How to mount and hide your Ipod and related wiring.

[sheepdog]

How to mount and hide your Ipod  and related wiring.
Without damaging your car.
A Simple 10 minute job.


First, you will need to pull the head unit. You do not need to disconnect anything.
Then remove the block-off plate above the head unit.

Run the Ipod connector in through the block off plate. Stick yourhand in through the head unit hole and guide it down the side, as far back as you can. With your other hand, pull up the lower edge of the center console, under the dash.

You can see in the pictures below where you want to exit. It may help to push a coat hangar through from the bottom up first, tape the connector to it, and pull it back through.

Run the cable along side the center console, and up through teh gap between the consoles (see pictures). I used a peice of velcro to hold the wire in the slot. You could also drill a hole behind the ipod. I chose the non-destructive route as I planned on upgrading to a Ipod ready head unit (which I did today, my Ipod is now mounted in my glove box with velcro).


I use a peice of black industrial velcro to hold the Ipod in place. It is not very noticeable when the Ipod is not in place. I used a white peice on the Ipod. The placement is handy, it has worked well for me for months. Once in a while the sun catches it and reflects in my face, but this is extremely rare and could happen almost anywhere you mount it.

Tuck the cable up inder the console and push any extra wire up into the main console under the stereo. Put the block off plate back in place but leave one corner pulled so the wire can pass through. Put the cassette into the deck and make sure there is a little slack before you button it up fully. The idea is as little wire as possible showing. You could also drill or grind a small slot for it.

Re-install the stereo.

Pics....

[M42boy]

While I applaud your ingenuity, wouldn't it be much nicer to get a direct wire for the iPod into the back of the head unit instead of using the crappy tape thingy?  These head units were designed to accept a CD changer module, so there is an aux output on it.  Why not use it?!  

That's what I plan to do.  I just haven't had time to really research it, but I think BlitzSafe makes an adapter plug for the back of the head unit.

[Febi Guibo]

you can actually wire a custom cable... and for those of us (well, me) with later model E36 headunits, there is also an OEM aux input cable (with a mounting plate for the aux input, that goes in the glovebox).

I will try to find some of my notes re: the cable. There's a lot of info on Z3 and E36 forums.

[M42boy]

If you find any wiring that goes into the aux output on the back of the OEM 318is radio, please let me know!  I'd love to have all my tunes with me.  I tried the FM modulator route and I took it back to the store after about 5 minutes.  That plain didn't work!

[sheepdog]

I am pretty sure my head unit was not the stock head unit, I went through a lot just getting it re-wired properly. No one seemed to have wiring codes or anything, which I found odd.

Also, not sure about these, but I have dealt with systems with aux/changer imputs that only worked when attached to a changer.


It was a temporary setup for me.
I have replaced the whole system, in fact I took the pics minutes before I removed the whole thing.

[mrjezza]

Is that the headunit with the slidy finger glide dealy for adjusting bass treble fader and balance?  They came on the E32 7 series, not sure if it was standard out 750 has it.  Its funny because an aftermarket sound company made a head unit with a similar touch sensitive slide system and apparently they all failed within 2 months.  

BMW never ceases to amaze me - they do something 15 years before everyone else, and when everyone else finally catches up they still don't do it as well as BMW did.

[sheepdog]

Is that the headunit with the slidy finger glide dealy for adjusting bass treble fader and balance?  They came on the E32 7 series, not sure if it was standard out 750 has it.  Its funny because an aftermarket sound company made a head unit with a similar touch sensitive slide system and apparently they all failed within 2 months.  

BMW never ceases to amaze me - they do something 15 years before everyone else, and when everyone else finally catches up they still don't do it as well as BMW did.

Yup, the exact one.
Terrible sound. Granted it had no tweets or amps...
 It also had absolutely no midrange at all.

Odd though, they mixed it with stock e30 front speakers and Cerwins in back.  After the head unit change, the Cerwins came alive. The old system was very crippled.

My system now probably compares to a high end factory system, which for me, is all I need.

[thumper3ld]

Yup, the exact one.
Terrible sound. Granted it had no tweets or amps...
 It also had absolutely no midrange at all.

Odd though, they mixed it with stock e30 front speakers and Cerwins in back.  After the head unit change, the Cerwins came alive. The old system was very crippled.

My system now probably compares to a high end factory system, which for me, is all I need.

Wow, i had that same shitty head unit. I thought that was stock.

[mrjezza]

The sound in the 750 is actually very good for an 18 year old stereo; maybe the head unit on its own isn't that great but when combined with the speakers/amps it was designed for it performs amazingly for a stock setup.

Theres lots of speakers in the 750; tweeters in door pillars, speakers on the dash, speakers in the kick panels, speakers on the parcel shelf and I'm sure there's at least 1 amp somewhere.

[M42boy]

I am pretty sure my head unit was not the stock head unit, I went through a lot just getting it re-wired properly. No one seemed to have wiring codes or anything, which I found odd.

You've got the factory 318is radio bro.

Also, not sure about these, but I have dealt with systems with aux/changer imputs that only worked when attached to a changer.

I don't know what the difficulty is.  You're gonna have to get a clue.  You plug it into the changer input on the back of the radio.  Comprende?  :rolleyes:

[sheepdog]

You've got the factory 318is radio bro.


I don't know what the difficulty is.  You're gonna have to get a clue.  You plug it into the changer input on the back of the radio.  Comprende?  :rolleyes:

I have seen other 318IS radios on Ebay that did not match, considering I have never even seen another 318 in person, you will have to forgive me for not knowing if it is or not, they are not exactly common here. I did look into it. But if it is factory and it very well could be, it does not explain why a factory radio was spliced in by an amatuer. When I got the car, I had to re-wire it from scratch and even asked for help regarding this on other boards and got nowhere. So again, as far as the head unit, all I know was that it sucked.

As for the inputs, I can assure you that does NOT work on every unit. I have had a Sony and Pioneer head unit that required a signal from the changer for the ports to actually work, so I did not even bother trying on this one. From what I hear Kenwood also requires this. It is so you can only use their changers.

And while I am not an expert by any means, I am far from an idiot when it comes to working on my car or electronics.

By the way, if you want to be a dick or act all high and mighty, especially in a forum meant for help, I highly suggest you take it to another site. I/We will not tolerate it.

[sheepdog]

Can anyone else verify if this is the stock radio, we have one saying it is, and one saying it is not (which is what I think).

[thumper3ld]

Im pretty sure mine was stock. The had to be cut to mount my new head unit.

[Phirus]

Yea, thats definitley the stock stereo.  I pulled that crap out the third day I had my car.

[mgold]

I had the same one.  Either it, or the factory amp failed.  Although the amp is still in place I have completely rewired the audio system including replacing the speakers and bypassed the amp.  I've also wired it for an XM receiver and iPod (the aux cable I use for the iPod is loose in the cubby below the A/C controls) .