jochen

Fix the fault, don't hide the fault.

Yes, you can easily connect an Archos AV500, or any other device with AV-Out. Just connect the AV-Out of the AV500 to the AV-In on the BMW TV tuner. Your E39 won't have the AV inputs wired, so you'll have to fit the AV input wiring to the E39. The E39 AV-IN is mono, so just connect Left and Right audio together. Here's the pinout of the TV tuner: AV-IN is white connector, pins 4,5,6,& 15 Use an RCA cable, run it to whereever you want in the car, eg: glovebox. That's what I did. I had the RCA connectors (female) in the cavity where the fusebox is, then I just plugged in any RCA cable I wanted - in my case I used an iPod Video. Note also the presense of a Reverse Camera input - that's a cool feature to add :-) To get the pins for the TV tuner connector, use these ones: BUSHING CONTACT 61130005197 You can get the pins from BMW See also the parts list on RealOEM, the video module connector is item number 9:

1. Purchase dental insurance 2. Pull knob off :-)

Usually happens when it is a retrofitted stop lamp, and has been wired to brake + taillight, instead of brake + ground. I've also seen centre stop lamps blinking with the blinkers, because it was wired to brake + blinker !!

The car would have been delivered with 4 x keys: 2 x master 1 x valet 1 x emergency Does your friend know where the other keys are?

As I see it, the only way the M62 engine will run properly in the E46 is if you do the following: Fit all these items from the donor vehicle (that had the M62 engine) into the E46: DME (obvious) EWS (need it so DME will start engine, otherwise immobiliser kicks in) Associated EWS parts like key, ring antenna etc IKE instrument cluster (otherwise the instrument cluster won't show correct data from E46 eg different RPM, data, oil pressure display etc) You'll have other challenges: How do you get the IKE speed to work properly with the ABS pulses from the E46? How the DME will run without the right data from the rest of the car I don't know How the EWS will run without the right data from the GM I don't know.

Google "BMW WDS"

Not fully true, the BMW analogue TV tuner will still be useful for the following functions: 1. Reverse Camera input 2. AV Input, allowing iPod, DVD player etc 3. AV Out, allowing TV, movies etc to show on rear screens 4. Digital TV tuner connection - you can connect a digital TV tuner to either AV-In or using an RF modulator I used aanlogue TV in my E39 to drive rear screens and the kids loved it. Great on long drives. SO if the tuner is already fitted, I wouldn't throw it away. Use it for extra functions! And anway, 2012 is a long way away, and the definite switch off of analogue TV depends on digital take up. Additionally, analogue switch off does not apply to all analogue channels simultaneously.

Unfortunately, the tone control is not active on TV. BMW made it like this, it's one of the weaker points of the system. RDS was available from the first E38s in 1994.BUT different tuners are fitted for different markets. If it is a NZ-New car, it will have the C23 Oceania tuner fitted, which has no RDS: Euro and Singapore cars got the Business RDS or Professional RDS tuners. Plug and play to swap the tuner, if you want to. The 750iLs normally all came with top-of-the-line equipment, which would be the twin-tuner Professional RDS model. Some E38s had the AV wired to the AV socket at the rear of the centre console, some did not. If your's didn't, just fit an AV cable to the AV input on the white connector of the video module (in boot next to CD changer) You can connect ANY standard composite video AV signal - iPod, Playstation, WII, Camera, etc. I used my iPod Video to play movies in my E39 with the same system. It was fantastic, and I could have 100 movies on my iPod... My iPod was in my glovebox, I cabled the AV input to RCA connectors above the glovebox for flexibility. I also used a iPod docking cable, so the iPod was charging and playing at the same time. Here's the video module pinout: Here's the ipod cable I used: There are many different phone system for the car. The snap-in adapter is designed for use with the ULF bluetooth system, ie: the snap-in adapter often does nothing more than charge the phone, and provide the antenna connection. You can change your car phone system to Bluetooth ULF. You'd need: 1. New ULF module 2. Bluetooth antenna 3. Pairing button 4. Maybe a new wiring loom to snap-in adapter 5. Appropriate snap-in adapter for your phone Quite easy. Once you have the bluetooth system, the phone system becomes future-proof.

This is for example the Philips Business RDS unit, plug and play with yours: http://cgi.ebay.de/BMW-e38-7er-Radiomodul-...2|39:1|240:1318

You have a high-performance luxury V12 car with state of the art engineering, and you want to make the radio work using the cheapest shittiest possible method? The only way to make it REALLY work properly is to replace the Japanese Alpine C23 JAPAN radio module and fit either the Alpine C23 OCEANIA or the Philips Business RDS radio module (Oceania was std equipment for Oz/NZ, Business was std equipment for Europe) Ask Hotwire on this forum or have a look at ebay Germany. Advantage of the Business RDS unit: you get RDS functionality which shows you station names and song titles on some stations, and also allows you to tour long distance and never change frequency on some stations. Remember: a band expander ruins the performance of the BMW system, as your car has 3 x FM antennas plus a antenna amplifier and switcher. Adding a band expander reduces radio performance terribly. Please just fit the proper radio module. They can, in some cases, be cheaper than a band expander !!

