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BigPatsFans.com Bluetooth DIY for pre 2002 e46's

Installation of Advanced Autovations Bluetooth kit in a Pre-2002 BMW e46
Install done on February 26th, 2005 in my 2001 325i sedan (USA)


 

Ok, this is what comes with the Advanced Autovations kit:

  • Bluetooth Antenna

  • Pairing button

  • ULF Control Module

  • Microphone

  • Wiring harness for pairing button

  • ULF Control Module Harness

  • FAKRA to mini-UHF adapters (2)

  • IMPORTANT-NOT INCLUDED BY DEFAULT! - You'll also need to buy the ELK-800 Audio amplifier from Advanced Autovations ($30 extra)

In addition, I would pick up the following before the install.

*******NOTE: There are additional things needed if you are going to retrofit an external antenna (shark fin).  Those parts, etc are listed in the external antenna install section.  Also, if you plan to use the external antenna, you MUST follow the instructions for external antenna connection (embedded in here).  You CANNOT use the existing antenna wire for the external antenna; the existing wire MUST be used for the external antenna and a separate wire must be run to connect the ULF to the BT antenna!*********

  • IMPORTANT - BUY PART #:  84 11 0 018 038 from your local Dealer (about $10).  You MAY need this... The kit won't work without this piece... (at least on my car).  Its the SES Voice Jumper, and I BELIEVE it takes the place of having to doctor the wiring harness as described in the instructions at http://golilm.com/DIY/Bluetooth/

  • Velcro and plastic zip ties from Radio Shack (about $7 total)

  • Some M5 hex nuts from a hardware store (about 4 @ $.25 each)

  • You want to buy the Bluetooth Antenna mounting bracket before hand.  Its special order, and takes about a week or so to come in, so be prepared. BMW Part # 84 13 6 912 160 

  • You also need (2) M5 Hex nuts to connect the BT antenna to the mounting bracket.  I bought mine at Home Depot, but here's the BMW part #: 63 21 1 371 401 (backordered for 1 month I was told)
     


  •  

  • SES Voice Jumper:

NOTE: There are 2 different ways to install the BT kit into your car.  You can either mount the pairing button into the center console (which requires taking a Dremel tool to your center console--or just tossing it under the cup holders--you really only need to use it every time you get a new phone), or you can replace the cup holders and coin tray in the center console with a tray that holds and charges your specific phone.

Bluetooth kit installed with pairing button in center console:

Bluetooth Kit installed with Motorola v600 snap-in adapter and cradle for phone:

  1. Personally, I love having the phone in the center console.  The phone charges while docked, and uses your external antenna (bee thingee) for improved reception.  If you don't have an external antenna (I didn't), then you can retrofit a shark fin antenna into this kit.

If you want to go the above route, you're going to need a few additional parts.  I would suggest calling Pacific BMW at 800-909-PART.  Make sure to ask for the mail order department.  They have good discounted prices on the parts.

  • Eject Box (Bluetooth cradle) -- $85)   84 21 6 933 415

  • Plastic insert that fits into the opening created by removing the cup holders and coin tray, should match your interior ($30)

    • Black:     51 16 7 110 646

    • Gray:       51 16 7 110 647

    • Beige:     51 16 7 110 648

  • Snap-in Adapter for your specific phone (part #'s if I know them)

    • Motorola V600/V525:    84 21 0 307 726 (the Moto V600 also uses a small plastic to make it a cleaner look.  Its not required, but obviously I bought it.  Part # 84 21 0 306 467

    • Motorola V710 / e815:  84 21 0 393 570

    • Nokia 6310 / 6310i       84 21 6 930 108

    • Siemens s65                 84 21 0 392 326

    • Ericsson                         84 21 6 925 216

    http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&prod=20040700&btnr=84_0551&hg=84&fg=95&hl=3

 

  • Here's a picture the plastic insert that replaces the cup holders.  The black one was backordered for 2 months, so I bought a beige one and spray painted it temporarily while waiting for the black one to come in.

 

  • Here are the 3 pieces assembled together.  If you do not have an external antenna connected now, remove the snap in adapter and just leave the plastic insert in the cradle


 

  • The first step is to install the Bluetooth antenna.  The Bluetooth antenna is mounted under the rear ash tray in the arm rest.  You need to remove the center console to do this.  Start by removing the rear ash tray then the screws holding it in:

 

  • Next, pull the shift knob up (it just pops off--be careful not to drill yourself in the face) and then squeeze the sides of the shift boot and the shift boot will pop right off as well. 

