DAB retrofit

[GS WAX]

Total newbie, so please excuse my ignorance, I tried searching ,but didn't know what to search for, im still learning all things 1 M.

I am in the process purchasing a 1M, unfortunately one of the options I really would lke is DAB radio, unfortunately in the UK none of the suitable examples for me to purchase have this fitted as a factory option with the Navigation pro(also a must have), I don't want an aftermarket Dab set up and would like to know if its possible to retrofit the factory DAB in any way .

Hope that's clear, many thanks

GS

[de85275]

The car was only available with 2 choices, loaded or stripped. There were no pick-and-choose options. So no stock DAB radio, just the HD in the stripped version or what ever came with the Nav system.

Just get one and you won't care if there is a radio in the car, trust me. :-)

[PaulMcA]

Originally Posted by GS WAX

Total newbie, so please excuse my ignorance, I tried searching ,but didn't know what to search for, im still learning all things 1 M.

I am in the process purchasing a 1M, unfortunately one of the options I really would lke is DAB radio, none of the suitable examples for me to purchase have this fitted as a factory option with the Navigation pro(also a must have), I don't want an aftermarket Dab set up and would like to know if its possible to retrofit the factory DAB in any way .

Hope that's clear, many thanks

GS

I though all UK cars came with DAB as std. Not sure it was an option here in UK. You'll need to check and be sure.

[RS375]

I've just had a quick look at the UK option list I have, DAB was option 654 and was only available if you had the Pro Nav (609) or Pro radio (663).

[PaulMcA]

Originally Posted by RS375

I've just had a quick look at the UK option list I have, DAB was option 654 and was only available if you had the Pro Nav (609) or Pro radio (663).

Oh yeh.
Fair do's.

When I was looking for a 1M, didn't see any without the NAV option TBH, so assumed it was standard and with that came DAB.

[awt]

The navigation computer (CIC) need to be changed if you want to retrofit DAB(+) in a car that doesn't have this from factory. These are quite rare on the second hand marked, so you'll probably need to buy one from a dealer.

I don't know how it was in the UK, but in Norway and Germany for that matter, DAB was an extra option, and was not included in navigation professional (609).

[Artemis]

At least in Belgium and Germany the DAB Tuner was optional on the 1M (option 654 - EUR420.00 in Belgium | EUR410.00 in Germany).

Only available in combination with either Radio Professional or BMW SATNAV Professional

I like it. Always either a crystal clear sound or no sound at all. That's why I programmed all channels in digital and analog: if you're following a conversation, enter a tunnel and notice that the sound cuts out, I just push the 'next channel' button to continue in (distorted) analog, and toggle back once I'm out of the tunnel.

Practical side effect: radio dies shortly after entering an underground garage and pops up out of the blue upon leaving it, haha.

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by GS WAX

...to know if its possible to retrofit the factory DAB in any way ...

There is a BMW retrofit, but I can't figure out if it this is indeed equal to the factory option: Do other members that have the $654 option recognize the remote control in the below RealOEM link? The good news is that the factory DAB is for sure retrofit-able (I haven't fully researched this yet). The bad news is that sometimes the true factory-alike retrofits do not make sense financially and dealers can't or even actively refuse to support them and the car they're build into.

Suggest to discuss this page and its part numbers with a local dealer or BMW competent installer. RealOEM 1M DAB retrofit

Originally Posted by awt

The navigation computer (CIC) need to be changed if you want to retrofit DAB(+) in a car that doesn't have this from factory. These are quite rare on the second hand marked, so you'll probably need to buy one from a dealer ...

I could not find any support in RealOEM for your claim that the OEM DAB functionality is hardware integrated in the CIC ($609) nor Professional Radio ($663) head unit; Non of the part numbers seem dependent on DAB option code $654

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by eeghie

I could not find any support in RealOEM for your claim that the OEM DAB functionality is hardware integrated in the CIC ($609) nor Professional Radio ($663) head unit; Non of the part numbers seem dependent on DAB option code $654

It's the other way around: according to the German 2011 catalogue, the DAB option requires either the Radio Pro option or the BMW SATNAV Pro option.