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George M
07-09-2004, 09:03 PM
Gents,
I am pleased to report subject radio has been successfully installed. It wasn't easy but few things worth having ever are.
Hope you enjoy the following write up:

http://members.roadfly.com/georgemann/CD43Booklet.jpg
Fortunately the PO of the head unit had the original booklet and code
card unmolested.

http://members.roadfly.com/georgemann/CD43Table.jpg
Unraveling the wiring DNA code on the kitchen table. First effort to wire the radio was unsuccessful. This is what happened....

http://members.roadfly.com/georgemann/CD43PinCallout.jpg
The primary reason for this post is to help others with this conversion. The two people I talked to that performed the conversion really didn’t know how the radio was wired…both purchased an aftermarket plug with pre-assigned wires to splice to the car harness. I personally don't like to rely on aftermarket plugs which can many times be wrong or have an errant wire in the wrong place. I got to know where all the wires go. I didn’t want to go the aftermarke plug route and it almost cost me. I wanted a factory BMW plug and Rigmaster sent me one from his parted ’92 525i for a nominal cost…Thanks Bret. Here is the issue....I put together a wiring diagram above constructed from the radio booklet with a pic of the pin config. from Bentley for ’91 and later BMW’s. Winfred…I solved the reason why these plugs are not interchangeable to all year BMW’s after 1991. BMW didn’t change the pin configuration on the excellent sliding clasp common radio connector that didn’t change over the years but did change the damn convention of which pins pertain to what no. callout for each wire address. The picture shows conventionally marked nos. in black from Bentley for ’91 and later radios. The colored nos. represent the correct pin callout convention for the later CD43 business CD head unit offered on late model BMW’s. Go figure. I presume they did this to mitigate EMI but it sure caused a whole lot of confusion and anxiety for me…well at least as excited as I get these days. :p The first time I hooked up the radio, I attached it to the ’91 Bentley plug callout config. turned the radio on and nothing. I am grateful to a higher power that I didn’t fry the radio as many wires were attached to incorrect destinations.
Next I removed the connector and checked the fuse…perfect so dodged a bullet there. My mind was reeling of course thinking that UPS abused the package in transit in spite of the radio being meticulously wrapped….Many Thanks Oscar…the radio was in perfect condition and I mean perfect. Next I didn’t know what to do so removed the connector and started fishing around only to find that the radio pin addresses were etched into the back radio plug adjacent to the pins. A quick comparison with Bentley and there is was. I was both relieved, agitated that BMW would change the pin destinations without changing the plug over time…and concerned that I fried my new radio at the same time. There was hope...but did I fry the radio by mis-wiring it? Had to wait until I pulled the car harness all apart again and resolder it correctly to the colored numbers above to find out. Note that pin nos. 1-6 are the same for all years. It seems ludicrous that BMW would throw this curve ball for the same design plug but they did. Other thing that no one would answer is could I isolate all the negative channel outputs from this factory radio and wire it successfully like I had my last Kenwood head unit and as the original factory radio is wired. The answer is yes which begs the question as to why BMW goes the trouble and added cost of running separate (-) channel outputs to the post amp after model year 1990 but they do…presume it is for incremental sound improvement versus sharing a common earth...but imperceptible to my ear. That is precisely how you wire this radio to pre-1991 BMW’s…connect only the (+) leads for the four channels respectively to the car harness/amp and do not connect the (-) channel outputs from the radio at all. Isolate the (-) leads independently with electrical tape and do not ground them. Do run a separate ground wire from the radio chassis to the car’s body however. Other thing you will need is a VW-20 antenna adapter to connect the conventional power rear window antenna co-ax from the car to this radio…Thanks Mike Holbrook for the tip.

