E39 M5 Radio

[Googie]

Morning guys
Looking for some advice re the above which I think might be battery related. Radio /cd unit powers up but does not play. It just stopped a few weeks ago which was shortly after a flat battery . Battery drained again yesterday but after an AA boost the radio was working but not this morning . Any ideas what might be the issue here and do these radios have a code which I did have on my E36 evo.

All advice appreciated

Thanks
G

[TheAngryDog]

The radios generally don't have a code unless you set the code yourself, or someone's done it previously.

I am having some electrical issues at the moment and they could be battery related. These cars are sensitive to healthy batteries so in your position I'd get a new battery

Let us know how you get on!

[Googie]

Thanks for that - no code set so think I am looking at a new battery- just need to use it more!!
Will let know how I get on here

[MarkwG]

If you have the big screen with sat nav &/or TV then that does have a security code, but it should be quite obvious from the display: it won't just lock you out with a blank screen. It would also appear in the menu list. It might benefit from a battery disconnect, wait 20 mins, reconnect. If your battery is draining then google "hedgehog resistor" & "ignition switch", both can cause symptoms as you describe. e39s are sensitive to battery voltage, a slight drop can cause all sorts of weird symptoms.

[Googie]

Thanks yes it does have the wide screen with the TV function. The display does refernnce a code with key in position 2 but the former owner assured me that no code was set and that he had changed the battery a few times . With the original car supply papers there is a radio pass card but no express code- on my E36 there was 2 cards and one had an explicit radio code and hence my confusion as to whether there was a radio code. The gap between the original flat battery and the radio stopping was atleast 4 weeks which suggests that there is not a radio code set - I think ! I will have a look at the links referred too and see how I get on here

Thanks

[TheEnd]

The CODE function on the MID dash display is part of the immobiliser system.

So what works when you start it?
Does the NAV do anything, the TV? Any sounds at all?

[Googie]

Thanks- Satnav and TV function working fine- Radio powers up and I can flip between AM/FM and CD but that's it- no autotune function or sound but definitely came back yesterday after AA boosted battery- then failed again

[DVandrews]

As I remember I fitted an automatic reversing camera when It was in my ownership and dovetailed into the video feed to the Nav unit, it's switched when reverse is selected via an interface box in the boot, when you select reverse does the screen switch to the boot mounted camera? If not then it may be that someone has removed the interface box and tampered with the video/audio inputs to the Nav/radio unit.

During my 10 years of ownership which included 3 battery changes it never requested a code.

Thr Nav was always widescreen, but I upgraded from MK3 CD based to MK4 DVD based some years ago,

Dave

Edited by DVandrews on Saturday 26th September 14:43

[Googie]

Thanks Dave- yes camera still engages when reverse selected and that working too- going to get a new battery as 2 dicharges won't have helped it- hopefully that will cure the radio problem.

[RichardM5]

The Nav radio modules don't like running below 12v, best replace the battery and see how it goes. You could also dos hard reset by disconnecting the multi plug on the radio for 10 minutes.

If you have a Mk III Nav (CD map, not DVD) be VERY careful disconnecting the battery, make sure the red light on the Nav has gone out, otherwise you can brick the Nav computer.

[Googie]

Cheers Richard - noted!

[Iamnotkloot]

Sorry for butting into the post but it's about radios in E39 M5's so....I've had mine M5 about a year now and it's got a crummy aftermarket system in it which I really don't like. How/where do I go to get an original radio and get in installed? Any leads?

Many thanks!

[TheEnd]

Best to put up a pic of what you have.
Usually they'd come with the MID - multi info display which is the TV screen/nav etc, but some have the smaller professional radio.

It would depend on what your car came with as to how easy it is to change to something new.

If you'd got a big screen after market unit, it probably would be better than the original BMW one.

[TheAngryDog]

If you have aftermarket then I'd stick with it. The standard kit now is old hat and not worth the premiums charged for it. If I didn't have an intravee set up then I'd sell all my mk4 nav kit and wide screen and go aftermarket

[Iamnotkloot]

I guess I should have been clearer. The aftermarket kit is not only not very good but it stops me using some of the information (e.g. changing the time/date) that I believe I can only do using the original radio install. I'd also like to keep it more original if I can.

[RichardM5]

An E39 M5 will have had one of two systems:

- MID with separate radio module above it in the dash.
- Nav with monitor in the dash and Nav computer/radio module in the boot.

If the car had a MID previously then returning it to standard will be relatively easy. If it had Nav then it's more difficult to refit Nav or fit a MID.

Best to check behind the existing radio module to see if there is a large square connector and smaller rectangular connector (MID) or just two smaller rectangular connectors (one white, one blue) which would have been used for the Nav monitor. You could also check the original spec for the VIN with one of the on line checkers to see what it had originally.

[Iamnotkloot]

Thanks for the advice Richard - will check tonight.

PS do you know a good place where to buy the OEM?

[RichardM5]

Probably a well known auction site!

Couple of things :

- MIDs are VERY prone to dead pixels, in some respects it's better to get one that's known to be faulty, pay accordingly and then get it repaired. Even if you get one that works and pay extra for it, it may fail quite soon and require repair anyway.
- There are several types of MID, functionality is basically the same but they have different buttons on the left. Buttons that may or may not be there are for the phone and DSP and also a 'BC' button for Board Computer. You probably want one without the TEL and DSP buttons (unless you know the car has a phone and/or DSP) but with the BC button.

[Googie]

morning all

Just by way of close off here a battery disconnect for 20 mins as suggested above seems to have sorted the problem-fingers crossed....

Unrelated to the above but I now have a failed oxygen sensor