andyb184

You might want to look into replacing the final stage resistor for your heater aka hedgehawk. Simple DIY. This component is notorious to go bad and will do exactly what you described. sent from my android

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I double-checked yesterday and it looks like the amp could be either in the left or right c-pillar depending on the build of your car. The rest of the setup is very similar to the one above. To be sure, please pull both covers, take a good picture of the amp and post it in a new thread dedicated to the E39. Thanks

I would assume it's 433 Mhz (usually there is some fine print on the back showing the frequency). As far as the retrofit is concerned, I am not 100% sure what's involved but I think it's possible. Generally speaking, the RF locking system always consists of a key, GM, Amp and Antenna. Check behind the right hand (driver) C-pillar. You'll probably find a black antenna amp but similar to the one described above which will have to be replaced with a 433 Mhz counterpart. The new amp will also feature a 3-pin connector (X1143) but the pinout and connection to the GM3 and fuse block will be different. I will have to study the wiring diagrams to be more specific. PM me please.

Sorry I didn't make it clear enough but all circuitry and components for the IR are housed in the mirror. The amp in the C-pillar is only for radio reception but you should double-check: It doesn't have a sticker showing the Frequency used (433 or 315Mhz) and it's also missing the X1143 3-pin connector.

no need to modify anything, the EWS ring antenna is already in place and a key with coil antenna integrated will be charged inductively. The key fobs I bought initially came with a coin cell battery. I swapped out the circuit board for one of these EWS Remote 3 Button Board 433MHZ for BMW E46 KEYLESS KEY - works like a charm.

My E46 was imported from Japan and came with the infamous 2-button Infrared (IR) remote control system. The range of the IR signal is extremely limited and also requires a direct line of sight to the car. After reading through some forum threads combined with some of my own findings it seemed fairly easy to convert from IR to RF. This is a guide to inform you of the basic steps. I’d like to thank Colin from http://bmwgm5.info for giving me some suggestions and helping me along the way to make this work. On cars with infrared control the antenna for the central-locking system (FZV) is incorporated with the receiver into the interior rear view mirror, whereas the radio frequency receiver is part of the antenna amplifier which is installed in the left C-pillar. In both instances the receiver produces a digital signal based on the transmitter command (IR vs. 315/433MHz) and sends it to the GM5 for processing. The GM5 then carries out all remote locking and opening features, along with the DWA arming/disarming functions. The one thing both locking systems have in common is the incoming signal at Pin#49 of the General Module unit (X253, 54-pin, black plug connector). 1) Antenna Amp w/ RF receiver You must replace the antenna amplifier. There are 2 different frequencies used (315 MHz and 433 MHz) which vary from country to country. You must first determine which frequency you want. You could go either way but you probably want to make sure you are in compliance with federal requirements. # 65 25 6 906 074 433 MHz EU # 65 25 6 906 075 315 MHz US/JAP/CAN I found a used 433 MHz Antenna Amp on ebay for about $30. As a side note, you often find the older-style diversity Amp (99-01) featuring an extra co-axial connector for signal quality determination. I do not recommend getting one of these. People who upgrade their business radio later but have the old amp installed often discover degradation in radio reception quality until they also finally decide to replace the amp for a newer one. There are various threads on this issue across the boards if you're interested. 2) Matching Keys (diamond style 3-button key) For this I didn’t go to the dealer but decided to take the DIY route which proved to be a lot cheaper: I ordered two uncut EWS Remote Key 3 Button 433MHZ BMW HU92 key blade including virgin transponder chip and AK90 Key programmer, all for about $140 on ebay. The locksmith finally charged me $40 to cut both keys. You might be able to find an automotive locksmith that can also program the transponder for you. 3) Wiring You need to run your own wiring harness from the Amp (connector X1143) to the GM5 and fuse box behind the glove compartment. In a nutshell: On a sedan, you pop off the left rear seat side bolster and remove the front and back inner door sills to expose the carpet entry points. Then route your new harness alongside the existing one to the front of the car using some zip ties. Parts needed: # 61 13 8 377 072 Universal socket housing, 3 POL. # 61 13 1 393 702 Terminal socket (0.2–0.5 mm2), come in 10-pack 10ft of 2-conductor stranded wire, 20AWG (0.5mm2) 2 scotchlok or quick-splice connectors Cut both strands of your wire to same length and crimp a terminal to each end of the wire, only Pin#1 and #3 are needed. If you are lucky the amp will come with an old snipped off connector plug like mine did which you can reuse and save a bit of money. Important: Disconnect the negative battery lead (ground cable) before tapping into the fuse box and GM5 unit! I am not going into detail on how to locate and gain access to the GM5 or the back of the fuse box as there are plenty instructions available on the web. Using the scotch connectors, tab the wire coming from Pin#1 to the back of Fuse49 (Red/Violet wire). Pin#3 wire gets spliced to the wire at Pin#49 (Blue/Red wire) of plug connector X253 (middle one) at the GM5 module. Be aware, there is another Blue/Red wire running inside the X253 harness, although slightly bigger in diameter. Best is to unplug the X253 from the GM5 and push the actual 54-pin connector out of its black housing to reveal the pin-outs which are all numbered. There is a small white tab securing the connector in its housing which you will need to slide out before. After you identified the correct Pin#49 you can wiggle on the wire and splice into the harness further up. Note: It’s probably a good idea to double-check your wiring to rule out any connectivity issues before putting everything back together. When you connect a meter to Pin#1 and one of the grounded T20 Torx screws of the Amp you should read +12V. Pin#3 should give you a reading of +5V. Check if the +5V drop slightly when pressing any button on the RF key fob, same goes for the IR key. 4) Key Programming I noticed that upon completion of the retrofit you have to switch the ignition on and off briefly for the vehicle's electrical system to recognize the new components. After that you should be able to proceed with the standard BMW syncing procedure for the diamond-shaped key. The IR key will work as well as it should be still connected to the GM5. 5) Retro-fit Coding This retrofit is not coding-relevant! You could add it to the VO of your car if it really matters to you but it will not make a difference in functionality. For the sake of completeness I used NCSExpert and added Option S874A RADIO FREQUENCY 434 MHZ and also removed S875A INFRARED REMOTE CONTROL – it didn’t make a difference at all. All the other components that complete the RF system, such as the rear window antenna, trap circuit and EWS ring around the top of ignition cylinder for inductive charging are already installed by BMW. The electric trunk lock will also work with the new key. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. Thanks

Did my headliner and sunroof on my previous 318ti. I went through an online upholstery vendor and it came out to about $100 for the material and 3M adhesive spray. The sunroof mechanism was a bit tricky and took me more time than anticipated but it worked out okay. Nothing wrong with getting it done by a professional.

thanks for allowing me to become a member of this forum. I've had my 2001 325i over a year now and I am quite happy with it, it's pretty much stock and in good shape. I 've been doing easy maintenance/repairs on my own. IMHO, a WOF cannot be considered a service inspection as these cars require special care. Also, the fact that the real service history ends when these cars make their way over from Japan and no recalls or technical service bulletins are being followed up unless you go the dealer route got me more interested in diagnostics. I own some diagnostics equipment and possess basic coding skills. I hope to hook up with like-minded geeks and enthusiasts in the Wellington area in order to help each other and share knowledge. I wouldn't mind coming to meetings as well. Cheers, Andy