The best way would be to grab a radio from a 2003 or newer E46 and then to install the factory auxiliary input kit. Better yet, a radio from a 2005 or newer E46 (09/2004 build) can play MP3 CDs ad well. I have two e46 from 2002. One has a 6 cd changer in the boot, and on this one I have spliced on an aux cable so the AUX works when the 6 cd input is selected on the head unit. Problem: I want an AUX MP3 player in my 2003 E46 BMW. However, the current options are either pricey or result in poor quality audio. After a quick search on, I found many semi-complete tutorials on how to MAKE an AUX cord that will plug directly into the BMW factory head unit. ![]() Since I was trapped indoors as the rain pelted San Francisco for a solid week — I took out my soldering iron and gave it a go. Disclaimer: I have been using this setup with my ipods and iphone for a few months with no issues. However, I cannot be held responsible for any damage to your car as each application may vary. Parts – 22AWG Solid Copper Hookup Wire (3 color pack) – Radioshack $6.59 – 300K Ohm 1W Flameproof Resistor (10pcs) – PartsExpress.com $0.69 – 0.22uF 100V Polyester Film Capacitor (10pcs) – PartsExpress.com $1.80 – Rean NYS231BG 3.5mm Stereo Plug (Gold Plug) – PartsExpress.com $1.16 -Techflex 1/4″ Expandable Sleeving 25ft. Orange – PartsExpress.com $6.88 – Fan Power Splitter Cable 1F/2M 8″ (x2) (Connectors for stereo unit) – CentralComputer.com $2.95 each My 2003 BMW e46 stereo info Head unit – CD53 E46 (has AUX input in back along with CD changer option) Process I reviewed the following info from BMW that shows circuit diagrams, ect. Let’s get it on. 3.5mm plug with cover screwed on – I then braided (true story) the wires to keep them tight and strengthen the wire. – I slid the Orange TechFlex wire covering up wire and secured to 3.5mm plug using heatshrink (or electrical tape). The covering should cover most of the 4-5ft of wire you have braided. – Now comes the exciting part. Soldering the resistor and capacitors on. Review the circuit diagram from the link above so that you can be sure to get the layout correct. Note: The resistor should be on the radio side of the wire. From all the information available, radios built after 09/03 will work with this setup. Some 9/02 radios will have the mode button but AUX input won’t work. Here’s an easy way to check: 1. Turn Radio Off. Turn Radio On. Press and hold the “m” button for about 10 seconds. Press to navigate, you will need to go to the 2nd screen to look for the SW Verison which is in a SV xx-xx xx format. To be Sirius/AUX or XM compatible, the radio must be SW 43 or higher. Turn radio off to exit. The MODE button is not a good enough indicator to check if a radio is AUX or Sirius compatible. It needs to be manufactured 09/02 or later. The main purpose of the resistor is to cause the radio HU to recognize that an AUX device is plugged in. It puts a load on the cable. Many people that don’t include it say they cannot get their radio to go into AUX mode (b/c radio doesn’t know anything is attached). I just followed the diagram from BMW and it worked great. I’ve had mine for months and it works great. Sounds quality is perfect. Right no worries, turns out my sterio is new enough and your description of the process worked beautifully so many thanks 😀 Also thought I would add that I even took this a step further and immediately ran the cable all the way through to my boot where my power inverter happens to be, I then plugged an apple airport express into my inverter and plugged the 3.5mm AUX cable into the airport and now my car has a wifi hotspot that my iphone (ipod touch or ipad) will pick up and wirelessly play music through 🙂 •. I took a look today at my setup and I can indeed charge and play through the head unit at the same time. After doing some background research, the resistors and capacitors have been the common link between being able to charge while playing music. I’ll shoot you an email with specifics, but you should hop onto. I think it will run you. Quickbooks enterprise 2017 crack. Arnie, I am not 100% sure to be honest, but I am pretty confident that any radio made after my version (2003 325i) should have some sort of AUX input option. I would get the owner’s manual and look for a cd changer or external audio input. From there it is really about finding a connector that will connect to the pins (connectors are really just plastic housings that hold the wires onto the pins of the radio — not rocket science). The computer connectors I used can be snipped and filed until they fit.
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