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

[Asd123187]

This is a cool thread.

I have a 97 528i with ONLY a cassette player, will this DIY work on my car?

[petersp83]

New member, apologies for asking again....

I've got a 2001 525iAT and after reading this thread I'm confused as to whether the existing factory installed CD player can be modified to have an aux jack installed. A local shop that's going to install some window tint also installs radios and the like. I'm going to have them do it, but they asked me to go on line and determine if there was an existing "made for this specific car" aux jack unit available.

Thanks and sorry for asking again.

Best regards,

Peter

[dbiMMer10]

I just would like to add a picture to Kmoy's DIY and hopefully will be a bit more helpful:

======================
iDrive

[MnkyPwz]

Not attempting to resurrect this old thread, but just wanted to thank the OP for the DIY. JUST finished installing the AUX in my 2003 (E39) 430i and it works like a charm.

[03 530i]

Hey Kmoy, would you consider making the wire's, and everything so it's a plug n play type of thing and if you would how much would you charge considering supplies, shipping, and labor?

[kashill]

looks pretty cool and simple...

simple but didn't work for me...got it wired up but no AUX mode on the display when I connect the ipod.

[03 530i]

where did you get the wires? ( red, green, black)

[kashill]

Anyone tried wring the aux input thru the CD changer...could this be an alternate hook up for the unfortunate?

[xisco44]

yes i tap the 3 cables with my aux in cable
black = ground
brown = right
yellow =left
so i have 1 cd with 8 tracks of nothingness and 5 cds with regular music
so if i use cd 1 i use my aux in and no music from cd in the background
cd 2 to 6 have random music that my folks like to listen, that wont go on my iphone or ipod.
when you are using cd2 to 6 make sure to disconnect iphone from aux in or pause it or the is going to sound together the music from the iphone + the music from the cd changer, it works perfect give it a try... no need to buy another cd unit if you dont have the money

[sktn77a]

Just for clarification, the AUX setup ONLY works with head units 09/2002 (ie 2003 model year) and plugs in the second socket on the back of the head unit (the telephone socket). The modification referred to above is tapping wires into the CD changer connector, playing (blank) CD1 and injecting the ipod sound into the (blank) CD sound while CD1 is playing (nothing). What happens when (blank) CD1 comes to an end and starts playing CD2?

[xisco44]

music on cd 2 will mix with what is playing on your ipod
when this happened to me i would only notice if whats playing on the ipod get to a silent point but no biggie just switch back to cd 1.

[JayR71]

I did this and it works like promise, given I have a 2003 530i. However, has anyone experienced the AUX option gone when you something charging in the cigarette lighter?

It took me all day to figure out that the Aux goes away when you have anything charging....any reason why or how to by pass that?
I wanted to charge my phone and listen to it..but so far its only either one.


Thanks.

[parkerbomar]

i noticed it.

[d15b7]

good morning gents.
I'd like to thank the original poster for this info; I'm very excited to give it a try on my car! I'd like to ask for a bit of clarification though (after reading through so may replies, I got a bit confused. I already have all the supplies and am ready to start constructing my modified connector, but my car is an early car: a 1997 540i with the cassette player, and the 6 disc CD changer in the trunk and fenderwell amplifier (see pics below to see exactly what I have). I have simple needs - I don't need to be able to control the iPod from my steering wheel, or see a display of whatever song is playing on it; I just want to be able to plug into a jack that I am mounting in the cupholder (which is already broken hahaha), hit Play on my iPod, and have the music come out over the stereo speakers. If my iPod needs charging, I'll just plug it into my cigarette lighter adapter. thats all I need!
questions: where do I plug in my modified IDE cable connector? into the head unit itself, right? (no need to remove the cassette player module at all, or mess with it at all, or the CD changer in the trunk, correct?). and final question -- are the pin outs in my 1997 stereo head unit the same as in the OPs? (3,4, 10)? if not, can you tell me what the correct pin outs are, or a link on where to find them? thanks so much for the clarification! I'm looking forward to doing this modification asap! Todd
pics of my car:



edit 11-10-11 --- ok guys, I took everything apart on my 1997 540i cassette and this is what I found:

It doesn't look anything like the original poster's pin out scheme
can anyone instruct me as to what my pin out is? what Left, and Right, and Ground should be? or is there an online guide somewhere? I have everything soldered together, but its for the orig poster's scheme.... need help! would like to do this today! thanks so much..

