E39 - cassette to CD

[Targarama]

Just bought a 2004 530 touring. Very nice. Except it has a cassette player. WTF? I bought a TVR in 2004 and even it had a CD player! (The younger among you may not have heard of these contraptions).

Can I just replace the top part of the stereo for an equivalent CD unit? It looks like they are separate. This will be step 1 of upgrading! I'm sure the speakers will need attention too...

Or is there a better option? I'd prefer to just stick a few SD cards in a slot, this is 2012 you know.

Thanks.

[Fox-]

Do you have the two line display on your radio?

If so, they are indeed seperate and you can simply replace the top part with a CD player, assuming you can find one.

[Blue Oval84]

Easier to stick a CD changer in the boot (should be pre-wired), in fact, you have checked one isn't there already haven't you? It's behind a panel on the left hand side

I paid £10 for an OEM Changer from a scrapyard when mine died.

ETA - I still use my cassette deck with one of the ipod adaptors sometimes so actually find it quite useful lol.

[Targarama]

Hmm, can't remember what display I have, I think it was one line.

I'll look for CD Changer when I get the car! I guess if there isn't one the wiring loom will be in place and I can just bolt one in?

[BussoV6]

I bought mine without the CD changer, then when I got it home popped off the panel and there was the six disc - I guess the previous owner never looked in there lol
If yours hasn't got one, the changers can be bought on that well known auction site for £60 - £100 when I was looking

[mini1380cc]

Targarama said:

I'd prefer to just stick a few SD cards in a slot, this is 2012 you know.

Thanks.

You can get kits that replace the Cd changer and gives you SD functionality. I'm sure DICE do a kit like that.

[Fox-]

Targarama said:

Hmm, can't remember what display I have, I think it was one line.

I'll look for CD Changer when I get the car! I guess if there isn't one the wiring loom will be in place and I can just bolt one in?

If you have the single tape player then it isnt as straightforward to fit a CD player. I did it but you need to retrofit the 2 line Multi Info Display as part of the install. This involves wiring a retrofit wire into the the fuse box behind the glovebox which will then power the MID, with your regular Quadrablock connector going to the CD player.

The big bonus of doing this - apart from the fact it looks nicer - is that the tape player, as your car is a facelift E39 with the flat pin adaptor, is worth a small fortune. I sold mine for a staggering £200, though this was a good few years ago now.

The CD changer route is miles easier - all UK facelift E39's are pre-wired for the CD changer and it really is as simple as bolting the bracket in and plugging it in. If you get a CD changer manufactured after September 2005 it'll (Crudely) support MP3 CD's as well.

[Targarama]

Thanks.

So just to check, the CD Changer lives/might be hiding behind the LHS panel in the boot?

[alfettagtv2000]

people still use cds? just plug an mp3 converter in the tape deck...or even better an AUX input...

[Fox-]

alfettagtv2000 said:

people still use cds? just plug an mp3 converter in the tape deck...or even better an AUX input...

Looks horrible though.

[forsure]

Targarama said:

Thanks.

So just to check, the CD Changer lives/might be hiding behind the LHS panel in the boot?

Hinged at the bottom, hook/handle at the top.