http://members.roadfly.com/georgemann/CD43InteriorFrt.jpg
Straight on shot of radio…couldn’t be more pleased with the way it looks. The radio unlike any other radio I have seen in these cars looks like it belongs. Here is the kicker…it even sounds better than it looks. I am astounded by the sound. I never liked the factory head unit…thought it was a weak radio and it is. I upgraded to a Blaupunkt Toronto and it was better but there were many quirky un-BMW like qualities to that radio…I hated the credit card feature…thought it was gimmicky and believed it had a cheap amp and wasn’t impressed with the sound quality and so upgraded to a Kenwood 715S which sounded terrific. This radio however blows it out of the water. I had no idea the sound would be this good running through the factory amp and stock 10 speakers…couldn’t be more pleased. Heard more depth to some of the CD’s I tried that I hadn’t picked up in other systems…a very impressive stock head unit.

http://members.roadfly.com/georgemann/CD43InteriorOblique.jpg
Side shot of the radio. In summary, I highly recommend this upgrade to anyone considering an aftermarket head unit. You should be able to pick one up for around $300 or so or comparable to a replacement head unit. Your challenge will be to find a real nice one…I got lucky. Someone with a late model E-36 or Z3 that has to have an audiophile system will occasionally put a CD43 up for sale. I put a query on the Z3 board and got a response. Personally, I would never sell an original BMW factory radio out of a clean BMW but some do for the money. If I were ever to upgrade, I would always keep the original radio to sell with the car. A final note is…the tactile quality of the buttons, ergonomics and overall sturdiness this radio exudes is second to none. Also, the display is a perfect match for the rest of the lighting.

http://members.roadfly.com/georgemann/RrQtrResize.jpg
Of course I had to throw in a pic of my car…what the radio is attached to.

My post in thanks for all the great people on this forum that have the same passion for these cars.
George
90 735iL/149k
P.S...will keep these pics up for a while on my webspace. If you are interested, save the pics into your hard drive before they are taken down.

Martin in Bellevue
07-09-2004, 09:35 PM
Looks great George! That is, the radio & that sled.

George M
07-09-2004, 09:42 PM
Thank you Brother....appreciate your comment Martin.
George

Brandon J
07-09-2004, 10:22 PM
Wow, that looks awesome. Thanks for the input. Did you do any research to see if a BMW 6 disc cd changer could be used also? Does the illumintation dim with the rest of the dash lights?

hmmm...that would be nice to see and hear in person.....ahem e34 meet
btw, the car looks very clean

winfred
07-09-2004, 10:23 PM
i was wondering how it would sound, i know the 96 and up e36 tape decks really suck for sound quality, even with the harmon amp/speakers (guess you can't polish a turd, meaning the head unit) and the grand master of shitty sound systems the e39, that thing reeks, plus it's a odd size and part of the obc, id walk away from a car that sounds like that at the showroom. i know the amp and speakers are pretty decent and on 95 and older cars the pioneer head unit blows the alpine away for sound imho

Jeff N.
07-09-2004, 10:48 PM
swwweeet. I want one!

Scott C
07-09-2004, 11:06 PM
Does the radio channel show on the instrument cluster as well? (Maybe only 95?)
Thanks,
Scott

Jr ///M5
07-10-2004, 06:40 AM
Nice work George. That unit really does look like it came with the car, it looks right at home and updates the look of your console area. Good idea, glad you shared your hard work and research with us. Wouldn't expect anything else from you, but a top notch install procedure.
Yessir, a high class unit for a high class car. You really have a lovely car, and the color......=) one of my favorites!
Now with the new tunes in place, you're just about ready for a road trip, right? Say, around August 8th, Chicago area??? =)

Great job George! It took the patience of Job to figure out the wiring, and to document it so it can be shared by others is to be commended.

Lovely car...

MicahO
07-10-2004, 07:24 AM
Looks great - right at home, and CD audio is now right at your fingertips. It's also great to hear that it looks as good as it sounds.

With a new BMW Harmon Kardon system in the driveway, I know what Winfred is talking about. It doesn't sound all that bad (and I prefer the exhaust and engine note anyhow). But compared to the Bose/Nissan Surround Sound system in Jen's car.....

