DICE MediaBridge MB-1500 Help in E36

[Simmadown115]

Anyone updated or are we all just sitting around waiting for somone else to do it? I know I am.

3605 didn't fix it for me. If it did for anyone else let me know

[ryanhoelzer]

Simmadown has a box he's made but I haven't heard a definitive answer as to whether connecting the power to an accessory switched source fixes it or not.

[Simmadown115]

It imitates the same action as unplugging it and plugging it back in. I will post a video of my entire system working this weekend once I'm free. I think it's time to show the DICE tech's that there really is an issue that needs to be addressed. I'm willing to make a DIY for the entire system but I will need someone to donate a new harness for it.

[ryanhoelzer]

So you still have to flip a switch every time? Is it the hot wire you're resetting? Or a bus wire or something? It would be easy enough to use a relay to reset it with the radio power.

Has anyone tried the switched power idea? I haven't done any testing but I'm thinking the power is probably already switched now that I think about it. Maybe constant power is an idea? Maybe switched power triggered by the radio power?

Hopefully I'll have some time to play with it this weekend.

The key to me is knowing what has to be reset.

[Simmadown115]

Ryan maybe you're lost in this idea....

Let me explain again:

Your 12V acc ignition wire switches on and off with the car. If you cut the power line from the harness(yellow wire on harness) and reconnect it to the 12V acc line (purple with white stripe in car) it will fix the connectivity issues. The E36 leaves the CD changer always hot.

To be safe for your car, you should wait until this weekend and watch the video I'll make for the BFC.

[ryanhoelzer]

I finally had some time to play with this. As Simmadown said, connecting a switched power source to the yellow wire seems to fix the connectivity problem. I also used the violet/white wire, I spliced into it at the back of the radio. The only issue I've seen is that it switches back to radio when you start the car but that's not a problem for me.

I had also struggled with how to get the iphone cable and the microphone out of the dash without running them exposed. When I pulled the radio out to connect to the power I realized I could run the wires along the corner of the radio. If you file the plastic out of the top left corner of the plastic frame that the radio slides into they fit fine.

[Simmadown115]

ryan,

I hope you cut the yellow wire and disconnected it completely from the mediabridge?

If you wait 10 seconds before turning the car on, it will reconnect directly to the mediabridge.

I see you're using a C43, does it show you the menus and song names?

Also, don't worry about having the microphone so close... it has great sensitivity and adjustable gain on the internals to the mediabridge. I would place it on the windshield and hide the wires down the pillars.

my $0.02


Ryan are you using an iPhone and how's your experience with A2DP displaying song titles from it?

[ryanhoelzer]

Right, you don't want to connect 2 hot wires, and if I hadn't it would still be hot all the time. And the radio would be hot all the time too..

Here's some of what I work on, I know a little bit about power too.



What do you mean by waiting 10 seconds?

I haven't had any luck with menus and song names with the C43, has anyone?

I haven't tested the mic much and that was an easy place to put it since I was running the iPhone cable. The windshield does sound like a good idea acoustically.

I haven't gotten any titles with USB or bluetooth. But I haven't played with it much. Is it possible with the C43?

[Simmadown115]

If you want the radio to reconnect to the mediabridge once you turn it on again, just wait 10 seconds while the ignition is off, then try.

From my experience it was not possible with the C43 to get text from the iBux, but jumping to the CD43 was very worth it. It understand the iBus signals from Multifunction Steering wheels also.

If you had the mediabridge as the last device connected when you turned your car off, once you turn it on again it should automatically reconnect to it. At least that's how it acts on my CD43, but I don't see a reason for it to act differently.

[ryanhoelzer]

I'm already shopping CD43s. I think it is a C43 issue. No matter what I do, when I turn the key on it goes to the radio.

[Simmadown115]

Made it real quick last night before I went out:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok7rsucodgo[/ame]

[ryanhoelzer]

You never said until this post that the switched power fixed it. You keep telling people to PM you for your solution. What else are you doing with the box you made? You said you had problems with your bluetooth volume, I'm guessing you put a potentiometer on the audio? How about sharing which wires they are for anyone else with that issue? What's the switch do? Your video doesn't show at all what you did, just that it works..

Ryan maybe you're lost in this idea....

Let me explain again:

Your 12V acc ignition wire switches on and off with the car. If you cut the power line from the harness(yellow wire on harness) and reconnect it to the 12V acc line (purple with white stripe in car) it will fix the connectivity issues. The E36 leaves the CD changer always hot.

To be safe for your car, you should wait until this weekend and watch the video I'll make for the BFC.

[Simmadown115]

You said you had problems with your bluetooth volume, I'm guessing you put a potentiometer on the audio? How about sharing which wires they are for anyone else with that issue? What's the switch do? Your video doesn't show at all what you did, just that it works..

1-It's still in a prototype stage but the module is more complicated than it seems. This video is for proof of concept.

2-The harness is using shielding wiring to protect the audio lines for the dreaded alternator whine for the AC signal riding the 12V line.By adding the Pot to the line, it will break the shielding and induce a horrible alternator whine. Regrounding and using bypass caps helps minimize the noise but it is still there.


