[SigmaPiFSC]

I traded my 2018 530e for a 2023 530e! But the new 2023 does not have gesture control. Has anyone retrofit this? Bimmer-tech has a retrofit kit. Looking at the instructions, It shows I would need to run 2 wires from the replacement roof unit with camera, to the BDC. They show you how to pull the trim, but then the wires need to be added to the connectors.

I'm wondering if there is a way to look up or find out if my car already has those wires? Someone told be to check the wire-diagram using ISTA, but I can't seem to find a copy of ISTA.

Does anyone have ISTA who can look it up? The instructions say to disconnect the Connector A258*8 and add the wires to pin 52 and 51, and then on the other end, they get plugged in to pins 6 and 17 on the cluster.

But I'm wondering, maybe the wires are already there, and I'll I need to do is replace the roof unit and then do the coding.

I welcome any ideas, suggestions, or advice. Or if you have a way to see if my model has the wires underneath, that would save me some hassle!

Thx!

[BMW012]

sounds like your the first person that misses it. which gesture do you use?

[SigmaPiFSC]

Yeah, I miss it. Got used to volume and I had the 2 finger gesture set to turn off the screen... I know, I've seen discussion on it... My kids totally loved it... they still try to use their fingers in the new car. Habit I guess. it's a first world problem for sure, not a must have, but seems like a fun project to add it back. I just need a little guidance in some areas.

[Joe-BMW33]

The easiest way to determine whether they pre-ran these wires even though you don't have the functionality is to pop off the overhead console and examine the connector. If the pins they reference are empty, you need to run the two wires. Honestly, adding these two wires to the BDC is not that big of a deal, it is right under the passenger footwell. You will need UBS terminals for the BDC and pins for the connector, and of course, wire.

[Numark318i]

I love it when I inadvertently pause my music while throwing my hands up at the clowns driving in front of me.

+1 for someone who uses gesture control regularly.

Good luck with the retrofit.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Numark318i

I love it when I inadvertently pause my music while throwing my hands up at the clowns driving in front of me.

+1 for someone who uses gesture control regularly.

Good luck with the retrofit.

I don't have it in my M550, but my recently purchased X5 has it and I definitely can see it being useful, especially for skipping tracks. There is no hot button on the steering wheel for that and I usually play my music on shuffle, so when something comes on that is a "What was I thinking putting this on the playlist" or I just don't want to hear it, I have to reach to the dash for the next track button.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I don't have it in my M550, but my recently purchased X5 has it and I definitely can see it being useful, especially for skipping tracks. There is no hot button on the steering wheel for that and I usually play my music on shuffle, so when something comes on that is a "What was I thinking putting this on the playlist" or I just don't want to hear it, I have to reach to the dash for the next track button.

Did BMW do away with the scroll wheel on the steering wheel? On my older F chassis BMWs…I can select the next song or the previous song using the scroll wheel on the right steering wheel’s button pad. It’s the same button that will scroll through presets, or telephone numbers. And the information will display in the HUD if I’m driving around…or will appear on the right side of the cluster if I’m parked with the power on but engine not running.

Just curious if BMW changed things up with the newer versions of iDrive.

EDIT: on 2nd thought, I may have coded ENTERTAINMENT LIST using Bimmercode which would have implemented the “scrollable” list to appear in the HUD.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Did BMW do away with the scroll wheel on the steering wheel? On my older F chassis BMWs…I can select the next song or the previous song using the scroll wheel on the right steering wheel’s button pad. It’s the same button that will scroll through presets, or telephone numbers. And the information will display in the HUD if I’m driving around…or will appear on the right side of the cluster if I’m parked with the power on but engine not running.

Just curious if BMW changed things up with the newer versions of iDrive.

EDIT: on 2nd thought, I may have coded ENTERTAINMENT LIST using Bimmercode which would have implemented the “scrollable” list to appear in the HUD.

My G30 (2019 540i iDrive6(?)) has the same scroll wheel as both my F10's; one has HUD, the other did not. On the non-HUD the info was displayed in the cluster. I'm pretty sure I coded the entertainment info on the F10, not sure if I needed to in my G30. In any case, the scroll wheel is there.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

My G30 (2019 540i iDrive6(?)) has the same scroll wheel as both my F10's; one has HUD, the other did not. On the non-HUD the info was displayed in the cluster. I'm pretty sure I coded the entertainment info on the F10, not sure if I needed to in my G30. In any case, the scroll wheel is there.

Thanks for the verification. When I went back out to my car...I checked my set up and the steering wheel's scroll dial will allow me to scroll through all the songs on the media that is playing (I had a USB drive inserted). The HUD & instrument cluster would only allow me to scroll through and select another song that was on the media playing.

