[FLR2DEN]

Hey Guys and Gals--I wanted to share my experience with you on the CarPlay issue.

After 13 months of waiting I took delivery of my car the first week of December. Sadly I drove it for 3 days before I was back at the dealer with a long list of items not working, one being CarPlay. I was so disappointed. I had waited so long for this, and I had high expectations. I had owned another BMW previous to this one, and it was old enough that it didn't have many of the safety features that are now standard (lane departure warning, blind spot detection, automatic high beams, etc), not to mention CarPlay of any flavor. Because of the software issues none of these standard safety features were working or worked intermittently on my new i4.

The dealer took 3 days to correct all the problems that I had with the car; all of which were software related. The car was delivered with software version 7/2022.40, and now I have 11/2022.44.

The dealer stated that they had updated the software and also performed recall work. Here's exactly what my work order says:

RECALL: PERFORM OPEN UPDATE / RECALL PER MANUFACTURER
g08 g26 g28 g70 u06 program control units (SME)

No one should be having software issues like this. I had the car less than a week before I brought it back for an update. As I've said I was very disappointed. The car is a great car; but the software is / was not ready. Since receiving the updated software and the recall work being done I have had no CarPlay issues. No GPS issues. Everything is now working as it should have been when the car was delivered to me. I encourage all of you not to lose hope--and get your software updated.

I want to thank the forum members for your posts. This forum has helped me with the waiting and with understanding more about our i4's. And a big 'Hello' to all the other folks in the Denver, Colorado area.

 

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After 3 days on 11/2022.44 installed by the dealer, my wonky GPS / CarPlay issues are back.

 

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Something else that is fun is when you look at your charging history in the MyBMW app. When I am charging at home, the car thinks that it is 10 miles away from where it actually is . I have used EA DC fast chargers all over the Denver area and their location reported in the MyBMW app is way off. I took this screenshot after I arrived home yesterday.

 

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Which software rev? It's clear they have bugs in the GPS part of iDrive 8.

I am using iOS 16.2, myBMW 2.12.1, and iDrive 8 11/2022.44.

 

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I spoke with BMW NA about this yesterday, and currently my i4 is at the dealer being troubleshot. BMW NA reminded me that this platform is not new, and not untested. The i4 uses Service Pack 18 for its hardware components and this has been available for 3-4 model years now in BMW's ICE vehicles (to include the 3 and 4 series). BMW also said that this is not an iDrive 8 issue. BMW said that the problem with GPS isn't a common one, but they had seen it before. BMW recommended that I go through the service department at my dealer (this is the best way to document an issue and raise awareness) and tell them in detail the problems that I am having. I brought video and photographic evidence with me to the dealer this morning. The BMW representative said that this is very likely a hardware issue with the GPS module and how it interacts with location services. The intermittent faults in the GPS module cause CarPlay to behave the way it does, and for me CarPlay often does not recover until I power off the vehicle.

 

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I apologize beforehand on the rant and in keeping my thoughts straight below.

I am also still working with my dealer on this issue. The dealer seems receptive to my troubleshooting and I feel that they genuinely want to help, however it's BMW NA that is pushing back and offering nonsensical and unacceptable "I guess it's like that" answers.

As an engineer myself my brain won't let me stop troubleshooting this annoying problem. Here's some further data points that I have tested over the last weeks for the forum:

1) In my tests I drive the same route, 35 miles each way for a 70 mile round trip.
2) For each test, CarPlay AND Android Auto have failed. Android auto tends to recover more quickly where CarPlay gives me the black screen and often doesn't recover.
3) I have used a Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy for Android Auto tests.
4) I have used an iPhone 12 Mini, an iPhone 13, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max for CarPlay
5) I have used an ATT sim (5G service) and a Verizon sim (LTE only) with each phone.
6) With CarPlay the car tends to be 'angrier' longer. It's with CarPlay that I most often have to reset iDrive.
7) I've tested these phones and sims in a Toyota sedan and a Ford F-150. Android Auto and CarPlay work flawlessly in those vehicles.

But for those asking if Android Auto has the same problems as CarPlay--yes it does. I keep reiterating to the BMW NA techs that this is not just a CarPlay issue. It's how the car interacts with location services in the MyBMW app (which has nothing to do with CarPlay or Android Auto), and how these location services interaction with projected skins (CarPlay / Android Auto) in iDrive 8. I also keep reminding them that the car isn't recovering gracefully if there is a signal interruption or some kind of interference. I tried a Verizon sim that is LTE only as I thought it might have something to do with the 5G spectrum, but this Verizon sim only uses LTE which isn't the same frequency bands as ATT's 5G.

The behavior is that the software in the car encounters something it doesn't like, and when it does it sort of spazzes out. Instead of resetting itself and recovering from the interference gracefully, it doubles down and freezes / hangs. Which causes the location in the MyBMW app to also be incorrect until iDrive 8 is reset. I hope this data point about Android Auto also suffering from the same problem is useful to the forum. Because it's not an Apple problem as some from BMW have said; it's also a Google problem. And mostly it's a BMW problem.

Please keep bugging your dealers about this!

