Can CD Changer play MP3’s?

[Joe///540i]

I have a 2003 and the BM53 radio with NAV. Can the changer play and read MP3’s burned to the CD or just traditional CD format?


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[JimLev]

Welcome to the forum Joe.
I remember looking into the MP3 thing years ago when I swapped my cassette for a CD player.
IIRC you had to have a newer unit that possibly was in an X5. I'm sure some other will chime in to let you know.
Why don't you stick a CD with MP3 files in yours and see if it works.

[Joe///540i]

Welcome to the forum Joe.
I remember looking into the MP3 thing years ago when I swapped my cassette for a CD player.
IIRC you had to have a newer unit that possibly was in an X5. I'm sure some other will chime in to let you know.
Why don't you stick a CD with MP3 files in yours and see if it works.

Thanks Jim. I did a bit of research after the post (probably should have done this before posting). It does not look like any of the equipment in the E39 ever supported it. I am picking up my E39 this weekend in NY and driving it back to Boston. I was hoping to have something to listen to. I have already ordered an have in hand parts to add AUX and Bluetooth.

I used to post here a long time ago under Joe-BMW. My account is still out there but I can't remember the password and the email on the account is dead so I can't reset it. The admins have been unresponsive so I set up a new account. I had an E39 (2001) a while ago and 7 other bimmers. I really loved my E39, so I searched high and low for the right car and finally found it. Looking forward to contributing here. I remember leaving about 10 years ago because the E65board got pretty hostile. Hopefully the E39 board is kind, gentle and respectful.

[JimLev]

We're not hostile but sometimes you need to have a thick skin. Some of the guys may jump on you depending on what you post but the next day they will be your friend. Most of us have been here and on Roadfly for years and will certainly help you out.

[Joe///540i]

We're not hostile but sometimes you need to have a thick skin. Some of the guys may jump on you depending on what you post but the next day they will be your friend. Most of us have been here and on Roadfly for years and will certainly help you out.

Oh, yes, I started on Roadfly when I got my E32. I went from there to here and then to Bimmerfest, which I like, but it doesn't get the traffic this place does.

[Mike WW]

Some of the later replacement radios are listed as having MP3 capability and aux capability but not the CD player and I'll be damned if I know how to do it. There's a list, somewhere here I think, that I ran across when mine was on the fritz but I'm not finding it on a quick search. The replacement one I got supposedly does have that capability, but I'm not sure how.

[Joe///540i]

Some of the later replacement radios are listed as having MP3 capability and aux capability but not the CD player and I'll be damned if I know how to do it. There's a list, somewhere here I think, that I ran across when mine was on the fritz but I'm not finding it on a quick search. The replacement one I got supposedly does have that capability, but I'm not sure how.

Thanks, yes, I have seen that list of radios and production dates in my search. The best case scenario is to first have the BM53 radio (for NAV cars) and I believe the CD53 Business CD for non NAV cars. From there, the later the production date of the BM53 radio the better in terms of AUX, SAT and MP3 interface. My car is a 2003 and the BM53 started to be installed somewhere in 2001 with a March production date of the car (I believe that's the date from memory). I really only care about AUX and that was the first thing added to the series of BM53 radio's. I am good to go for that. It's really popping the NAV screen out and connecting a $30 BMW AUX cable to a connector that is sitting on the harness already (blue harness). I don't understand why BMW did all this pre-work and just didn't add the AUX from the factory.

[pleiades]

Thanks, yes, I have seen that list of radios and production dates in my search. The best case scenario is to first have the BM53 radio (for NAV cars) and I believe the CD53 Business CD for non NAV cars. From there, the later the production date of the BM53 radio the better in terms of AUX, SAT and MP3 interface. My car is a 2003 and the BM53 started to be installed somewhere in 2001 with a March production date of the car (I believe that's the date from memory). I really only care about AUX and that was the first thing added to the series of BM53 radio's. I am good to go for that. It's really popping the NAV screen out and connecting a $30 BMW AUX cable to a connector that is sitting on the harness already (blue harness). I don't understand why BMW did all this pre-work and just didn't add the AUX from the factory.

Not anything you asked about but many of the CD burner apps for Win, Mac, and Linux machines are capable of burning MP3 files to an Audio CD format that old players will handle. I think iTunes might do it as well...

[freethrowdunk]

Yes, but a select kind of them. I don't know the specific part number of the one I used to have in my car (purchased it on eBay then returned it), but take a look at this page:

https://store.bimmernav.com/blogs/in...n-instructions

[Mike WW]

Thanks, yes, I have seen that list of radios and production dates in my search. The best case scenario is to first have the BM53 radio (for NAV cars) and I believe the CD53 Business CD for non NAV cars. From there, the later the production date of the BM53 radio the better in terms of AUX, SAT and MP3 interface. My car is a 2003 and the BM53 started to be installed somewhere in 2001 with a March production date of the car (I believe that's the date from memory). I really only care about AUX and that was the first thing added to the series of BM53 radio's. I am good to go for that. It's really popping the NAV screen out and connecting a $30 BMW AUX cable to a connector that is sitting on the harness already (blue harness). I don't understand why BMW did all this pre-work and just didn't add the AUX from the factory.

Hmmm, interesting. So behind the Nav on mine is a cassette deck, I'm guessing I remove that and then there is something I can connect an aux input to? I do have the latest or next to latest BM53 which supposedly has the capability.

[Joe///540i]

Hmmm, interesting. So behind the Nav on mine is a cassette deck, I'm guessing I remove that and then there is something I can connect an aux input to? I do have the latest or next to latest BM53 which supposedly has the capability.

You got it. Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI0bPOL9CI8&t=14s

[Mike WW]

You got it. Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI0bPOL9CI8&t=14s

Thanks!