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      05-15-2008, 06:43 AM   #1
DTNJNQ
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2008 BMW 135i  [8.66]
USB Hard Drive

A few other threads regarding the use of hard drives plugged into the usb have suggested that the drive may not operate due to the usb port on the BMW not having enough power to power up the drive.

I was wondering if the following solution would work.

A Lacie Hard Drive, Y USB cable and 12V USM power adapter.


The Lacie drives come with the USB Y cable
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      05-15-2008, 06:48 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DTNJNQ View Post
A few other threads regarding the use of hard drives plugged into the usb have suggested that the drive may not operate due to the usb port on the BMW not having enough power to power up the drive.

I was wondering if the following solution would work.

A Lacie Hard Drive, Y USB cable and 12V USM power adapter.


The Lacie drives come with the USB Y cable
That should work, the extra power coming from the aux power port.
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      05-15-2008, 06:53 AM   #3
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Yes - that will definitely work.
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      05-15-2008, 07:00 AM   #4
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Wasn't there a issue with using the 12v plug with how it powered up/down the drive once you turn the car on/off? I don't remember the details though. I think its in that loooong post on e90.

BTW: I could be wrong...
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      05-15-2008, 07:21 AM   #5
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I think this is the thread you are talking about

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...&highlight=usb
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      05-15-2008, 07:25 AM   #6
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An alternative cable may be this one which has a build in rechargable battery
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      06-11-2008, 11:10 PM   #7
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I just wanted to report that I have been using the Fujitsu RE25U300J 300GB HD with no problems. It loads pretty quickly. It comes with a Y cable for extra power from a second USB which I am plugging to the cigarette lighter with a Kensington power adapter.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822116042
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Kensi...oductDetail.do
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      06-11-2008, 11:15 PM   #8
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I tried plugging in a fijitsu 60GB laptop hard drive into my USB car socket and it doesn't work
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      06-11-2008, 11:22 PM   #9
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mine does not work w/o the extra power.
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      06-11-2008, 11:38 PM   #10
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Hmm.. i want to avoid the power thing. Might see if i can find a self powered unit...My drive doesnt need power plugging into a PC
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      06-12-2008, 12:54 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris View Post
Hmm.. i want to avoid the power thing. Might see if i can find a self powered unit...My drive doesnt need power plugging into a PC
In that case you may want to consider Flash, there are some ok deals for 32Gb USB sticks around now, around $130.
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      06-12-2008, 02:51 AM   #12
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Would something like a usb powered external work?
250G for $130... just an idea.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136242
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      06-12-2008, 03:49 AM   #13
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I think a 32GB thumb should do it
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      06-12-2008, 04:33 AM   #14
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Well I just plugged in my classic 80g ipod, and it works fine with the USB cable..

That should yeild the best possible sound!
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      06-12-2008, 09:08 AM   #15
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Don't quote me on this, but I think you also need to format the hd with FAT32. (Not the standard NTFS with XP/Vista) But worth checking, especially for those who have tried their HD and it did not work. Format with FAT32 and try again!

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PS Yoda is busy today so I could not ask him. I think he said something about a Dr appointment.
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      06-12-2008, 09:14 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arrons1969 View Post
In that case you may want to consider Flash, there are some ok deals for 32Gb USB sticks around now, around $130.
I think you can get 32 gb sticks for much less, like $50. Check ebay.
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      06-12-2008, 10:23 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by focusedsketch View Post
Would something like a usb powered external work?
250G for $130... just an idea.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136242
That's what some of this dicussion is about, some users are finding the power requirements from some external HDDs exceed the USB power available, and won't run, other have had no problem. The nice part about Flash is it uses much lower power, doesn't take as long to spin-up, and is less prone to head crashes in a car.

If you do buy an external HDD, be prepared to need a separate power supply from the cig lighter under the arm rest, as shown at the top of this thread.
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      06-12-2008, 10:31 AM   #18
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You have to use a 1.8" drive (ipod style) if you don't want an external power cable. 80GB drives are reasonable, 100gb drives are starting to hit the market.

Here's an 80gb:
http://www.selluniquegifts.com/servl...ini-HDD/Detail

Another option is to just get a used 60gb ipod off of craigslist, they have a 1.8 drive in them and you can use them as a hard disk (just use the regular usb cable not the bmw one).
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      06-12-2008, 10:40 AM   #19
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Why does BMW sell a $120 BMW ipod cable, when you can use the standard white USB audio cable for track info and audio? I fail to see what its used for?!
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      06-12-2008, 01:31 PM   #20
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^^

If you're one of those people who used money to get music, and did through iTunes ending up with DRM'd files, the BMW headunit can't play those, so you need the cable... If you rip your own tracks or otherwise, just use the white cable and have at it...
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      06-12-2008, 01:59 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kris View Post
Why does BMW sell a $120 BMW ipod cable, when you can use the standard white USB audio cable for track info and audio? I fail to see what its used for?!
The white cable just treats the ipod as a hard disk, so you can't play drm files, see your playlists, play all of the formats the ipod can (apple lossless, for example), etc.
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      06-12-2008, 06:47 PM   #22
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awesome... does the BMW headunit play m3u files?
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