# Questions about 2003 540i?



## jvr826 (Apr 22, 2002)

chivas said:


> i have navigation without DSP... how would i go about upgrading my stereo system or am i screwed with what i have? i would like to replace the speakers and maybe slap in an amp (got one... actually two sitting around) to the front and rears. Can i just yank out the front speakers and slap in aftermarket or do i need an adapter like i did for BOSE systems where the amps are attached to the speakers. thanks!


My '02 530i has Nav and non-DSP. I disconnected the front tweeters, replaced the midrange with a new component tweeter, and the mid-bass with a component woofer. I disconnected the rear tweeters and wired the factory rear mid-bass as a full range rear fill. I bypassed the factory amp and installed the P840. I built a wide and shallow sub box the fits against the rear seat (at same angle) and fires the sub right thru the rear arm rest of my non-fold down rear seats.

I did all this without cutting a single wire in the car. The wiring for the Nav equipped car is exactly the same as the non-nav equipped NON-DSP system, at least I can say this for the 1999 and 2002 model year cars. The only difference for my nav equipped install was that I needed a line output converter between the line-level outputs and the inputs on my amp. I have no explanation for this, the amp part number for the nav and non-nav equipped car is exactly the same. Go figure!

I did not put a site together for the 530i install, but in a nutshell I wired everything in the trunk as before. The front doors come apart exactly the same too. I decided NOT to replace the rear speakers in the 530i with the coax from the 528i because of the work involved to get to them. My rear deck in the 528i was never rattle free after I took it apart, so I didn't want to do this in the 530i. What I did instead was use the built-in variable crossovers of the P840 amp and dial in a comfortable frequency response for the stock mid-bass drivers, not too low, not too high, for rear fill. I have the system faded mostly forward anyway, but rear fill is adequate this way.

If you are interested in going at this project and want to do it without cutting wires, let me know. Somewhere I have BMW part numbers for connectors and pins that match the 26 and 12 pin connectors in the wiring harness in the trunk, and the 3-position, 2 wire connector inside the front door so you don't have to splice your tweeter wires either. It took some back and forth with AMP (now Tyco) to get the "samples" from them, but it was doable back in '02 when I did the work. These connectors allow you to wire up your amp and component speaker crossovers to the factory harness by just plugging in the connectors. I lease so this was very important. All I have to do to take the system out is unplug my aftermarket stuff and plug the 2 connectors into the factory amp (still in place) and I'm done in the trunk side of things.

I also have some pictures, tried to find them, but no luck. I'll keep looking...


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## vexed (Dec 22, 2001)

mattldm said:


> Thanks guys.
> I dont see how the cupholder that sits on the floor would work, wouldnt it be under your right leg while you were driving? That seems like it would be hard to get at while driving.
> 
> I dont think any cupholder is much good for spirited driving, I just need a place for my mega-double-venti-super-latte in the morning!
> ...


When I leased my 530 it had a TEC cupholder. It does worrk, I would never put anything except maybe a parking garage ticket in the standard cupholders.


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## 540 M-Sport (Apr 23, 2004)

mattldm said:


> Does anyone know what the approximate 0 to 60 times are for the 2003 540iA M-sport? I know it has a lower final drive ratio, so that should help with acceleration. I have seen specs that say 6.1 seconds, but that sounds slow. anyone know if thats correct?
> 
> thanks


I've only seen the same BMW published spec...never seen an independant source. Generally the BMW specs are confirmed with most car magazine results, so I would think it is accurate. Trust me, the torque allows the car to move out, just by rolling on the throttle, wihout forcing a down shift....and if you nail the throttle, it down shifts and launches away with authority. It is very satisfying to drive! 

Dave


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

I have seen 0 to 60 listed under 6 seconds in some of the car mags, (C&D, R&T, MT) but i dont remember which one. Usually BMW's specs are slow, from what i have seen.

One other question, does the 03 540i have bluetooth?


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## 540 M-Sport (Apr 23, 2004)

mattldm said:


> I have seen 0 to 60 listed under 6 seconds in some of the car mags, (C&D, R&T, MT) but i dont remember which one. Usually BMW's specs are slow, from what i have seen.
> 
> One other question, does the 03 540i have bluetooth?


You can buy the kit from BMW, or aftermarket...but do study up first, as BMW keeps updating the software in the main "box" you need to buy, and it is not upgradable, so get the latest and greatest one. Becareful too, as there are now 5 or 6 variants out there, and some dealers will try and pass off to you one of the older ones, or they may not have the latest ones in stock. Order by part number only.

Dave


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

I dont really need the bluetooth. I just thought it might have been standard because I have seen so many posts regarding the topic.


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

I know this is off topic, but I have searched and cant find an answer... How do you add an Avatar? Am I just dense, I cant figure it out.
Thanks
Matt


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

How long will the Pilot Sports last? The car I am buying has 18,500 miles on it but about half of those have been on a set of snow tires. The OEM 18" Michellins only have about 9-10K on them. How much longer can I expect to go before I have to buy tires?
thanks again for all your help, I know I have asked a tom of questions lately!


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

Hi there, Its me again! I just found a picture of the car and It atually has Dunlop tires not michellins. Im not sure what model they are, (8000?) so please disregard the previous post about the pilots. 
thanks


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

I sent im my credit app to BMW, I should hear from them soon! I hope everything works out.


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## mattldm (Feb 7, 2004)

Wells its official! I am approved an will be getting the 540i!  I can't wait.

anyone have any experience with the bmw aux input connector? how easy is it to install?


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