Like everything that has happened to me since I bought my Z4, I have finally closed another chapter and yet again the road from simple concept of requirement to completion of the project has left me understanding the complexities of planning an invasion of Russia? (any Russian members please forgive me).
Its easier if I summarise the long road of events and then voice my conclusions and advice (laugh) at the end. I am fully equipped with sufficient alcohol for the epic journey and for those of you who fall accidentally fall asleep whilst deciphering my inane ramblings I apologise in advance (even though I don't care at all..... so forget the apology.... but at least I tried)
SUMMARY.
1. I bought the Nextbase 412GW dash cam + Cam case + Nextbase cam hardwire kit. Total cost £138
2. Being totally obsessed about my newly aquired pride and joy (e89 Z4 35is) and not wanting some local garage person full of good will and good intentions but lacking any discernible knowledge of anything more advanced than a Ford Anglia loose on my car I asked my local BMW dealer to fit the Nextbase into my Z4. The reply was an emphatic NO! we will only fit the BMW Advanced Car Eye to your vehicle.
3. Tested the Nextbase 412GW in my car while it was plugged into the cigarette lighter socket in the front of the centre console and absolutely loved it.
4. Having got fed up having wires dangling down in the front of my car I enquired with four (well respected) local car electricians. The quotes ranged from £40 and £180 from three of the companies (term used loosely) and the only honest one said "The job is far too complicated for us to even consider".
5. More contact with my local BMW dealer who this time asked me to drop the instructions for the hard wire kit off to him and he would try his best to get the workshop manager to do it so I dropped off the instructions to him.
6. After hearing nothing for three days I contacted them and was informed that the guy I had spoken to was on holiday so I asked to speak to another service advisor. I was connected with another service advisor and after explaining my requirements I was surprisingly given a quote of £155 but I would have to wait three weeks for fitting.
7. Waited a few days until my service advisor came back from holiday and then called him.
8. He agreed that they would fit the Nextbase for £228? This stupidly prompted me to mention my earlier quote I had been given of £155 for fitting. This was greeted at first with silence and then I was again told that they will not fit the cam to my car because it would invalidate my warranty. (not previously mentioned)
9. Sat alone at home and sulking at my demise I decided to resort to brandy?
10. Several glasses later I decided to bite the bullet and have the BMW cam fitted.
11. Contact the dealers to be told that my service advisor was yet again on holiday. Suffering from total frustration (and a severe hangover) I asked to speak to someone else. (big mistake). They put me through to a nice man called Robert who after firstly telling me that the BMW Advanced Car Eye system can't be fitted to a Z4 suddenly changed his mind when I started screaming down the phone at him. Yes we can fit the front only cam for £328 sir? Its £299 fitted it says on your website I said.............. No sir its £328 fitted for the front cam only and £399 for both front and rear cams fitted. I ended the conversation by putting the phone down. (as I am hi tech I mean pushing that red button)
12. Following day (suffering now an even worse hangover and on the point of losing the will to live) I drove to the dealers to book my car in for the camera whatever the cost. My service advisor was again back off his day off and after explaining what I wanted he said yes that will be £299 fitted. Being past the point of caring I said "don't you mean £328 like I was quoted yesterday". Needless to say after a lot of desk banging (from him not me) my car was booked in for fitting the cam at £299.
13. Yesterday at 8.15am I dropped my car off at said dealers and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was given a 17 Reg X1? as a courtesy car?
14. Yesterday at 4.50pm I took the X1 back and I can honestly say that I have never been as happy to get out of a car as I was at that moment.
15. Driving home in my car I thought several times that it was strange that the screen was black? Power saving I thought?
16. Upon arriving home I realised that the power connector was not even plugged into the cam and, surprise surprise when I plugged in the power supply the cam came on? (BMW technicians please take note).
17 Arriving home I stupidly opened the box to find the instruction book (don't bother its useless) and found the rear camera in the box? Now I was there when my service advisor ordered the cam and he definitely ordered a front facing single cam kit.
Quick impressions are that the Nextbase 412GW is far better than the Advanced Car Eye but I will leave a full comparison of them both at a later date when I get over the trauma of this session.
Another strange feature about the BMW cam is that it is fixed in the car. By that I mean you can remove the camera from its mount but only if you have fingers that are more than five inches long, are no thicker in diameter than a knitting needle and can exert a turning force in excess of 100ftllbs per square inch. instead of the usual suction mount found with all the usual dash cams, the BMW cam has its mount glued to the windscreen. This leaves a very tiny access gap to the adjustment screw hence the need to have fingers like Edward scissor hands?
Pros and cons of BMW Advanced Car Eye
Pros
It doesn't invalidate your BMW warranty.
Once installed you can forget about it until you are involved in an incident. It switches on, records and reverts to parking mode automatically. The only other maintenance is to format the sd card every so often when the camera tells you it needs formatting.
The on-board software is equipped with the ability to monitor battery drain and shut down the camera hence the different lengths of time parking mode operates on the camera. This therefore avoids battery drain notifications that have to be reset by a dealership.
Cons
The quality of the video footage is acceptable but not brilliant. Certainly nowhere near as good as the nextbase 412GW I had fitted.
The sound quality is abysmal to say the least but as I tend to have bouts of verbal road rage (my verbal road rage does contain actual real grown up swearing) when I encounter people that couldn't drive a nail into a piece of wood with a three pound hammer let alone drive a car, so the awful sound quality is of benefit to me.
The camera mount being glued to the windscreen is definitely an issue as it makes the camera almost impossible to remove from the car.
The camera is equipped with a separate GPS ariel which is also glued to the windscreen. Incorrect positioning of the ariel can cause problems with sat nav operation if you have sat nav fitted in your car.
