[Yobyot]

My May 2005 build, US-spec 330i with nav was updated today to something in the Progman 25.x.x family.

My advice to early owners: get this update. While the new color scheme is a matter of taste and the rumors about this update making iDrive respond faster haven't proved out in my car, these improvements are worth finding a way to get the dealer to do the update:

=> "Assistance window current position" VR command is back (God knows why they removed this in the Progman 22 or 23 timeframe)
=> For cars like mine that had MP3 retrofitted, it finally works like it should in a $40K car, to wit:
> Random mode stays engaged if you forward or reverse a track
> AMAZINGLY: VR commands ("next", "back", "track n") now allow voice navigation on MP3 CDs. ("Root directory" and "directory back" were available in the last update I had.)

It only took BMW two years to get the electronics in this car to work as one might expect them to. I am glad they did, but not happy it took this long and that I had to "convince" a dealer to apply this update.

[continentalg5]

Yeah, I would have to agree that the update is worth getting. Just for the fact that it is much quicker than previous versions is incentive enough to update it, for me anyway (that lag used to kill me!) Plus the new features are excellent.

[FrankoQ]

2 more incentives to get the upgrade:
1) lawyer screen goes away after a few seconds.
without the upgrade, you have to click the idrive knob to make it go away.
2) wheel button to go thru audio sources now includes AUX.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

2 more incentives to get the upgrade:
1) lawyer screen goes away after a few seconds.
without the upgrade, you have to click the idrive knob to make it go away.
2) wheel button to go thru audio sources now includes AUX.

I just discovered the AUX thing today. Thank goodness!

Also, with MP3 CDs, you no longer have the select the track, press the controller, then press the controller a second time to play the track.

I don't like the new colors, but finally, FINALLY my $40K car with a high-end stereo works nearly as you'd expect it to.

One thing they still missed: in Random mode, pressing the wheel-mounted buttons for next and/or previous should get a random track, not the next track on the CD.

But, it's better than it has ever been before.

[ska///235i]

good thread....lets list all the improvements of 25.02 software here

-(idrive/nav) Faster response but dull graphic colors

-(idrive/nav) Arrow display feature - automatic popup arrow display

-(idrive/nav) Nav restarts where your last setting/screen was (It also fixed the “pause/stop” in audio system. It use to just mute the track whenever you re-start the car, but now track is exactly where it was last paused.)

-(idrive/nav) Information feature - POI (My old software never had this as a stand-alone feature)

-I notice a gain of 1-2 mpg (Not sure if this is legitimate, but I drive the same route everyday) maybe is the gas

go get it

[bud001]

I have a post 9/05 build car (in fact i did not take delivery until 7/06) so can i go to the dealer and get them to update? How much?

[Josh49]

Man I really need to set up an appointment for this..

[Josh49]

Damnit I want this done, it's just such a pita to get the car over there and back on a day to day basis..

[Josh49]

Appt Made. 2 weeks from today so that I can have a bmw loaner..

Man I hate bringing the car to the dealership, I hope it doesn't get beat up..

[Josh49]

Really looking forward to that update though from all these threads..

[Josh49]

Ska, in your opinion, for our dealership, do you think I should put the stock airbox in for this service?

Thanks,
Josh

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by bud001

I have a post 9/05 build car (in fact i did not take delivery until 7/06) so can i go to the dealer and get them to update? How much?

under guarantee if you tell them you are experiencing one of the issues of the
SIB.
Search for the idrive SIB and you will find it.
It has a list of reasons to upgrade the software.

most common reasons:
1) slow idrive performance
2) pop up arrow display not coming up when you have the map on the right side of the screen.

[BK]

Originally Posted by ska

good thread....lets list all the improvements of 25.02 software here

-(idrive/nav) Faster response but dull graphic colors

For me, the responsiveness is no better than before. I agree the color scheme is nicer in parts, duller in others. I prefer the old map colors. Which, interestingly, are still there -- the new colors are just drawn on top of the old colors if you ever watch iDrive boot up to the map screen.

-(idrive/nav) Arrow display feature - automatic popup arrow display

Yup. This is a checkbox item now.

-(idrive/nav) Nav restarts where your last setting/screen was (It also fixed the “pause/stop” in audio system. It use to just mute the track whenever you re-start the car, but now track is exactly where it was last paused.)

