BMW E46... Phatbox Hell (Newbie)

[DRRRive]

First off, I have no clue what im doin... not even a lil' bit. Bought a Phatbox off ebay from an E36 M3 owner, installed it in my bimmer, and the screen only displays 'CD-01' the whole time, with an occasional flicker that displays 'CD-Track 01' then flickers right back. I hear the speakers pop as if something were about to happen... then i get nothing.
The lights on the Phatbox, both come on when Car is powered up, green for about 3-4 sec, then shuts off, red stays on for a while, with an occasional flicker of green until they both shut off, and that continues for a while.
Downloaded the DMS Phathack tool and the Media Manager, both fail when I try and upload music and when i try and run a hack. Did the only thing it would let me which is the 'DMS Tools mode', once I did that and put the cartrage back in the Unit, it displayed 'CD Check' and the green light blinked repidly for a while, then just stoped and started original message and light sequence again.
Is the DMS messed up, is it just a firmware issue, PLEASE HELP!!! I want to use it SOOOOO BAD!!!

[Terry_Kennedy]

PLEASE HELP!!! I want to use it SOOOOO BAD!!!

Where are you located? Perhaps there's another PhatHack member in your area who could help you out.

I'm probably the resident BMW version guru, as that's the type I use in my car, and I've converted a number of the VW/Audi boxes to run in BMWs with the generic Blitzsafe adapter and a homemade cable, for others.

From your description, I assume you have an E46 without navigation and without DSP. If either of those is incorrect, let us know.

I'll assume that you don't have (or previously removed) a CD changer. If you disconnect the Blitzsafe adapter (small black/yellow box) from the BMW wiring (small 3-pin and 6-pin connectors), you should no longer be able to select the CD changer from your head unit. Let's try that to verify you're on the right wires (though you shouldn't get lights on the PhatBox if you were connecting to the wrong wires).

Common failure points are where the round end of the PhatBox cable plugs into the Blitzsafe adapter (the circuit board inside tends to pop out the other end, giving a poor connection), or excessively tight bends where the cable connects to the PhatBox.

I've placed the BMW installation instructions at http://www.tmk.com/transient/phatbmw.pdf for you. Note that you may not hear the "Welcome to Phatnoise" message if the DMS has been modified from its original configuration.

Normal operation will be red+green, followed by red on and brief flashes of green as music is accessed.

Green blinking is either an error code (if in an identifiable pattern) or a firmware update (if just blinking on/off for many minutes). It can take quite some time (10-15 minutes) for a firmware update to complete, during which time you'll see unpredictable behavior on the head unit (including CD Check) - just leave it alone until it completes.

It is best to not try hacking the box until you get the basic box working - it just complicates the issue.

You say that Media Manager failed when you tried to upload music - can you describe that in more detail? If you go to "My Computer" with the DMS in the cradle, do you see the PHTSYS and PHTDTA logical drives?

If there isn't any music on the DMS (perhaps the previous owner deleted it) you'll get some of the symptoms you describe.

[DRRRive]

I have a 2003 M3 w/ Navigation, no CD Changer to remove, just the pre wiring harness that was sealed in the back behind the rear trunk panel. The Blitz i wanna say is a 6-pin connectors, I could be wrong, but it really seams to be something with the DMS Cartridge, in both the DMS Phathack tool and the Media Manager, i get an 'Unexpected Exception' error if I try and do the 'Run Hack Wizard' in the Phat Hack Tool or if I click the H:/ drive icon which displays the DMS Cartridge in the Media Manager. I have to 2.0 USB Cradle, and I can see both PHTSYS and PHTDTA logical drives when I go to my computer, i can add songs right on to the DMS that way, but still get no play when I load it in the PhatBox. Im in North-East, PA during the Week and in NY on the Weekend

[Terry_Kennedy]

The Blitz i wanna say is a 6-pin connectors, I could be wrong, but it really seams to be something with the DMS Cartridge, in both the DMS Phathack tool and the Media Manager, i get an 'Unexpected Exception' error if I try and do the 'Run Hack Wizard' in the Phat Hack Tool or if I click the H:/ drive icon which displays the DMS Cartridge in the Media Manager. I have to 2.0 USB Cradle, and I can see both PHTSYS and PHTDTA logical drives when I go to my computer, i can add songs right on to the DMS that way, but still get no play when I load it in the PhatBox. Im in North-East, PA during the Week and in NY on the Weekend

The BMW side of the Blitzsafe is a 3-pin with power, ground, and data bus (I-bus). The 6-pin (of which only 4 are used) are left/right/ground/ground audio.