Its easier if I summarise the long road of events and then voice my conclusions and advice (laugh) at the end. I am fully equipped with sufficient alcohol for the epic journey and for those of you who fall accidentally fall asleep whilst deciphering my inane ramblings I apologise in advance (even though I don't care at all..... so forget the apology.... but at least I tried)
SUMMARY.
1. I bought the Nextbase 412GW dash cam + Cam case + Nextbase cam hardwire kit. Total cost £138
2. Being totally obsessed about my newly aquired pride and joy (e89 Z4 35is) and not wanting some local garage person full of good will and good intentions but lacking any discernible knowledge of anything more advanced than a Ford Anglia loose on my car I asked my local BMW dealer to fit the Nextbase into my Z4. The reply was an emphatic NO! we will only fit the BMW Advanced Car Eye to your vehicle.
3. Tested the Nextbase 412GW in my car while it was plugged into the cigarette lighter socket in the front of the centre console and absolutely loved it.
4. Having got fed up having wires dangling down in the front of my car I enquired with four (well respected) local car electricians. The quotes ranged from £40 and £180 from three of the companies (term used loosely) and the only honest one said "The job is far too complicated for us to even consider".
5. More contact with my local BMW dealer who this time asked me to drop the instructions for the hard wire kit off to him and he would try his best to get the workshop manager to do it so I dropped off the instructions to him.
6. After hearing nothing for three days I contacted them and was informed that the guy I had spoken to was on holiday so I asked to speak to another service advisor. I was connected with another service advisor and after explaining my requirements I was surprisingly given a quote of £155 but I would have to wait three weeks for fitting.
7. Waited a few days until my service advisor came back from holiday and then called him.
8. He agreed that they would fit the Nextbase for £228? This stupidly prompted me to mention my earlier quote I had been given of £155 for fitting. This was greeted at first with silence and then I was again told that they will not fit the cam to my car because it would invalidate my warranty. (not previously mentioned)
9. Sat alone at home and sulking at my demise I decided to resort to brandy?
10. Several glasses later I decided to bite the bullet and have the BMW cam fitted.
11. Contact the dealers to be told that my service advisor was yet again on holiday. Suffering from total frustration (and a severe hangover) I asked to speak to someone else. (big mistake). They put me through to a nice man called Robert who after firstly telling me that the BMW Advanced Car Eye system can't be fitted to a Z4 suddenly changed his mind when I started screaming down the phone at him. Yes we can fit the front only cam for £328 sir? Its £299 fitted it says on your website I said.............. No sir its £328 fitted for the front cam only and £399 for both front and rear cams fitted. I ended the conversation by putting the phone down. (as I am hi tech I mean pushing that red button)
12. Following day (suffering now an even worse hangover and on the point of losing the will to live) I drove to the dealers to book my car in for the camera whatever the cost. My service advisor was again back off his day off and after explaining what I wanted he said yes that will be £299 fitted. Being past the point of caring I said "don't you mean £328 like I was quoted yesterday". Needless to say after a lot of desk banging (from him not me) my car was booked in for fitting the cam at £299.
13. Yesterday at 8.15am I dropped my car off at said dealers and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was given a 17 Reg X1? as a courtesy car?
14. Yesterday at 4.50pm I took the X1 back and I can honestly say that I have never been as happy to get out of a car as I was at that moment.
15. Driving home in my car I thought several times that it was strange that the screen was black? Power saving I thought?
16. Upon arriving home I realised that the power connector was not even plugged into the cam and, surprise surprise when I plugged in the power supply the cam came on? (BMW technicians please take note).
17 Arriving home I stupidly opened the box to find the instruction book (don't bother its useless) and found the rear camera in the box? Now I was there when my service advisor ordered the cam and he definitely ordered a front facing single cam kit.
Quick impressions are that the Nextbase 412GW is far better than the Advanced Car Eye but I will leave a full comparison of them both at a later date when I get over the trauma of this session.
Another strange feature about the BMW cam is that it is fixed in the car. By that I mean you can remove the camera from its mount but only if you have fingers that are more than five inches long, are no thicker in diameter than a knitting needle and can exert a turning force in excess of 100ftllbs per square inch. instead of the usual suction mount found with all the usual dash cams, the BMW cam has its mount glued to the windscreen. This leaves a very tiny access gap to the adjustment screw hence the need to have fingers like Edward scissor hands?
Pros and cons of BMW Advanced Car Eye
Pros
It doesn't invalidate your BMW warranty.
Once installed you can forget about it until you are involved in an incident. It switches on, records and reverts to parking mode automatically. The only other maintenance is to format the sd card every so often when the camera tells you it needs formatting.
The on-board software is equipped with the ability to monitor battery drain and shut down the camera hence the different lengths of time parking mode operates on the camera. This therefore avoids battery drain notifications that have to be reset by a dealership.
Cons
The quality of the video footage is acceptable but not brilliant. Certainly nowhere near as good as the nextbase 412GW I had fitted.
The sound quality is abysmal to say the least but as I tend to have bouts of verbal road rage (my verbal road rage does contain actual real grown up swearing) when I encounter people that couldn't drive a nail into a piece of wood with a three pound hammer let alone drive a car, so the awful sound quality is of benefit to me.
The camera mount being glued to the windscreen is definitely an issue as it makes the camera almost impossible to remove from the car.
The camera is equipped with a separate GPS ariel which is also glued to the windscreen. Incorrect positioning of the ariel can cause problems with sat nav operation if you have sat nav fitted in your car.
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I'm afraid to say that I may have been a tad less subtle 