e46 satnav - dynavin...
Discussion
I'm thinking of taking my satnav out and replacing it with the dynavin unit, and the newest one running andriod looks pretty smart (but not that cheap unfortunately).
However I was wondering whether I could remove all of the bmw satnav bits to make it simpler and less likely to break. My bm54 I'm sure is on it's way out (every so often I lose sound to the driver's side of the car) and if I could take out the bm54, fm aerial in the rear side window which are all prone to failure then I might save myself some pain farther down the line.
I've previously added bluetooth to my car which involved taking most of the inside of the car out, cutting and stripping another loom to make it work so I'm not scared of a bit of work above just plug and play.
If you have a non-nav e46 then it seems to just all plug into the dashboard but with old nav cars an extra loom is required. Therefore, could I buy a headunit for a non-nav car, not buy the extra loom and by stripping some wires get it to work? Or am I creating too much hardwork for myself?
I've spent a while trawling the web for similar, but can't find anything, if you can post your links but before I get a series of "let me google that for you", I have tried!!
However I was wondering whether I could remove all of the bmw satnav bits to make it simpler and less likely to break. My bm54 I'm sure is on it's way out (every so often I lose sound to the driver's side of the car) and if I could take out the bm54, fm aerial in the rear side window which are all prone to failure then I might save myself some pain farther down the line.
I've previously added bluetooth to my car which involved taking most of the inside of the car out, cutting and stripping another loom to make it work so I'm not scared of a bit of work above just plug and play.
If you have a non-nav e46 then it seems to just all plug into the dashboard but with old nav cars an extra loom is required. Therefore, could I buy a headunit for a non-nav car, not buy the extra loom and by stripping some wires get it to work? Or am I creating too much hardwork for myself?
I've spent a while trawling the web for similar, but can't find anything, if you can post your links but before I get a series of "let me google that for you", I have tried!!
rugbyfiend said:
I'm thinking of taking my satnav out and replacing it with the dynavin unit, and the newest one running andriod looks pretty smart (but not that cheap unfortunately).
However I was wondering whether I could remove all of the bmw satnav bits to make it simpler and less likely to break. My bm54 I'm sure is on it's way out (every so often I lose sound to the driver's side of the car) and if I could take out the bm54, fm aerial in the rear side window which are all prone to failure then I might save myself some pain farther down the line.
I've previously added bluetooth to my car which involved taking most of the inside of the car out, cutting and stripping another loom to make it work so I'm not scared of a bit of work above just plug and play.
If you have a non-nav e46 then it seems to just all plug into the dashboard but with old nav cars an extra loom is required. Therefore, could I buy a headunit for a non-nav car, not buy the extra loom and by stripping some wires get it to work? Or am I creating too much hardwork for myself?
I've spent a while trawling the web for similar, but can't find anything, if you can post your links but before I get a series of "let me google that for you", I have tried!!
Out of the cheap chinese made replacement BMW head units, the Dynavin's do seem to be mentioned more and there's more of an installed user base with them and crucially, feedback on how they work etc. However I was wondering whether I could remove all of the bmw satnav bits to make it simpler and less likely to break. My bm54 I'm sure is on it's way out (every so often I lose sound to the driver's side of the car) and if I could take out the bm54, fm aerial in the rear side window which are all prone to failure then I might save myself some pain farther down the line.
I've previously added bluetooth to my car which involved taking most of the inside of the car out, cutting and stripping another loom to make it work so I'm not scared of a bit of work above just plug and play.
If you have a non-nav e46 then it seems to just all plug into the dashboard but with old nav cars an extra loom is required. Therefore, could I buy a headunit for a non-nav car, not buy the extra loom and by stripping some wires get it to work? Or am I creating too much hardwork for myself?
I've spent a while trawling the web for similar, but can't find anything, if you can post your links but before I get a series of "let me google that for you", I have tried!!
You are correct in that you can strip out all the oem modules to make things simpler and go re-coup some money. You'd need to add an FM/DAB/GPS aerial if you so wished, or if you want to keep the oem antenna, use that. There is various posts about how to keep the oem antenna due to the fact it's powered which you lose once you take out the oem modules. You can then trace back and wire it to a switched 12V power source though. In my E39 as my audio is always premium and reputable brand aftermarket, I'll go with an external mounted high quality/brand antenna so it's all in one for FM/DAB & GPS perhaps DVB-T as well.