I'm in northern NJ if you want to PM or email me to set up a meeting for testing sometime.

[DRRRive]

See What I see for any1 that wants to Help... Thanx Guys


http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54207922 - Screen Display

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54207967 - Phatbox Lights

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54208161 - Phathack Tool Prob

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54207721 - Media Manager Prob

[Terry_Kennedy]

Huh?

[DRRRive]

Huh?

Sorry, tryna upload the vids...

[Terry_Kennedy]

Sorry, tryna upload the vids...

Well, since your edit I can view the videos...

I repeat that it is a bad idea to try to run the hack before you get the basic system working.

Also, I see thay you're using the PhatHack Media Manager (I had thought you were using the Media Manager supplied with the PhatBox). As both the hack tool and the PHMM were written by the same person, it is understandable that they both behave the same way on your system.

Is that Windows Vista on your PC? There are a bunch of issues with Vista and the PhatBox - incompatible cradle drivers, the official PhatNoise software doesn't work, and so forth.

If possible, I'd suggest trying the PhatNoise Music Manager (note: Music, not Media) from the CD you should have received with the PhatBox, on a Windows XP or 2000 PC. Others can comment on what works under Vista and what doesn't - I'm using the classic Music Manager version 2.30 on a Windows XP system.

There may be too many variables here to make blind troubleshooting practical. I'd suggest trying a non-hacked DMS known to contain playable music in your PhatBox to see if that works. Then we'll know whether the car part needs troubleshooting or just the Windows part.

By the way, what navigation system version is that in your BMW? I've never seen that screen layout before. Is it an older version of the CD-drive navigation system? It can't be that old if it has the widescreen display - perhaps a model year 2002 built very late in 2001?

[DRRRive]

Its the screen of a 2003 BMW M3 which SHOULD be DVD based, but i bought the car from not such a reputable place in Queens, and I think they swapped out the drive with that of a 2002 M5 which is CD based. I got the Phatbox trying to go the "Cheap Way" and not fork out the 1k+ for the Pioneer AVIC-Z3, but if I cant get this goin, i guess I'm goin to have to... I'll see if I can get my hands on a XP system and use the supplied CD, thanx for the help, if u got any other ideas, lemme know

[Terry_Kennedy]

Its the screen of a 2003 BMW M3 which SHOULD be DVD based, but i bought the car from not such a reputable place in Queens, and I think they swapped out the drive with that of a 2002 M5 which is CD based. I got the Phatbox trying to go the "Cheap Way" and not fork out the 1k+ for the Pioneer AVIC-Z3, but if I cant get this goin, i guess I'm goin to have to... I'll see if I can get my hands on a XP system and use the supplied CD, thanx for the help, if u got any other ideas, lemme know

Well, if it is DVD-based it should have a big "DVD" logo on the navigation computer, below the slot where the map disc goes it.

If you want to drop by this weekend, I can try a different DMS in your PhatBox and could also update the navigation computer software if it isn't the latest.

[DRRRive]

sent u a pm

[VorTechS]

@DRRRive: With the error messages, if you click on the 'Details' button on the bottom left side - it should give you some more detail. Can you post that up for me?  Also, can clear your Documents\PhatHack Media Manager\Logs directory of any files, re-run the tools until you get the error again.  Then send me a copy of any files that get generated in that folder.

As Terry said, concentrate on getting the box functioning first - then we'll do the hack after.

@Terry: PhatHackMM and the Tools actually don't share any of the same code other than the DMS writing code (DMS.dll)....maybe some of the 'tools' on PhatMM do, but not the main software.

[Terry_Kennedy]

@Terry: PhatHackMM and the Tools actually don't share any of the same code other than the DMS writing code (DMS.dll)....maybe some of the 'tools' on PhatMM do, but not the main software.

I didn't necessarily mean your code - if they're built under the same IDE, they've got the same infrastructure.

[VorTechS]

LOL, I'm sure it will be my code and not the infrastructure....