Yes. Both issues are huge for me. To add to it, it fixes the "CD continues to play" issue, too, not just the mute issue. And to add to the mute problem -- previously, if you paused a CD track in the middle of the song, then switched to another track, the new track would "play" (time incrementing) but be muted. That doesn't happen anymore. Now the new track plays, unmuted.

-(idrive/nav) Information feature - POI (My old software never had this as a stand-alone feature)

Yup.

-I notice a gain of 1-2 mpg (Not sure if this is legitimate, but I drive the same route everyday) maybe is the gas

Did you get an oil change recently? Change or fill up your tires? Less traffic now that it's summertime?

Same MPG for me, but what I have noticed is that the computer MPG reading is slightly more accurate. I track my MPG, both actual and the computer reading, and reset it each fill-up. Yes, it's OCD.

Previously, the computer would be optimistic about my MPG by about 4-5%. Since the update, the computer is optimistic by about 2%. I haven't driven enough to be sure it's the update or just an anomaly, but so far, it's more accurate.

Biggest feature/improvement is the POI search. Not perfect, but close enough.

Also, the addition of the keypad on the phone screen by default is new for me. I think this was added in v22 and I have v21. With my old version, I had to click during a call and ask for the keypad.

There are some new Bluetooth screens, I guess to make pairing easier.

The menus are completely moved around from what I used to have.

The font on the iDrive is slightly thinner than what I had previously. Supposedly, the font on the dash computer is also different, but I can't tell.

My seatbelt chime when I start the car breaks up now on the first chime about 98% of the time. This annoys me. Previously, got two pleasant chimes when I started my car. Now, I get one that breaks up in the middle and then another chime. Every now and then, it does it right, though.

I have had one odd radio issue. Three or four times now since the update, the car has mysteriously switched to AM or FM radio when I started it up, even though the CD player should have been running instead. Only happened a handful of times, but I know it's not me, it's the car. Never happened prior to v25.

[ska///235i]

lol Josh, you must be bored waiting for a reply there...ahahahaha

check your pm...i dont want to type again

Originally Posted by Josh49

Ska, in your opinion, for our dealership, do you think I should put the stock airbox in for this service?

Thanks,
Josh

BK, I do notice a faster response from the idrive, it use to lag whenever I scroll to the right-side window...new software fixed that
As for the gas mileage, I'll keep track of this longer and see

Originally Posted by BK

For me, the responsiveness is no better than before. I agree the color scheme is nicer in parts, duller in others. I prefer the old map colors. Which, interestingly, are still there -- the new colors are just drawn on top of the old colors if you ever watch iDrive boot up to the map screen.



Yup. This is a checkbox item now.



Yes. Both issues are huge for me. To add to it, it fixes the "CD continues to play" issue, too, not just the mute issue. And to add to the mute problem -- previously, if you paused a CD track in the middle of the song, then switched to another track, the new track would "play" (time incrementing) but be muted. That doesn't happen anymore. Now the new track plays, unmuted.



Yup.



Did you get an oil change recently? Change or fill up your tires? Less traffic now that it's summertime?

Same MPG for me, but what I have noticed is that the computer MPG reading is slightly more accurate. I track my MPG, both actual and the computer reading, and reset it each fill-up. Yes, it's OCD.

Previously, the computer would be optimistic about my MPG by about 4-5%. Since the update, the computer is optimistic by about 2%. I haven't driven enough to be sure it's the update or just an anomaly, but so far, it's more accurate.

Biggest feature/improvement is the POI search. Not perfect, but close enough.

Also, the addition of the keypad on the phone screen by default is new for me. I think this was added in v22 and I have v21. With my old version, I had to click during a call and ask for the keypad.

There are some new Bluetooth screens, I guess to make pairing easier.

The menus are completely moved around from what I used to have.

The font on the iDrive is slightly thinner than what I had previously. Supposedly, the font on the dash computer is also different, but I can't tell.

My seatbelt chime when I start the car breaks up now on the first chime about 98% of the time. This annoys me. Previously, got two pleasant chimes when I started my car. Now, I get one that breaks up in the middle and then another chime. Every now and then, it does it right, though.

I have had one odd radio issue. Three or four times now since the update, the car has mysteriously switched to AM or FM radio when I started it up, even though the CD player should have been running instead. Only happened a handful of times, but I know it's not me, it's the car. Never happened prior to v25.

