The system is a component setup . Head unit controls radio and has a tape player, it also controls a cd changer in the trunk, an RDS receiver unit and 10 x 15watt amplifier is located behind the rear seat. Pretty complex for its day. I'm still searching for the correct cd player, without this the ibus link isnt connected to the RDS unit. The search goes on
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-18-2012 at 02:06 PM.
I'm sure this unit pre-dates ibus. It will be M-bus.
So any M-bus cd changer, should (in theory) work. Unless I am missing a detail.
I'm currently awaiting the arrival of the "modern" version of this radio, the BMW Professional RDS headunit, which is "just" the single DIN unit where everything is inside the unit and no extra components.
For those wanting to retrofit a BMW Professional unit, it would be far easier as you just plug in the 17-pins radio connector and you're done (I take it the E31 already uses the 17-pins square connector).
It's also Becker made and has 2 FM (RDS) tuners and CD changer connector, so Dice/Dension stuff can be connected for Apple/USB/Aux connectors or even BlueTooth. All while keeping the factory look.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Right yes you're right. The problem I'm having is finding a cd player with 2 multi pin din sockets....all the ones I see only have 1 .
On a plus note I have sourced the schematics for this unit, I should be able to fix the spare I have now. I also need to find a source for the backlight led's.
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-18-2012 at 11:51 AM.
So you are changing it to be able to play CD?
You have never seen a normal cassette player before?Originally Posted by Dr. T
No, it can play CD's via the changer in the back, I just don't have the changer yet.
A previous owner removed all the factory system and fitted a competition class system. Luckily all the wiring was left in place, apart from the plug for the radio which I managed to get hold of with the Becker radio.
If anyone here has the setup, could you be so kind as to take a look at the CD changer cable arrangement ? Is there a special 2 into 1 Din adaptor ?
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-18-2012 at 05:10 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
http://translate.google.co.uk/transl...ed=0CFAQ7gEwAw
Some good info n the 1801 here. The reason why my head unit kept switching off after ten seconds was because it couldn't see the data link to the rds unit.......so I have 2 working head units now .
I need to find the 2 into 1 din cable adaptor now .
Replacement led for the backlight can be found here
http://www.conrad-uk.com/ce/en/produ...200-Orange-85-
They are wired in series on each panel, so if one goes the whole panel goes dark .
Backlight LEDs here
http://www.conrad-uk.com/ce/en/produ...200-Orange-85-
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-19-2012 at 04:08 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Funny, been on that site many times, but never saw that article.
I really like that dual-tuner thing where it displays other stations available while also displaying the current station.
The Becker BE2455 can also display the selected Traffic Program station not just TP.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Well indeed, but I don't want to think about it. Would make lots of radio's absolete.
It's the same with GSM. I sure hope that will still be a standard for years to come.
I retrofitted a (fully working) OEM BMW carphone that I love. Don't want it to be a useless brick.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Oh no kdding? That's a bit of a surprise. The digital carphone were available over here from like 1993/94.
It's actually funny. Back in the mid/late 90's when nobody had a cell phone, there were only so many GSM antenna's. I know the E36 came with a 6 foot antenna on the back (vert model) to have GSM reception.
Fast forward 15+ years and there's a GSM antenna on every street corner.
When I retrofitted my phone, I routed the antenna cable coming from the module behind the trunk's lining, with no connection to an outside aerial and I get perfect 5/5 bars reception about nearly anywhere.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
I'd like to fit a phone in my e31 , is it fairly straight forward ? I guess finding the phOne and harness is the tricky bit .
I would just look on Ebay.de. There's always tons of phone's for sale.
But most are E38/E39 versions.
I believe the E31 uses the same style ejectbox and ejectbox trim as the E36. The E38/E39 is slightly different.
Also, you have to keep in mind there is 3 systems that were used. Till about 1996/97 you had the old model horn with negative display. Low resolution and indicator leds above the display.
The later model, which I have, has a positive display, higher resolution screen and all the indicator symbols are on the screen itself.