In my E39 it was 15min. Knowing BMW they would not have changed much from one model to the other. so time it - I bet it'll be 15min

I just checked a 1988 E34: K15 is still K15 But the fuse was numbered F47, 30A For a 20-year old car, it's worth having the Electrical Trouble Shooting manual on hand for such diagnosis

(using a 1995 E34 as my basis for diagnosis) Electric window switch illumination is switched on via the Electric Power Protection Relay, K15 K15 is controlled by the General Module So either K15 is stuck on at al times, or the GM is not switching K15 off. You can tell by disconnecting X253 from the GM. If the relay switches off, then the GM is faulty. The GM is located in the rear power distribution box, which is under the back seat. K15 is located in the rear power distribution box as well To help identify K15, note that the K15 relay has the following wire colours on it: Red/Green - power via F37 30A, hot at all times Red/Brown - switched power to the electric window switches and illumination Brown/red - relay control wire from the GM Jochen

Another word: Becker! (PS: original system in many BMWs is Alpine for Business, Professional is Becker)

Cool! Nice car :-) Loads and loads. Based on your questions below you appear to have TV but you mentioned nothing about navigation. Navigation is one of the coolest plug-in mods :-) Intravee is the best iPod controller - www.intravention.co.uk - go have a look at their website. 1. MP3 ID3 text from BMW CD changer 2. Navigation instructions reduce radio volume instead of totally muting it 3. Native stereo Aux-In capability If you have DSP the word "DSP" appears in the main menu of the nav/TV system. Not natively in your year BMW. You can replace the CD changer with an MP3 capable chnge, these were made from around 2002 onwards. Plug and play. Very easy to do if phone is already fitted - just plug and play. The latest ULF bluetooth modules also add voice control of phone and nav. Get the unit from www.bimmernav.com , he's the best 16:9 widescreen is plug and play. Note that older video modules (Coding Index 01) will only display in 4:3 format on the widescreen display. A newer video module will also be required if yours is too old. Do not use an X5 screen - the viewing angle is totally different. Get only a screen from an E38 or E39. If you get an E39 screen, you have to change the trim for the E38 trim. Mounting brackets are also required. Use NavCoder and read the settings :-) Look for extra foreing black boxes added in close to the TV - a sign of an external TV-in-Motion unit. Parts are cheapest in Germany. Visit a wreckers there, but be armed with all the info you need. BMWs are as common in Germany as Toyotas in NZ :-) Under the sunroof control panel is a good spot. Wires are available. Brown is ground, red with stripe is power. Use the interior light power supply, it switches off automatically 15min after locking the car. Watch ebay for StealthOne units. That's the best integration of a V1 ever !!

An eye for an eye? What a good system. Oh look - another minaret...

You have mail

I'll have a look at it tomorrow in the flesh and let you know :-)

I got the original BMW trailer wiring module on TradeMe for $60, complete with E46 wiring loom. I fitted it to my E39 (module is the same) So don't discount local sources for bargains :-)

Connect the BMW diagnostics and it will tell you exactly what is wrong The auto AC system is complex with lots of sensors and valves and flaps. I would suggest the heater control valve in the coolant system is faulty, but a diagnostic check will tell for sure. Go to an independent expert, like Glenn at Botany Motor Works. He is excellent on all BMWs and has all the diagnostic gear to figure out the problem very quickly.

Read here, complete with pictures http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/632847 Very informative

I recommend you diagnose the fault fully before simply replacing speakers. What radio is fitted? Do you have amplifier or not? Which one? Standard/DSP/HK? Does the fault occur on all inputs (Radio/Tape/CD/Nav/TV/Aux-In) or just some?

If you ever do that, immediately remove the battery and immerse the key in fresh water Wash and rinse it thoroughly then let it dry completely. It'll work afterwards The trick is to remove the highly corrosive salt water straight away. Leave the salt water there and it will corrode the electronics.

Check the owners manual to see what the correct wheel and tyre sizes are for your vehicle If the car has large wheels or tyres fitted than are specified by BMW, then you can expect clearance distances to be reduced and problems to occur. Also, the suspension geometry and steering geometry is designed for the wheel/tyre combination as specified by BMW Anything else will be non-standard and may impact the geometry, which may be correctable with a wheel alignment.... In my view as an engineer, I place my faith in the billions of Euros that BMW invest in design and development to produce a vehicle with the correct tyre clearances for all conditions (bumpy as well as smooth roads) I was sooo glad I had standard profile tyres on my 540i - it prevented lots of rim damage from high curbs and potholes on the crappy Auckland roads :-) (ask Josh about rim damage... he can tell a few stories) Change from factory to non-standard, and you can expect such issues to occur.