Will replacing my radio break my dashboard functions?
 

I just bought a used 2004 X5 w/ Nav and DSP. I'm dying to replace the nav/radio with a new Pioneer unit that has bluetooth, a backup camera, etc.

I read somewhere that replacing the radio with a non-BMW unit will make the dashboard functions stop working.

Is this true? Any advice?

You will loose the ability to set the clock, reset fuel consumption figures and trip distances etc.

But nothing major will stop working.

Some people have cleverly reroute the box that sits under the cd slot (the screen and buttons) and re-homed it either in the glove box or the rear trunk if you want to keep these functions.

There are a ton of tutorials out there and I will see if I have a relevant one saved somewhere for you.

The box is called a MID (Multi Information Display). ;)

In the case of the OP there is no MID unit, as the Nav display replaces it. However, as you point out, Lamby, a MID unit can be added (often in the rear compartment) to replace the missing functionality. MID units can often be found on eBay etc.

Sorry Wpoll, yes you are correct, the OP has old Nav so no MID, damn, its Tuesday and I have already had one client meeting that I forgot every technical word or label... its embarrassing as an IT professional to just say, "yeap, we can fix the thingymajig"

Box - Mid
thingymajig - Pretty much everything (look for hand gestures for sizing and shape)

;)

I will be ordering my aftermarket stereo the last week in this month. When it gets here and I get it installed I will start the android interface project for controlling the functions in the e53 x5. I already have this in my 323i.

I will be doing a write up showing how I'm doing all of this.

Basically with this setup you can control anything that you can cause to happen on the bus. It has a snoop function that allows you see what happens when you push a button or choose a function like the mpg reset etc. Then you enter those sequences into a button in the android program I wrote which acts like a macro basically sending the sequence out when you choose it in the program.

So you can control your a/c functions, reset stuff that the mid normally is needed for etc. At least it SHOULD be able to. I cant see any reason why it wouldn't work since I do the same thing in my e46 with it and its just bus traffic.

Time will tell.

The Dynavin unit will allow you to retain all of your OBD steering wheel controls.

All of the aftermarket factory looking radios (eonon, dynavin, etc) will work with the steering wheel controls. But the mid functions are what non of them do.

You could replace it with NBT. ;) That will retain OBC. But it is $$$$$.

And nope, no aftermarket solutions for retaining OBC function yet out of the box. Shoot, only Dynavin even supports DSP out of the box. Interested in what you do though Crowz.

Crowz, You have my full dedicated interest in this, I am aware that Android have a universal listener that looks for function signal and then you can assign response to that. I.E press a button, it finds the button on Android then you can set it a simple command - 'Turn light off' - 'Reset to 0', etc...

If you can get this to work with the OBC just like the MID functions with the dash, I will be purchasing a Android ICE asap.

Of course any info on how to do it is very much appreciated. :D