This is the one you would really want. The old style one, as far as I know, doesn't support sending and receiving of textmessages, while the other system does.
Also, the older system can't read SIM cards in the cardreader under the phone. So you have to put it in the S/E module in the back. I believe this has to do with different voltages used in SIM cards.
The newer system has both cardreaders work and you can actually put in 2 SIM-cards (I have this) and in this setup, the one under the phone is the master, and the rear one the slave. If I pull the one under the horn, it automatically switches to the rear card and if I put it back, that card is the one used again.
Then there's also a 3rd system, which has the same style horn, but has different wiring and the extra brown-ish colored GSM module. So far I have seen, both have the same functions.
All I know is this later system can also support voice controls, which I would love to retrofit in mine, but to pull my mint version that doesn't seems not worth it.
On German Ebay, look for "BMW Telefon" with or without "Exx" in it. Using E31 probably won't fetch much results.
Not sure what version you want. There's also the option for the old(er) school setup with the horn "floating" in a basic bracket, not the fancier ejectbox.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Ok, thanks for the info. A display like yours would suit the car. Is there another box to go in the back on all the models? Not much room in the back now I have the professional C installed.
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-21-2012 at 04:11 PM.
They all have the box in the rear, but it's not that big. There's tons of spaces you can stash it.
I think I have the E31 retrofit instructions. Will check when I get home.
Do you have MFL controls fitted yet? Not sure the Bavaria C Professional has ibus input, but the phone will.
Last edited by MParallel; 10-21-2012 at 01:34 PM.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
No switches on my steering wheel, I like the one it has so doubt I will upgrade it. Professional c displays on the MID of the E34
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Xg6k6NSnM&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]
Yes that is pretty cool. E36 gauge cluster is much lower and doesn't have a display. What is nice though, is that the CD43 acts as a MID for the phone and displays the names and numbers of the SIM's phonebook.
I'm curious how the Professional RDS will act.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
That's pretty cool it will display on the CD43.
A quick update. It would appear that there were 2 ways of connecting a CD changer to the professional C. With the 6 CD changer a small black box was required to link the 2 din plugs to the changer. With the 10 disc changer the 2 cables plugged directly into the changer.
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-22-2012 at 04:02 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
More details of the head unit power and cd connector pins.
After looking at the Schematics for the 1801 and the Sony Silverstone 10 disc changer, I can say for sure the cable from the head unit and the cable to the RDS unit run straight through the CD player when its not in use. Once the CD recieves an instruction on the bus it then switches the Line in source off and routes its output to the line out pins of the RDS/Amp. So if the CD is missing you can just connect the pins straight through as follows
From head unit To RDS unit
pin 1 (Line in Left +) pin 1 (Line out left +)
Pin 2 (Line in ground) pin 2 (Line out ground)
Pin 3 (Line in Right +) Pin 3 (Line out Right +)
Pin 4 (Line in Left -) Pin 4 (Line out left -)
Pin 5 (Line in Right -) Pin 5 (Line out Right -)
Pin 6 (Data bus- ) Pin 6 (Data Bus-)
Pin 7 (Data bus +) Pin 7 (Data Bus+)
Pin 8+ pin 9 (ground/shield) Pin 8+9(ground/shield)
Note this is at the 2 x 8 pin connectors by the cd changer .
And the connector at the back of the headunit BE1801 pinout is like this
The radio also has I-bus on pin 7 of the 17pin connector for a parallel display.
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-27-2012 at 10:03 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
I successfully connected a 1801 to the RDS receiver this evening using only the 2 data wires.
As you can see some of the LED on the back light board had gone bad. I decided to pull it apart and fit some new ones .
I found 4 LEDs were bad, 2 on the main display and 2 on the small display....causing the whole of the small display to be dark.
After a few hours of very fiddly work I was very happy with the result.
This unit was the one that would only stay on for ten seconds, once it had a data link to the RDS unit it would stay on until it came out of code wait mode .
Last edited by Omega man 1969; 10-24-2012 at 10:29 PM.
Bookmarks