335i iPhone Snap-In Adapter (no 6NF/6FL)

[Rooks]

Alright.... I've got myself a 335i Sedan 2008, with a build date of 5/08. I've been looking around and have found a iPhone 3G snap-in adapter which 'claims' to not only allow you to play music, but charge and connect the phone to the antenna of the car. It also lets you control the phone (scroll through songs/playlists) via the stearing wheel and displays on the radio. I do not have iDrive, 6FL, or 6NF.

My understanding (from doing my own research online) is that I will need these parts:

84 21 2 151 038 - iPhone 3G Adapter without 6NF (Without smartphone Integration)
84 21 6 946 075 - Base Plate (Eject Box)
51 16 7 118 054 - Console Trim

I searched on my local dealerships website and they are quoting me 140$ for the Adapter, 125ish for the Base Plate, and the trim is like 25$... However they also quoted the "Installed Base Plate" for over 500$!! It seems like people can DIY in under 30minutes, so this seems ridiculous.

I went to my dealership yesterday, and they were clueless. I told them what I wanted, and they handed me the adapter by itself and said that's all I would need. They were wrong, as it doesn't fit without the Base Plate. So I returned, and they handed me a different adapter which had nothing to do with the iPhone, and claimed THAT was all I needed - wrong again, as it wasn't the iPhone adapter I wanted and it STILL didn't fit... :P

So im trying to get all my ducks in a row now, and order the right parts and install it myself. Do any other 335i owners have my current setup? Have any of you tried this yet?

EDIT: Decided to call the dealership again and pray for someone with a little more knowledge. The guy I got looked up the part number (038) and told me they didn't have any. I asked him if I could control the iPod functionality through this adapter using the steering wheel and see it displayed on the radio, and he said "You can play music, as it goes through the aux connection, but i don't know about the Steering Wheel and radio display.." I still don't get a warm fuzzy from these service people... Maybe I should just give up and get a 20$ cable at radio shack to play using the aux port.

[drgonzal]

DON'T GET IT! I got the iPhone Snap In Adapter thinking the same thing you are about music, and it does NOT play music. All it allows you to do is to use you cars' external antenna to "enhance" the reception. Also, the way the phone snaps in, you would not be able to use the auxiliary port on your iPhone. And just so you know, if you do decide to go to Radio Shack and get the $20 cable for the auxiliary jack on the phone and in the car, you still wont be able to see the songs on the screen. As for the steering wheel buttons, I would doubt that you would be able to use those too. But don't take my word on that.

[Rooks]

DON'T GET IT! I got the iPhone Snap In Adapter thinking the same thing you are about music, and it does NOT play music. All it allows you to do is to use you cars' external antenna to "enhance" the reception. Also, the way the phone snaps in, you would not be able to use the auxiliary port on your iPhone. And just so you know, if you do decide to go to Radio Shack and get the $20 cable for the auxiliary jack on the phone and in the car, you still wont be able to see the songs on the screen. As for the steering wheel buttons, I would doubt that you would be able to use those too. But don't take my word on that.

Damnit... That's what I really wanted too - to be able to control via the steering wheel and see the display on my radio.. all the other functionality is just brownie points.. Looks like without 6NF im screwed =(

I wonder if this will EVER be retrofit-able... :help

[mryakan]

Check this FAQ entry:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=15189334&postcount=32