 

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Some people here mentioned that they'd temporarily fix the issue by plugging the phone in. I wonder if plugging the phone in makes the phone think that it is using wired carplay, which would force it to use it's own GPS. Maybe one longer term workaround would be to figure out how to 'trick' the phone into using it's own GPS instead of relying on whatever BMW is doing, but I'm not sure if that is possible.

I understand what you've said. However it doesn't seem technically possible (IMHO). Another forum member posted this earlier:

Developing CarPlay Systems, Part 1 - WWDC16 - Videos - Apple Developer

“Satellite location information from the vehicle is used in addition to
the iPhone's sensors to determine the location of the user. This data
from the vehicle may be better since a larger antenna can be integrated
into the car. This is the recommended configuration since it will result
in the best maps user experience. Sending satellite location information
to iPhone is required if the vehicle has the technology on board. GNSS
information is also required for any system supporting wireless CarPlay
since it's more likely that the phone will be in a pocket, bag, or
somewhere where the phone itself has poor reception.”

For me, the plug-in trick is a bug in Apple's implementation of CarPlay. According to their own documentation, it shouldn't work. And it would seem (also from Apple's own documentation) that the iPhone must use the vehicles antenna when using wireless CarPlay. But I'll try it and see what the testing shows. ;-)

 

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I

Ok, HOPEFULLY, final update.

So, there is a BMW bulletin out "sib 841422" and there is a software update to ALLEGEDLY correct the issue. When i asked what version of the software i am on now to correct the issue, he (the service tech) told me it was "S18A-22-11-544" ..... what software this is now referring to that got updated, i have absolutely no idea. But when i went out to my car and checked the drive 8 software i was on 11/2022.44

HOPEFULLY, this and the elimination of emojis from my contacts names solves this issue, i can drive off into the sunset and you all will never hear from me again. If i pop back in here, it didnt work and im searching for a new solution.

I got feedback from my dealer about this bulletin. This is old and the 11.2022.44 update supersedes it. So no fix for us. However, my dealer is very receptive to my situation and are as frustrated with BMW NA as I am. My dealer has committed to installing new software updates as they become available (which is truly the best they can do at this point). As inconvenient as this is for me, I truly want a fix and so installing these monthly software updates before they become available OTA couldn't hurt. I have an appointment next week to install the January '23 update. I'll be sure to post the software version and the status of the fix when I can.

Be a pain in the ass! Bother your dealerships about this. This is the only way it will get fixed.

 

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What’s the January update? Wasn’t aware of anything more current than 11.2022

I'm not really clear about what you mean by your question, but I'll take stab at it. BMW releases new software internally about once a month to the dealers (to fix various issues).

It would seem that BMW releases a rollup of all of these updates about every six to seven months as an over-the-air-update for the general public.

My dealer has committed to make me aware of when new software is available each month and install it manually for me as this software is not available yet as an OTA update. I had the 11.2022.44 software installed a full week before it was generally available as at OTA update.

Early on in the discussion with the dealer I mentioned 'lemon' and my willingness to give it back to them should this not be fixed. I waited over 13 months for this car....and it shouldn't have been delivered like this.

 

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First, I have an appointment on Jan 25 to get the latest software update manually installed. I'll post the release notes and software version here when I can.

Second, I have found a bonafide fix for my situation that I can live with. For me, this issue is not random. In my tests it happens EXACTLY at the same place along my route, each and every time I pass by a certain landmark. There is obviously some kind of interference that my car is subjected to along that route that it can't handle.

Here's a stable short-mid term solution that has worked 100% of the time for me over the last weeks:

1) Do the long iDrive reset. Push the volume knob for about 45 seconds until it has rebooted twice, and then release the volume knob. This step is important to correct any lingering location issues.
2) Because I know exactly where this issue occurs on my route, I turn CarPlay off from the menu settings in the car about 1-2 minutes before I pass by the trouble zone. DO NOT touch the phone, keep it in your pocket or purse. DO NOT use the 'wifi trick'. The disconnect command needs to come from the car, and not the phone.

From the owner's manual:
Turning CarPlay on/off
To use the iPhone without CarPlay, CarPlay must be switched off.
1. "MENU"
2. "All apps"
3. "Mobile devices"
4. For the desired iPhone, select CarPlay and switch on/off.

Turning CarPlay off from the car is key here, because if you do this it leaves the car in a error free state. Where if you do the 'Wi-Fi trick' the car sees it as a signal interruption or interferrence which is what got us here in the first place. The car's software can't handle the signal interferrence or recover gracefully from a signal interruption. You will need to pull over and do the long reset again if you forget to disable CarPlay in the area on your route where the interference is located.

3) After passing the trouble zone, turn CarPlay back on from MENU screen. You CarPlay session should restore and away you go. I can say with confidence that this has always worked for me.

4) When you get to your destination, the myBMW app should show the correct location of the car.

This has worked for me 100% of the time. I do not have CarPlay issues at random, I have them at a specific point on my route. As inconvenient as it has been to troubleshoot, I am so glad that I have found a consistent solution that works for me. However, I am still insisting that BMW own this though. It is not Apple's problem, it is not Google's problem. A customer shouldn't have to do all this nonsense for a car that was delivered from the factory six weeks ago.

