The switch isn't needed on iDrive 7 cars with the SP18 hardware (like the LCI G30), but it is needed on cars with SP15 hardware (from 2017-2020). I still need to have my BMW dealer install the valet mode switch in my car because BMW accidentally deleted the switch and wiring in the factory for the first 6 months or so of the MY2020 production. The lack of anything else is why we don't get any other iDrive 7 features and have no Remote Software Updates, valet mode, Digital Key, lane information in navigation display, etc. It is something along the lines of head unit and RAM module and nothing else. I won't claim to know the full extent of the hardware changes needed, but I do know that the iDrive 7 version on MY2020 5-Series and X3 cars is not the full set of hardware iDrive 7 changes. But if you do try be sure to make a thread. That's really not how it works nor how easy it will be to 'upgrade' to idrive 7 from idrive 6. I expect we'll see this stuff happening in a few years.

Since the MY2020 cars are basically iDrive 6 cars with the iDrive 7 head unit in theory an iDrive 6 car can actually be upgraded aftermarket to iDrive 7, but the iDrive 7 cars are too new to serve as donor cars to harvest from. It is like they felt like they had way way too many iDrive 7 head units and just needed to desperately get rid of them right before the LCI on the 5 and X3. Yeah they really fucked us over on MY2020 for no reason I can figure out. and i cant buy it in my one model year old car. I wish they would just sell us what is probably one module somewhere + a backup battery to give us full ID7.Įspecially insulting now that BMW is now selling remote start as a connected drive upgrade feature. Yeah - I have a 2020 G01 M40i and I feel like i was scammed by BMW too.

Idrive upgrade