Good factory fidelity - nothing better! Enjoy it!

George M
07-10-2004, 09:04 AM
Glad you guys like it. As with everything, it is a balance. With radios...the balance is aesthetics, fidelity and cost. Everybody has a different priority...with me, the afore mentioned are of equal weight. For some..nth degree sound quality rules and how the head unit looks doesn't factor in as much and are willing to pay $2K to install a killer system and tear out the old speakers and factory amp. Many people on this forum have that kind of system that will blow mine away in sound quality. With me I was looking for a balance of all these things trying to preserve the originality of the car a bit and yet still upgrade sound peformance at a reasonable price.
Brandon....I didn't research the 6 disc changer compatibility as I currently don't have one in my E-32...one of the only options my car didn't come with.
If I installed one, I would opt for a late model changer mostly for performance and reliability and run the factory co-ax from the CD43 back to the trunk. It is possible the original changer would work in these car but I don't have an answer for you. I know the plug itself is different on pre-91 cars but possibly compatible on '91 and later E-34's when the went to the later radio connector with integral changer co-ax. As to the illumination...it matchs perfectly with lights off in daylight or on in a dark garage...checked it both ways. The separate illumination wire compensates for light, reducing the illumination of the display and providing peripherial lighting to the knob etc when the lights are turned on. Scott...I honestly don't know if the center display will show radio function...a very good question. I used that feature so infrequently when I had my original radio in the car that it didn't occur to me to even try it. Will have to give it a go :-)
Jr...many thanks for your comments. It is your car I covet of all the cars on this forum. I hang out here with "my sled" because of the people mostly.
I do love my car but your M5 because of its rarity, condition and performance is really something to behold...and as you say the color ain't bad either.
And Micah...glad you are still hanging out as with many who have moved out of the E-34 fold as the true car guy you are. As you know time marchs on and factory systems continue to improve so my modest system won't hold a candle to many of the high end late model cars out there not to mention some of the very trick aftermarket installations...but for what it is...sounds pretty darn good...especially at fun song with the windows down and roof open on a perfect sunny day on the expressway with the peddle down :-)
Cheers to my homies out there.
George

Scott H
07-10-2004, 10:09 AM
Congrats! Nothing more satisfying than being able to put a long and trying project to rest with successful results. Time to jam some good tunes while cruising for chicks while there is still time left this summer :p

Scott

Scott H
07-10-2004, 10:17 AM
The HK system is definitely not worth the upgrade. Logic 7 on the other hand is fantastic.


With a new BMW Harmon Kardon system in the driveway, I know what Winfred is talking about. It doesn't sound all that bad (and I prefer the exhaust and engine note anyhow). But compared to the Bose/Nissan Surround Sound system in Jen's car.....

Good factory fidelity - nothing better! Enjoy it!

George M
07-10-2004, 10:21 AM
Good to hear from you Scott...been a while. Wasn't that big of an effort really. Most who own these cars...yourself included...have done a whole lot more. Installing an all new aftermarket system including new post amp and speakers is way more work. I think part of the motor head profile is challenge anyway. You have a vision of what you want and enjoy the pursuit of seeking it. The anticipation of installing something new or rebuilding an engine and turning the key for the first time is a thrill we all enjoy.
As to more important things like rays and chicks...hear ya on that front bro.
Time to head out to the park and scope out some tight rollerblade buns. Life's short...play hard :-)
Hope all is well.
George

kentish
07-10-2004, 11:04 AM
Bremen RDM 127

Hi to everyone,

George, the head Unit looks great!

