Are these the early nav connections?

[big bob]

Hi
Thought I'd try here cos I'm not getting much traction in the General Forum.
Can anyone tell me what this 1999 E46 is prewired for with these large connectors? I assume the red circle is the CD Changer.



Thanks for any help

[KiwiJochen]

Whats the history of the car?

They almost look like the connectors used in the navs fitted to the vehicles made for the Japanese market

And it's possible the car had some aftermarket equipment fitted.

You red circle looks like the CD changer audio connector
But blue, purple and green look like non-BMW...

[big bob]

Aftermarket nav makes a lot of sense. It has a Hirschmann GPS/GSM roof antenna. (You can just about make out the two SMA/MCX connectors). I will trace the cables to find out where they go. Many thanks.

[big bob]

So I ran my fingers along the cabling from the firewall. I found two FAKRA cables, one violet and one blue. Are these GPS and GSM? Or GPS and WDCT [which I thought was cream]? Or something else?

The others are the CD changer I think, right?



Thanks

[fnc1]

Not sure about the blue and red ones, but the others are cd changer and ibus...

[big bob]

Originally Posted by fnc1

Not sure about the blue and red ones, but the others are cd changer and ibus...

Thanks.

The other two are coaxial and I think dissapear up to the parcel shelf. I just find it weird I have RF but not phone/GPS harness evident.

[KiwiJochen]

Originally Posted by big bob

So I ran my fingers along the cabling from the firewall. I found two FAKRA cables, one violet and one blue. Are these GPS and GSM? Or GPS and WDCT [which I thought was cream]? Or something else?

The others are the CD changer I think, right?



Thanks

GSM and Bluetooth / WDCT (for the telephone)

On a TCU you will see the SMB connectors are colour coded

One = violet, one = blue

Plus, the physical keying of the Fakra housings prevent incorrect connections anyway.... if the TCU SMB connector also has the mating Fakra shell....

[KiwiJochen]

Actually, you can see the CD changer connections in the photo above

6p black = CD changer audio
3p black = CD changer power, gnd and ibus

So from the cabling you can ascertain that the car was wired for a phone and CD changer

What radio or screen do you have fitted in the front of the car?
Best to post a photo ...

Again, what market was the vehicle build for?
UK, or Japan?

[big bob]

Please remember this car is a MY1999. I don't think BT was an option, it may well be the Nokia car kit was fitted. There is evidence of a car kit in the passenger footwell, a Nokia but possibly aftermarket. Still don't know why I have no BMW phone prep wires.



I've had the TCU apart. The TCU Has Black [GSM 1], Blue [GPS-US Only], Violet [GSM 2] and Cream [WDCT/BT] Fakra positions.
Here you can see the GSM/GPRS module, with connections for two antenna.

Cream is the bluetooth.

Since this is an EU model, there is no GPS [blue]




Being that the ULF/TCU wasn't available until 2001, I would have have no BMW GSM sharkfin (wasn't available?) [I have a Hirschmann GPS/GSM (SMA/MCX)], I gotta wonder where those Blue and violet wires go. lol! I guess I have to take off the rear parcel shelf

[big bob]

Originally Posted by KiwiJochen

Actually, you can see the CD changer connections in the photo above

6p black = CD changer audio
3p black = CD changer power, gnd and ibus

So from the cabling you can ascertain that the car was wired for a phone and CD changer

What radio or screen do you have fitted in the front of the car?
Best to post a photo ...

Again, what market was the vehicle build for?
UK, or Japan?

Car came with a Business Tape headunit and no changer. A 1 din navigation, MK3 nav, TCU and CHA-634 is going in.

The car is an Alpina, so it is possibly a UK or German build standard. It's a build date 05/99, but it could have gone to Buchloe before or after that time and been retofitted with options (eg the Nav and Hirschmann). Equally it was once wearing Frank Synter's private plate and could have been modded by them also.