steering wheel
S2CC BMW LA wheel, star spoke 132
S302 Alarm system
S321 Exterior parts in vehicle color
S328 Footplate, aluminum
P330 Sports package
S386 Roof railing
S428 Warning triangle and first aid kit
S431 Interior mirror with automatic-dip
Vehicle options
S435 Fine wood trim
S441 Smoker package
S442 Cup holder
S459 Seat adjuster, electric, with memory
S481 Sports seat
S502 Headlight cleaning system
S508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
S521 Rain sensor
S522 Xenon Light
S534 Automatic air conditioning
S601 TV function
S609 Navigation system Professional
S612 BMW Assist
S633 Preparation, mobile phone, Business
S692 Preparation, BMW 6-CD changer I-bus
Vehicle options
S775 Headlining anthracite
L812 National version England / Ireland
S818 Battery master switch
S840 High speed synchronisation
S863 Retailer Directory Europe
S877 Delete cross-pattern operation
S880 On-board vehicle literature English
S8SM Car ident. number visible from outside
S8SP Control unit COP
S925 Dummy-SALAPA
S926 Spare wheel
S945 Dummy-SALAPA
Vehicle options
S413 Trunk room net
S785 White direction indicator lights
S853 Language version English

You have Bluetooth fitted as you have option S633.  Likely to be a faulty unit if it won't go into the right mode no matter what you try.  This problem is not unusual and replacing the phone module cures it.  It is plug & play.

Have a look at Realoem, use the last 7 characters of your VIN (in the serial number field) to pull up your car model.  Look for the part number of the latest module version produced and source one on line.

BMW had lots of issues with Bluetooth and missed the boat badly.  Multiple versions of the TCU were produced to get around it before they got it nearly right......by which time the tech had moved on again.

Have a look, http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/index.php/t ... 658.0.html

Problem solved... replaced with a used TCU module and everything works like a charm

Make sure u buy the right TCU unit by checking with Realoem 1st

Any further details? I had the same problem as you- could not get my phone paired, and have tried 2 further TCU units but to no avail.

Did you literally just plug the new unit in and try again? Can you tell me the exact pairing procedure you followed?

Does anyone know how critical it is to match the part numbers from realoem?

My bluetooth was working fine until I recently upgraded my iPhone from a 5s to an SE.  I can't get the SE to register and I have a 'bluetooth module internal fault' error code.

I have searched ebay for modules with the 3 most recent part numbers shown on realoem but have not found any.  There are however found plenty of bluetooth modules with the same case from similar age and later cars, some of them marked as coming from an E53. 

Thanks

If you don’t match then you could hit issues with wiring, control signals, control voltages, firmware interfacing and which ‘bus’ system is in use. Later cars use MOST bus systems that were never fitted to the E53.  If the TCU uses that then it won’t interface with an E53 communication bus.

If the part number doesn't match the series then the chances are that it won’t work.  It’s just a risk you will have to take.

There are also a lot of sellers who don’t understand the model number system, and say it’s for one model then you find that it isn’t and you’re stuck (unless they a reputable and will take it back).

The BMW system from back then in Bluetooth Gen 1 with Address book V1.1 which modern phones will need to support. Many current phones don’t support that address format so you can make calls but not see contacts.

I had issues and found this information on a US web site it gives all i Bus compatible part numbers US and European

iBus TCU and ULF modules compiled by M3Prof at www.m3forum.net
Description Protocol From Up To Part Number Comments
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Oct-03 84116938764 has Assist only; no BT
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Dec-03 84116945062 has Assist only; no BT
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 84116947308 confirmed has Assist only; no BT
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 84116949110 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 84106978527 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 84109123190 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 Apr-04 84116945940 probably no bluetooth, but not sure; 1 month production (!?...)
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 Sep-04 84116952218 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 Sep-04 84106978528 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-04 Sep-04 84109123191 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-04 Mar-05 84106978529 probably no bluetooth, but not sure
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-04 Mar-05 84109120844 built 14-07-2006 SW:32 HW:35 I tried this module; and it didn't work. Also
report from m3forum.net that dealer can't program it to "turn on" bluetooth, so
BT is not present.
Units below have bluetooth and Assist
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-04 Feb-05 84116946993 1st release of integrated BT/Assist TCU (personally confirmed BT
functionality). No voice input but can be added by separate SES voice module.
Came with my 2005 M3. Reported trouble with some phones such as AT&T
Tilt see thread: http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/683761

TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-05 May-05 84106964114 Added support for voice input (phone only, not nav). Added support for
Siemens S66 phone
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Jun-05 Aug-05 84106965056 Improved performance of Address book transfer on some phones reported.
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-05 Feb-06 84106963798 Fixed problem of NAV defaulting to Telephone menu on startup. Has voice
support; works better than 993 according to
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=307813

TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-05 May-06 84109120843
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-05 Jul-06 84109122529 RMFD = remanufactured.
RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-05 Sep-06 84109132711 Was ~$330 from Tischer (including core charge) 7/2008 works in M3
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showpost ... stcount=37

RMFD TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Mar-05 Sep-06 84109171721
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-06 84109115729 Continental TCU Bought on ebay from 2007 X3 date 14.03.2007 SW 03.25
Sep-07 HW 64; bluetooth works great in my 2005 E46 M3.
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT? CDMA Dec-06 84109129851 part no not in realoem database; is an iBus unit and works in an M3 according to Forum (http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=199611)

TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-06 Sep-07 84109166534 ENDED
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA Sep-06 84109195455 Newest iBus TCU currently being sold by Tischer as of 09/2008; confirmed to work on this post: http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showpost.php?p=3301129 and here http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=230898

TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT CDMA ? ? 84109181864 Continental iBus TCU from a 2008 E85 Z4; reported to work in a 1995 740iL in
this thread: http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/708651
Note: General experience is that TCU modules bought new should have bluetooth working when installed, voice commands and Assist require dealer programming.
Visteon ULF Modules with Bluetooth only; no Assist; direct replacement for TCU; requires pairing button; ULF modules have voice control of phone and nav.
Visteon ULF Module end of life Jun-03 84216934552 1st generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Oct-03 84216938610 2nd generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Mar-04 84216934961 3rd generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Jun-04 84216950089 4th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Jan-05 84216945387 5th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Oct-05 84106955522 6th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Apr-06 84106969268 7th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life May-06 84216958358 8th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Sep-06 84106987546 9th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Nov-06 84106980130 10th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life Jan-07 84109133329 11th generation
Visteon ULF Module end of life May-07 84109145007 12th generation
Visteon ULF Module Current production 84109154358 13th generation
European GSM based TCUs - won't work in US
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Jan-05 84116946991
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Mar-05 84106965055
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Sep-05 84106964113
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Jul-06 84106963758
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Nov-06 84109129850
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Mar-07 84109127894
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM 84116946011
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT RFMD GSM 84106978533
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Jul-06 84106963758
TELEMATICS CONTROL UNIT GSM Nov-06 84109129850

My ULF fitted to the car was first generation and couldn't keep up with advancing phone versions. I upgraded to a TCU 2007 vintage no problems since

Hope this helps

Dave

Note CDMA is not supported by UK or EU cellular networks.  That is the US standard for North America and a few other countries that bought US kit.  You can only use GSM in the UK.  GSM is for 2G phones so no 3G or 4G (they use UMTS and LTE).

Quite correct to a point,  as shown the last 2 section show the Visteon ULF list and Telematic list specific to Europe.
As you know with the poor old E53 there is no streaming or clever functions with the factory fit Nav/TV system my current Moto G 4g phone works fine (worked OK in Florida in the hire car too but only 2g) as does my wife's HTC and so do both our sons iphone's, they both complain about no streaming but as I tell them they don't have to drive it. I use the bluetooth only for hands free voice transfer not signal.
My 4.4 had an after market headunit with full bluetooth connection allowing streaming of video/music and all sorts of stuff I never used. I have toyed with the thought of upgrading but everything in the old bus works and while not necessarily original to the car is OEM and I will keep it that way if I can who knows one day it might be a classic.
So in theory as long as the unit function in the car is only bluetooth they should all work (though I have a European TCU) if you need BMW assist or one of the automatic calling functions then the US units will be useless.