Help with SMS Telematics Menu Entries - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

JFB · 4th April 2002, 20:07

I'm looking for help from someone who has implemented SMS messaging in the M5 NAV or OBC display.

When I press the Messages soft button in the Telephone menu on the NAV display, nothing happens, even though I have an SMS message on the handset connected to the cradle.

I've been told by my BMW Service Advisor (who was told by BMWNA) that SMS messaging is not supported in the NAV or OBC display for M5s in the US.

I don't understand why not, because the Motorola CPT8000 installed in the car does receive SMS messages. The messages are retrieveable from the handset. Thus, this seems to be an issue of programming the interface between the handset and the car display to show the SMS messages that are on the handset.

I notice in the Telematics menu that there are two soft buttons to input information related to SMS messaging.

SMS CENTER
SMS number

Both buttons display entries in the format +[_] [_] * [_] [_] [_] * [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] [_] with each of the 12 blanks allowing the selection of a number from 0-9 or remaining blank. In my car, these were all left blank after installation of the phone.

I assume that the SMS number is the phone number at which one receives SMS messages. I'm not sure why you'd need to enter that separately. Wouldn't it be the same number as the phone in the cradle?

I don't know what should be input for the SMS CENTER.

(To get to the Telematics menu, select the "Settings" menu, then hold down the Menu button to get the Service Menu. Telematics is the bottom soft button.)

kees · 4th April 2002, 20:23

The SMS Center routes SMS messages to and from your phone - pretty much like a mailserver does for your email. The SMS Center is unique to the mobile operator you're using - just call them and they should be able to tell you the SMS Centre number.

JFB · 4th April 2002, 20:50

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

tfung · 5th April 2002, 00:47

It might only work for GSM phones....

kees · 5th April 2002, 09:02

No, TDMA & CDMA networks support SMS as well.

However, there is very limited interoperability for SMS between GSM, TDMA & CDMA networks - which means for example you probably won't be able to send an SMS from your GSM phone to a friend's TDMA phone - even if both phones can send and receive SMS.

JFB · 5th April 2002, 18:58

Quote:

Originally posted by keesdh
No, TDMA & CDMA networks support SMS as well.

Keesdh is right. Mine is a TDMA version of the CPT 8000 and it does support SMS.

JFB · 9th April 2002, 20:50

I sent a request for technical help to Cingular wireless, asking what to enter into the telematics setting for SMS CENTER. They answered:

Quote:

... you need to enter the number one three times (111) for the SMS Center.

I entered that number into the SMS CENTER entry under the telematics menu. I left the first two fields (country code) blank, entered 111 into the three area code fields, and left the remaining 7 fields blank.

I also entered my 10-digit cellular phone number into the SMS number entry. I left the first two fields blank, and completed the remaining 10 fields.

When I returned to the phone menu, the display indicated that the system was loading the phonebook (that took about 10 minutes). Then the normal phone display reappeared. I tried the Messaging button, but it still is not functioning.

kees · 9th April 2002, 22:56

Sounds like you are slowly getting there...

The phone book should not take more than 1 minute to load.

For the country code just fill in '1' for the USA. You might just want to set the area code and rest of the number to the phone's mobile phone number.

JFB · 9th April 2002, 23:07

Quote:

Originally posted by keesdh
Sounds like you are slowly getting there...

The phone book should not take more than 1 minute to load.

For the country code just fill in '1' for the USA. You might just want to set the area code and rest of the number to the phone's mobile phone number.

Thanks Keesdh.

How many entries are in your phone directory? Maybe it varies by size of the database.

Cingular does not elsewhere use the numeral 1 country code to identify the SMS account, so I thought it best to omit it. I will try it with the numeral 1 added. I've also asked Cingular to confirm that the entries are correct as I have input them.

That still does not explain to me why the Messaging button does not work, unless it requires that the system first identify that a message is in the SMS queue.

If your SMS mailbox is empty, does the Messaging button still function?

Can anyone in Europe get a copy of the set up instructions to enable SMS in the M5? I'm wondering if there is some other programming that needs to be done.

kees · 9th April 2002, 23:12

Quote:

Originally posted by JFB
If your SMS mailbox is empty, does the Messaging button still function?

I think it should - but I am not necessarily correct.

But if you want to verify - just switch off the phone and leave yourself a voicemail to trigger receipt of an SMS message.

JFB · 9th April 2002, 23:15

Quote:

Originally posted by keesdh
But if you want to make sure - just switch off the phone and leave yourself a voicemail to trigger receipt of an SMS message.

Interestingly, Keesdh, when I have a voice message pending in queue, there is an envelope icon that appears at the bottom center of the screen. I don't get the same indication for an SMS message. In neither case does the Messaging button function.