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See what hotwire said. He is right.

IHKR = Integrierte Heziungs / Klima Regler = integrated heating and climate control unit

Alternator whine (which is what you are hearing) is normally caused by an earth loop, and sometimes caused by inductive pickup To cure inductive pickup you need to separate the cables - in this case the inputs to the amp - away from any power cables in the car. To cure an earth loop, you need to wire the earths in a star fashion, which is what BMW do to the audio system. Additionally, BMW put a lot of care in their audio design to ensure the audio has potential-free inputs to the amp to avoid an earth loop. You may find that you need to put a "hum buster" in the audio lines to the amp, to interrupt the shield of the RCA connectors, due to the distance between the head unit and the amp. A hum buster is an audio transformer that galvanically isolates the audio input to the amp, thus breaking the earth path. To test if this youle work, temporarily fit the head unit next to the amp, powered from same power and ground as the amp, and try it out. If no more whine, it is because you have stopped the earth loop by having all items at the same amp earth When the head unit is in the front of the car, you have 3 x earth locations: 1. Headunit ground at its location 2. Headunit radio antenna - the coax shield is connected to ground at the antenna amp / antenna 3. RCA leads feeding the amplifier - they may be connected to ground at the amplifier The loop occurs between the RCA leads and the vehicle chassis. It can be very hard to stop this ground loop, which is generally due to insufficient isolation design in the amplifier and / or head unit. Hence a hum buster may be the quickest and easiest solution Other options:

First get the list of NZ camera locations. you'll want a name, latitude and longitude as an absolute minimum Then use my POI_Maker Excel spreadsheet to enter the locations, and any other data you might want (maybe the speed limit per camera?). POI_Maker: http://www.siegenthaler.co.nz/POI_Maker/index.htm From POI_Maker you can generate the necessary IDX (index) and URL files. Then add the IDX and URL files to the nav map disc, using a new (unused) POI category, as per instructions found elsewhere on the 'net.

My mate implemented Auto-Zoom on the Mk4 nav by changing the zoom levels according to the current vehicle speed Sort of "SDMS" (Speed Dependent Map Scaling) All it needs is a PIC and then write a small ibus interpreter that listens to kmph and sends out map scale changes as required, with a bit of hysterisis so that it does not switch back and forth all the time. Hybrid: something for those wet Sunday afternoons in between waiting for new parts for the E30...

I concur, based on the simple understanding that manufacturers invest millions on achieving the best combination of fuel economy, emission control, performance, and engine longevity. If they could improve one of these factors without degrading any others, for 2 simple payments of $29.95, then rest assured they would. And they'd fit them to every car. And the regulators would demand it as well. But the manufacturers don't And the regulators don't A fool and his money are easily parted....

I hate MSN, Skype is better :-) Remember the MENU button is a dual button, if you cannot get to the Service Menu using the left hand side of the MENU button, then try the right hand side

If it says DVD on the front of the nav, it is a Mk4 Once Perspective is enabled in the Service Menu, you can turn it on in the normal map view settings

I don't have a code generator for that model But I don't think it has a code... but my memory is failling me...

What make model stereo? I know of at least 3 different types for the E36 One of which I can generate a code for Post a photo if you don't know what it is.

Check that the car is properly entering sleep mode: observe autotransimission LED indicator. It stays on when ign is off, then switches off at +15minutes When it goes off, car has entered deep sleep (hibernation). This is when current must be <20mA Opening any doors, unlocking car, activating any devices etc wakes car from hibernation.

No code in the E39 radios. They recognise they are in an E39 and are then happy.

Your comments indicate a problem with the antenna cable or antenna amplifier Note that a band expander will always make reception worse due to the reduced sensitivity and reduced selectivity that a band expander causes. Check reception as follows: Insert a 1m to 2m length of any old wire into the center pin of the antenna socket of the radio - a bit tricky as the SMB connector uses a small center pin. The piece of wire will act as a temporary antenna Compare reception to previous situation If better, then the coax to the antenna tuner, or the antenna tuner, is damaged. Look for damage due to band expander fitting. Now reconnect the antenna coax at the radio and connect the 2m length of wire to the center pin of the coax cable at the antenna amplifier. Does reception improve? Is it about the same as when the wire was connected to the radio directly? If so, coax is OK If no reception, then antenna coax is bad. Check antenna coax using a multimeter: should be open circuit between inner and outer. It should show continuity along the inner from antenna amp to the radio And the same for the outer from antenna amp to radio If coax is OK and reception improved with wire at antenna amp end, then antenna amp or rear windscreen is faulty. Check again for power at antenna amp Unplug rear windscreen antenna connector and use wire on the pins and look for improved reception Replace antenna amp if it is faulty If antenna amp is OK, check rear window for damage to antenna elements. But unlikely if previous radio worked ok. It rear window is damaged, repair elements using rear window element repair kit, or replace rear window NOTE: ensure rear window has no metallic tint. Metallic window tine on a window with embedded antenna elements kills the reception

