jochen

Tip for Valentine One users: Get your hands on a StealthOne and have the radar warnings appearing in the text display of your BMW instrument cluster http://www.stealthone.biz/ Prerequisite: your car must have the check control (text) display, which is standard on the high IKE (high-level instrument cluster)

And how would this work in a 30, 50, 60, or 80 kmph zone?

new Zealand does lend itself towards lowered cars and low profile tyres. I was always extremely happy I had my E39 with standard ride height, and standard high-profile tyres. It meant that I was protected from such potholes and bumps, protected from curb rash, and had a more comfortable ride. And every now and then my reasoning would be further reinforced when I read posts like yours or that from Hybrid.... BTW: here in Europe the roads are MUCH more suitable to lowered cars, however the curb rash issue is even worse with narrow streets and curbs made of pure rock.

And to expand on Glenn's comments: The IR remote works further at night (less IR interference from the sun) and also better on darker, cloudy days. I've unlocked my BMw using my IR remote from the same distance as a BMW with an RF remote - at nighttime :-) (and by making sure the key could see the clown nose of course)

The 2-button key is NOT rechargable. It is an infrared key. Go to d*ck Smith / Jaycar and buy 2 x new CR2016 batteres. Then take the old out, put the new in, and you're done. Do it within a short time - dunno how long - and the key stays synchronised And remember when you point at the car, the IR receiver is the red lump on the rear view mirror, so the key has to "see" the IR receiver for the key to work.

Why just non-DSP? The connections for a DSP system are nearly the same as for non-DSP, and you could argue that a DSP system is easier if you simply replace the existing DSP subs with the new sub.

Clean your idle control valve with carb cleaner.

Typical problems are: 1. Centre core of antenna cable has borken in the antenna plug at back of radio. This affects FM and AM, so it you can still receive AM stations, this is not the fault 2. Antenna wires on rear windows corroded through / scratched, meaning antenna is disconnected. FM uses different antennas to AM. inspect window carefully. 3. Antenna amplifier has lost power / become unplugged / failled. Mounted in LH C pillar. Remove and inspect, fit temporary FM antennas (1m length of wire) and see if reception improves. Also try the 1m length of wire directly on the antenna socket of the radio - that will show if the antenna amp is working too. Tip: to check reception, use the signal strength monitor in the Service Mode and see what makes reception better (higher value) as you work through the diagnosis.

You don't need to remove the radio to view the serial number Simply put it in Service Mode and the serial number appears on the screen Switch on, press and hold TP with 10s on turning on, and wait 10s Service Mode appears

The only way is to get the Code by reporting the radio serial number to BMW (or car chassis number if the radio is the original radio) You can read out the serial number without removing the radio, just put it in service mode and the serial number is displayed. Service mode: turn on, within 10s press and hold TP (or is it M?) for approx 8s until service mode appears.

Here are the BMW part numbers, they are all original BMW parts: 61.12-6 913 957 Round Pin to Flat Pin Main Radio Harness Adapter (Item #1, US$56) 61.12-6 913 955 New Gen Radio Antenna Adapter (Item #2, US$34) 61.12-6 924 785 10-Pin to 12-Pin Radio Audio Input Adapter (for CD changer) (Item #3, US$20) 61.12-6 913 954 Another CD changer (Item #3 as above) 61.12-0 140 718 CD Changer Audio Input Cable (if the car does not have 6-pin CDC plug) Discretionary Parts: 82.11-0 149 390 Aux Input Adapter Kit for New Gen Radio

Buy the blank MiniDiscs at any record store Use a MiniDisc recorder to record onto them There are very popular in Japan, a little bit popular in Europe, and not so popular in NZ

Insert MiniDisc to play it. Use normal controls to control it. Press Eject to Eject it. Quite easy really :-) Serial number is irrelevant, not required for anything. Any E46 radio will work in any E46 car, no code required.

You're there now :-) Link

No, reprogramming only works on NG radios, not OG

There are plenty of ex-Japan E46s out there where people want an original BMW NZ-radio to replace their shitty Jap radio Check prices on TradeMe, but if you describe it right (NZ-band radio) and mention what it came from (E46 per 2001 or E46 post 2001 - there's a difference) then you'll find a buyer for sure

The interesting thing about this thread is that the real problems are caused by people and their attitude, not the car. ie: you can have a totally unreliable new car, but be very pleased with it if the service people provide good courteous service and understand your problem Providing the right personal approach to any problem always irons out the hardware issues (and software issues in modern cars) It's a shame there are dealerships whose staff are less than professional - they really let themselves down and forget that the customers are what keep them alive and put food on the table, not the cars. It's all about people and relationships...

Happy to be of help and glad you found and fixed the problem.

Extremely common problem: rubber surround on boot button jammed in. remove and reseat. Easy. 2nd common problem: solenoid and/or switch jammed 3rd common problem: wires broken inside flexible rubber grommet between body and boot lid My Vote: Number 3. To fix: Take boot lining off Unplug cable loom inside boot lid Unplug rubber grommet between boot lid and body Pull wires down from boot lid, so that you can access the flexible area, and inspect every wire for damage. Repair as necessary. Test and reassemble.

Nice M3, just needs a wash. Maybe a polish as well... Nicely parked: Armorall will fix up the interior...

If the LED works then the remote is working. The problem lies in the synchronisation with your car. Try resyncing again

BMW, and most car manufacturers, follow standard wiring principle: the wire colour determines the function. So a red wire with purple dots and green stripes on the E34 would have the same function as the same coloured wire on an E30 Or the otherway around - the wiring for the ejector seat on the E30 would have the same colours as the wiring for the ejector seat on the E34 There are a few, but only a few, exceptions to this rule. And some general rules apply: Brown, or brown with a stripe, is always ground Red (with a stripe) is battery Violet (with a stripe) is switched power Wires with 3 colours are databus wires (but the E32 is a stone-age car and doesn't really have many if any databusses :-) But please always consult the wiring diagrams - the original BMW wiring diagram for the E34 and E30 is very easy to find.

It's a telephone control unit (TCU) Means you have a phone fitted to your car.

E39 = Dec-1995 to Sep-1998 E39/2 = Sep-1998 to End of Production in 2003 /2 = 2nd generation = major change. I'm not sure if this corresponded to what is generally termed a "facelift". I do know that there are major differences in pre-sep-98 and post-sep-98 E39s. It is NOT different for Japanese-market cars, they are all built in the same factory. So external appearance is identical apart from minor cosmetic differences such as size of numberplate holders. Remember also that every year as the car gets older, optional extras become standard fitting, and extra features (like remodelled taillights) appear. And remember also that on the higher spec models some of the optional extras are standard fitting anyway. eg: MFL: option on low spec cars, standard fitting on the 540i. And what is optional and what is standard varies from market to market; Japanese-market cars tend to have more options than NZ-market cars. So don't use taillights, headlights, or MFL as an indication of facelift. Use body shape, and bumpers - but be aware that some cars have had bumpers changers, eg due to accident damage. If you look you'll see pre-98 and post-98 have different bumpers and different side stripes. Of course, bumpers and body style are different on M-Sport models and the M5 :-)

Sept 2001 or March 2001 is the cut-over date, depending on what model vehicle and what model radio.