After being a loyal Cadillac owner for over two decades, I made the switch – and I’m completely enamored with my BMW. About five months ago, I picked up a 2018 440i xDrive Gran Coupe. Truthfully, when I bought it, BMW’s naming system was a complete mystery to me. But overall, I’m incredibly thrilled with my “new” ride. It’s not an M model, but it’s undoubtedly the fastest car I’ve ever owned. And now that I’ve experienced the BMW magic, an M3 is definitely on my radar for the future.
BMW advertised that Apple CarPlay became a standard feature starting in 2017 for my model. So, a 2018 model like mine should definitely have it. Plus, it was even listed on the vehicle’s spec sheet when I found it online. I bought it used from a Chevy dealership, as I’ve learned you often get better deals on used luxury vehicles from non-luxury dealerships.
However, once I got the car home, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to activate CarPlay. For some, this might be a minor issue, but it was a major priority for me when choosing a car. I actually passed on a Mercedes because it didn’t offer CarPlay. So, you can imagine my disappointment when BMW, after checking my VIN, informed me that my 2018 BMW 4 Series unfortunately didn’t come with CarPlay, nor was it “CarPlay ready.” And to add insult to injury, it couldn’t even be added later through the BMW store.
Because this feature was so important to me, I started researching aftermarket solutions. Many places offered options, but they came with a hefty price tag – around $399, plus the cost of cables and tools, potentially reaching $600 in total.
I stumbled upon a forum post (possibly even on this forum, if memory serves) where someone shared their positive experience with having CarPlay coded by http://bimmer-remote.com. They praised their experience with Bimmer-Remote, so I decided to check them out.
Bimmer-Remote’s price for CarPlay coding was significantly lower at just $49. My BMW didn’t have a factory wifi antenna, so I also needed to order a cable ($15), a wifi antenna ($10), and plastic pry tools ($10) to remove trim and install the antenna.
The low $49 price made me a little apprehensive. Why was it so much cheaper than other solutions? But my frugal side decided to take the chance. And I’m incredibly happy I did. Let me tell you, Jakub from Bimmer-Remote was exceptionally helpful. I’m not exactly a tech whiz, but he patiently answered all my questions. He guided me to the correct (and cheapest) cable for my coding needs, and the right antenna, etc. The best part? No matter when I emailed him – day or night – I received a response within hours, often within minutes. Truly outstanding customer service.
I paid the $49, and he promptly emailed me a download link. I connected my laptop to my BMW using the cable and ran the code. About five minutes later… BINGO! I had CarPlay in my 2018 4 Series!
Even though I don’t have the wifi antenna installed yet, CarPlay has been working flawlessly for several days without any connectivity issues. I’ll keep the antenna on hand just in case I experience any problems down the line.
This whole process was easy and affordable, and the customer support was fantastic (even for a customer like me who asks a million questions!).
So, I wanted to share my experience for anyone else looking to add CarPlay to their BMW 4 Series. I’m absolutely loving my CarPlay!
