[TreyR28]

Originally Posted by awmenard

Is the NBT unit found in the f15 compatible with the f30?

I'm really on the fence about this one, I'd like to spend my money once and get the most out of it

I believe is it compatible from a software perspective, but will require trimming of the dash that I would not want to do. It might be possible to only trim the plastic backing on the screen, but I’m not sure.

[TreyR28]

Originally Posted by KC328_F30

The AVIN product seems to be hit and miss with different folks. I've got one myself and it runs flawlessly.

Unit has fantastic picture via a 10"+ touchscreen, auto connects to my mobile when I boot it up and allows me to hotspot while I'm driving and my Waze, Spotify and Gmail are all seamlessly sync'd togther.

The back up camera is also superior to the oem one.

No coding was required.

Glad to hear it works for you and I think it looks great having the bigger display.

It sounds like they are working to fix some of the bugs and make a better product which is great. My OEM 8.8" display gets here this week, but I might switch it up for the avin in the future if all issues are worked out. If everything worked seamlessly I think avin would be the way to go. If not, I plan on adding a smartview eventually.

[Pacsniper]

Originally Posted by KC328_F30

The AVIN product seems to be hit and miss with different folks. I've got one myself and it runs flawlessly.

Unit has fantastic picture via a 10"+ touchscreen, auto connects to my mobile when I boot it up and allows me to hotspot while I'm driving and my Waze, Spotify and Gmail are all seamlessly sync'd togther.

The back up camera is also superior to the oem one.

No coding was required.

How is the sound quality for you? have you tried out apple carplay?

[7iM3less]

Originally Posted by Pacsniper

How is the sound quality for you? have you tried out apple carplay?

Hey there I haven't tried CarPlay yet, I haven't really seen a need to use CarPlay altogether as the android interface is very intuitive and the Spotify + Waze apps are all I'm using. To be honest 40% of my time in the car is also dedicated to running the standard BMW interface so really I'm making use of the bigger screen only.

With regards to sound it's the same as it was preinstall with respect to the radio. Spotify is spot on as well.

Hey big part of how well do unit runs is based on the software version that people are using. I'm not sure which one mine is but it's run great over the last five or six months I've had it so I've never seen a need to update it.

[Pacsniper]

Originally Posted by KC328_F30

Hey there I haven't tried CarPlay yet, I haven't really seen a need to use CarPlay altogether as the android interface is very intuitive and the Spotify + Waze apps are all I'm using. To be honest 40% of my time in the car is also dedicated to running the standard BMW interface so really I'm making use of the bigger screen only.

With regards to sound it's the same as it was preinstall with respect to the radio. Spotify is spot on as well.

Hey big part of how well do unit runs is based on the software version that people are using. I'm not sure which one mine is but it's run great over the last five or six months I've had it so I've never seen a need to update it.

Thanks for the response, I've been itching to buy the Avin unit for awhile now but I'm seeing a lot of people with different problems, with only a few people saying it runs nicely. Have you had any experience with it in heat? I live in the Los Angeles Area and in the Summer, it can get up to 110 degrees outside. Also, is it fast? Does it crash at all? or sometimes?

[awmenard]

Well I pulled the trigger,
2014 F15 NBT
Touch controller
10.2 inch display
Display cable

Total price $500 USD

Thank you eBay.

Will probably add the Unichip SmartBox and I'll be complete

[daneww]

Originally Posted by KC328_F30

The AVIN product seems to be hit and miss with different folks. I've got one myself and it runs flawlessly.

Unit has fantastic picture via a 10"+ touchscreen, auto connects to my mobile when I boot it up and allows me to hotspot while I'm driving and my Waze, Spotify and Gmail are all seamlessly sync'd togther.

The back up camera is also superior to the oem one.

No coding was required.

Is it straight plug and play? I have the 6.6 screen without Nav and would like to upgrade. Seems like my options are few though.

[daneww]

Originally Posted by KC328_F30

Hey there I haven't tried CarPlay yet, I haven't really seen a need to use CarPlay altogether as the android interface is very intuitive and the Spotify + Waze apps are all I'm using. To be honest 40% of my time in the car is also dedicated to running the standard BMW interface so really I'm making use of the bigger screen only.

With regards to sound it's the same as it was preinstall with respect to the radio. Spotify is spot on as well.

Hey big part of how well do unit runs is based on the software version that people are using. I'm not sure which one mine is but it's run great over the last five or six months I've had it so I've never seen a need to update it.

Is that a bmw air freshener?

[7iM3less]

Originally Posted by daneww

Is it straight plug and play? I have the 6.6 screen without Nav and would like to upgrade. Seems like my options are few though.

Yes plug and play

[7iM3less]

Originally Posted by daneww

Is that a bmw air freshener?

Yes

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by awmenard

Well I pulled the trigger,
2014 F15 NBT
Touch controller
10.2 inch display
Display cable

Total price $500 USD

Thank you eBay.

Will probably add the Unichip SmartBox and I'll be complete

Just be careful cutting! I was glad I spent the extra time to get that right but either way, "you cannot lose with 10.2"

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by KC328_F30

Hey there I haven't tried CarPlay yet, I haven't really seen a need to use CarPlay altogether as the android interface is very intuitive and the Spotify + Waze apps are all I'm using. To be honest 40% of my time in the car is also dedicated to running the standard BMW interface so really I'm making use of the bigger screen only.

With regards to sound it's the same as it was preinstall with respect to the radio. Spotify is spot on as well.

Hey big part of how well do unit runs is based on the software version that people are using. I'm not sure which one mine is but it's run great over the last five or six months I've had it so I've never seen a need to update it.

Thanks for the glare shot Glad it worked out for you though!

