Another New X3 owner

[FlightService]

I am the proud new owner of a 2004 E83 3.0, 73,681 miles. Clean as any preowned I have ever seen.

Vehicle was a lease, then went CPO.

Now she is mine.

Options
0ZPP Premium package
0249 Multi-function steering wheel
0441 Smoker's Package (yet no signs of smoking...)
0493 Storage Package
0520 Fog lights
0534 Automatic climate control
0240 Leather steering wheel
0435 Wood trim
0459 Power front seats
05GA Alarm Pre-wiring
0521 Rain Sensor and auto headlight
0639 BMW Assist with Bluetooth
0692 CD changer preparation
0785 White turn-signal lights
0818 Battery switch
0761 Privacy Glass

If you notice there is one very popular option missing, automatic transmission.
My new baby is a 6-speed manual. I am very happy.

I have one big question. How do I pair with my cell? I have tried the instructions here to no avail, and if I push the button on the wheel to talk it gives me a verizon message (I know it's not me I us ATT)

Tried to use the search function on the forum but it just kept pulling up X5 information.

I am also going to be installing a hitch soon, but I haven't searched for that yet.

Any data would help me top off my new ride!

[AzNMpower32]

Congrats on the new ride, pictures if you want would be nice.

If your X3 was produced before 09/2004 (essentially all 2004 model year cars), you do not have Bluetooth unless it was retrofitted by the previous owner. This applies even if you have the Bluetooth passcode card.

[FlightService]

Don't have nice pictures yet, I will post them as soon as I take them. I am enjoying driving it too much to take photos.

I find it strange that BMW would list an option as bluetooth and not give you bluetooth. So I guess I need to find a 2005+ BMW assist module and install it?

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by FlightService

Don't have nice pictures yet, I will post them as soon as I take them. I am enjoying driving it too much to take photos.

I find it strange that BMW would list an option as bluetooth and not give you bluetooth. So I guess I need to find a 2005+ BMW assist module and install it?

Correct. Generally not cheap, though.

[FlightService]

I guess i will junkyard scavenge

[JCL]

Congratulations on the new ride!

I share your opinion on the 6mt. Best way to go.

Can't help you with bluetooth, no cell phones get used in my cars except by passengers.

For search, use advanced search and restrict it to the E83 subforum. On the other hand, many topics are generic and you may find the answer in a different forum, likely the E53 one.

For towing, recommend the OE hitch and OE wiring module. I have posted my hitch install details, and provided links to a good thread by another member there. Search my posts in the X3 forum, again using the advanced search function.

Jeff

[FlightService]

Nice write up. My question is this, why oem hitch? I can understand and agree why with the oem wiring harness but the hitch is a little steep. Can't seem to find one for under $320. I can get aftermarket harness and hitch in the $150 range. Double plus is a little much.

Any advice on purchase locations?

[JCL]

I have installed a lot of aftermarket hitches, on many different vehicles, for myself and for customers. I have installed two BMW hitches, on an E53 and an E83.

While the OE hitches are well made, the deciding factor for me is the fact that neither the E53 or E83 have a frame. If it was a truck with two frame rails, any hitch would do fine. For these vehicles, the devil is in the details, and in how the hitch attaches to the unibody. For the E53, there have been damaged unibody structures from aftermarket hitches. I have posted quite a few details on the E53 board. For the E53, I would only use an OE hitch. As a bonus, when purchased with the electrical kit, they both end up being cheaper.

When I came to the E83 hitch a few years later, I found that it was cheaper than the E53 version, so I figured I was already ahead, and just purchased it. About $320 sounds right for the E83. E53 was closer to $600.

Installation was very smooth. Typical German overengineering. If I knew that an aftermarket hitch used an identical mounting arrangement, I would be prepared to install one. But since I don't, I would go with the OE hitch.

I rode my bike past a parked Subaru wagon/crossover yesterday. It had an aftermarket hitch installed, and a fairly light fold-up two-bike rack. The rack was pointing to the ground, about a 30 degree angle of declination. I checked, and so was the receiver, same angle. Looked pretty sad. I'll bet it was the unibody that bent, not the hitch receiver.

I would be even less likely to use an aftermarket wiring connection. BMW wiring has enough problems without introducing third party components. With the BMW tow module and harness, the rear PDC is turned off when a trailer is connected. No annoying beeping every time you back up. Also, DSC gets another mode called Trailer Stability Control, which counteracts sway. Not sure about applicability to your model year, but mine had it, same with my 2003 X5. Worth checking. Nice feature to have, particularly with the relatively low vehicle weight. Finally, no wire taps means less chances of errors in the lighting control module, like bulb out warnings.

[FlightService]

Yeah I have seen many a bike rack/hitch rack/anything but a trailer absolutely destroy hitches and mounting points. Cyclic loading on a cantilever beam is bad.

I would use mine to actually tow a trailer. Not a fan of the cantilever accessory fad.

[phuksi]

Originally Posted by FlightService

I have one big question. How do I pair with my cell? I have tried the instructions here to no avail, and if I push the button on the wheel to talk it gives me a verizon message (I know it's not me I us ATT)

Tried to use the search function on the forum but it just kept pulling up X5 information.

Check this page. It has some infor about bluetooth and about retrofit and manuals etc. E46 is almost exactly the same so if you find anything for that model try it. But like mentioned, the BMW module is expensive and I don't think you get A2DP audio streaming with it? At least not in the early days, maybe the newer versions can handle this?

BMW Bluetooth E46 Installation instructions - Bimmernav BMW Upgrades

Instead of BMW retrofit kit I installed Dice Mediabridge which gave me the needed bluetooth functionality (phone and use of my phone voice commands over steering wheel button and BT audio streaming). And it linked my iPod. I've been happy with that so far.

-p