DIY: Kmoy's $5 E46 Aux Cable (Lots of Pics)

[kmoy2002]

2004 E46 330i/6 ZHP $5 Auxiliary Input DIY

This was done on Buisiness CD CD53, software number SW/NO. 41, hardware number HW/NO. 40

If you have Navigation, check the wiring diagram out and use those pins:
http://www.ge39.com/files/EBADoc11512-auxin.pdf
Pins 1, 2 and 3

This was also tested on my 2003 540i/6 M-Tech and works flawlessly as well. Buisiness CD CD53, software number SW/NO. 41, hardware number HW/NO. 40
540i tutorial
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1236285

DISCLAIMER
This was tested on my car spec'ed above. I am unsure if this tutorial is compatible with other headunits, hardware numbers, software numbers. I take no responsibility for any damage done to your car from you following the following tutorial.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/3279/minidsc01434.jpg

Parts

1/8" Stereo Panel-Mount Audio Jack (2-Pack) $2.99 Make sure to get the stero audio jack and not the mono audio jack. You will receive monaural sound if you do...ask me how I know http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103452&tab=summary

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/81/minidsc01428.jpg

IDE or Floppy Cable - to connect to the pins on the back of the headunit (I had a spare junk one at home...don't go out and buy one. Instead tear apart a junk computer and pull one of those cables)

http://www.gshop.com.au/images/ide_133_cable.jpg

3 different colored wires - length varies depending on where you wish to mount the jack
Soldering iron
Solder
Flux
Hex wrenches - to disassemble the radio
Phillips/flathead Screwdriver
Torx bits
Drill
Needle nose pliers
Drill bit - for the 1/8in;3.5mm jack
Knife/razor/boxcutter - use your preferred cutting utensil to cut to size the IDE connector


Okay, so this may not be a $5 aux cable for you. Luckily I had most of these parts at home minus some supplies.

Begin by pulling the passenger and center trim. Slide a flathead screwdriver wrapped in a towel and pry the trim out. Two screws retaining the radio should be visible. They are on the left and right side of the headunit. Remove those.

Unplug the connectors from the CD unit. The pins should look something like this.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/4835/minidsc01437.jpg

You want to focus in on the lower right set of pins. Specifically pins 4, 8 and 9. Pin 4 is ground, pin 8 is right audio and pin 9 is left audio

Now that you know where the pins are located, disassemble the ide cable making sure not to destroy the connector. Every cable is different, mine was held together using clips. I simply destroyed the clips and salvaged the female pin receptors. With the good parts, cut and size them up using your favorite cutting utensil.

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/6537/minidsc01436.jpg

Pull the unnecessary pins out using a pair of needle nose pliers.

Gather your sized wires, connector, and audio jack. The wiring diagram for the audio jack is displayed on the back of the packaging. The ground is the pin on the side with a black wire wired to it. To figure out which is left and right, I plugged the naked jack into my computer sound system and touched each prong. Your body carries natural electrical signals to it. Put your ears next to the left or right speaker, whichever is convenient. Touch each prong, a sound should emit from only one side either left or right depending on which prong you're touching. Label them; I used a whiteout pen and labeled the left with an L.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/8753/minidsc01429.jpg

Using the soldering iron, solder and flux, Solder the other ends of wire to the ide connector. The job's tedious but if you have steady hands and are patient, it'll turn out nicely.

Plug the pin into the back of the radio making sure they're sitting in the right spot. Plug everything else back in and do a test.

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/4166/minidsc01438.jpg

Looks like a great success :D

So the next step is to mount it wherever brings you the most zen. I chose to mount it on the DSC seat warmer control module. To do this, remove the shift knob as well as the boot. Pull on the knob, don't get a black eye like many have warned. Remove two screws near the bottom edge of the trim. Pull the trim out and remove the two connectors.

Open the sunglass tray and remove that. Push up and pull. Sounds easy on paper but its a pain if you've never removed it.

There are 4 screws retaining the assembly. Two on top where the sunglass tray was and two on the bottom visible once you removed the shifter trim.

The unit slides out and disconnect the cigarette leads, ashtray light, dsc/seat warmer connectors.

Pull the unit out and remove the dsc/seat warmer unit by removing the two torx bolts. The unit slides out and you open the front cover by sliding a flathead in where the two slip together. Fish your wires in and mount the jack.

Drill a correctly sized hole and insert the jack in and screw it in.

Reassemble everything else and you're set.

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1467/minidsc03847.jpg

I hope you found this tutorial useful. If you have any questions, please ask away.

Happy motoring,
Kmoy2002

[Smilez]

nice im going to do this for pre 03. only difference is i have to use couple capacitors and a resistor.

[S15NOB]

NICEE!!!! thank youu

[nathancarter]

Fantastic! I didn't realize it was so easy. Bumping this up near the top of my project list.

[GIORGI]

what is this for people??? ipod conection??

[digivation]

what is this for people??? ipod conection??

yes. or any other mp3 player or audio source.

