E34 Car Phone

[dennoz]

Hello, after purchasing my second E34, a 91 520i M50 spec car, it came with a car phone.

Now from VIN decoder site, the car was never fitted with 2 items from the factory but I can see them installed.
1: Car Phone (NEC TR5E1320-11A Model).
2: Ultrasonic Alarm (Can see the horn in the engine compartment but can't see the sensors and the key fob for that matter).

Anyway, now regarding the phone, I've literally combed through the site and couldn't find anything regarding the phone as well as Google the shit out of this phone and couldn't get anything apart from pictures which serve me no good.

If anyone knows how I can get to make the phone work I'd gladly appreciate it. I don't know if they use a sim card or how they function but I'll post pictures just in case someone else knows what to do.



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[CarterH]

It's likely an aftermarket phone. The BMW car phones had BMW written on the chin and were made by Motorola I recall. Even if it were OEM, car phones don't work anymore since the companies that provided those services no longer do it. It's essentially now just a light up brick that serves as a memory of the past but it sure does look cool!

I couldn't say much about the alarm system though, there were a few versions for the E34.

[zubbie]

There have been a few "car phone conversions". Essentially install the guts of a modern mobile phone into the brick. You would need a second SIM of course. Not sure why though. A lot of work for nothing when everyone in the car has a phone in their pocket.

It would be better suited to a CB radio.

[Singing6]

The functionality of these phones today is different on a country by country basis. As I understand it, Europe is currently reviewing if they will continue to support the analog cell network. The US abandoned the system sometime around 2008. There are a few guides out there to turn it into a bluetooth handset for a modern cell phone but I will understand if those do not interest you. As for getting it working again; I an working (slowly) at a new circuit board for the phone so that it can work on the new network but operate as close to stock as possible including the voice recognition that cant understand human speech and having a separate phone number for your car than for your house (or cell these days). But dont hold your breath on that one, it will be a while and it will only be for the real BMW Motorola phones, which yours is not.

[bigsixe34]

Why?
I'm anyone's for cool reinventions, but I would do what Zubbie said 10/10 times before trying to make it work again as a cell.

[MaraE34]

IMTS stopped being supported by 2008, I believe. Car phones worked through this pre-cellular network.

[dennoz]

There have been a few "car phone conversions". Essentially install the guts of a modern mobile phone into the brick. You would need a second SIM of course. Not sure why though. A lot of work for nothing when everyone in the car has a phone in their pocket.

It would be better suited to a CB radio.

I decided to remove the phone anyway and have more space in the interior...I'll be getting one of these new head units that have Bluetooth capability and connect my phone.....with this NEC phone, I can't see any sim card slot

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[dennoz]

The functionality of these phones today is different on a country by country basis. As I understand it, Europe is currently reviewing if they will continue to support the analog cell network. The US abandoned the system sometime around 2008. There are a few guides out there to turn it into a bluetooth handset for a modern cell phone but I will understand if those do not interest you. As for getting it working again; I an working (slowly) at a new circuit board for the phone so that it can work on the new network but operate as close to stock as possible including the voice recognition that cant understand human speech and having a separate phone number for your car than for your house (or cell these days). But dont hold your breath on that one, it will be a while and it will only be for the real BMW Motorola phones, which yours is not.

For a moment I was starting to be happy that there might be a solution only to see its compatible

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[fo3]

I decided to remove the phone anyway and have more space in the interior...I'll be getting one of these new head units that have Bluetooth capability and connect my phone.....with this NEC phone, I can't see any sim card slot

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Analogue phones never had a sim card. They rely completely on the phone network. Does your country still have an analogue phone network? Australia abandoned it in 2000 and the USA in 2008. I can't find out about kenya because every google link assumes 3g phone carrying tourists so I can't sort out the junk results from the nitty gritty stuff. You'll need to check with your phone companies I guess.
But if you don't have an analogue network still running then the phone won't work.

[dennoz]

Analogue phones never had a sim card. They rely completely on the phone network. Does your country still have an analogue phone network? Australia abandoned it in 2000 and the USA in 2008. I can't find out about kenya because every google link assumes 3g phone carrying tourists so I can't sort out the junk results from the nitty gritty stuff. You'll need to check with your phone companies I guess.
But if you don't have an analogue network still running then the phone won't work.

Well, we do have 2g and edge support around here but about analogue phone network, I'll do have to confirm with our service provider in the morning, not too sure about that

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