BMW 3 Series (E90, E92) CiC Wireless CarPlay Retrofit - Full Install DIY

See below on which version you need!

BMW 335i (E92) is a great looking car and the design has held up very well over the years, but of course technology moves on. In this video, I modernize my 10 year old BMW by installing wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that works with the original iDrive controller and the steering wheel controls! It works great and allows you to have modern maps, steering music, videos and podcasts and all of the features CarPlay offers! I was impressed with how fast this unit connects and how good the audio is coming out of this device.
This set up will work on all BMW CiC head units listed below. If you have the older style screen/controller, your steps may vary and you have to get the correct version of the add on device.

CiC (Same as in this video):
1-Series E81/E82/E87/E88 09/08 - 03/14
1-Series F20/F21 09/11 - 03/13
3-Series E90/E91/E92/E93 09/08 - 10/13
3-Series F30/F31/F34/F80 02/12 - 11/12
5-Series E60/E61 11/08 - 05/10
5-Series F07/F10 03/10 - 09/12
6-Series E63/E64 11/08 - 07/10
6-Series F06/F12/F13 12/10 - 03/13
7-Series F01-03 11/08 - 07/13
X1 E84 10/2009 - 06/2015
X3 F25 10/2010 - 04/2013
X5 E70 10/2009 - 06/2013
X6 E71 10/2009 - 08/2014
Z4 E89 04/2009 - present
MINI CIC 10/2009 - 04/2013

If you don't have buttons around your iDrive controller, you most likely have the CCC headunit:
CCC (older BMWs):
1-Series E81/E82/E87/E88 06/2004 - 09/2008
3-Series E90/E91/E92/E93 03/2005 - 09/2008
5-Series E60/E61 12/2003 - 11/2008
6-Series E63/E64 12/2003 - 11/2008
X5 Series E70 03/2007 - 10/2009
X6 Series E72 05/2008 - 10/2009

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00:00 Intro
00:13 JoyeAuto Module Unboxing
04:07 Dash Removal
04:54 Headunit Removal
05:40 Center Trim Removal
06:17 Power/iDrive Wiring
07:03 LVDS/Video Configuration
08:37 First Test
09:15 Closeup Connections Overview
10:46 USB/Mic Connections
11:11 Hiding Location
11:36 DIP Switches Config
12:17 Routing the Wires
13:07 Center Console Re-assembly
13:40 Final Assembly
14:28 CarPlay Function Overview
17:28 Conclusion

[SimpleCarGuy]

Get 10% if you buy from their website with this code: SCG10%OFF

[Ikigai-Kaizen]

You have the gift for explaining things in a clear, easy to understand manner. I've watched lots of these kinds of installation videos but none of them made as much sense as yours or left me feeling confident enough to try it myself. Liked and subscribed 👍

[omarstamatopoulo]

very nice toturial, but is there a way to make the original car mic work with this unit ? as i dont want to add an external mic. :) thanks.

[RileyDiG]

I will start off with that I bought this after watching this video and for anyone who is considering buy this, please read.

This video is obvious is paid promotion for this product and does not give a full honest review. I installed this a few days ago and I've had nothing but issues with it. For starters the audio quality is TERRIBLE, all vocals and Siri talking on navigation is unbearable. I have tried to mess with the EQ settings both in the iDrive interface and the Joyeauto interface and it helped a little but it's nothing compared to what my car sounds like with just an aux cord plugged into my phone. The best comparison I have is a 2005 cellphone on speakerphone. Very tin sounding, almost like if your tweeters are blown out.
Also the functionality is not great. The unit will freeze every time you drive and leave all functions unusable, just a matter of when it will freeze. Sometimes it is soon as the car is started up, other times it is after 20 minutes of driving, but it will just freeze completely. Sometimes you will start the car and your iDrive screen will just be orange. Simply turning the car off and back on will not fix it either because the unit stays on for a period of time even after the car is off. So maybe after leaving the car off for 5 minutes it will work again. Not ideal when you're driving down the highway.
To add onto the unit staying on, when he shows how fast it connects to your phone, he clearly had the car just on before the video and the Joyeauto unit has not shut off yet completely which is why it is able to connect so fast You can tell because it does not show the BMW logo before going to Carplay. Do not be fooled by that part of the video. When the unit freezes it will work just as he shows in the video when you turn your car off then back on, but only it will still be frozen!
Now that I have gone this far, I might as well add one more thing! The steering wheel buttons do work, but when you are trying to skip to the next song whether it be through the steering wheel, iDrive controller, or you phone, it does not always simply go to the next song. Half the time it goes to the next song, then back a song, then skip a few songs, then just get stuck going back and forth between two songs even though you are only pressing the next button. IT DOES IT EVEN WHEN YOU PRESS NEXT SONG ON YOUR PHONE.
Unless Joyeauto responds to my e-mail with a fix, I will be returning this. It is not worth all the headaches and issues for $400.

[Zygersaf]

Quick question on this, because it's pretty slick from what you showed us. If you get an engine light or limp mode while its on car play, does it switch back to BMW ui automatically or anything? Obviously you get the lights on the dashboard still, but the message on the iDrive is usually a bit more informative!

[zureai]

How's your experience with this joyeauto mmi box? is it good after 2 years?

[geometricproduction]

Awesome ! What about the music quality ?Good or bad ?

[mazz]

Is it necessary to connect the microphone that came with the unit, or will CarPlay work with the factory microphone?

[mathew]

Do NOT buy this Within the first day it started malfunctioning (not switching back to CIC Idrive, freezing, iDrive controller not working, etc) After 19 days of talking with their support team who can barely speak English and having to take apart my dash 7+ times I was told I would have to pay to ship their broken device back to China, wait 2 or more week, and only then, would I receive a refund. I am out 400+ dollars for the device. Currently opening up a PayPal claim since the device was not able to use the OEM steering wheels buttons, it did not function as advertised, and it gets so insanely hot that I fear it may damage my CIC Idrive unit.

[mikejbarker]

Can you use Android via wireless as well or just Apple?

[cxsh]

hey my car is 2010 but its pre lci, wich one do i buy? CIC or CCC

[rian]

installed correctly and everything works. but my idrive controller isn't getting power, and or unresponsive when the harness is plugged in.. when inserting factory 4 pin harness to idrive controller it gets power and lights up. any idea why this might be as the Dip switches are in correct position and if they weren't there isn't a dip switch that signifies cic idrive? EDIT: i have hard reset idive with holding mute

[siak]

Apple . I would like to ask you if you have the same issue as me with the terrible quality of sound via Aux cuz I don't know another way to connect the speakers to the Joyeauto

[almengo]

do you have to connect the aftermarket mic?

[DJaxUK]

This video helped me so much thank you good sir :)

[twinscrolled]

I went with the xtrons CIC Android 11 headunit in my 2011, I love it.

[KENJOMARISCA]

How did u wire the back up camera? Which wires from the harness did u use?

[tbogdane]

Hi! I have some questions. How is the muisc quality playing through it? Like, it's sound better than connecting the phone to the car's bluetooth/or playing music through usb? And also, does that 8 buttons on the headunit still work? Like, let's say i've programmed button 3 to fuel conumption, does it exit the carplay and enter's in fuel consumption menu on press?

[ihne]

If I have an oem camera with my cic system and I’m connected to CarPlay with this system, will the camera still automatically come on when I put the car into reverse?

[toxlas]

This is great ! Can I do this in my E60 ? It kinda looks the same but I'm not sure at all