My 2005 X5 Aftermarket Radio Install Thread

[Crowz]

Yep that's it.

[Sky Bear]

Hello all,

Well I have found this thread while looking for an upgrade to the system in our X5 and managed to read it all now from start to current.

Firstly a big thank you to all who have taken the time to post images and answers to help others. A great community and what it’s all about.

Our 2003 X5 originally had factory nav and no dsp but in 2012 a previous owner changed this to a hualingan 3rd generation head unit. Not a great install as to work the balance you have to select front to rear adjustment. If you select right fader the sound goes to the rear, you get the picture all speaker wires swapped. This was done by a car audio firm as well and looking at the invoice was not cheap. They have gone out of business now, no surprise there.

The radio reception is terrible so I will have to see if they used the factory aerial or if it is just a bad radio chipset in the unit.

I wish to keep the oem look and so have avoided the new 9 inch screens and gone for an Xtrons PB76t3BAP Buy 7" Android 6.0 Octa-Core Car Stereo Custom Fit for BMW X5 (E53) | Xtrons

I picked this unit as having the features I wanted without having a logo under the screen as others have, helping to keep an oem look. Also whilst a Chinese unit they have a distribution centre in the UK and so returns are back local not to China and stock is delivered from here as well. For those in the uk wanting a unit I can highly recommend xtrons, a couple of email queries prior to purchase were answered in 24 hours.

I ordered the unit Sunday evening online and it was delivered Tuesday morning by 11am can’t argue with that service. I got the unit, 4g WiFi dongle (will have its own data sim in), TPMS system, external mic and obd2 dongle all for 75% of the cost of a dynavin N7. No way I wanted into that closed loop system going into the future.

I will be starting on removing the old unit and putting in the new one this weekend so we will see how it all goes. Updates to follow and hopefully some pictures also. What is the best free hosting sites now for posting images here since photobucket changed?

Oh and how many others here are from England? Always interested if anyone is local to help out where I can.

SB

[BigLion]

Hi SkyBear,

I'm a Brit with a 4.8iS E53, but living out in Abu Dhabi - I thought the 5 litres were illegal in the UK!


Having trouble with my Eonon GA6166X setup - i'm not hearing anything through my DSP amp (3 connectors on top), despite the Eonon CS saying it will work as 'plug 'n' play' with the 40-pin square connector on the extended harness.


I'm worried that a bunch of people have said:

Originally Posted by SADBOY
My experience with my 2005 X5 that has DSP is that all speakers had to be rewired and hardwired to an aftermarket external amplifier. I also could not use the stock subwoofer, because that could not be rewired. Now any non DSP models would work with just the harness.

(bimmerforums)

But Eonon tell me the unit SN #PL-0194 bought last year in 2017, will work with the DSP system.

Originally the radio install guy spent 5 hours connecting the 17-pin analogue speaker outs directly to the cabin speakers, and wired up the subs straight to the speaker outs, but my parking sensors don't work now either, so I guessed he didn't know jack....

I need some coaching time with one of y'all sound system experts to bring my sounds back

[Sky Bear]

Hi BigLion
I am guessing that bypassing the cars dsp and amp system he has also bypassed the connection between the sensors and your speakers. Your stereo needs to be integrated back into your cars systems.

Hopefully you can find someone who knows what they are doing out there.

No not illegal just trying to drive all the fun cars off the road with the fuel prices.

SB

[BigLion]

I spent a difficult few hours soldering all the wires back together last night - all the Sub connector wires, from the speaker side and the Amp side, and all the cabin speaker wires... solderama! It's all back to stock now, with CD player re-inserted, but Eonon are having to help me via e-mail.

[Sky Bear]

Best place to start from though, at least you know where you are and what changes you have tried.

[bcredliner]

What Seicane user/operation manual or Youtube video that goes through how to use features step by step is the best?

[Crowz]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

What Seicane user/operation manual or Youtube video that goes through how to use features step by step is the best?

Which model?

[Sky Bear]

I thought I would share this clip with others.
https://youtu.be/nIEKdYtIaWE
Not sure how many will have seen this video before but of all install clips on YouTube this has been the best I’ve seen.

It is for a no dsp system but will still give a good idea of what you are aiming to do. It is good for most of the generic android units from Eonon etc.

It also has a reversing camera install in it at the same time.

SB

[Overboost]

Originally Posted by Sky Bear

I thought I would share this clip with others.
https://youtu.be/nIEKdYtIaWE
Not sure how many will have seen this video before but of all install clips on YouTube this has been the best I’ve seen.

OMG! Seriously? At the moment that hack cut my harness in half, he would have been done. And then no solder or proper crimps on the backup camera splices? And a cigarette lighter and crack pipe lighter to shrink the shrink tubing? And then to add icing on the cake he uses red butt splices for repairing his hack job on the main harness. That was a DSP correct main harness BTW.

I hope nobody follows this hacks how to, there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and my X is worth the right way.