2021 RT TFT Connection Problem

[bimmers]

I have the 12 pro and I take it out of the Apple silicon "wrap" and put it in "feet" or charging port first. It does charge but it is not keeping up with the consumption. so it stays charged during my normal rides but it ends up less charged than at start.

It does work in all BMW cars but the charging power is not very high but enough to keep a charge when using Apple Play for Waze etc. all map applications seem to use a lot of power though. 

 

H

[ADulay]

Just finished up my annual western vacation swing (and Sturgis run) from Florida on the 2022 RT running an iPhone 11.

 

The first day out is an eleven hour odessey straight up the interstate.   At the end of the run the battery on the iPhone was down to almost the red zone.   Just a slight discharge literally all day long.

 

The next day was a shorter 7 hour burst and I had some wiggle room in the charging cubby so I pushed the  phone as far right as I could and apparently that was the sweet spot for the wireless charger as it stayed basically fully charged for the entire day's run.

 

I do not pull the phone out during fueling or eating sessions which means the Motorrad program is running all the time.   Even with this, the phone  only dropped "one bar" down on the charge all day long.

 

As this is a dedicated phone for the bike (used from Amazon) it has no other wifi connections to attempt to log into after leaving the house.    With that said, it usually fires right back up and reconnects with the TFT soon after powering up the bike but every now and then I still have to manually select the wifi connection on the screen to get the connection.   I still don't understand why that should be, but it's getting better.

 

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[Skywagon]

Andy....I have wireless charging in one of my cars.  The Iphone will run down a little to a lot depending on where I am.  The cure for me has been to turn off wi-fi and it stays at 100% even if I am using tools that suck juice like Waze.  I don't know if on your new bike wi-fi has to be on, but if it doesn't, try turning it off.

[ADulay]

The wifi connection from the phone is what drives the TFT display.

 

It still seems like an odd setup to me, but that's the way they did it.

 

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[Skywagon]

Thanks Andy. Didn’t know how the TFT works. 

[GeorgeH]

For information on the TFT system, specifically how the TFT system is designed to work, how to set it up, and how to operate it, I recommend that you have a look at the attached guidance document.  I have used it to help MANY owners or "21 - '23 RTs to understand and operate their TFT systems.  While it's 7 pages long, the majority of the material is intended to educate a new owner on the design and intended operation of the system.  The guidance on how to set up the BT pairing (Phone to TFT, helmet to TFT), and how to make sure that you have a good Wi-Fi connection between the phone and the TFT (for MAP view) is only about 2 pages long.  I carry copies of this guidance on my bike and I have provided it to DOZENS of RT owners in person.  This guidance works.  It's not a lengthy process (10 minutes if you know what you are doing).  I have over 16,000 miles on my '22 RT and I have NEVER had a problem with the TFT system (Nav/Phone/Radio/Media).  Not even once!  It works perfectly IF AND ONLY IF you have it set up properly and you understand how to operate it.  If you have questions, please ask. I recommend that you print this out and spend time with your bikes (and the manual) to fully understand everything and set everything up so that the system will work for you.  George Howroyd

BMW 21-23 R1250RT TFT Pairing Setup & Operation V5.0.pdf

[Daveyator]

Something is up. My sons 12 mini will charge that way too. But not a single 13 or 14 has worked yet!

[GeorgeH]

Correct. iPhones newer than iPhone 12 will not charge. See the following update that I have previously posted on other sites:

    

Wireless Charging Update (July 21st, from BMW)

 

I previously reported that I had the dealer check out my wireless charger and its inability to charge my iPhone 14 Pro, even though it would charge on other flat Qi inductive chargers. He confirmed what I already knew: that it would not charge.  He checked with BMW NA warranty support who advised him to replace the charger (which he did), and with no change or improvement. For me, this was an expected result. He said he would escalate and advise and I have not yet heard back from the dealer.

In the meantime I reached out to a contact that I have at Motorrad in Munich and I explained the situation to him and asked for feedback. I told him where I was on this and he checked with his team and he relayed the following to me today:  

 

“Good to hear from you again George. We know about the problem. The MagSafe interferes with the particular inductive charger that is on the bike. We were not aware of MagSafe at the time of current RT development. As there will be no more changes within the RT anymore, you should use cable charging to ensure a proper charging. Switching back to the iPhone 11 might not be a proper suggestion…”

 

I guess this makes sense since the initial development of the bike was before MagSafe was even on the market and available on iPhones, beginning with the 12 series. So, what this means is that iPhone 12 through iPhone 14 series phones will not be able to reliably charge on the inductive chargers. (I recall that some on this site have been able to get a 12 to charge without the case.) I assume that the reference to “no more changes within the RT anymore” means that they are now working on the next generation and the current model is no longer being revised or updated.

For me, I have already been using wired charging in the charging compartment for some time now.  Once I got used to handling the phone when inserting and removing, it was no more trouble than using the wireless charger with my 11 Pro. My main reason for using the compartment is that it is waterproof, and nothing else.

Given this information, I am surprised that my dealer was advised by BMW NA to change the charger under warranty but I let him try anyway. 

[Dirtmerchant]

I have been thinking about trading my perfectly good 2018 1200RT on a new 1250RT but reading through this thread has me rethinking that. It seems these "TFT bikes" are going to be interesting to repair in a number of years when the electronics are no longer supported.

 

Perhaps I'm just a dinosaur...  

[GeorgeH]

Probably. The TFT system works absolutely great!  But only if you spend the time to understand how it operates and then set it up properly so that you can use it as it was designed. If you don’t do that it won’t work. The newest cars are no different. They’re all packed with SO many levels of tech and few people can or are willing to take advantage of it. Spend the time and you’ll be glad you did. My ‘22 RT is fantastic. I got it BECAUSE of the new tech that’s on it as a replacement for an earlier version RT. I’ve spent the time that was necessary for me to take full advantage of the integrated Nav/Radio/Media/Phone and I’ve never regretted it over the past 19 months and nearly 17,000 miles and I’ve had ZERO issues with it. It’s the best yet of the 15 BMW bikes I’ve had since 1974 and I love it.