Behind the Scenes on How To Install a BMW Retrofit Kit

Many BMW owners love the fact that they can add some of the latest navigation, audio, camera, Bluetooth, and Internet technologies to their BMW cars with an easy retrofit kit from BimmerTech. No longer are they limited to only factory-installed features. With some basic skills and tools, they can now do most of the aftermarket upgrades themselves — and BimmerTech is here to help.

So, what does it take to do a Do It Yourself (DIY) BMW retrofit? That’s one of our most frequently asked questions, so we thought we’d take a minute and answer it here.

First off, every one of our BMW add-ons is different and requires a varying skill level. If you’ve done any kind of upgrades to your car yourself, you will be able to take on a BimmerTech kit with ease. If you’re just beginning, but are pretty good at DIY, you should be fine — especially because we provide documentation and our super-responsive tech team is on-hand to walk you through your project if you need. And what if you just don’t have that mechanical touch (or the time), but still want to save money with a BimmerTech BMW retrofit kit? Our worldwide network of installers is at your service. After shipping the kit to you, just let us know the local installer of your choice and we’ll work with them to do any remote programming or activation. Dealer-quality or higher — for less! And if we don’t have an installer near you or you just want to use your favorite local audio shop? No problem. They will easily be able to install our kits and we’re happy to guide them if necessary.

Okay, back to what it takes for you to install a BimmerTech upgrade. Our easiest retrofits are software upgrades, like for adding SiriusXM Satellite Radio or BMW Apps, enhancing Bluetooth capability, or upgrading USB functionality. They don’t require any tools or hardware except an Internet-connected Windows laptop or MacBook running Windows. You plug in your computer and we take care of the rest remotely and via Skype, usually in about 20 minutes.

Upgrades like adding a rear view camera, Combox, or navigation require some hardware installation and sometimes a software upgrade or activation (again, which we do remotely). As mentioned, we provide instructions and support as needed to make sure your experience is a good one. Most of our upgrades are plug and play, meaning there are no wires to cut and when called for, we use easy OEM tap-in connectors (the same kind BMW uses) to make installation a snap. Others might require opening a panel, removing trim, or threading some wires from here to there, but it doesn’t get much more complicated than that.

Hope that helps clear up some questions or maybe some concerns. We want your BMW to have the technology upgrades it deserves — and we’re here to help make it happen. Let us know if you have any other questions about ordering the right kit or getting started.