[bud001]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

under guarantee if you tell them you are experiencing one of the issues of the
SIB.
Search for the idrive SIB and you will find it.
It has a list of reasons to upgrade the software.

most common reasons:
1) slow idrive performance
2) pop up arrow display not coming up when you have the map on the right side of the screen.

Cool. thanks for the advice. I just called in and set up the appointment.

[FrankoQ]

Originally Posted by bud001

Cool. thanks for the advice. I just called in and set up the appointment.

One more thing, ask them what version of progman they have.
make sure they give it to you in the 25.xx.xx format.

they should install 25.02.00 or higher.

previous versions introduce new bugs... not that this one doesn't...
hehe... we just haven't found them or are not noticeable yet.

Also, expect the dealer to keep your car for a full day to do this.
Go early and if lucky, you could get a bimmer free loaner.

[PiperD]

Originally Posted by Yobyot

=> For cars like mine that had MP3 retrofitted, it finally works like it should in a $40K car, to wit:
> Random mode stays engaged if you forward or reverse a track

Are you talking about seeking within a track or skipping to a previous/next track?

I was upgraded to some iteration of Progman v25; once I skip to another track on an MP3 CD, the random function ("random directory", "random all") is deactivated.

It's a minor annoyance because I use the random function often with MP3 DVD's.

EDIT: It seems that I didn't give this enough of a chance. I can confirm that random now works as previously described in this thread. However if you use the IDrive controller to select another track then random mode is deactivated.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by ska

good thread....lets list all the improvements of 25.02 software here

-(idrive/nav) Faster response but dull graphic colors

-(idrive/nav) Arrow display feature - automatic popup arrow display

-(idrive/nav) Nav restarts where your last setting/screen was (It also fixed the “pause/stop” in audio system. It use to just mute the track whenever you re-start the car, but now track is exactly where it was last paused.)

-(idrive/nav) Information feature - POI (My old software never had this as a stand-alone feature)

-I notice a gain of 1-2 mpg (Not sure if this is legitimate, but I drive the same route everyday) maybe is the gas

go get it

I never realized how important restarting where you left off is. I love it.

But, like everything else in the design of iDrive, BMW has a "we know better than you" attitude. While restarting in place finally makes iDrive work like every CD player and radio in every car you've ever owned before this one, it does NOT remember the state of the random play (directory or all).

My 1999 Honda Accord beater car remembers that it was last used in random mode. I don't understand why my BMW can't.

Finally, it seriously irritates me that BMW has never produced an updated, comprehensive list of VR commands. I discovered by experimentation that this level of software supports VR commands like "random directory". One thing I hate is having capabilities that I don't know about.

Or that they removed "information off screen" from this level. Now, if you use information or POI search, you get the stupid icons on the maps and the only way to turn them off is from the sidebar on the main window map screen.

[Yobyot]

Oh, one other thing I think is different in this release: you can only adjust the brightness of the in-dash icons IF THE LIGHTS ARE ON.

Kinda like "service-info" not being there when the car is in motion. Or, on post-09/05 build E90s, the car and key memory settings are only available when the car is stopped.

I'd love to confirm if this is true or my memory of how it used to work is wrong. If you have a pre-09/05 E90 with iDrive, see if you can adjust the dash brightness from the control stalk (NOT iDrive brightness in the I-menu) when the car is rolling.

[Josh49]

Seems pretty conflicting in the reponses. I definitely want the upgrade, but I am afraid of losing stuff that I have grown used to.. Hmm..

[bud001]

Originally Posted by FrankoQ

One more thing, ask them what version of progman they have.
make sure they give it to you in the 25.xx.xx format.

they should install 25.02.00 or higher.

previous versions introduce new bugs... not that this one doesn't...
hehe... we just haven't found them or are not noticeable yet.

Also, expect the dealer to keep your car for a full day to do this.
Go early and if lucky, you could get a bimmer free loaner.

Thanks. I will make sure they will use Progman 25.02.00.

I am also installing the iPOD MOST kit so i expect them to keep it for a day or two. I will try to get a loaner but if not I will just swing by the Merc dealer next door and ask Enterprise to hook me up with something cool (That POS broke on me all the time so i am REAL friendly with the Enterprise people LOL)

[brinta]

Guys,

Can you post some screenshots of the new colours? I am curious. I have a v25 of progman (I have the new icons) Can anybody give me some reasons to get a free update? Tnx guys