You can connect aftermarket amplifiers and of course speakers to make the upgrade fully worthwhile over a longer period of time
To see what others have done, look at the e46zone and e46fanatics web forums where there's plenty of threads and information
Cheers, Dennis!
DennisCooper said:
To see what others have done, look at the e46zone and e46fanatics web forums where there's plenty of threads and information
The point that you make is true, it's almost become the case now that there is so much information that it's difficult to trawl through it all. One thread of e46 fanatics is nearly 100 pages long and having read all of it (I think) there is nothing similar that I can see.Both you, gizlaroc and a few others on here appear very knowledgeable about bmw hifi/electrics and it's this that I want to tap into. I'm even struggling to work out whether there is a bm54 in non-nav e46s.
My last thought was to just run a new set of wires from the speakers to the headunit and then they could be plugged in straight to the block connector and in time (with the mrs permission!) the speakers could be upgraded too.
However apart from the aerial, is there anything else I'd be losing?
With that harness linked above it will be plug and play, just that you will have to run the cable to the boot where it will plug into the connector that is currently sitting in your BM54 radio module.
This will be far easier than rewiring your speakers I promise you!
It will be a 30 minute job.
This will be far easier than rewiring your speakers I promise you!
It will be a 30 minute job.
gizlaroc said:
With that harness linked above it will be plug and play, just that you will have to run the cable to the boot where it will plug into the connector that is currently sitting in your BM54 radio module.
This will be far easier than rewiring your speakers I promise you!
It will be a 30 minute job.
That's magic so it will replace the bm54?This will be far easier than rewiring your speakers I promise you!
It will be a 30 minute job.
Yeah, that harness hooks into the back of the Dynavin and then runs to the trunk, you remove the BM54 and plug the factor connector into the Dynavin harness, and the aerial from the BM54 into the female end aerial on the dynavin too, and that is it.
You can then take out the BM54, your monitor, and TV tuner and bluetooth if you have them and sell them on ebay, you will probably pay for your Dynavin.
Only problem with the Dynavin for me is the graphics on it look so crap.
Has no one skinned it to look funky?
You would have thought they would copy the latest iDrive graphically and make it all look really modern.
You can then take out the BM54, your monitor, and TV tuner and bluetooth if you have them and sell them on ebay, you will probably pay for your Dynavin.
Only problem with the Dynavin for me is the graphics on it look so crap.
Has no one skinned it to look funky?
You would have thought they would copy the latest iDrive graphically and make it all look really modern.
Hi
My focus for the various bits I'm working on is for premium brand aftermarket products i.e Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony etc etc. so I'm not much use on the various oem modules and what to connect, not connect etc. Gizlaroc seems much more knowledgeable in that area!
It's partly that reason I referred to the various forums and threads really, but i do understand it can be confusing !
The next generation of Dynavin's will be Android operating system powered, so seems currently the potential is for various add on 'apps' may be available, or Dynavin may decide to lock it down so there's not much customisations that'll be allowed. Early indicators are the Android versions when available later this year will be to an extent more expensive than the current ranges.
Cheers, Dennis!
My focus for the various bits I'm working on is for premium brand aftermarket products i.e Alpine, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony etc etc. so I'm not much use on the various oem modules and what to connect, not connect etc. Gizlaroc seems much more knowledgeable in that area!
It's partly that reason I referred to the various forums and threads really, but i do understand it can be confusing !
The next generation of Dynavin's will be Android operating system powered, so seems currently the potential is for various add on 'apps' may be available, or Dynavin may decide to lock it down so there's not much customisations that'll be allowed. Early indicators are the Android versions when available later this year will be to an extent more expensive than the current ranges.
Cheers, Dennis!
That Android version looks so much slicker Dennis, good spot.
http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=...
http://www.e46fanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=...
http://www.car-vision.co.uk/bmw-navi-dvd/10233-bmw...
I have this one, works very well and came with a harness and all the cables.
No cd-changer control though.
No affiliation with the site at all....
I have this one, works very well and came with a harness and all the cables.
No cd-changer control though.
No affiliation with the site at all....
ooral said:
http://www.car-vision.co.uk/bmw-navi-dvd/10233-bmw...
I have this one, works very well and came with a harness and all the cables.
No cd-changer control though.
No affiliation with the site at all....
The E90 satnav on that site looks good. No need for a central dashboard hump. Quite tempted by that...I have this one, works very well and came with a harness and all the cables.
No cd-changer control though.
No affiliation with the site at all....
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff