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Thread: The official e30 Aftermarket Radio Install Write up!

  1. #26
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
    Location
    CT
    Posts
    4
    My Cars
    88 E30 Zinno Cabrio
    Used this to install a new continental head unit in my 88 cabrio with premium sound (door tweeters + original amp in the trunk). Works great so far!

    One note on the first two bullets:


    • Yellow wire from new head 12v+ goes to Red/grn in dash
    • Red wire from head ign goes to purple/wht in dash


    The colors were correct for me, but red/grn and yellow were for the IGN on both my head and the car, and puple/wht (more like purple/grey) and red were for the 12v+ on both my head and the car.

    Otherwise flawless install, and the old amp + premium speakers sound great. FYI for anyone else in the future, the cabrio premium sound does not have the premium parcel shelf speakers, as there is no parcel shelf. The only giveaways (afaik) are the door tweeter pods and the amp bulge in trunk (on the bulkhead between the trunk and the driver side rear seat back).

  2. #27
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Montreal
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    2004 BMW 325I
    Sorry to revive this old post but if I found this post helpful then I'm sure other will too.

    I recently purchased the continental deck for my 89 325i cabriolet and ran into some issues. The sound was so horrible that I thought I blew my speakers or destroyed the amp. But in the end I was able to fix my mistake and no damage done.

    Here is what my wiring ended up looking like:



    I ended up wiring the blue/brown and yellow/brown wires to the box itself (just like the original wiring). I probably could have attached them to the black cable, as some people suggested, but the original unit had it connected to the casing. I noticed that there was a little slot for a ground connector (which didn't come with the unit). So I undid the 6 screws in the back of the unit and cracked the back open (well cracked is a strong word. it easily opened). I found a spare bolt (M5x20) and used the nut from the original unit and ended up with this:



    The rest of the cables have been listed here already but ill say it again:

    blue/brown x2 -> ground to casing
    yellow/brown x2 -> ground to casing
    violet/gray -> red (12v accessory power)
    brown/black -> black (ground)
    red/green -> Yellow (12v memory power)
    red/gray -> orange (lights on input)
    white x2 -> blue (antenna and amp)

    yellow/red -> white (left front speaker)
    blue/red -> grey (right front speaker)
    yellow/black -> green (left rear speaker)
    blue/black -> purple (right rear speaker)

    The green/black, white/black, purple/black and grey/black cables on the ISO harness (on the deck) are all unused so I covered them up. I used shrink wrap but you can just use electrical tape.

    Note: some people say the violet/grey wire is violet/white. It's violet/grey.

    Note: Follow the colours close to the dashboard. The original looms change colours at the end. Here is what I have on my radio:

    blue/red becomes blue
    yellow/red becomes yellow
    yellow/brown and blue/brown becomes brown
    grey/red becomes white
    red/green becomes yellow

    You can find the wiring diagrams here:
    https://imgur.com/vqiYsZn
    https://imgur.com/WGJqScS
    Last edited by pupsocket; 03-29-2020 at 12:35 PM. Reason: added some extra details and clarificaitons

  3. #28
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Arlington, VA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1991 BMW 325i
    All,

    New to the forum, dealing with an electrical issue on my son's 1991 BMW 325i w/ Premium Sound. It has an aftermarket radio that has been installed (what appears to be) correctly. The issue is: whenever the key is ON and the headlights are ON, the dash lights go OFF. (If the key is ON and headlight switch is OFF, the dash lights come on. Likewise, if the key is OFF and the headlight switch is ON, the dash lights come on. It's just when BOTH the key is ON and the headlight switch is ON, the dash lights go OFF.)

    Regarding the aftermarket stereo install: see the GRY/RED wire shown in the wiring diagram image linked below, which is attached to the LIGHT ON INPUT (of the stock radio), the INTERIOR LIGHTS SYSTEM, and pin 3 which goes to the diode (on the fader control). It is cut and terminated (disconnected) with the aftermarket stereo. (The aftermarket stereo does not have illumination controlled from the light switch.) Similarly, the BRN/BLK wire (that was once attached to pin 8 of the fader control before it was removed) is also cut and terminated.

    I'm wondering if this "cut" has removed the ground for my dash lights, and thus is somehow causing this problem. Has anyone ever seen something similar? I ask b/c earlier in this thread, it was stated to "tape all remaining wires".

    Premium Audio Schematic: https://www.bmwcca.org/forum/index.p...0720-jpg.2876/

    Thanks - I'm glad someone revived this thread!
    David

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    I have not but I bet its something with the light switch, or its ground, not the radio illumination wire
    No e30s again.

  5. #30
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    Arlington, VA
    Posts
    5
    My Cars
    1991 BMW 325i
    Thanks, @superj. I have confirmed it is *not* the light switch, having replaced it with a spare and experiencing the same problem. (Also, bypassed the switch with jumpers for the proper position, and the problem persists.) I believe there's a ground problem *somewhere* as you suggest - just haven't been able to locate it. And I keep getting distracted by other possibilities - like the radio illumination wire.

    Thanks again!

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    corpus christi, texas
    Posts
    6,738
    My Cars
    No e30s, again :(
    Check the headlight grounds, up by the radiator, if I remember right
    No e30s again.

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    1
    My Cars
    1990 BMW 325i E30 cabrio
    And another successful install on a 1990 BMW 325i convertible with the Premium Sound system. Most pics and discussions in this thread talk about cutting and splicing into the factory wiring, but I have been able to modify the wiring using a BMW to ISO adaptor (15 euro) and only modifying the adaptor wires, thus leaving the factory wiring intact. I have cut the negative grounds for the speakers on the adaptor, isolated the ends coming from the head unit and have bundled and connected to the radio chassis the ends coming from the car. I also spliced the ignition wire on the adaptor to power an active antenna splitter (red wire). All in all a 15 minute job, after searching for the right info for hours... The regular hookup (using the adaptor as delivered) failed to provide decent sound if sound at all. By adding an active splitter (Blaupunkt 2006017472609 - 40 euro) I was able to hook up a Blaupunkt Nurnberg 200 DAB BT head unit while using the original antenna. Works like a charm and did not touch any of the factory wiring, so if needed can revert back to the original Bavaria C deck.

    Thanks for all the information in this thread, very helpful!!!

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