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schalliol · May 9, 2002, 03:30 PM

Has anyone with a BMW connected their iPod to it without using a cassette adapter? I thought I heard that someone used the CD Changer-In on the unit through some sort of box they purchased, but I can't find any info on doing this and don't know if it would work with the Z3's input anyway.

I tried using a SoundFeeder RF modulator, but it sounded awful, any suggestions? Thanks! I just bought the car and would like to use my iPod with it!

d0ct0rteeth · May 9, 2002, 03:34 PM

take it back to the BMW dealer's service department or a respectable car audio joint and have them wire an aux in jack into the stereo (if there isn't one on the face plate)

RF modulator's are crap...

C-

schalliol · May 9, 2002, 03:43 PM

Can they do that? Other than service charge, is there anything I need to buy? Have you put one in? If so, where do you connect the iPod? Thanks!

G4ME · May 9, 2002, 11:21 PM

not sure on BMW decks but on kenwoods you can buy a little box that plugs into the CD changer controler thingy and it will give you a line in, when I was looking a deck a guy told me this and he said that he would just run a mini jack throught the dash or some place else and it would act just like a CD changer.

My recomandation get a new deck, the quality might be better, and you can get a line in on some decks, JVC, Aiwa (don't get), and if you want there is a JVC that has MP3 CD decoding built in.

Max8319 · May 9, 2002, 11:38 PM

on Aiwa decks (which i'm sure isn't in the BMW) have an aux. in plug on the faceplate, but they all look but ugly.....you'd have to buy a new player (i'm not even sure it would fit in bmw's)....

schalliol · May 10, 2002, 10:54 AM

I had an Aiwa desk in the old car, which had a line-in, but we really want to keep the head unit that comes with this. Has anyone used a really good radio broadcaster?

G4ME · May 10, 2002, 07:37 PM

Originally posted by schalliol:
<STRONG>I had an Aiwa desk in the old car, which had a line-in, but we really want to keep the head unit that comes with this. Has anyone used a really good radio broadcaster?</STRONG>

Thats an oxy moron (SP). check out The iPod Lounge theres a thing called the iRock, and some others.

May 10, 2002, 11:09 PM

I installed my ipod to my 2001 BMW 530. Yours would be diff because you prob do not have the navigation system. I might have a diff. solution for other BMW sans Nav. Here are my install pictures

Ipod install

arnolds

d0ct0rteeth · May 13, 2002, 09:14 AM

Unfortunately it's not a job for the unskilled. Unless someone's already figured out the modifications then at the very minimum you'll need to find is either a very smart technician or an average technician who can get a copy of the service manual or circuit for the stereo... hense why i recommend going back to the dealership.

If the stereo is not designed for an external cd-changer, or doesn't have external amplifiers, then you've got to make modifications inside the player. Normally I cut the circuit board traces just after the internal tuner/player change over circuit, and attach a short 4 core shielded cable to the cut circuit traces. The cable is fed out of a new hole in the back of the stereo and an inline 5 pin female din socket is fitted to the cable end. Another longer cable with a matching male din connector at one end can be run to a discrete 3.5mm stereo headphone socket (with change-over contacts) that's mounted in a convenient location. A 3.5mm male/male cable connects the external player to the new in-dash socket. When the cable is removed, the change-over contacts in the 3.5mm socket bypass the cut traces, and the in dash unit works as per normal. When the car is due to be sold, all that needs to be done is either leave the 3.5mm socket where it is, or remove the socket and fit a male din plug with shorting links that will effectively re-connect the internal cut tracks.

If the player is designed for an external CD-changer, then half of the battle is already done. What's needed for this is the CD-changer cable harness (or an equivalent). This will provide the audio connections, but you'll still have to figure out if you need to do anything with the rest of the cables in the harness.

If the in-dash unit uses external amplifiers, then simply add a change-over circuit between the head unit and the amplifiers. If the head unit provides a high level output to the amplifiers, you may need to add a level boosting circuit to the output of the external MP3 or CD player.

Whatever option you have to use, this isn't a job for the average car stereo installation shop. (ie: circut city) Mostly, all they can do is connect plug A into socket B, and unless it's a standard installation job, or something that somebody's already worked out, they usually don't have the skills to do this kind of work. You'll need the kind of place that fixes car stereos, but be prepared to pay for their skills.

jfischetti · May 13, 2002, 11:10 AM

I used one of these in my AUDI -- Awesome!
http://www.rcainput.com/Merchant2/me...egory_Code=bmw

schalliol · May 13, 2002, 11:37 AM

I've now seen something like mentioned above, but I can't determine if it would work for the Z3 or not. I guess you hook that up in the trunk and bring a wire to the front to allow for the input. Is that what you all have done? I don't think that I'm willing to modify the actual head unit at this time.

In the meantime, I've bought an iRock 300W FM Transmitter (http://www.myirock.com/). This does seem to work better than the other units out there (from personal experience and also others' reviews), but it still is not what I would call acceptable. The strength of the signal wavers fairly frequently and the 4 station choices have a fair amount of noise in the Bay Area. For our other car I bought a Sony XA-300 (2-RCA & 1-USB Audio in for Sony Unilink compatible receivers), and I would to have the hard connection like that. I was thinking of running it into an open knockout plate and put a couple of female RCAs on that for aux in.