Yep someone ripped all the original equipment out and another owner sourced replacement gear. So now CD changer has no audio, TV module comes and goes and I get screen flicker sometimes.....FM radio works....no AM at all.

Nav works fine though......

It's a mess

BMW I think used to code the head unit to the specific vehicle with the various modules. It prevented someone stealing the head unit and putting it another car. Then the only people back then that could code the vehicle was bmw and they would find out. Sounds like the coding of your head unit. That is what I am thinking about mine. My issue with the radio now is that when the car starts up all the speakers on both sides work fine then a short time later only the left side works. When the right side works at start up it is clear and crisp. New amp and tested with new radio module. I am now leaning towards the coding issue.

Bimmercode can set most of these types of coding.

It let me add the function to raise/lower the Rolls-Royce hood ornament to idrive for crazy example (of course it didn't also add the hardware). I did see similar options in the idrive for TV etc so if certain things never worked that's a good place to start.


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I struggle to know what software to use....do I buy ISTA? BIMMERCODE?
A Foxwell scanner?

I already have a Launch scan tool.....things missing though like programming the doors to lock when driving off. Basic stuff yet complicated stuff is in there like adjusting airbag suspension, relearning gearbox shifts, VANOS relearning etc

Foxwell won't code bimmercode works on E70 not E53 [emoji853]


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Solved. You can swap out the head unit from a similar year/model with no need for coding. My issue was at the back with the bm53 module gone faulty and the radio amp. Only realised recently I was getting water in the rear compartment. Went through three radio amplifiers before I realised. Now everything works fine and I am getting on to cleaning out the drain pipes for the sun roof or whatever. Thread solved.

New nav unit, navigation works well. New (second hand) radio amplifier and upgraded bm53 module and radio and stereo works good. Now back to the tv module. Will try swapping out head unit again and post up any result.

Update, TV strange symbols finally solved. Duh, I have a new hybrid TV module as my lower cargo area under the spare wheel got flooded after our cyclone. Silly me forgot to put the car cover on. Some leak from the constant heavy rain overpowered the car. Blew out my suspension module. radio module (again!), tv unit, towing module, etc. Why they put all these important electronic parts at the lowest part of the car is a mystery to me.

Anyways, back to the tv screen. The weird symbols in my original post is that I didn’t have the region setting through a menu option set. Found it out on the new unit.

Now, all solved.