How about putting this radio in my 540i, give your opinion
here is a simulation of the head unit: http://www.blaupunkt.de/simulations/nydef_en.html

Ken
540i A

George M
07-10-2004, 11:18 AM
Clean and somewhat unique looking radio...first time I have seen it. I am not a big fan of the credit card feature which purpose is two-fold...one..anti-theft deterrent which doesn't work...theives are known to steal trick radios without the credit card in place or not...and two...two different cards allows for separate programming/radio set preferences between two drivers that share the same car.
I prefer a radio without these features. The design of the radio is quite novel and clean however unlike many of the busy aftermarket Blaupunkt models which appeal more to the bling bling aftermarket radio segment...and for good reason...they sell more than conservatively styled radios that blend in. Blaupunkt used to set the standard for cleanly designed high end audio. I installed one many years ago in a Corvette. Now that are mostly designing for the tuner market which panders to over the top bells and whistles and fancy graphics.
George

Chad535
07-10-2004, 12:13 PM
Amazing and very neat work George..just tell me where did you get this gear handel...........PLZZZZZZZ

kentish
07-10-2004, 12:15 PM
Yep, Nice and clean. this radio first appeared in 1997 I think.I really like it. It has a motorised face and many goodies, like 4 individual equalizer, steering whell remote control . Getting a used one to buy with its cd changer. Changer uses optic for audio transfer. It even has an microphone that balances the sound depending on the car interior and you can change the color of the display from green to orange and positive to negative. Making it a perfect match for the BMW orange displays

Ken

chris530it
07-10-2004, 04:46 PM
hey everyone, I am selling my business head unit out of my e34. I didnt have to do any conversion, so i would assume that any one who has an e34 could just plug and play. it looks just like george's and fits perfectly. $300 plus shipping, let me know if anyone is interested.


chris
94 530it

George M
07-10-2004, 05:29 PM
Chad, Circle BMW now sells the E-38 shaft and knob I believe separately to perform the conversion. This is a very nice tasteful upgrade to replace the dated T-handle which I was never a fan of on automatic cars. Give them a call. The archives may even contain the part numbers.
A good price for your radio Chris if it is a CD43..a couple of variants out there. Maybe plug and play after 91 but have to be careful as BMW did reassign the pins on the common connector around '94 time frrame so only very late E-34's like your car would be plug and play. Prior to '91 like my car...completely different ballgame as BMW did not use the common connector. In any event the radio can be connected.
George

chris530it
07-10-2004, 06:22 PM
can i get the leather shifter you have on my e-34? i hate the t shifter, and have been looking for a leather covered one. but seing yours i realize that i should just change designs completely.

chris
1994 530it

George M
07-11-2004, 07:38 AM
Chris,
Contact Circle BMW..they have a website to purchase the shaft and knob separately if you want to replace the T-handle. When I did the conversion a couple of years ago, I purchased a complete late model E-36 shifter assembly and then using an arbor press, pressed the respective wrist pins out of each base and swapped the E-36 shaft into the E-32 base. The two bases are different in terms of the direction of the cable feed. The archives on this board may contain the actual part numbers but Circle BMW should be able to hook you up. Believe Bavarian Autosport has a large selection of different late model pistol grips...check out their on-line catalog. I toyed with the idea of having a composite leather and aluminum pistol grip but went with an all leather grip because my car interior has virtually no aluminum...just the top strips along the door panels.
HTH,
George

henryw525i
07-11-2004, 10:46 AM
Very intresting reading your article, because I thought I would be the only person installing another OEM BMW headunit and not going towards the aftermarket way. I am pretty sure the CD 43 was a different internals to the radio I installed, but they have the same connections and asthetic design. I chose to install another OEM bmw radio because there were no HU out there that fitted the rest of the car like that radio.

The radio I pulled out was a really old bugger was the poverty radio that came with E30's E28's and E34's had a tape drive lcd screen and no cd changer options....and the thing had only 2 channels left and right which was then split by the fader control switch.