[awmenard]

Originally Posted by jeffc83

Just be careful cutting! I was glad I spent the extra time to get that right but either way, "you cannot lose with 10.2"

Did you cut too much?

[TreyR28]

I received my 8.8" display today and got it installed. Install was really easy, but there were a couple things that would have made it way quicker had I known them before. I'll write up the installation below for anyone planning on doing the upgrade.

But first, here is the screen I got with part number on sticker:




I used this guide for the Avin install to get an idea of the process:
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%...328215&o=OneUp
(Shoutout to raichean for posting this)

This guide is great but he is replacing a 8.8" screen and the connector is different which you will see further down.

Step 1: Remove the center trim piece. A plastic trim tool makes this much easier but is not required. Start in the center as shown and work your way to the right slowing prying apart. The second picture shows where the clips are holding the right side on. Be careful because the plastic is thin and I could see this breaking if you pull too hard at the wrong angle.




I didn't even unplug the trim piece because I always have issues with these stupid connectors and didn't feel like messing with it. If you choose to do this I recommend resting the trim on the radio controls with a microfiber between to protect the pieces from scratching each other. See the pictures below.

Step 2: Remove the 2 Torx T-15 screws. I recommend putting another microfiber under the screws to prevent from dropping them into the air vent or down in the dash, especially if you don't have a magnetic screwdriver.


Step 3: Remove the existing display. Once the screws are removed the display pulls straight up. There are two clips that will probably pop off that go on the dash midway up the back of it. They are easy to pop back in place when you reassemble.

To get enough slack to access the plug on the back of the display you have to pull on the wire pretty hard. I recommend removing the microfiber from the air vent and pulling to get more slack. Once you can turn the screen around you can access the connector

The connector is extremely difficult to remove. The 8.8" display has the connector vertical, while it is horizontal on the 6.6" screen (See below picture). This threw me off since the guide I was looking at didn't show that. Depress the tab and pull down pretty hard with a plastic trim tool to separate the connector from the screen.

6.6" Display Connector location:


8.8" Display Connector location:


Step 4: Plug in the new display and replace the metal clips if they popped off when removing the first display (sorry but I don't have a good picture of the clips and where they go).

Push down pretty hard to get it settled and replace screws (Again, put microfiber under screws to prevent from losing):


Then replace the dash trim. I recommend starting in the center and working to the right.

Step 5: You need to code head unit to work with the new screen, it will be black until you code your computer. I used the expert coding feature of the BimmerCode iOS app and it was super easy. I had never coded before and it took me less than 5 minutes to figure out, but make sure you are very careful to only change the below parameters (I am in no way responsible if you screw up your car by coding wrong). I recommend putting your phone in airplane mode and disconnecting all bluetooth devices except the OBD coding plug:

HU_NBT > 3000 HMI > DISPLAY_SIZE_RESOLUTION = 8.8_1280x480
HU_NBT > 3001 EXBOX > DISPLAY_VARIANTE = breites_display

Link to buy bluetooth adapter($26 at time of writing):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Link to app website(~$27 in-app purchase for coding at time of writing):
http://www.bimmercodeapp.com


Step 6: Enjoy your big screen with split screen functionality. I recommend coding sport display using the bimmercode app as well. Split screen will work by default without extra coding.



Side note:
This upgrade is only compatible with cars made after 07/2014ish (In the US at least). Cars produced after that date use the ENTRY NAV, and cars made before that have the ENTRY system which you cannot code to use the 8.8" display.

[BMW DIY Guy]

Great guide, well done!

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by awmenard

Did you cut too much?

Almost man almost Had no template so I had to wing it by cutting then fitting going back and forth until I was satisfied. Really worked out well!

[awmenard]

Originally Posted by jeffc83

Almost man almost Had no template so I had to wing it by cutting then fitting going back and forth until I was satisfied. Really worked out well!

And let me guess you did not make a template for the rest of us? ?

My plan is to mesure the height of where it should be and cut from there.

Slowly

[jeffc83]

Originally Posted by awmenard

And let me guess you did not make a template for the rest of us? ?

My plan is to mesure the height of where it should be and cut from there.

Slowly

No, I did not have a template nor did I make one; I cut and fitted over and over until it was good enough. The guy I bought my screen from didn't offer one either as this is a retrofit. Wish I did have one though as it took me a few hours to get it right.

[sk8ter]

Originally Posted by TreyR28

I received my 8.8" display today and got it installed. Install was really easy, but there were a couple things that would have made it way quicker had I known them before. I'll write up the installation below for anyone planning on doing the upgrade.

SO you ended up replacing the display only? I'm assuming this did not add any functionality. How come you decided not to replace the head unit?

[TreyR28]

Originally Posted by sk8ter

SO you ended up replacing the display only? I'm assuming this did not add any functionality. How come you decided not to replace the head unit?

Yes, for now I only replaced the screen. It adds split screen functionality as well as a much better look it the interior. The small screen with the huge bezel made the interior of the car look cheap. In the future I plan on adding a smartview for phone mirroring. Normally I would have bought both at once, but I put an offer on an eBay listing for the sceen I bought and got it for a great price.

The head unit would be costly to replace and all I would get is navigation that I would never actually use for directions.

[K1llM0ng3r]

I am disappointed in Avin, with how cheap electronics are these days they could have pushed for a much more future proofed design - these units are running on a severely aged android platform! That’s a massive security issue and if I were you guys, I would only connect this device to a guest network which should be disabled when the car is not in use.

Moving forward, the specs on these things are terrible, it could be a much better experience if they just put some actual thought into their next unit. It’s literally just a tablet that’s dual booting, it should be beefier to support that.