# Phone for '01 530i



## bmaverick (Apr 15, 2004)

Just purchased an '01 E39 model and want to use the hands free options off the steering column. The car is pre-wired for a phone; what phone options do I have and any pointers on how to install? :dunno:


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## eyeopener (Jan 24, 2004)

I looked into this about 2 years ago and never found a solution that was reasonable. The factory wiring is under the armrest and matching it to your non BMW phone is a very difficult (if not impossible) procedure. Please let me know if you find a solution.


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## FlyingBMWman (Oct 29, 2003)

Well, there is something:
http://www.ihavetohave.it/acatalog/Cellular_Integration.html

The company above sell the connect2 kit, which is more fully described in 
http://www.connects2.com/pdfFiles/c2advert.pdf
http://www.connects2.com/pdfFiles/english%20PDF/C_2INTEGRATEDTELE003.pdf

However, although I have a Nokia 6310i, a CARK-91 and a steering wheel full of buttons, and the solution looks really complete, I haven't brought up the nerve to go ahead and order the kit. I assume it requires finding/laying cables which run between the center console and the trunk, under the carpet :-(


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## bmaverick (Apr 15, 2004)

*Phone '01 (E39)*



eyeopener said:


> I looked into this about 2 years ago and never found a solution that was reasonable. The factory wiring is under the armrest and matching it to your non BMW phone is a very difficult (if not impossible) procedure. Please let me know if you find a solution.


I feel very as though I do not even know how to begin. How do you acces the wiring under the armrest? Does the phone need to somehow need to be connected to wiring located in the trunk? I see a small tab saying the car is pre-wired for a phone, but feel very challenged on how to even look at what is existing for wiring. This is not something I have much experience working on. Please let me know if you can help.


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## Bearcat (Oct 15, 2003)

*A Cheap solution*

I have a Nokia 6610 with speaker phone feature. I just put it in the sunvisor strap of my 01 530i and it worked like a charm :thumbup:


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## FlyingBMWman (Oct 29, 2003)

bmaverick said:


> I feel very as though I do not even know how to begin. How do you acces the wiring under the armrest? Does the phone need to somehow need to be connected to wiring located in the trunk?....


 Hi, maybe I can help.

You're likely to need to do something under the armrest and in the trunk. I'll try to explain:

Your friendly BMW dealer will be able to sell you adapter cables between a number of car kits (handsfree kits) - including Nokia's CARK-91, for example, but I'm certain a number of Siemens and Sony kits is also included - and the BMW's wiring which is part of the phone pre-wiring kit present in most US models (in Europe, option 640).
The wiring, or rather the plug under the armrest, is accessible once you remove the armrest proper. Assuming you have the armrest model which is most often found on US E39s (characterised by being able to slide back and forth, but not tilt) and which in any case comes with option 640, you can remove this by:
1. prising out the tray or cupholder which resides in the rear of the console, near the rear passengers' feet (tray can be removed using a wide-blade screwdriver, whilst taking care not to scuff the console itself; cupholders: open both, then use fingers in slits to assist screwdriver action on outer rim of cupholder frame)
2. sliding down (not removing) the a/c vents for the rear passengers into the space vacated by tray or cupholders removed in step 1;
3. removing the exposed two Phillips screws;
4. removing the armrest upwardly.

You should now see a plug (if you don't see the plug, try fishing for it with your fingers through the hole in the bottom of the compartment exposed by removal of the armrest). In models as from 10/2001, this is an AMP plug with (I think) 18 contacts. Earlier models have a smaller RJ45 plug. The BMW adaptor cable fits right into this, make sure you get the right model. You should now also see a small mini-UHF cable (or again, fish for it) to which you can attach a BMW-issue interface cable which fits to the antenna plug of most phone cradles.

In order to make the AMP or RJ45 plug live, you need to also apply an adaptor plug in the trunk, left compartment (where the CD changer would sit if you had one). This adaptor plug takes the place of the base station of BMW's stock phone solution, which sits in the left trunk compartment if installed. The form of the adaptor plug depends on the year model again, as from 10/2001 a 54-contact (2-row) plug is used, before that a 25 contact DSub plug was used (see http://www.bmwtips.com/, Cell phone section). Both can be bought from BMW. Make sure you get the correct one.

So, all in all, you need three adaptors. One for the antenna cable (mini-UHF to whatever if common on phone cradles, I forget the name), one for the AMP/RJ45 plug under the armrest to your phone box, and one for the trunk.

Depending on the situation, you may also need to forward the antenna signal from the antenna to the antenna cable under the armrest by connecting antenna plugs in the left trunk compartment (one of these goes to the antenna, and is connected to the BMW-stock base station if installed; the other one is attached to a cable which runs to the armrest). The need for doing this is easy to establish: hook up everything as above; if a phone inserted in its cradle does get power, but does not get network coverage, then the antenna cables in the trunk must likely be connected.

A tip: depending on the handsfree kit you're installing, the BMW instructions may specify as the location for the electronics box (not the cradle) a spot right under the a/c vent in the dash (at least this is the case for the Nokia CARK-91 kit). This requires that you also acquire a plastic support and Velcro tape to fix the kit, and that you disassemble part of the dash, which includes removal of radios and navigation displays. I have refused to do this in view of the hassle and the possible technical problems and the resulting need to access the box more often, and instead sacrificed the space under the armrest for the box. The Nokia CARK-91 box fits without any problems, and the adaptor cable (which is long enough to cater for the BMW-ordained location) must be rolled up to fit, or shortened (this is possible, but be careful that you keep the various impedance loops in the cable).

I hope this helps, if not gimme a shout again.

Note: these solutions will not make it possible to let your phone listen to the steering wheel commands. In order to effect this, you'll probably need to go for a solution like the connect2 one I hinted at in an earlier reply in this thread. However, that solution will also require access to the car's wiring as above. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that connect2's solution will in addition require running an additional wire harness between the armrest and the trunk (something I have not been prepared to do, so far


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