Anyone using iPod/DICE on the standard E46 head unit?
Discussion
Hi all,
I've been looking at the DICE iPod kit, which seems to be about £100.
I've got a 2002 E46 coupe which has the standard CD changer wired in the boot. I assume that if I want to mount the iPod and DICE box in the boot of the car, all I need to do is to remove the CD changer, and plug everything in and it will just work? (ie. no need to route cables through the car or anything).
Is anyone using this device on an E46 with the standard business cassette head unit? Just wondering how well the menu system works, and how well the track/artist names etc. work.
Cheers,
Steve.
I've been looking at the DICE iPod kit, which seems to be about £100.
I've got a 2002 E46 coupe which has the standard CD changer wired in the boot. I assume that if I want to mount the iPod and DICE box in the boot of the car, all I need to do is to remove the CD changer, and plug everything in and it will just work? (ie. no need to route cables through the car or anything).
Is anyone using this device on an E46 with the standard business cassette head unit? Just wondering how well the menu system works, and how well the track/artist names etc. work.
Cheers,
Steve.
Not really answering your question mate, but I have the Dension icelink in my coupe. This is capable of giving track info but not in mine; some of the older models of head unit are not supported.
As far as connection goes, the icelink uses the cd changer multiplug in the back of the head unit, it does not replace the changer. Everything goes behind the head unit which is nice and compact, though a tight fit.
This DICE thingy is more boxy, I suspect it needs to be placed somewhere else.
This info will no doubt be of very little use to you, but hey.....;)
As far as connection goes, the icelink uses the cd changer multiplug in the back of the head unit, it does not replace the changer. Everything goes behind the head unit which is nice and compact, though a tight fit.
This DICE thingy is more boxy, I suspect it needs to be placed somewhere else.
This info will no doubt be of very little use to you, but hey.....;)
I have a DICE Silverline in my E39, with the standard business head unit. I can't remember how different the E46 head unit is, but I think it's pretty similar in terms of buttons.
Installation (on the E39) is indeed just plugging in the DICE instead of the CD changer; it needs the battery to be disconnected for 30 seconds to reset the head unit and boot the DICE. I imagine the E46 will be similar. I was intending to have an iPod in the boot, and not run the wires to the front; however, I realised I was going to want to plug my iPhone in when I get in and out. It turned out running the wires to the front was dead easy, just tucking them under the plastic trim piece on the sill. Not sure how easy this would be in an E46; and my car's a Touring so there was no need to find a way through the rear bulkhead.
As for controlling it; well, don't have too many different artists or albums! You can choose by artist, album, playlist or song. Scrolling through hundreds is unwieldy, so I just use playlists. You can't turn on random play from the head unit either; however, it will carry on with random if you select that on your iPod first. Also, it doesn't distinguish between podcasts and music - you will find, for example, BBC 6Music as an artist and the tracks will be Adam & Joe podcasts.
I wouldn't be without it now, though. It's easy enough to select what I want to play on the iPhone before I plug it in.
Installation (on the E39) is indeed just plugging in the DICE instead of the CD changer; it needs the battery to be disconnected for 30 seconds to reset the head unit and boot the DICE. I imagine the E46 will be similar. I was intending to have an iPod in the boot, and not run the wires to the front; however, I realised I was going to want to plug my iPhone in when I get in and out. It turned out running the wires to the front was dead easy, just tucking them under the plastic trim piece on the sill. Not sure how easy this would be in an E46; and my car's a Touring so there was no need to find a way through the rear bulkhead.
As for controlling it; well, don't have too many different artists or albums! You can choose by artist, album, playlist or song. Scrolling through hundreds is unwieldy, so I just use playlists. You can't turn on random play from the head unit either; however, it will carry on with random if you select that on your iPod first. Also, it doesn't distinguish between podcasts and music - you will find, for example, BBC 6Music as an artist and the tracks will be Adam & Joe podcasts.
I wouldn't be without it now, though. It's easy enough to select what I want to play on the iPhone before I plug it in.
Thanks for the advice guys.
I have the car booked in to the local independent BMW specialist to sort a few minor niggles on Wednesday. If that doesn't cost the earth, I'm probably going to order the DICE unit and an iPod Classic later in the week.
The trader I bought the car from lost the CD changer cartidge, so I only have radio at the moment (not having owned a cassette tape for some years).