3- I'm going to be creating a PCB that will make this a plug and play application with the same DICE connectors. I won't be advising anyone to make this module in a DIY as it can get very messy and complicated. As I now know, manually working on this yourself will void your warranty with DICE also. I don't want to be the reason why everyone will not be able to upgrade their firmware in the future

By having DICE approve my completed module, this will soon help all E36 owners who purchase it as it will be an add-on for the item. They still have not realized that this is a Hardware issue and not a software issue for the E36.

If you are willing to void your warranty through DICE PM me and I will explain more. I cannot advice people on a public forum to do something that may cause them to burn their DICE modules or their iBus line if they mess up and void their warranty.

[Joylove]

Anyone submitted a support request to DICE recently? Mine was sent in November 2010.

If we don't keep up the pressure we'll never get a fix for the power problem.

Simmadown115 : What's this audio problem? Levels or impedance?

Also CD43 was also rebadged and sold as Rover units and they sell for 1/2 price of CD43s. The font is slightly different and the rover badge can be sanded off.

[Simmadown115]

Anyone submitted a support request to DICE recently? Mine was sent in November 2010.

If we don't keep up the pressure we'll never get a fix for the power problem.

Simmadown115 : What's this audio problem? Levels or impedance?

Also CD43 was also rebadged and sold as Rover units and they sell for 1/2 price of CD43s. The font is slightly different and the rover badge can be sanded off.

Joy,

great work! I've follow Mparallel in his MFL wheel upgrade also, but I think my module will be the solution for now. I have been dealing with DICE since July but they honestly don't care. I work on this mostly during the weekend so I will try to have a solution for everyone on here once I get the PCB done.

You're on the right track with the iBus not waking up. If you want to work with me on it, I can add that option into the module to send the wake up command.

PM me so we can talk some more!

[Joylove]

PM sent.

BTW, MG and Land Rover badged units will probably have green illumination depending on build date, so make sure you ask any seller what colour it lights up.

PM sent.

BTW, MG and Land Rover badged units will probably have green illumination depending on build date, so make sure you ask any seller what colour it lights up.

[Joylove]

Version 4085 is available for download. I just installed it, will see what it does tomorrow.

[Simmadown115]

Any luck?

[Joylove]

Any luck?

Did not fix the power on issue, but it did add (or maybe it already had) a volume feature to reduce the audio output by 5 units. I didn't check if it had removed any distortion. I was more interested in the power issue as I was rewiring the unit to use a switched power.

[Simmadown115]

With switched power, the volume feature will have to be set every time you start the car. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

On a side note I should mention this to everyone:

Switching to switched power is the same action as unplugging it and plugging it back in. People must understand that all your settings on the mediabridge will be reset as the device is reprogrammed everytime you turn the car on. The reason why you don't have to re-pair you BT devices is because the phone pairings are stored internally to the device. The Mediabridge settings are only temporary between power on/off.

Question for current owners:

With a normal install and no modifications, Can people hear an alternator whine from the speakers?

I believe the long harness is inducing the alternator whine onto the speaker wires(even though they are coax), and I am working on designing a new harness that will connect to the back of the CD43 directly into the module I am designing.

Been to busy to work on the final product recently. Hopefully I will have a final product by May. If anyone has any ?'s feel free to add to the thread of PM me directly.

[Joylove]

With switched power, the volume feature will have to be set every time you start the car. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

To be honest I don't know what is volatile and what is non-volatile. My MB1500 hasn't worked for more than 10 minutes since I installed it last year, because it never boots up.

[Pismo530i]

I was told by the top Audio shop in my area that he has had ton of Dice units that dont work or work properly, no mater what car make or year. With BMW they (Dice does not test on U.S. veh, and you may have to do computer up dates from the dealer.... and it still wont work! I to have something that works without hacking up my car, but it looks like I may just be buying a whole new system.

[Simmadown115]

Stay posted as I might create a new thread on the options people can use for certain features and price for each one. The mediabridge is the only OEM BT integration that I have seen work so far.

There's a big distinction between people who want all OEM and some that just want a simple aftermarket fix that works for them.

[tamphymeister]

Simma, thanks for all your insights as I was able to use your switched power method to the tolerate the media bridge. Having to manually reset every time you turn on the ignition is just unbearable. I would have no issues returning the unit whatsoever if I wasn't already too far committed into the installation. My mistake was not to test the unit after shutting the car off for a good amount of time to allow the unit to crash. But then again, who would think of that unless maybe an experienced installer?

Anyhow, I do not have the alternator whine issue you're having. Could this be a grounding issue?

[Joylove]

Version 4085 is available for download. I just installed it, will see what it does tomorrow.

Version 4086 resolves the power on issue. You can thank me for contacting support on your behalf and supplying them some iBus logs in your own special way :

EDIT: After coming back to the car after a longer period the MB1500 is back to it's old tricks of not waking up. See page 3 for more.