  • Now remove the two screws holding the trim around the shifter on.  You'll want to disconnect the power window connectors so that you can set the piece aside so as not to scratch it.

 

  • Now remove the center console by lifting it up and rotating the arm rest through.  Be sure to disconnect the Power door lock / Hazards controls so you can set it aside

  • Take the Bluetooth bracket and attach the Bluetooth antenna to it with the (2) M5 hex nuts

 

  • Take the rough side of some Velcro and attach it to the bottom of the bracket.  This will hold the antenna in place (the screws need to line up with the ones that held the rear ashtray cover on.

  • Near the ebrake, unwrap the wiring harness and mini-UHF (looks like coax cable)

  • If you have TWO of these mini-UHF connectors, you'll need an adapter for the bee antenna:

    • Female mini-UHF to male FAKRA: Part #: 84 32 0 027 140

 

  • NOTE: Depending on what your use is, this cable is used for something different.  For pairing button installation, this connects to the Bluetooth ULF in the trunk and then to the Bluetooth antenna here.   If you are using an eject box, with external antenna, this cable is used for the external antenna connection.  You must then run you're own antenna cable to the trunk from here to connect the BT ULF to the BT antenna!

    The reason for this, is that the external antenna requires an antenna compensator (amplifier):

    What I’ve discovered, is that that cable first hits a compensator or amplifier buried somewhere in the car. While the cable is usable to make the BT kit work as described, it leaves you with a problem when trying to connect an eject box to an external antenna. The first problem, is that you don’t actually have an antenna cable (newer cars have one already run here). The second issue, as I discovered, is that once you buy and run an antenna cable, you aren’t going to get a signal with a direct connection from the eject box to the shark fin. The signal must go through the compensator!

    Here is a list of parts, steps that you need to do in order to make this work…

    - Female / Female FAKRA cable (x 2) BMW part #: 84 32 0 138 217 ($15) NOTE: The picture of this part on realoem.com is wrong! Don’t worry about it—the part # is correct.



    -Male FAKRA to Male mini-UHF adapter (x1) BMW part # 84 11 0 025 711 ($7)



    -You’re going to need about a 13’ antenna cable. Parag, at Advanced Autovations was kind enough to make me one. You have a few options here. He made me a male – male FAKRA cable (actually, you need a female / female cable, but I told him the wrong thing, so I need some adapters--oops. You could also buy a mini-UHF cable from Radio Shack, etc and use the FAKRA to mini-UHF adapters

    • If you have already have a bee antenna with mini-UHF antenna cable run to here, you need the above female mini-UHF to male FAKRA: Part #: 84 32 0 027 140

FOR PAIRING BUTTON (SKIP AHEAD IF USING AN EJECT BOX!)

  • Connect the female mini-UHF to FAKRA adapter to the mini-UHF male connector in the center console.  The feed the wire through a hole in the center console back to where the rear ashtray iS

  • Connect the black interface harness to either the pairing button harness or to the eject box.  If you connect it to the pairing button, you have two choices: use a Dremel tool to cut you center console open, or just drop it under the coin tray when not in use.  It only needs to be used the first time you pair your phone with the car.  If you want to use the Dremel tool, refer to instructions here: http://golilm.com/DIY/Bluetooth/
     

FOR EJECT BOX!!

  • The first thing to do, is to run an antenna cable from the center console to the trunk. This is the most annoying part, so you might as well just get it out of the way now… Use a female to female FAKRA cable if possible.  In my instructions, I used a male - male FAKRA cable

    You should now have 3 cables here. The cable you just ran, the existing mini-UHF cable, and the power connector for the snap-in adapter:


  •  

  • IMPORTANT: If you have a 2001 (or other years maybe) you need to change the pins on this harness (of the eject box)! 

    • The Eject box wiring harness has an 18 male pin, female ELO connector on it.

      • The pinout of thecradle's connector are as follows:

        • Pin 1 = Green  (UNKNOWN FUNCTION)

        • Pin 2 = Brown (GROUND)

        • Pin 5 = Red (12v +)

        • Pin 13 = White (UNKNOWN)

    • You need to move:

      • Pin # 2 to pin # 17 (ground location on our car)

      • Pin # 5 to pin #10 (12v+ location on our car)

         


  •  


  •  

  • Connect the Bluetooth antenna under the armrest to Bluetooth ULF in the trunk. Since I had a male / male cable instead of female / female, I need to use the two of the FAKRA gender changer adapters (217 part #) on each end of the cable.

