Rear Only PDC Retrofit
 

Hey Everyone, Recently I came up with the idea of trying to retrofit PDC on my 2004 3.0i. After doing some research I found out that I would need a whole new front bumper with previsions for PDC. About to give up on the project, I remembered I've been a handful of M3's with rear only PDC. So after a few days of searching, I tracked down the rear harness, sensors, rear only PDC module (from a E46 ZHP), and rear speaker. I installed the module, speaker, and sensors. When I went to put the car in reverse, the speaker started making this clicking noise. About 1 click per second. I ran codes for the module and found a fault for the speaker. The fault said something like "Speaker on, short circuit to positive". I've replaced the speaker with a known good one, ruled out faulty wiring between the module and the speaker, and coded the PDC module to the vehicle with BMW Progman for good measure. And ffter everything, the PDC speaker still clicks when shifted into reverse. The only thing I could think of is maybe a faulty PDC module. Has anyone ever experienced this before? Thanks!

Why not just do the license place PDC retrofit kit? It's much simpler and there's no coding needed. I did a write up about it a loooooong time ago.

I've retrofit PDC on my E53, you don't need to change the front or rear bumper. On the rear bumper cover (plastic) you simply need to made holes (marked from the inside) for the sensors. On the front, there are replacement covers (with the hole) that snap in / out for the outer corners. You need to make holes (the official instructions want you to remove the bumper to do so, but you can do it from the "outside) for the inner pair of sensors.

If you want to know more (I did a write-up and there is a good one from a US based guy that you can find on the web), PM me. The retrofit kit was NLA but I found some old stock ones in Spain & Andorra (my kit). Car does NOT need to be recoded.

It went so well I helped a friend retrofit it on HIS E53.

As for your hybrid of E46 parts, are you certain that the system you bought is rear only? What signals does it expect from the car? Does is require coding?

Have you try backing up the X with an object in the path of the X and does the clicking sound change its rate in intensity?

Figured it out. My harness had speaker connections for the front gong and rear speaker. For rear PDC, The front gong should be used. Opposed to the rear speaker. The front gong only has a ground connector that will cause the gong to chime when it is grounded. Where the rear speaker has both positive and negative connections into the PDC module. All I had to do was disconnect the rear speaker wires from the harness and move the ground wire to the correct location on the connector for a rear PDC module. Apparently the pinout of a front and rear module is different from just a rear.

Also, Gregory891, I'm assuming you did this retrofit on a pre-facelift car, where holes can be drilled in the bumper and the brackets can be mounted. On a facelift bumper, BMW doesn't sell any brackets to mount the sensors. You have to purchase the bumper with predrilled holes and brackets incorporated into the bumper.

techboy99, do you have more information on those pinout changes you had to make?
I am trying to do the same thing you did with a rear only PDC. I have an e46 rear only PDC module. I have already gone through the long beep and replaced a bad sensor. Everything connected up and coded the rear only 4 sensors in BMW Scan 1.4. Now I only get no errors in BMW Scan but no sounds from the system.

I did put the car in reverse and verified each sensor is working an clicking when you move near.

Maybe the grounding change is all that I need to do next.