Certain options on our automobiles allow you to benefit from significant driving comfort! In fact, having a GPS included in your car allows you to stay focused entirely on the road while driving to an unknown destination without any problems. However the road network is continuously evolving, it is therefore vital to update the GPS of your BMW 3 Series , and this is accurately what we will discover in this article. To do this, first we will review the different attributes of the integrated GPS for vehicles, and secondly, how to update the GPS of a BMW 3 Series .

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How does onboard GPS work in a BMW 3 Series

In this part we will learn how the GPS of a BMW 3 Series works and what are the different sort of GPS.

The features of an integrated GPS?

A built-in GPS presents many features that a mobile phone GPS or Tomtom-type GPS will not be able to give you. Below is a list of the advantages of these devices:

  • The point that it is included straight into the dashboard of your BMW 3 Series makes it difficult to steal the GPS from your car.
  • Connected to your car’s radio antenna, the GPS will have better reception than any sort of GPS you could use.
  • It is often, dependent on the year, attached to steering wheel voice commands, which allows you to use it without taking your hands off the wheel and as a result to drive more safely.
  • The screen is in most cases much larger than a GPS on a smartphone or a nomadic type, so the info is more readable.
  • Connected to your speakers, it can be coupled to music and just occur when you replace direction, which limits the risk of you going off course as much as possible.

The different sort of GPS for BMW 3 Series

After having seen the advantages and before detailing to you how to update the GPS of your BMW 3 Series , we will quickly illustrate the different kind of built-in GPS that exist for a BMW 3 Series, here they are:

  • The classic GPS: We call classic GPS the models that equip recent vehicles, they are connected to a whole multimedia system and are equipped with a touch screen.
  • The old GPS: These GPS were the first generations, the screen is only used for navigation and they are updated with a USB stick or SD card. These systems, although basic to use and have a lower screen quality, you’ll experience like you’re watching a TV from the 90’s.
  • GPS Android Auto or Apple CarPlay: At last, last kind of GPS, on the latest vehicles it is possible to have a system including Android or Apple, these systems are autonomous and you use the native applications of one of the two operating systems. They are very responsive and easy to use.

How do I update the GPS on a BMW 3 Series?

We will now proceed to the component you are most interested in, how to update the GPS of your BMW 3 Series? To do this, we will see for each kind of GPS how the process of updating the cartography, the signalling and the software is done.

Updating old GPS on BMW 3 Series

The old GPS systems included on the BMW 3 Series until the years 2000/2005, these GPS use a particular software for the brand and the method to update this GPS on a BMW 3 Series is to go to the dealer who will manage it, for a 50 euros in many instances.

Updating the GPS of BMW 3 Series by SD or USB

This kind of GPS is most common on cars that are about ten years old. Most of the companies have called upon the company “HERE navigation” and you will have to go to their site to download the map update of your GPS, then transfer it to a USB key or SD card depending on the connectors available on your model and do the update straight through the menu of your integrated GPS.

Automatic GPS update

Most recent BMW 3 Series’s with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay will update automatically, so there is no need for you to produce any updates. You can continue to use your GPS with peace of mind knowing that the map and speed limits are up to date.

Whenever you have any additional questions about the BMW 3 Series, do not hesitate to consult our BMW 3 Series category.