The PhatMM error experienced was down to some bad SQL statements I introduced I think in version 0.9.  I don't recall if they were present in version 0.9a, but I've sent a link out to v0.9b that I've been testing having upgraded some of the 3rd party components.

As far as the vid. of the tools goes, it looks like the error occurs at the DD backup point.  I don't know if running the tools as administrator solves this problem being as it looks like it's a Vista machine?

[DRRRive]

Ok, I can click the H:/ Drive which displays the DMS Cartridge w/o if sutting down on me. Now when I go to the next step to xfer songs on, I get...

__________________________________________________________
'New Media Device Detected'                                                     
__________________________________________________________
/!\  The destination device does not have a media
database so one needs to created.
Select the destination media device before transferring media in
order to ensure that the database is correctly synchronized.
                                                                            |__OK__|
__________________________________________________________

Vid of PhathackMM and error code

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54237315

[VorTechS]

It's not an error code in this case, and it tells you what you need to do if you look carefully!

- Fire up the application
- Select the DMS cartridge from the 'Media Sources' list

You should get a prompt telling you that a 'database was created', and 'would you like to import media?'

If you have media on the DMS already, select 'YES'.  At which point you will see the application scan through the disk and import any existing playlists.
If you do not have anything on the DMS already, select 'NO'.

Now go ahead and do your transfer and it should work!

Basically the device needs initialising before media can be transferred to it when it has never been used by PhatMM before.
I will see if I can sort this out so that if the device isn't initialised then the transfer process will attempt to do it, so this should then not matter if it comes up again.

[DRRRive]

Ok, maybe Im doin something wrong, i double click the DMS H:/ in the Media Source, but nothing happens. Is there a way to clear all the crap I have on the DMS and bring it back to the original configuration, cause its not working in neither the Phatbx or the Softwear u guy are using. My computer can tell its there and so can the Phatbox, but once its starts reading the info in it, i can't seem to get Music to play or anything, the only thing i can use it for right now is a backup for my music if i use Explorer to put songs on it... thanx for the help thus far, I wish this was a 1, 2 process tho, lol

[VorTechS]

It is a 1,2 process and that's the problem..  instead of doing 1,2 you are doing 2, 1 and then 3,4 and 5!

Anyways, all of your problems are identified by the Wizard log you sent me!

Patch Failure [Serious].  No profiles.INI available to modify!

You must have had a virgin DMS - or a wiped one so it looks like it has never been prep'd for use in the PhatBox properly.  You've identified an issue in PhatHack MM which I will address separately, and do some heavy testing on to make sure no-one else runs into it.

So, first step.... we need to wipe the DMS and start again.
To do this, load up the DMS tools, and:

1) Clear the 'My Documents\PhatHack Media Manager\Logs' directory
2) Select 'DMS Tools Mode'
3) Select your DMS cartridge if it is not already selected for you
4) Select the latest firmware for your head unit/car (so if it's a BMW head unit, select the latest BMW firmware)
5) Ensure the option 'Install non-hack firmware' is checked
6) Ensure the option 'Reflash box with firmware' is checked
7) Click on 'DMS Repair (FULL)'

Make sure the process completes successfully.  Even if it does, check the log files... scan through them and make sure there are no error messages or failures indicated within them.  If all looks sweet (send me copies of the log files if you want to be sure), then fire the DMS in the PhatBox.

DO NOT EXPECT IT TO WORK RIGHT AWAY!

The options you have chosen will force the box to re-load the firmware which will take upwards of 15 minutes.  It may be less, it may be more.  During this process the box will randomly flash the green light, fast and slow.

IIRC the DMS Repair (FULL) process creates a single playlist with the PhatHack jingle in it.  Once your box is done updating, and you restart the box you should get this file played.  If you do not, then we need to take a look at why....so don't go do anything else until we have gotten to the bottom of why!

Somehow, I think it will all be okay in the end!

[DRRRive]

When i attempt the full repair it fails, this is the log


Preparing format parameters....
PHTSYS Arguments: -v -n PHTSYS -F 32 G: 0
PHTDTA Arguments: -v -n PHTDTA -F 32 H: 0
Formatting PHTSYS....
completed: Failed!.
Formatting PHTDTA....
completed: Failed!.

The new DMS preparation has failed.

[VorTechS]

It's Vista.... you need to right click the shortcut and 'Run As Administrator'