[GIORGI]

did anyone else do it? im like half way there. since this is my first DIY its gonna cost me around 30 dollars cuz i had to buy everything including wires and soldering thingy

[adrianpl]

Can I do this on a 2001 330ci model?

[kmoy2002]

Check your software, hardware, model numbers.

[JetBlackE46]

Do you have any pics of the plug connected to the back of your headunit?

To activate I assume you hit "Aux" on the head unit?

[JayE46]

nice DIY

[millertimebmw03]

nice im going to do this for pre 03. only difference is i have to use couple capacitors and a resistor.

What is the difference for pre 03 model?

Thanks,

Zach

[Phateless]

This is awesome.

[minnesotamoon]

Bump as I would like to do this on my '02 325i without navigation.

Thanks for the info!

[undergroundhead]

This is an awesome idea... just bought all the parts i need at radio shack, installing tomorrow. Thanks!

When and where do you use the D-sub connector that is pictured but not listed in the parts list....?

[kylek325i]

Just finished this on my 2003 325xi. Wanted to offer a hint- I used the gray wire from the IDE ribbon cable to solder onto the IDE connector pins. Those pins are so small that every other wire I had was too big and wouldnt solder nicely. Came out great though- awesome writeup.

[nathancarter]

Thanks for the inspiration.

I made a male input cable that will plug directly into any device with a female output jack (practically everything). I routed the cable out the sunglasses compartment, so I can stow the cable when not in use, and stow the cable+player when in use.

For the male input cable, I just clipped off the cable from an unused pair of cheap headphones. It's entirely reversible, save for the 3/8" hole I drilled in the back of the sunglasses compartment to route the cable.

Total cost: $0.00

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee281/megarath2000/BMW/USB/DSC02444.jpg[/URL]

[denican1]

hey guys Thank you for a wonderful tutorial but after you finish all the connections put the radio back how you switch from radio to the the new audio input or I'm missing something else ?


Thank you,

[Brizzy]

Just went to the dealer and got the OEM aux kit....cost me 90CHF!!!! thats about 83 US bucks. Can't wait to install it!!!

Oh, and thanks for the tutorial!! Will let you know how I got on with mine.

Cheers.

[dime1622]

Man millions of internet searches and I still can't figure this one out.

I have a CD 53, SW/NO. 40 and HW/NO. 43, built in February 02. The car is CD-changer ready and has the MODE button. I did the above procedure with 4 ground, 8 right, 9 left, and got no results in neither the CD changer nor the AUX areas. The mode button still only switched between radio and CD. I then changed up and went the CD changer route using pins 1, 2, 6, and 7. Still no dice. Next step is to try the resistor method. However, I still can't seem to get a straight answer as to what I should be going for; the back looks like the picture below. Will just going the route with the resistor and condensors work?

http://www.jpwearmfg.com/x/aux/09.jpg

[nathancarter]

Do you have something plugged in to the other end? It won't switch to AUX mode unless the other end is connected to your playback device. I don't believe it has to be playing, just connected.

[dime1622]

Do you have something plugged in to the other end? It won't switch to AUX mode unless the other end is connected to your playback device. I don't believe it has to be playing, just connected.

Yeah, I realized that after I wrote the above. I need an actual CD changer. So either I buy a new CD53 or I get an aftermarket head unit. I have an SQ subwoofer and amp from the Porsche I've wanted to hook up for years anyway, and not having a high-pass crossover for the main speakers sucks.

[crazyfool0821]

Will SW 43 and HW 41 work? Production date 04 December

[brandon11130]

sweet, ill pay $30 shipped if anyone wants to make a 2nd while they are doing theres, needs to work with my 2002 330ci with business cd. PM me paypal locked and loaded :)

[cooter101]

Hey All,

I made one of thes and it works great with my ipod, but, when I plug my xm radio into it it doesn't let me switch to AUX mode. I have an 03 325xi. Any Suggetions will be appreciated. Thanks

[S15NOB]

Man millions of internet searches and I still can't figure this one out.

I have a CD 53, SW/NO. 40 and HW/NO. 43, built in February 02. The car is CD-changer ready and has the MODE button. I did the above procedure with 4 ground, 8 right, 9 left, and got no results in neither the CD changer nor the AUX areas. The mode button still only switched between radio and CD. I then changed up and went the CD changer route using pins 1, 2, 6, and 7. Still no dice. Next step is to try the resistor method. However, I still can't seem to get a straight answer as to what I should be going for; the back looks like the picture below. Will just going the route with the resistor and condensors work?

http://www.jpwearmfg.com/x/aux/09.jpg




i have this problem too. i dont understand why.

[R1200RT]

Excellent free DIY with the computer hard drive connector plug and male headphone wire. Everything works on my 03\03 build radio.

Thanks again, Nick

[gshin]

Excellent write up! I am attempting to follow it and have run in to the problem Dime1652 and S15NOB ran in to. Unfortunately, Dime's solution didn't work for me. I hooked up my ipod and had it play as well. The ipod recognizes the cable insertion, but the radio does not display an option beyond the CD and radio when pressing the mode button.