Todd

[mnkeith]

Exact same scenario as you - minus the CD changer. Who buys a fully loaded 540 in '99 and then thinks "nope, just the cassette is good." Seriously.

Hoping to attempt this mod in a few weeks.

[d15b7]

ok guys, I took everything apart on my 1997 540i cassette and this is what I found:

It doesn't look anything like the original poster's pin out scheme
can anyone instruct me as to what my pin out is? what Left, and Right, and Ground should be? or is there an online guide somewhere? I have everything soldered together, but its for the orig poster's scheme.... need help! would like to do this today! thanks so much..
Todd

[d15b7]

Ok. back again. so I fooled around with the cassette and tried to wire into the pins in the back; no luck. I tried a bunch of different configurations (mine is a C33 tapedeck). I got frustrated so I 'punted':

I did this mod to the board inside the cassette deck: http://jcrowell.info/bmw-aux-in.html

It worked perfectly and here are a few pics from my mod/upgrade:






the soldering the leads directly to the circuit board was most difficult; very small pins and leads and close together. I sealed everything with RTV and routed the wires out the side and sealed them from vibration too. I had to file away a little bit of the mounting chassis so that the wires would pass through when I slid the deck back in place, and I just routed the audio jack through the corner so it can plug into the iPod Nano and lay right in front of the stick shift (the cupholders are broken anyway). I recommend this as a way to get the AUX to work if you have an older car like my 1997 540i; as a side benefit the tape deck still plays tapes (but I never use it anyway). CD changer still works too.
good luck and thanks for the help guys!
Todd

[Dutchman540i]

Hi Guys,

Could anyone help me with the wiring aux in cd changer in the back of my tape deck.
I have an bmw 540i 1996.i have the old model round pins and lower left is my cd changer input. I know that i need 3 wires left,right and ground but unfortunately i dont know in wich pins i have to put it from the cd changer. Please somebody help me!!

[nsx1]

Three days of AM/FM and I am already tired of the DJs. I am planning to do this AUX-IN mod tonight. I have a 99 with the cassette deck and CD changer so I expect the back to look like yours. Let me know if you are able to figure it out. There is some info on this page that might help - http://www.baso.no/load.asp?id=85

Edit:
The pins are as follows
top row, from the left.
1 = CG (ground)
2 = CG (ground)
3 = GND (ground)
bottom row, from the left
1 = CL (left)
2 = CR (right)

C=common or C=connector. IDK.
I got the labels by opening the deck and looking at the labels on the circuit board. Pictures to follow once I find some place to upload them.

Pictures illustrating the previous post




The picture below is the circuit board on the other side of the connector.

[Dutchman540i]

Hi NSX1, i have been try it but unfortunately it doesn't work from the input of my cd changer. The place where i can read cdc ( to activate the cd changer) on my panel is nothing. ((

[BMWM5LOVER]

god, wiring and splicing confuses the shit out of me. make one for my 00 m5 with nav and dsp and I will pay pall $$ right away

[Kurt615]

Hey i tried this in my '02 540i with DSP and no nav. Ifollowed all of your steps and got it hooked back up but when I change the mode Aux doesnt appear. I figured that the first time I maybe didnt solder the pin connector correctly so I tried it a second time and made sure it was a clean accurate solder. Still no results....what could be the issue? has anyone else gotten this to work

[tmvE39E53Z32TT]

^

Just for clarification, the AUX setup ONLY works with head units 09/2002 (ie 2003 model year) and plugs in the second socket on the back of the head unit (the telephone socket). The modification referred to above is tapping wires into the CD changer connector, playing (blank) CD1 and injecting the ipod sound into the (blank) CD sound while CD1 is playing (nothing). What happens when (blank) CD1 comes to an end and starts playing CD2?

[LJK]

did this mod last week. pretty satisfied with it. not the prettiest connections, but it works. noticed i have to turn it up a bit more than when in FM mode or CD player, anyone else confirm this?

[russlan44]

worked for me 03 525ita SW/NO 50 HW?NO 45. 02 July, did this mod couple years ago on my friends e46s