BM53 and AM tuning??
 

Brand new member to the site & it's fabuluous. Have already spent hours browsing, reading, searching, learning. I've just completed a MKIV retrofit into my (gasp) 2000 E46 wagon. I've spent quite a bit of time here and elsewhere looking for an answer to my problem:

I can only adjust/tune my BM53 am stations in increments of 9Khz (eg. 650 ,659, 668, 677, etc). NOT 10Khz as needed in the US to get 650, 790, 1220 and so on. This of course means most stations are unavailable. As I understand things, the 9Khz spacing is used outside NA. I cannot find any links to how/if this can be changed. AFAIK, the radio is a good US/NA version according to RealOEM.com (p/n 65-12-6-976-962). FM stations are fine and all other Nav system functionality seems to be intact.

I'm at Nav software v23.

Ideas??? :dunno: Please :p:

Go into the Servie Menu of the radio and change the AREA setting from whatever it is to US.

No tools required. Just your fingers.
To get into Service Menu:

BM53 with small screen Board Monitor
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Press and hold the "RDS' button for at least 8 seconds.
3. Scroll through the functions using the "< >" buttons.
4. Turn the radio off to leave the service mode.

BM53 with Widescreen Monitor PRIOR to 9/01
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Within 8 seconds, press the 'INFO' button.
3. From the Info screen, select RDS (choose PTY on E38).
4. Press and hold the BM control knob (right side knob) for at least 8 seconds.
5. Scroll through functions using the station search buttons "< >".
6. Turn the radio off to leave the service mode.

BM53 with Widescreen Monitor AFTER 9/01
1. Turn the radio on.
2. Immediately press and hold the 'Select' button for at least 8 seconds. The screen will switch to Service Mode.
3. The screen will now show the serial number of the radio.
4. Use the "< >" buttons to select the desired service function.
5. Selections for the desired service function can be made by using the radio station preset buttons #1-6.
6. Turn the radio off to leave the service mode.

NOTE:
When selecting the country AREA, push the station preset #1 repeatedly until AREA USA is shown on the screen.
When selecting the GAL level, use station presets #1-6 to select level.
To turn off/on the RDS function on this radio, push the 'INFO' button and select RDS off/on.


And at the same time, do yourself a favour and upgrade the nav from 4-1/20 (V23) to 4-1/100 (V31, V32)

You'll notice a massive difference in nav functionality, and stability.

Fixed!!
 

Fantastic! Fixed in a matter of minutes. Thanks KiwiJochen. I now have a fully operational system! On to v31 upgrade. :thumbup:

Best regards, Todd

Welcome to the forum todd,

Now you have v31, have a look at 3D perspectibe mode, to enable this, Perspective mode needs to be enabled in 2 places,

1: The hidden setup menu.

Go to the menu screen select set (or settings) and hold menu button for 10 seconds, when the hidden menu appears scroll down untill the perspective mode option is selectable.

2: In the arrow map pointing menu.

Select GPS-Navigation, then Map, then push right button, select Map Positioning and there select Perspective

Hope this helps

Got it!
 

Thanks to X5World, Jochen & ccfj1, I've managed to accomplish the following in the space of 2 hrs:

1. Correct my BM53 radio "Country area" to USA, allowing proper tuning frequencies
2. Locate & Download v27.1 and v31 files, and burn each to CD
2. Update NAV to v27.1, verify function
3. Update NAV to v31, implement perspective mode

I'm one :D guy just now!

I'd best leave well enough alone for today, knock wood!!!......well, maybe find & buy a copy of a newer NAVTEQ map DVD

I cannot understand why you went to v27.1, - you could have just loaded v31 - but well done anyway :D

My car being an Australian model has the BM53 and I have a similar problem, it only scans in multiples of 10 missing out on 95% of the stations. BMW have told me that you can't change it to scan the individual increments. It makes me wonder why they chose the BM53 in the first place.

Bollocks. BMW are wrong.

Follow the same instructions as posted in my post #2 above, and you can change the AREA setting.

Currently your radio is set to AREA=USA.

You need to select AREA=OCEANIA.

Takes all of a couple of minutes using your fingers, no tools required.

I've already checked this. It has three setting, Oce, JPN and USA. It is set to Oce and this is the 10mhz increments. Totally useless.

Then the radio is wrong.

Oceania = 9kHz AM, 100kHz FM steps, 88-108MHz FM
USA = 10kHz AM, 200kHz FM steps, 88-108MHz FM
Japan = 9kHz AM, 100kHz FM steps, 73-90 MHz FM

Check it carefully.
You must select OCE, then switch off radio, and switch off ignition for the setting to be properly saved.

I've changed many BM53 radios from Japan to Oceania, and they all worked, and AM is always 9kHz steps.

Well you could well be right. When I was looking in to it I found that my car should have option S825A radio Oceania, part number 65126988276 but earlier this year it was replaced under warranty with what I think to be the Japanese version, L807A part number 65126976962. However when you do a search on this new part number one search on the ETK says it is for Oceania
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...5&fg=05&hl=106

and the other says it is for Japan

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...5&fg=05&hl=142

So therefore it could be wrong, but the service section of the radio says it is tunes to Oce, but it counts in multiples of 10MhZ.

Both P/Ns are in the ETK under Japan. The 276 is the newer number which superceeded the 962 number.

If it was replaced under warranty, then go and see them and get BMW to fix it.

An AM radio that tunes in 10kHz steps is simply WRONG for Australia.
Compare to every other BMW in the country and you will see that all other BMWs tune in 9kHz steps

As it is a warranty issue, make a complaint and demand the dealer fix it.

Aynway, regardless of part numbers, the BM53 covers Japan, Oceania and USA. It can be reprogrammed to any of these regions.

If you are positive the reprogramming is done correctly (check it again!) then go back to the dealer and advise it is faulty.

I've just checked my setting in the service mode and I have got the following:

Serial number: 46126548
Software Version: 03-06 48
GAL 5
F15 Q15 0000
DSP: 0
TP Volume: 0
Area: set on OCE but I can also choose Jpn, USA & Canada
AF: MAN

For your info:
GAL 5 = speed dependent volume setting
F15 Q15 0000 = FM signal strength 15 (max), RDS quality 15 (max)
DSP: 0 = no DSP detected (fitted) to vehicle
TP Volume: 0 = Traffic Announcement volume set to 0
Area = Area, eg OCE
AF: MAN = RDS alternative frequency mode, I normally set to Auto.

If you are set to OCE but still tune in 10kHz steps then do this:

1. Set to Japan. Switch off and turn key off. Turn back on, check that Japan is OK (FM 76-90, AM 9kHz steps)

2. Now set to OCE. Switch off and turn key off. Turn back on, check that OCE is OK (FM 88-108, AM 9kHz steps)

Maybe a focred change to non-OCE, and then a change back will convince the radio to set itself correctly.

if this doesn't work, then the radio is faulty. It is not storing its settings properly. Get it exchanged.

I gave this a go today and it worked, it now scans in multiples of 9 instead of 10. My local dealer told me that this wasn't possible and another local M3 owner had the same problem.

Also how do you change the AF from manual to auto? Mine didn't seem to want to change.

Thanks

I live in Canada. I did the following because my radio was tuning at 9KHz for AM. when i checked the settings in the service mode it said no area. so i changed it. I had a CANADA setting. I changed it to that and its working now. BUT i have major static. not very clear but listenable.

Thanks everyone for this post

BM53 andAM Tuning - Thank you KiwiJochen!
 

FollowedKiwiJochen steps for post 9/01 and was able to change the country to USA.

After years of suffering with no AM radio I am in business.
Thank you!

I have tried doing this nemerous times. When i get to the area menue i cant change it though. i use keys 1-6 but it always showing Europe. Any ideas?? does this mean that i need to reprogram something? my radio module is BM53.

Try the following combinations to try and change the Area setting:

1 through 6
Repeated presses of 1
+ or -
< or >

Same problem with my Radio: I can get into the Settings Menu but the only available Area is EUROPE, pressed 1 -6, +/- and other keys but it seams there's no way to get USA...any idea ?

Tried multiple presses of eg Button 1?

I'm not sure but it may be that some models of the BM54 are locked to one area.

Correct me if im wrong but are the BM54 only for European models.

Hi, yes radio is installed in a X5 2005 European model (3.0D) , temporarily in the USA...and also yes tried pressing several times 1 but it seams there's no way to get it out of EUROPE (sigh...).