So got the radio out of my mates '99 M3 and got the code from the stealer. But the speakers in my car were pretty stuffed and they were 8ohm and the HU is designed to work with 4ohm speakers so I replaced all the speakers with some phillips 80w ones. I am not a person for cutting and splicing wires....I HATE IT so i was searching throgh the ETK one day and came upon an OEM adaptor that was a plug and play to convert the old plug system to the new "rectangular" plug system. So yeah it was fairly bolt in...except the harness i got was designed for the wireharness that had the HU that had fader control on it rather than having a fader switch. I tapped them in so the fader control switch still worked because its easier to use that going through the menu on the radio.

So yeah everything plugged in fine. then i bought a stacker and got an E36 stacker harness and wired and bolted it all up per factory design...

And yeah it does me quite nicely. Having your HU would have been really cool...but i sometimes plug my laptop in via the tape deck so yeah that has its advantages also.


Great work though I like your thinking ;)

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~johnbw/bimmer/E34%20525iM/DSC00429.JPG

George M
07-11-2004, 11:20 AM
great to see old fashioned ingenuity...pretty clever on your part to search the ETK for a compatible plug and swap out speakers. I am sure that model year '99 M3 radio is strong. As mentioned before some have gone to the dark side and installed some really high tech systems and there appears to be every flavor in between...which one would expect. A-Z...guys content with the stock radio and audiophiles on this board which will only accept super high end sound.
Well done Henry,
George

OneBeLow
04-27-2007, 09:29 AM
back from the dead.....anyone done this since 2004?

BuckNaked
04-27-2007, 05:10 PM
Not yet, but I am actively seeking out a CD43 for my 95 540i.
This post is so old that the pictures have dried up.
I am going to do some more research on the actual process which should be the same for both our vehicles. The original author speaks of pre-91 having different pinouts... let me know if you fins anything, I will do the same.

Boone.Msi
04-27-2007, 05:26 PM
check bimmerforums.com's for sale section, they have them in there all the time ranging from $200-$450.

BuckNaked
04-27-2007, 05:59 PM
funny, I bookmarked bimmerforums.com's for sale section as my start page.
I see 2 versions for sale on eBait. One I am assuming is a knock off with the ///M stick-on logo and runs $300. The other uses the BMW Business CD silkscreened and seldom sells for less than $375 shipped. Anyone else notice this?
I was hoping the CD43 was a direct swap, but I guess not.

Hector
04-27-2007, 10:52 PM
This is a high quality thread and probably one of the very few in its class. As soon as I get the time and parts I'm going straight to work. I just hope that I have the drive and enthusiasm George had at the time. Man, I'm getting pumped up already.

Paul in NZ
04-28-2007, 02:41 AM
George mentions the pinout is shown on the new headunit.If the old headunit is also marked then hopefully it will be relatively painless.

Qsilver7
04-30-2007, 07:51 AM
If you have a 91 or higher e34/e32 etc...the CD43's wiring harness hooks right up to your car's regular radio connector.

The only thing that won't work is the CD changer cable...the CD43 communicates with the CD changer (CDC) over the I-Bus...and the e34/e32 communicates with the CDC over the M-bus. In order to use a CDC with the CD43 head unit...you need to update the data cable that runs from the head unit to your CDC location...and you must upgrade your CDC to one that operates on the I-Bus. It's sort of easy to tell because those changers will usually have "BMW 6 CD changer PI" written on the door.

Or you can upgrade from outdated CDs and move up to an MP3 player. The CD43 will work with an iPod or MP3 player by connecting to the aux outlet in the back. You can run the MP3 player to your glove box, trunk, or mount a holder anywhere convenient for you.

For info and links to info about upgrading using this radio click this link: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/433594/17

As far as the redundant radio display in the instrument cluster display...you have to have a 1993 or higher e34.

shogun
10-07-2007, 11:19 PM
did someone download the pics George psoted back in 2004?
Gale just posted this info on BB and I wanted to see the pics too.

shogun
08-24-2024, 07:10 PM
here installation on an E36, I did the same https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWAE1_jQ2LU