BMW G29 sat nav update
Z4 G29 and M40i, about 2019 onwards: a roadster that, as far as we know, stayed on iDrive 7, with maps over the air first and by USB after.
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
Enter your VIN to confirm the unit in your Z4, whether it takes the LIVE or JOY maps, and the most recent release. You will not be charged for looking.
Which sat nav does the Z4 G29 have?
The G29 is one of the easier BMWs to work out. Where many cars of the same period changed navigation hardware part-way through production, the Z4 has, as far as we know, kept a single system since its launch in about 2019: the MGU unit with iDrive 7, typically as part of BMW Live Cockpit Professional. What can differ is the map family:
| Unit | Usual cockpit | Map family | How it is supplied |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGU, iDrive 7 | Live Cockpit Professional, typically | LIVE, £59.99 | Maps plus an FSC file, exFAT USB |
| MGU, iDrive 7 (some later units) | As above | JOY, £59.99 | ZIP archive of FSC files, in a folder named FSC |
The launch year is approximate. Across the iDrive 7 BMWs we have checked by VIN, LIVE is the usual map, with a few later units on JOY. With no changeover date to pin down, the open question for a G29 is simply LIVE or JOY, and the VIN check above answers it for your car.
Easier than ever
Which map does your Z4 need? Just type your VIN.
We have made it easier than ever to find the right map and confirm it is compatible with your navigation unit. Type your VIN into the search box at the top of this page and we will show the unit your car was built with, the map it needs and the price. Checking is free.
What iDrive 7 means in the Z4, and how to tell
As far as we know, several BMWs that arrived around the same time as the G29 switched to iDrive 8 and its curved display at a facelift, and for those we check by VIN before offering a USB update. The Z4, as we understand it, did not follow them: it kept iDrive 7. That is useful for maps, because iDrive 7 has a settled routine. Maps come over the air until the subscription or free period runs out; from then on, a USB update activated by an FSC file does the job. At no point is a code typed on screen.
With only one unit type to consider, identifying what your Z4 has is a matter of confirming it rather than choosing between candidates:
- Unit: MGU with iDrive 7, as far as we know
- No move to iDrive 8, as far as we know
- Usual map family: LIVE, £59.99
- Some later units: JOY, confirmed by VIN
Over the air or USB: where does your Z4 stand?
With the hardware settled, the part that changes over a Z4's life is its update status. During the map update subscription or free period, fresh maps download over the air without you buying anything. Once it has ended, the maps stop refreshing on their own, and a USB update with an FSC file brings them up to date again.
The My BMW app shows the status, as does your account on the BMW ConnectedDrive Store. It is worth a look before a long trip in the roadster, rather than finding out from a missing junction on the way. If you are wondering whether any of this can be done without paying, can you update a BMW sat nav for free? looks at it in detail.
How to update the maps in your Z4 G29
Look up the status
Use the My BMW app to see whether the over-the-air period is over.
Run a free check
Your VIN tells us the unit and whether it needs LIVE or JOY, each £59.99.
Copy the files
LIVE: maps and FSC file on exFAT. JOY: unpack the FSC files into a folder named FSC.
Let the Z4 install
With the stick in, confirm the update on screen and wait for the finished message.
There is nothing to key in: the Z4 takes its activation from the FSC file on the stick, which is why the files should stay exactly as we send them. LIVE covers Europe in one package, handy for a roadster that heads for the Continent in summer. Choose an open spot off the road and do not drive off until the installation is done. BMW FSC code explained describes FSC activation in more depth.
Apple CarPlay in the Z4 G29
The G29 would normally have CarPlay built in, in common with other iDrive 7 BMWs, so our USB activation has no role here: it is aimed at NBT EVO cars with Navigation Professional. Can’t see CarPlay on your Z4? Start with the My BMW app. It is a clear step on from the E89, where CarPlay meant a hardware retrofit. For the rest of the range, read does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?
The Z4 before the G29
The E89 Z4 that preceded the G29 used CIC, with PREMIUM maps activated by a typed FSC code from a FAT32 stick, so the two generations have nothing in common when it comes to maps. If you own both, or are trading one in for the other, follow the E89 guide for the older car and this page for the G29.
BMW G29 sat nav FAQ
Did the Z4 G29 change to iDrive 8 like some other BMWs?
As far as we know, no. Several BMWs of the same era are understood to have moved to iDrive 8 at a facelift, but the Z4 appears to have kept iDrive 7 on the MGU unit. We would still not rely on that alone for a particular car: the VIN check confirms which unit yours was built with.
Is the sat nav in a Z4 M40i any different?
We are not aware of any difference. The M40i belongs to the G29 family and, as far as we know, shares its iDrive 7 setup, so it takes the LIVE maps, or JOY on some later units. If you want certainty for one particular car, its VIN gives it.
Map updates on my Z4 have stopped arriving. What should I do?
Look in the My BMW app or the BMW ConnectedDrive Store: the likely reason is that the map update subscription or free period has run its course. If it has, the Z4 no longer receives maps over the air, and a USB update with an FSC file keeps them current from that point, for £59.99.
What is the difference between the LIVE and JOY maps for a Z4?
Both are for the iDrive 7 unit and both cost £59.99. LIVE comes as the maps plus an FSC file for an exFAT USB stick and covers Europe in one package. JOY is used by some later units and comes as a ZIP archive of FSC files, which go in a folder named FSC on the stick. It is the unit, not a preference, that decides which you need, and the VIN check shows which applies.
Can I reuse the map I bought for my previous Z4 E89?
No. The E89 runs CIC, which takes the PREMIUM maps activated with a typed code, while the G29 uses iDrive 7 with LIVE or JOY maps and an FSC file. The two are not interchangeable, so order the map that matches the unit in the G29.