E39 Jap Nav system - conversion to NZ..?

[jochen 4]

OK, big deep breath.....

Does anyone here have a Jap E39 with the Bordmonitor and the Jap Navigation system and.....

...want to convert it to the NZ nav system?

I've researched this extensively over the last 2 weeks, reckon I know how to do it, and would like to bounce my ideas around a few E39 nav system owners....

....and before you ask 'how much', I think it'll cost at least $2,000 to convert.

Of which $800 goes to BMW NZ for the NZ nav data DVD.

Thoughts...??

Jochen (the BMW Radio Guy and maybe the BMW Nav Guy as well)

[my_e36 43]

That wasn't so bad, considering how much the integrated nav cost as an option when you buy a new car.

Don't know how much the beemers' are, but I know Honda's integrated nav is an $5800 option on Accord Euro or the new Civic.

But after the conversion, does that mean you could watch TV, do Nav as it meant to be as a NZ system?

[jochen 4]

Yes, after conversion you would have exactly the same functionality as a NZ-new system with Nav

TV (if fitted to the Jap car) remains unchanged. There is no Jap TV tuner, the TV tuner is a world-tuner and works here and in Japan

Nav gets replaced from Jap to NZ.

On-board monitor display and controls remain unchanged

Radio remains unchanged (but this can be changed from Jap to NZ easily as a separate exercise)

PS: BMW Nav systems sell for $2,500 euros in Germany, = $5,000 NZD, plus shipping and fitting.

Jochen

[kiwi535 538]

wasnt there a guy asking about this recently?

[jochen 4]

Yep, I've spoken to him :-)

[Tekno23 0]

Does the the NZ map only come on DVD?

So I would need the mark 4 philips DVD GPS?

I currently have the philips CD based mk3 GPS in my car with a useless singapore map disk.

[jochen 4]

Yes, BMW NZ commissioned Geosmart to produce the map data for this country.

So of course they prepared it in a format for the current series BMWs, which is on DVD.

MK1, MK2 and MK3 nav systems all use CDs, and there is no map data for NZ available on CD. So those systems are useless here in NZ. java script:emoticon(':banghead:')

smilie

What you could do on your car is remove the MK3 and fit the MK4 nav computer. That is a plug-and-play upgrade, with exactly the same connectors, the Germans do it all the time.

It's much easier on your car to upgrade, java script:emoticon('')

smilie just source a MK4 DVD Nav unit from Germany and then get a BMW Nav DVD (available ex BMW for $800, or can be found on TradeMe for around $600)

Cheers, Jochen

[martyyn 2]

PS: BMW Nav systems sell for $2,500 euros in Germany, = $5,000 NZD, plus shipping and fitting.

I dont know if the price is an e38 vs e39 thing but I have friends who have retro-fitted 16:9 screens, dvd players and full sat nav options into their e38's for under a 1000 gbp.

Thats an awful lot less than nzd 5000

[Tekno23 0]

How did the conversion go. Did you get it going?.

[jochen 4]

Well we fitted the Mk4 Nav system and a Professional radio.

The professional radio is fantastic, works really well. You can tune in to a station, and while you are listening the radio actively searches in the background for other stations and lists their names on the screen (using their RDS names).

Neat to watch.

And the Professional radio supports TMC, which in conjunction with a nav system would be really neat - if only the radio stations here broadcasted the TMC data....

The Mk4 nav connection went well, and we updated the nav system to OS v27, which worked seamlessly.

The Mk4 nav fitted in the same mounting as the Jap nav unit, and the GPS conenctor disconnects from the Jap GPS receiver and straight in to the Mk4 Nav.

We left the Jap VICS receiver unplugged as this was not needed.

The Asian style menu system changed totally to a different European look, which I think looks much smarter.

However - the DVD we had for NZ map data was for the E60/61 and other new models.....

I am not sure if we can obtain NZ map data for a E38/E39 Mk4 system, I need to ask further

So essentially we now have a working Euro nav system but no map data :-(

If anyone clever here on Bimmersport knows what we can do, please tell me!

Cheers, Jochen

[jochen 4]

After wallowing in the depths of despair re the NZ nav DVD, I rang BMW, managed to find someone intelligent (!!) and found that we simply had the wrong version DVD.

There DOES indeed exist a map CD for the E38 / E39 / E46 nav systems

Available for $900 ex BMW - we will try and I will post my results here when we confirm it works!!

Cheers, Jochen (much happier now)

[jochen 4]

HOORAY - IT WORKS!!!!!!

We have successfully converted a Jap Nav system to a NZ nav system and it works!

Had to bite the bullet and pay $850 for a nav data CD from BMW, but once that was fitted, the system came alive and all of the nav features worked in the Jap car.

I'll post some pictures when I get them - the car is now in Te Awamutu

Fantastic - all the theory and research was correct, and we got the nav system cracked.

So exactly the same applies to E38 and E46s with nav systems - if you have a Jap nav system, you CAN get it to work in this wonderful country of ours

See ya!

Jochen (very happy Radio Expert and now I've also gotta say Nav Expert !! )

[martyyn 2]

Congratulations Jochen thats great news.

Unfortunately I didnt bother with a tv or sat nat in mine so I shall be using the maps for a while longer !

[jochen 4]

Here's a pic of it working in Waipa

[jochen 4]

Here's another pic outside my house, on maximum scale.

Note the TRAFFIC button on the monitor, proving this is a Japanese E39, and the NZ map on the display, from the functioning nav system :-)

It works great!

Jochen

[Huttey 0]

Well done Jochen

Have you got the part nrs for the Nav unit and radio tuner. Did you make a copy of the DVD ?

[BMW POWER 2]

Big congratulations Jochen! Theres nothing like the feeling of having concocted a theory and the theory is correct! Well done. Going to make a business out of it?

[jochen 4]

Hi, didn't bother for part numbers of the nav unit, a Mk3 or Mk4 nav unit will do fine.

I've got a couple coming at the mo.

Mk4 is spoken for, if anyone wants a Mk3 (fitted!) come and see me

Jochen

Big congratulations Jochen! Theres nothing like the feeling of having concocted a theory and the theory is correct! Well done. Going to make a business out of it?

More a hobby than a business. Happy to help anyone that wants help, or to guide you through a DIY process

Jochen