My head unit is an Alpine CD53 E46 SW/NO=41 HW/NO=44 with a Manufacture date of 02 May 1W. The head unit also has KW: 20/02 AI: 01.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. My next steps will be to disconnect the modified IDE connector and make sure I didn't break a solder joint and/or introduce a short during installation.

[Bailey228]

Hey folks,

Instead of using the IDE connector, use 2 of the smaller cables that run from the motherboard to the sound board, or CD player of your old computer. They are PERFECTLY spaced to accept a snug fit on the CD53 connector. No need to hack away at the IDE connector, OR solder. Of course you still have to connect the other end of the wires to a female jack, but this is so much easier.

Cheers... Glenn

[John330Ci]

I like this. Can you show more clearly which ones are 4, 8, and 9? Like a label for which ones on the stereo? Thanks.

[SFBMW]

Did this as well -- not too hard and fun to put a custom spin on it. It's been working flawlessly for over a year.

Here is a link to my DIY - http://www.foxandhammer.com/2010/02/e46diyaux/

[cptkool]

do i need 3 different color wires? i plug the cable off my old computer and it have six wires but only black and red, thx.

[745Alpina]

I have already purchased all the parts and after I pulled out the radio the Model NO. CD53 E46 with SW/NO.47, HW/NO.43. My question is will this DIY work on my model are does the pin numbers change and does anyone have this information?

[SaulCaldera]

Okay I did this today. It really isn't hard at all. I took an old broken computer apart. Found some thicker wires. I picked 3 colors. Red, black and yellow. Went to radio shack and bought the same things the OP bought. Then I wired them up exactly how it explains and TA DA aux cord in my car now. I used the red wire for the left audio, the black for the right audio, and yellow for ground. They go into pins 4, 8, and 9. Yellow was 4. Red was 9. Black 8.
The pins on the back of your stereo are numbered. 6-10 on top. and 1-5 on the bottom.
It's pretty simple.

745Alpina I'm pretty sure it'll work for you but I'm not 100% sure. I don't know why it wouldn't though. I did this today on my 03 M3. I don't think the pin numbers change. Post a picture of the back of your stereo and I'll tell you.

[XtrlRulz]

Man millions of internet searches and I still can't figure this one out.

I have a CD 53, SW/NO. 40 and HW/NO. 43, built in February 02. The car is CD-changer ready and has the MODE button. I did the above procedure with 4 ground, 8 right, 9 left, and got no results in neither the CD changer nor the AUX areas. The mode button still only switched between radio and CD. I then changed up and went the CD changer route using pins 1, 2, 6, and 7. Still no dice. Next step is to try the resistor method. However, I still can't seem to get a straight answer as to what I should be going for; the back looks like the picture below. Will just going the route with the resistor and condensors work?

http://www.jpwearmfg.com/x/aux/09.jpg

Did you finally make it work or no?

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

For us with navi, will we lose our cd changer/player?

[LFM]

Thank you. I will be doing this soon.

Sent from my iPad using BF.com

[Smokinokie]

Great resource! I found this guide very helpful. My E46 has the 6 cd changer in the trunk so I already had the cable connector.

For those that want to be able to use the AUX cable DIY AND still have the ability to use their trunk mounted CD changer.

You will need two audio cables.
1 stereo cable with a male stereo connector on at lease one end.
1 stereo extension cable (male on one end, female on the other end. Cut off the male end and use the female end of the cable)

I carefully removed it from the plastic bracket that fastens it to the back of the radio. I opened the connector and removed 3 inches of the insulation from the wires and cut the connector off. I then used a 6 foot audio cable and soldered the wires to the connector that plugs into the radio unit. WOW, I have an AUX input now! Wait. I would like to listen to CD's and have an AUX cable.

I used an extension cable with the male end cut off and wired it to the cable running to the changer in the trunk. I ran this to the glove box and mounted it to the side so it's easy to get to.

Now, when I want to listen to a CD, I plug the aux cable into the female adapter, located in the glove box, that runs to the trunk.

Eventually, I'll add a simple switch so I can simply switch between them but until then, I have both the AUX input cable and can still listen to CD's.

[BadBoostedBmwM3]

Any pics??^^^

[Smokinokie]

Any pics??^^^

Sadly no pics. I didn't intend to deviate from the posted DIY until I had the cable already cut. Thats when I realized I could add the female jack to the cable from the changer. I have that kind of garbage laying about..

[aramsey]

Nice DIY, going to try this on my 02 325ci this weekend. About how long does the whole install take, estimated? (I'm electronically inclined)

Thanks!

[cooler breeze]

Seems the plug on the lower right o the head unit is being used on my 2004 with Harmon Kardon system...any other options?

edit: Seems the PO had purchased the bmw aux cable but it got lost in the dash. Kept on pulling and out it comes. Routed it into the aux buttons menu for a clean install and have some bumping aux input! so got an extra aux cable for no reason now haha

thanks for the write-up!

[mikeetastic]

will this DIY work on my HU below?

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5717/3m23ld3h35v35f45m3cc7d5.jpg