That's a new-generation radio with programmable tuner, as fitted to E46 cars from 2001 onwards The antenna tuner is also a new generation antenna tuner, looks like it was made in March 2003 The build date of the antenna tuner coincides with your car (your car was built 04/2003, and is a E46 330i Saloon M54 Europe Right hand drive N) So everything is right If reception is still poor, check the following: 1. Antenna amplifier is tightly bolted to the C-pillar (ground issues) 2. Antenna amplifier has got 12V on the white wire when ign is on 3. Antenna coax cable is tightly fitted to the antenna amplifier 4. Antenna coax cable connector is undamaged and is correctly plugged into the radio 5. Try a different radio to compare - maybe the tuner in the radio is poor 6. Try your car next to another E46 in the area with same generation radio system, and compare received signal strength levels (in the radio service menu)

To make the radio work you need a very special tool: You cannot buy this tool at BMW now at Repco. You have to look around for one... they are a bit "organic" As for TV tuner, use the same tool and check the settings, you want PAL-Europe for NZ. As for DVD player, these are rare, I've never seen one in the X5. The standard model is the roof-mounted DVD entertainment system. Perhaps you can post a photo of your DVD player? As for nav, yes you can do it yourself if you want. Replace Jap nav drive with Euro model, some rewiring required.

Well whats wrong with translating? Google does it for you so easily, and you can browse websites in around 30 languages with Google Works really well..... Unlikely to find a professional tuner in a NZ wreckers, but try. You want one that says BM23 on the sticker.

Easy. Pull off the trim panel left and right of the radio. They are just pressed, in, so pull them off CAREFULLY AND EVENLY. I use plastic bicycle tyre levels to do the job, works well. Then remove 2 x screws (left and right of radio) and the radio slides out Unplug connectors as required. The radio has switched 12V and also permanent 12V on the radio connector Antenna connector is DIN type, you may need a DIN-to-Japanese antenna connector adapter.

Yes, it makes it better. Euro radio module + TV tuner = identical setup to NZ-new car, so everything will work 100% perfectly In fact, Euro tuner has RDS, so it even becomes better than NZ-new, because NZ never specified the E39 with RDS tuners. They were all delivered with the C23 OCEANIA tuner which has no RDS support. RDS arrived in NZ in 2000, and is now in wide use by some stations In Wellington, where you are, RDS makes a HUGE difference on FM reception. So make sure you get an RDS tuner only. The radio module (tuner) models to look for are: Business RDS (made by Philips), or Professional RDS BM23, made by Becker The Professional is the better of the two, with dual-FM tuners

When you swap a Jap tuner for a NZ (Euro) model, the radio works 100% perfect Correct frequency display, full RDS functionality, exactly trhe same as if it was a NZ-New car. In fact, better then NZ-new if you fit a Euro-tuner with RDS, because NZ-new (back in 1997) had no RDS support.

A key without transponder can only unlock then vehicle. It cannot start it, because the transponder is what the immobilizer talks to. And as you say, it ain't there! I don't know whether you can register another transponder from another key to your car.... you would have to try. And registering keys to the car requires the BMW diagnostics computer

Use a multimeter on diode test and check each LED. Depending on multimeter, the LED will glow slightly

And a $2 key cannot start the car...

If it hasn't got an obvious CD button, then use the MODE button If it doesn't work, check CD changer is plugged in and has power.

Yes, but subject to age of car and what version of control units are fitted. Basically, the dealer codes the OEM alarm as fitted. This means it looks like an alarm is there But of course, the siren, interior room sensor, tilt sensor are not fitted so the alarm won't do much other than flash lights and the LED Assuming your mirror has an LED fitted ... not all IR mirrors have the alarm LED in them.

The central locking remote control receiver is one of 3 different types: Infrared (IR): The infrared sensor is the clown nose. The key needs to "see" the sensor to work. Radio Frequency (RF), 315MHz: The radio receiver is in the antenna tuner, it uses the same rear window antenna as the radio system. No direct view of the antenna is needed for the RF remote to work, ie: works in your pocket Radio Frequency (RF), 443MHz: Same as the 315MHz system but on a different frequency. The type of remote control system is dependent on the market that the car was built for: IR = Japan, older cars pre approx 2001 RF 315MHz = USA and newer Japan RF 443MHz = Europe, Australia and NZ To determine if you have an IR system, simply look at your key. Does it have an IR LED sticking out? = IR. Can it lock/unlock the car when the key is in your pocket (ie: no visibility of IR sensor)? Yes=RF, No=IR.