I have the car booked in to the local independent BMW specialist to sort a few minor niggles on Wednesday. If that doesn't cost the earth, I'm probably going to order the DICE unit and an iPod Classic later in the week.
The trader I bought the car from lost the CD changer cartidge, so I only have radio at the moment (not having owned a cassette tape for some years).
If you're not hung up on a DICE unit, I've had good experience with the Dension Gateway 100. Track/Title display on the standard business headunit, you can control it from the steering wheel (not quite as easy as using the click wheel, but workable).
In my case it replaces the 6-cd changer, as I bought a 2nd hand CD headunit to give me CD capability and get that bloody cassette slot out of my sight
, but you can get an add-on Densoin kit that allows you to keep the changer if you want to use it with the tape headunit.From doing some research, DICE seems to be good value. I was originally looking at Intravee (based on recommendation). But if you buy that, you also have to buy some kind of Alpine control box for the iPod, which pushes the total price up to nearer £200.
Thanks for all the advice guys, I think I'm going for the DICE. The trader has been promising me for the past 3 weeks that he's put the CD changer cassette in the post (and the book pack, which was also missing), but I doubt I'll ever see it - you just know when someone is telling fibs! ... so moving over to MP3s seems a good opportunity to upgrade at the same time.
Thanks for all the advice guys, I think I'm going for the DICE. The trader has been promising me for the past 3 weeks that he's put the CD changer cassette in the post (and the book pack, which was also missing), but I doubt I'll ever see it - you just know when someone is telling fibs! ... so moving over to MP3s seems a good opportunity to upgrade at the same time.
SJobson said:
The reason I went for the DICE rather than Dension is that it had better control from the head unit - you can select any playlist rather than just the first six, for instance, and you can choose by artist and album too. Do the newer Densions give that extra control?
Yes, the Dension 100 I have does all that.SJobson said:
it needs the battery to be disconnected for 30 seconds to reset the head unit and boot the DICE. I imagine the E46 will be similar.
Just checking in advance... do the standard E39/E46 business audio systems require a code number to be entered after you've disconnected/reconnected the battery? Since I don't have any such numbers, I thought it would be worth finding out before disconnecting Hi all,
Following the good advice here, I bought a DICE kit and an iPod Classic.
Even a mechanical numpty like me found installation a doddle (even though at the moment I've left it mounted in the boot, I might be brave enough to cable it to the centre console eventually).
Just one query in case anyone knows. Every time I go to the car and look at the iPod, it seems to be turned on and displaying "Connected" on the screen. Is this because the action of unlocking the car wakes up the electronics? Or is the iPod on all the time and draining my car battery? The DICE manual seems to indicate the iPod will only be charged when the ignition is on.
Cheers,
Steve.
Following the good advice here, I bought a DICE kit and an iPod Classic.
Even a mechanical numpty like me found installation a doddle (even though at the moment I've left it mounted in the boot, I might be brave enough to cable it to the centre console eventually).
Just one query in case anyone knows. Every time I go to the car and look at the iPod, it seems to be turned on and displaying "Connected" on the screen. Is this because the action of unlocking the car wakes up the electronics? Or is the iPod on all the time and draining my car battery? The DICE manual seems to indicate the iPod will only be charged when the ignition is on.
Cheers,
Steve.
Eggle said:
Steve, just looking at the dice and google found this post.
Can you run me through the install as my cd changer has packed up and I would prefer to spend the money on a integrated ipod thing
Go to the back of the cd changer, unplug to connectors, plug them into the dice unit instead. Connect ipod to 2nd wire coming out of dice. Can you run me through the install as my cd changer has packed up and I would prefer to spend the money on a integrated ipod thing
Installation completed.
Steve, I have had the dice connected to my iPod for around 3 months now, never left the car, nothing has happened to my battery so far.
Mr_Sukebe said:
Chaps,
That DICE kit looks pretty good. Just read the user manual, and saw that it stated that the battery needed to be disconnected and reconnected as part of the install.
Should I expect any possible issues with things like my immobiliser if I disconnect the battery?
I wouldn't bother disconnecting it, I never have in the past and it's never caused any problems.That DICE kit looks pretty good. Just read the user manual, and saw that it stated that the battery needed to be disconnected and reconnected as part of the install.
Should I expect any possible issues with things like my immobiliser if I disconnect the battery?
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