This happened over several months on M3forum, but posting it all here at once... actual project was way more work than I expected, but I'm super pleased with the final result

My goals for this project are:
-remove ~40 lbs of wiring/brackets/modules
-add GPS filtering to the V1 (via YaV1)
-bluetooth music streaming
-Waze on the main screen, for police locations and traffic avoidance without having my phone out
-Harry's GPS lap timer on track
-dash cam running full time when the car is on
-ability to pull/reset codes on the fly

In the short term, some pictures I took after wiring it up on my "test bench" (car battery with a trickle charger, connect to the unit) that I took last night. This weekend I'm looking to upload some videos of the interface, for those that are interested.

Right now, just some pictures of stuff I found cool in a couple minutes of fiddling:



Radio tuner interface-- supports RDS



Tire pressure/temp display, which you can use with TPMS sensors. Actually could be quite a useful track feature!



OBC functionality retained (and expanded)



Button backlighting can be tweaked, if you're not happy with the stock setting (I haven't compared it in a car yet, but from pictures I've seen of others I don't know if I'll feel the need to tweak it)



My super janky "test bench"

More to come/change in the coming days....

I'm super pleased with this thing so far. The button presses and knobs feel nice, it doesn't look cheap anywhere, and it's very much stock looking-- just with much more functionality. Can't wait to get it in the car!

- - - Updated - - -

Just realized I never updated this thread...

Other than seats (and airbag-- waiting to make sure the steering wheel is straight to put that in), the car is finally back together. I'll be putting at least the driver seat in today or tomorrow.

This project spiraled WAY out of control. As in, I spent 100+ hours on this. I'm not going to say I'm glad I did it (sooooo much work), but I am going to say I'm super excited for the results!

In total, the project consisted of...
-remove all factory stereo modules, the stereo wiring harness, and all factory stereo mount brackets. Replace with Avin (which has all the stock module functionality built in) and make a new (tiny) wiring harness for the speakers, plugging them directly into the Avin
-do the above without altering the factory chassis harness at all. I did this entirely, 100% with the Avin only connecting to the chassis with the factory 7 pin chassis to stereo harness plug behind the dash. My goal here was to not have the chassis electronics be compromised in any way. This harness has everything you need for the Avin-- ibus, interior light dimming, ignition power, antenna power
-fuse all aftermarket electronic systems through new fuses in the factory fuse box. No vampire clips or inline fuses exist on my car any longer
-integrate aftermarket system functionality to factory buttons
-wrap all wiring bundles (OE and aftermarket) in OEM fabric tape, secure all wiring to the chassis with OE mounting hardware.
-relocate battery to the "drug bin" The idea here was that the 5.7 lithium polymer battery I'm running isn't meaningfully contributing to weight distribution, but the 8 lb battery cable that runs from the rear of the car to the front is making it heavier.
-relocate and downsize the washer tank to the drug bin. This car is no longer a DD, and never sees winter use, so I don't need anything like a full size washer tank... but I also don't want none, in a pinch. So, I have a ~1 pint tank in the drug bin now, as well. With the stock tank being in the front bumper, this should restore some of the 50/50 lost from not having a heavy battery in the trunk. It'll also make it easier to add brake ducting down the road.

And, add a ton of functionality via the Avin Avant 3, which is the first head unit that's look stock enough that I was comfortable running it in my car:
-CarPlay
-Waze
-YaV1 to add GPS filtering to the V1
-Extra gauges and code pulling on the fly via Torque

Some pics...


New, Harmon Kardon branding free, speaker covers


Getting lighter, one wire at a time...


Increased trunk space carpeting (no door/rack for the CD changer/nav)


What's behind that carpeting now


Vs before (not my car)


New battery location, with the washer tank visible (pump not installed yet)


And in the area where the battery used to be installed, it turns out BMW makes a deeper storage bin! Key pictured for scale.

Some integrated bit....


Front fog light button is now brake light kills (cluster indicator still reminds me when this is on, stock functionality no longer required because I'll be doing a CSL bumper)


Rear fog light button kills all reverse brake lights (with cluster indicator to remind me when this is on)


e39 high intensity wash button is wired up to activate M track mode (currently requires CSL/ZCP MK60 unit)


HK button is now Laser jammer power (retains memory of on/off from last drive, and power status light)

And the interior all back together, minus seats/airbag. Probably looks like nothing to most of you, but having been looking at chassis and wiring for the last couple months, this is like magic to me :roll:








I'm pretty pleased with the new, black gauge faces, too!



Huge thanks to Terra for dealing with my stream of conscious questions/thoughts/ramblings as I did this project

- - - Updated - - -

So pleased with CarPlay on the Avin now that they've added 3rd party nav support (ios12). Waze on the nav screen using the phones data plan is what I've always wanted, and can't imagine wanting much more. Well, no, I lied-- can't wait till someone releases a wireless CarPlay dongle for this thing!

Since all the processing is done on the phone, everything is smooth/reliable/fast.

Waze running:



If you open your phone while it's running to waze, it provides the turn by turn list so that both screens are useful:



And other features, podcasts:



Visual voicemail functions as you'd expect:



And you can browse all your music with a nice interface (album art subtly in the background):



Hopefully Harry's GPS lap timer adds support, soon!

I'm seriously pleased with my Avin now that CarPlay does all this. I think as soon as wireless CarPlay becomes a thing, all the cars will be getting these.

Can't imagine wanting any factory nav/infotainment over this, from any company in any time period. Cop locations on OE looking nav!

- - - Updated - - -

And some views of it off, just to show how stock looking this particular unit is IMO (I can't stand the huge fisher price buttons that some of them have, the BMW never would have used):