But if the media (in this case the USB thumb drive) was selected to show in the iDrive display...down at the bottom of the left side (where all the icons are on my old ID4 version) there are arrows |< / >| that allow for FWD or RWD selections. I don't have the touch screen, but I can use the iDrive controller wheel to make FFW or RWD song selections. And this is even if I have RANDOM selected. This will show what the next song is going to be or shows what the previous song that was played.

Thought I'd update my comments since I'm chiming in on a topic that I'm not familiar with and going off older iDrive features. Hope I haven't thrown anyone off-course. But perhaps there are some similarities that may be helpful.

Examples of FFW & RWD using iDrive controller knob and the music selection is set to RANDOM in the old ID4 version of iDrive (sorry, don't have any pics of the entertainment selection in the HUD or instrument cluster).

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by Qsilver7

Did BMW do away with the scroll wheel on the steering wheel? On my older F chassis BMWs…I can select the next song or the previous song using the scroll wheel on the right steering wheel’s button pad. It’s the same button that will scroll through presets, or telephone numbers. And the information will display in the HUD if I’m driving around…or will appear on the right side of the cluster if I’m parked with the power on but engine not running.

Just curious if BMW changed things up with the newer versions of iDrive.

EDIT: on 2nd thought, I may have coded ENTERTAINMENT LIST using Bimmercode which would have implemented the “scrollable” list to appear in the HUD.

Mine has the scroll wheel Q and HUD. This is definitely a work around, but it takes two clicks or movements. One to scroll the wheel and select next track and then a push of the wheel to select. I just miss a dedicated next track button where I don’t have to take my eyes off the road or go through a menu. Even in HUD it’s a distraction.

[Qsilver7]

Thanks…I’m just glad to know the steering wheel still has the scroll dial. BMW is removing so many of the common buttons (like the 1-8 programmable buttons)…I’m surprised it’s still there.

But I guess this is a push toward using the VC (voice control) that has been getting better over time (I suppose).

[Gautam]

Using gesture control to skip a track is more convenient than using the wheel + HUD. But a “next track” button would be better still.

The gesture is useful for a passenger. My wife uses it all the time.

Good luck with the retrofit op. I’ve heard the LCI gesture control is improved over non LCI.

[Bjames93*]

Originally Posted by SigmaPiFSC

I traded my 2018 530e for a 2023 530e! But the new 2023 does not have gesture control. Has anyone retrofit this? Bimmer-tech has a retrofit kit. Looking at the instructions, It shows I would need to run 2 wires from the replacement roof unit with camera, to the BDC. They show you how to pull the trim, but then the wires need to be added to the connectors.

I'm wondering if there is a way to look up or find out if my car already has those wires? Someone told be to check the wire-diagram using ISTA, but I can't seem to find a copy of ISTA.

Does anyone have ISTA who can look it up? The instructions say to disconnect the Connector A258*8 and add the wires to pin 52 and 51, and then on the other end, they get plugged in to pins 6 and 17 on the cluster.

But I'm wondering, maybe the wires are already there, and I'll I need to do is replace the roof unit and then do the coding.

I welcome any ideas, suggestions, or advice. Or if you have a way to see if my model has the wires underneath, that would save me some hassle!

Thx!

I actually supply many types of retrofits including this one. Please dm. We have quite a bit of stock on hand

[roxxor]

Most likely you don’t have the wires, as I have retrofitted this on my X3 and X5 and neither had the wiring present. You can get an idea of the steps involved on my DIY thread here.

You can usually find the roof module with the gesture control pretty cheap on eBay or from salvage yards by searching car-part.com. There are several available for $150 or less, and the wiring shouldn’t be more than $20-$30 at most.

Good luck with the project!

[SigmaPiFSC]

Update:
Success!
I did this upgrade
https://www.bimmer-tech.net/products...ntrol-retrofit
Did I need to pay their high fee? I don't know But I did, and don't have regrets.

The wires were NOT in my car. So, here is my run down of this project, in case someone else is wondering what's involved. I'm not a mechanic, I like to tinker, and I'm good with my hands.

A high level quick review from memory:
Step 1 - disconnect the battery in the trunk (only the batter in the floor of the trunk, no need to disconnect the one on the right side). Takes 72 hours (that's 71 hours and 59 minutes to think about it and search online for how, and 1 minute to actually do it remove the connector. lol

Step 2: Unscrew the roof unit, and pull it out, unplug it (easy) 1 min lots of videos showing how.

Step 3: Remove trim from under glove box, and foot sill, The right side trim along the windshield that has the word Airbag on it (that clip only covers a screw, it pops off. Easy... ) and then cover to the BDC - 5 minutes all together because I didn't know what I was doing.