Although my dealer is helpful I have been on the look out for class-action lawsuits against BMW for this issue. Anyone know of any? This isn't just affecting i4 owners. It's many 2022+ model year BMW's. I would gladly throw my hat into the ring in order to garner the attention this issue deserves. BMW does not get a 'pass' on this.

I hope this helps. Please go out and test yourselves. I hope that this band-aid works for you too. It's really helped me enjoy my car as it should have been.

 

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Five days ago I got my new 2023 330e with the latest software version of idrive8 (11.2022... I forget, but I'm sure it's the latest one). I actually had the GPS drift issue the day I drove it home from the dealership, but at the time I thought it was a temporary bug until it happened over and over again.

I spent some time doing experiments

Let's start with the conclusion: the position drift problem is triggered in the CERTAIN area. Let me call it the "trigger zone". When you leave the trigger zone, if the position has drifted, it will continue to drift, but if you reset the idrive (long press on the volume button), the position will become correct. If you enter the trigger zone again, the position will start drifting again.

Here's what I observed
I found a parking lot near my house will trigger the position drift 100% of the time
1. Disconnect the carplay, then reconnect. Open Apple Maps, GPS drifts immediately.
2. Forget the iphone, then re-pair it. Open Apple Maps, GPS drifts immediately.
3. Uninstall waze and google maps. Open Apple Maps, GPS drifts immediately.
4. Press and hold the volume button until idrive reboots 3 times. Open Apple Maps, GPS drifts immediately.
5. Factory reset idrive (all my personalized settings in the car are gone). Open Apple Maps, GPS drifts immediately.
6. Reset all settings of my iphone. Open Apple Maps, GPS drifts immediately.

In all of the above cases, the location of BMW's built-in navigation was always correct and the location shown on the iphone before connecting to carplay was also correct.

I have not tried restoring my iphone to factory and I will be testing this over the weekend.

I emailed my dealer and was told this is the first she has heard of this issue and the service center has likewise not heard of it. But I believe this is purely a software issue and don't want to disassemble anything in the first week of getting a new car.

This is not an acceptable answer, and you do not have to stop there. Keep escalating.

 

[FLR2DEN]

To make sure I understand your process: You do the iDrive reset every time? Or just once before you get back to that situation?

I have reset iDrive once in the last weeks and haven't need to since. To avoid having to reset it every time, one must disconnect CarPlay at the right moment.

 

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I've got the latest software available to dealers installed yesterday, 11/2022.50. Sadly (although expected) it doesn't fix our GPS problem. Let's see what they do next month? Here's the release notes:

Eliminated faults and improvements

1. Incomplete or empty vehicle orders are now recognized
   and the new import is implemented by ISTA
2. Improved installation of programming data
3. Stabilization of Internet connectivity during secure encoding
4. Stabilization when updating online services due to slow Internet connection
5. Activation codes and SFA are displayed again after second test

 

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I highly doubt it would be covered under lemon law. Lemon law doesn't cover a single feature not working properly. You would have to prove that it rendered the car unusable

Lemon laws are different for each of the 50 states. I encourage everyone to do their own research and decide a course of action that best fits their situation.

 

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I was notified this morning of the OTA update 11/2022.63. My previous version was 11/2022.50 which was installed manually at the dealer back in January. I've installed the update and drove around for testing. I can say that this did NOT fix the GPS issue for me. Curious that no one else got the notification for the OTA update. Maybe BMW wants a certain baseline before they push out the 03/2023.xx updates to everyone. Who knows? (im)Patiently waiting for the fix....

 

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it doesn't occur with Android Auto. I have both types of phones and only see it with CarPlay.

This isn't accurate. It DOES occur with Android Auto as well. I have made tests along the same route with three different Android manufacturers. I have also made the same tests with three different iPhone models. In my testing I also tried AT&T and Verizon SIMS in these phones. This problem occurs with BOTH Android Auto and CarPlay.

 

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Have you seen similar GPS drifts on Android Auto?
I've been using Android Auto for the past 3 months and it only drifted once in that time and even then it corrected itself and showed the accurate location in 1-2 seconds without any intervention - CarPlay before that would drift almost every single day for me and would always require multiple iDrive resets to fix. Also, if I did not fix it before ending my trip, the MyBMW app would have the wrong location, which also hasn't happened with Android Auto.

Yes, with my vehicle there is little to no difference in behavior. The only exception is that with Android Auto it tends to recover more quickly, but ulitmately the behavior is the same.

 

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I'm glad to see that the software update is finally rolling out for most of us. I was notified of the update yesterday afternoon and I installed it then (03/2023.53). The BMW app finally knows where the car is parked, instead of 10 miles away from where it actually is. Let's see if it holds. I plan to run my series of previous tests again to know if this new software has finally killed some annoying bugs. I'll report back when I can with some data.

In the interim, can we collectively say that this new update DID solve our CarPlay woes? Fingers crossed for us all.