 

  • Install the Bluetooth antenna (mounted in the bracket under the rear arm rest.  Use Velcro on the back of the carpet to keep the holes aligned

  • Now connect the eject box connections. Make sure to change the pin location for your year’s car. My previous instructions show the location of the + / - which is needed to power the connection.


  •  

 

  • Now might be a good time to give this area a vacuum... I found about a dozen McDonald's French fries in here from the previous owner. yuk

  • Reattach the center console in reverse order.  Make sure to hook all the electrical connections back up (including rear ash tray light, hazards, power windows).  Notice how ghetto, my black spray paint job is... I'm counting the days until the new plastic piece comes in (the piece is slightly rubberized, I'm surprised that it even stuck)

  • Once the console is back together (remove the pass key sticker from the ULF and stick it somewhere you wont lose it (on my owner's manual in glove box)

  • You’re now done with the center console connections (well, you have to put everything back together)

 

TRUNK END CONNECTIONS FOR SHARKFIN / EJECT BOX

First, here are the wires you’re concerned with:

  • Antenna cable you just ran to the trunk

  • Existing mini-UHF antenna cable

  • Antenna cable coming from the shark-fin

  • Remove the cover of the left side of the trunk


  •  

  • Once this is done, unwrap the wires for the Bluetooth kit.  Also, remove the bolt with a 10mm socket wrench as shown in the pic


  •  


  •  


  •  

  • Use the female / female FAKRA connector to connect the antenna cable you just ran to the BMW Bluetooth ULF


  •  

  • Now use the male FAKRA to male mini-UHF adapter to connect the shark fin to the existing antenna cable


  •  

  • NOTE: My car does not have a "carrier bracket."  So I had to remove the BMW ULF from the black bracket it was connected to.

  • Connect the SES jumper to the blue connector here:


  •  

  • PAIRING BUTTON ONLY!   Connect the mini-UHF to FAKRA adapter to the mini-UHF connector coming from the wires that were bundled in the trunk.


  •  

  • Connect the FAKRA adapter to the BMW ULF kit.

    MOUNTING THE ULF IN THE TRUNK

  • Add the two clip nuts to the ULF control module like this:

  • Now feed the Whole ULF back behind into the opening and mount it to the rear of the car using the same screw that was holding on the factory amplifier.  NOTE:  You only have made 1 connection so far... to the FAKRA connector.  Mount the bracket before you make the final connections.


  •  

  • Before you connect the ULF Control Module Harness to the ULF itself, you need to install the ELK-800 amplifier. 

  • ULF Control Module Harness:


  •  

  • My harness provided by Advanced Autovations, had a red and brown wire hanging out of it.  The red is the power (+) and the brown is the ground (-)

  • You need to unwrap the cloth wire from the harness completely so the all the wires are completely uncovered.

  • Cut the SOLID ORANGE and WHITE WITH ORANGE STRIPE wires in the middle of the harness.  Make sure only to cut the two wires!

  • Strip a very little off the end of all 4 wire ends (2 orange, 2 white/orange)

  • From the side with the DB25 connector (blue connector that connects to the vehicle), connect ORANGE and ORANGE/WHITE wires to the SPEAKER connection on the amplifier.

  • From the other end of the harness (the side that connects to the ULF), connect the ORANGE and ORANGE/WHITE wires to the INPUT connection on the amplifier.

  • NOTE: Polarity does not matter on either of the above connections

  • Now connect the RED wire to the (+) connector on the amplifier

  • Then connect the BROWN wire to the (-) connector on the amplifier.

  • Take some electrical tape and wrap the wires back up.  Make sure to leave some slack for the connections to the amplifier so that they do not come loose. 

  • Now we need to secure the amplifier to the vehicle.  I fed zip ties through the holes on the side of the amplifier and just pulled it through some holes on the vehicles frame.  Note:  The holes in the plastic of the amplifier were too small, so I took a small drill bit and made them bigger.

  • Picture of the amplifier mounted:  Note:  Make sure to tuck it behind in such a way that no pressure is applied to the fragile connectors

  • Now that everything is mounted, make the final connection from the ULF Control Module Harness to the ULF.  Clean everything up nicely and reassemble your car!
     

