Aux input install option

[jaynana]

i just installed mine, in the ash tray.

bmw recommends fixing it in the glove box, but i find it too inconvenient to reach eg. when driving alone or if ppl in rear seat want to operate the mp3 player.

check out the picture - the ash tray can be popped out (designed to clean ash) so no removing unnecessary parts ; can just unplug the mp3 cable and close the ash tray when not in use. easily reachable by both driver and passenger or anybody in the rear seats to operate the mp3 player.

[10ptmust]

Looks good. I'm sold, that's where I'll put mine. How easy was the rest of the install?

[jaynana]

easy but takes a few steps, if you follow the below steps difficult to go wrong:

first you have to remove the head unit. to do that

1. you have to hold it in the cassette opened as in photo and hold it there (it has a 15 sec timeout). to do that remove the 4th fuse in the boot fuses (rhs panel). photo attached. when the fuse is removed while the head unit is open it will remain open without closing.

2. the plastic trim around the head unit comes out easily, pry it out starting from the bottom. its pretty solid it wont break its clips if you start from the bottom. use a plastic thin knife like thing so that you don't damage the dash.

3. the head unit is held down by 4 torx screws. that's it. remove it and hte head unit comes out.

second draw the cable through the dash. this is pretty easy. once the head unit is out there's enough room to put the whole hand through the hole and reach right down to the ash tray from behind.

third is simply drilling a hole and fixing the aux 3.5mil jack; and connecting the jack to the car.

now just put the head unit back and put the fuse back on.

all done and suddenly on the 'mode' selector on the head unit you have an additional 'aux' mode as you toggle between radio/cd/tape.

i learnt all this from various posts. btw the cable i got from bmw was 65 12 0 153 503. cable depends on the car (ones with nav/without; ones with cd/without; ones with dsp/without etc) best to give your chassis no and let them select the cable.