vinaymorar

On 08/04/2006 at 11:30 PM, jochen said:

Here's a useful 'How to' for BMW fans:

HOW TO CHANGE JAPAN RADIOS TO NZ FREQUENCIES - WITHOUT A BAND EXPANDER

Factory fitted BMW radios from around 2000 onwards have a 'world tuner' inside them. The same radio can be used anywhere in the world.

The radio can be programmed to operate in JAPAN mode (FM = 70-90), or in OCEANIA or EUROPE mode (FM=87.5-108).

They also do a USA and CANADA mode but that's not useful here in NZ.

BMWs imported from Japan have their radios set to JAPAN mode (wonder why?)

These can be readily re-programmed to NZ frequencies as follows:

1. Switch on radio

2. Within 10 seconds, press and hold down the 'm' button until the serial number appears (takes around 10secs) to enter the radio's service menu.

3. Use the + or - buttons to cycle through the menu settings until you see AREA JAPAN or just JAPAN (varies a bit depending on radio)

4. Use the 1...6 buttons to select either OCEANIA (or OCE) or EUROPE - both are valid settings for New Zealand - see below for differences.

5. Switch radio off to store the change

Voila! Your radio has now bee reprogrammed to receive NZ FM frequencies!

Also, the cool RDS features will now be available.

Differences between OCEANIA and EUROPE modes on an E46 Business RDS radio (other radios may vary slightly):

a) EUROPE has LW, MW and FM. OCEANIA has AM and FM only.

OCEANIA shows ST for a FM stereo station; EUROPE doesn't show anything for stereo or mono FM stations.

c) EUROPE has the softkeys set to RDS and TP; OCEANIA has RDS and PTY

Which ever one you choose - OCEANIA or EUROPE - is up to you, they both work.

I hope you find this info useful, and that the forum moderator makes this a 'sticky'

PS: If anyone wants any info or help with BMW radios - talk to me. I've helped around 80 BMW owners convert from Japan radios to proper NZ radios for their BMWs, thus keeping the vehicle in original condition, and obtaining proper radio reception. Send me an email for more info!

Cheers, Jochen

what is your email address ? How can I do this for 2008 BMW 116i E87, it doesn't have M button at all

How can I do this for 2008 BMW 116i, it doesn't have "M" button at all ? Please help

Hi There,

I have bought a second hand 2008 BMW 116i (E87), it has got options for navigation, climate, communication and entertainment when the main screen opens up. The issue here is I can not use communication or navigation option. Also, I am not able to get all radio frequencies. I know this question must have been asked a million times, I could not find any answer anywhere. I have checked online and the local Bimmer experts like auto gravity charges upto $800 which is out of my reach. Does anyone have any guidance which I can follow myself and fix these issues ?

I have attached all relevant photos. Thanks in advance.

Vinay