  •  NOTE: You may already have an antenna cable if you have the bee antenna or the shark fin pre-installed.  Since I had to install the shark fin myself,  I'll include instructions for connecting the shark fin at the end of this... 

Next, you need to connect the microphone

  • For these, I'll use the instructions at http://golilm.com/DIY/Bluetooth/ since they are the same for the pre-2002's (your car is already wired for a microphone.

  • Carefully pull down access panel on headliner.  The panel is simply held on with clips and will come loose with a clean small flathead screwdriver if needed.  Start from the front and rotate towards the windshield.
  • Locate the black 3-pin connector taped to the harness.Install microphone with arrow pointing to the front of the vehicle.  This is IMPORTANT!  A mic with the arrow point towards the back of the car will not work as well!  
  • NOTE: I replaced the microphone included with my Advanced Autovations kit with the latest BMW microphone.
    • The part # of the included Microphone is 84 31 8 380 319
    • The part # of the new microphone is 84 31 6 938 762 (the new microphone was about $50 from PacBMW and is said to greatly improve sound quality.
  • You can also swap the position of the microphone and the sunroof visor so that the microphone is directly overhead.  I will do this at some point, but it require taking a Dremel tool to the opening, since the sunroof control is too big to fit in the microphone opening.  Here's the complete look from golilm.com:

 

That's it!  Now its time to pair the phone with the car:  Follow golilm.com's instructions:

  • Press and hold the pair button before turning the key to ACC.
  • Turn the key on and continue to hold the button for 2-3 seconds
  • Release the button and the radio display display will show BT PAIRING
  • From here set your phone option to detect new Bluetooth devices.  Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on the phone.  (on Motorola phones you need to have it search for hands free devices.
  • Enter the PassKey code on your phone when prompted. 
  • After a second or two you'll see something like SUCCESS on the radio display.
  • Turn off the vehicle, then turn it back to ACC, not messing with the pairing button. 
  • Watch your phone for a minute or so and you should see it display it's Bluetooth connected icon.
  • You may see a 'PLEASE WAIT' type message on the MID display.  (It does this when it first sync's your phone's address book.)
  • Congratulations!  You're now ready to use your Bluetooth enabled car to send and receive hands-free, cradle-free calls!
**********************************************************
Shark Fin Install Instructions
 
  • You need to purchase the following parts from your BMW dealership.  As always, I recommend PacBMW at 800-909-PART
    • Shark fin antenna:  84-50-0-146-776    $50
    • Rubber gasket:       84-50-0-146-775    $5
    • 2 sided tape:          84-50-8-021-110     $7
    • Antenna cable        (UNKNOWN PART #)
     
  • You need to have the shark fin painted!  It cost me $25 to do so at a local body shop.
 
  • You need to use a heat gun to pull back the molding holding the rubber onto the back windshield and feed the cable through. It ends it the trunk and there is a hole to slide it through (remove the rubber stopper covering the hole).  You basically need a heat gun, and 2 plastic screwdrivers (so not to scratch paint).  I'd recommend having this done at the dealership or a glass company.  I got a few scratches on my rear quarter from lazy, because its time consuming... goes VERY slow...
 
  • Picture of the opening where the antenna wire slides through.
 
  • That's basically it.  It attaches to the roof with 2 sided tape (make sure to clean the roof with rubbing alcohol first and then measure to center it properly... I sorta eyed it , looking to line it up with the BMW emblem on the trunk of the car...  
  • Finally, you just need to run an antenna cable from here to the snap-in adapter.  Once you've done that, you're good to go!
  • Picture of the back end of my 2001 sedan with shark fin antenna mounted on it:
 
Some more Pictures... Finished Product!
  • Pictures of the Radio display when browsing the phone book via the steering wheel controls:

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  • Phone in cradle

  •  
  • Notice that I installed the AUX adapter here, for a portable device such as an iPod, etc:

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  •  
  • iPod connected to AUX adapter (not preferred method)

  •  
  • Better way to install an iPod: Dension's iceLink Plus.  Notice the MP3 tag beign displayed on the radio
 
 
 
Any questions, comments, feedback, etc... email me at [email protected]  Note: I'm not an installer... I don't represent BMW or anything like that... I just put this DIY together for fellow BMW owners who want to put in Bluetooth, who, as I did, may have had a hard time finding all the info they need...
 
 
 
 

 

 


 

 

 

 




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