Step 4: unplug the black BDC plug. easy instructions show you which one - second from left.

Step 5: dis-assemble the black BDC connector - this was tricky, the videos are not great. but I figured it out. Basically from the bottom of the connector, pry- the left and right sides a little bit, and the center slides out. From there its easy.

Step 6: Run the 2 wires that came with the retrofit kit. The wires I got had a small lead on one end and a larger lead on the other. The larger lead should goto the floor to the BDC. (5 mins) The whole point of removing the trim is to make it super easy to run the wire.

Step 7: Plug each lead from the wire you just ran into the connectors. Small lead into the roof connector, and large lead into the BDC connector.

So... more info on the wires. These wires have a small metal lead on one end and a slightly larger metal lead on the other. These metal leads are important. They plug into the "connectors" on the roof and the BDC connector.
Small one on the roof connector - and slightly larger one on the BDC connector. Because of the shape of the lead, they only insert into the connector one way. That makes it easy! Don't force it. Once you slide them into the connector, you'll hear them click / clip in. To test, try pulling gently, and if it doe not come out, you did it! If it does come out, it's not in all the way, or in the right direction. Once they are clicked in, if you need to remove them, you will need a special terminal removal key sometimes called a wire connector pin release key) https://a.co/d/0DtiW02 don't force them out. If you plug them into the wrong pin hold on the connector, get the tool. But, for me, the instructions told me exactly which pin hole to plug them into on the connector.

Step 8. Plug the connectors back in. The roof connector, you'll plug it back into your replacement roof control center. So, you might be able to buy one on ebay for like $150... that's what I've read at least. In my case, it came with the kit.

Step 9 reconnect the car battery. It will spark when up unplug and plug it back. That's okay. Just have a towel or something next to it, so when I disconnect it, you can shove the towel in between the lead and battery. I used rubber electrical gloves. Probably not needed, but whatever... I just did...

Step 10: Coding:
The new roof unit needs to be initialized.

I tried ProTool from BimmerGeeks, and I went into the Vehichle Order and added Gesture Control, and it worked! Awesome! But.. not the sunroof. I tried to get the sunroof to work, and could not. Did the youtube initialize by holding the up button. No luck...

In my retrofit package, it included a remote coding session. So, I used it. I followed instructions on my PC to allow for remote access. Set a time, and when the tech came onto my screen, he set up for remote access. Then, remotely, he properly coded what he needed to. At that point, I could do what YouTube videos show... press and hold the up button for 1 min.

When all is said and done, it works. It's awesome. I'm happy with the results!

Could I have just found the roof part, and done it myself? Saved some money? Probably, but, to know that the wire was the correct one with the correct leads, and size, and instructions, and someone to code it... Also, people I could email and text for help and support? All peace of mind. It really worked out great! And I learned a lot along the way.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by SigmaPiFSC

Update:
Success!
I did this upgrade
https://www.bimmer-tech.net/products...ntrol-retrofit
Did I need to pay their high fee? I don't know But I did, and don't have regrets.

The wires were NOT in my car. So, here is my run down of this project, in case someone else is wondering what's involved. I'm not a mechanic, I like to tinker, and I'm good with my hands.

A high level quick review from memory:
Step 1 - disconnect the battery in the trunk (only the batter in the floor of the trunk, no need to disconnect the one on the right side). Takes 72 hours (that's 71 hours and 59 minutes to think about it and search online for how, and 1 minute to actually do it remove the connector. lol

Step 2: Unscrew the roof unit, and pull it out, unplug it (easy) 1 min lots of videos showing how.

Step 3: Remove trim from under glove box, and foot sill, The right side trim along the windshield that has the word Airbag on it (that clip only covers a screw, it pops off. Easy... ) and then cover to the BDC - 5 minutes all together because I didn't know what I was doing.

Step 4: unplug the black BDC plug. easy instructions show you which one - second from left.

Step 5: dis-assemble the black BDC connector - this was tricky, the videos are not great. but I figured it out. Basically from the bottom of the connector, pry- the left and right sides a little bit, and the center slides out. From there its easy.

Step 6: Run the 2 wires that came with the retrofit kit. The wires I got had a small lead on one end and a larger lead on the other. The [...]

Great write up and super helpful. I too am pretty good with my hands and I love this shit and the challenge. I won’t do anything under the hood, but I love the challenge of wiring and retrofitting. I may use this comprehensive write up in tandem with the eBay route. I’m pretty comfortable with wiring to the BDC and the required UBS terminals. I also have ProTool and I bet some back and forth with those guys will show me the way. He’ll, if I have to pay my favorite coder $150 bucks I’m still way ahead of the game. Thanks again for this.