[zzz3]

Hello everybody, I live Portugal and I am proud owner of e91 320d, I am very happy the car except for the sound system.
I’ve got basic speakers (2 in front door, 2 subs below front seats and 2 in rear door) and the professional radio (no nav nor idrive).

I’m trying to upgrade the e91 sound system, I’ve read some post in this forum about changing the sound system and i have some questions, maybe someone can help me.

This is setup I want to install:
Headunit: Alpine INA-N333 RS/RRS (1 din navigation)
Amplifier : Alpine V12 MRV-F357
Front and Rear Speakers (I want to keep the subs under seats):
Alpine SPX-107R 2 way system Speakers
And maybe add sub+amp in trunk.
Nokia Car Kit CK-7W

Now the questions…
1) Do I need a CAN BUS adapter ?
2) Will functions of steering wheel control be disable?
2) Is it true that PDC can/will stop working?
3) Is true that is not possible to upgrade the car software if the OEM radio is not installed ( I’ve read this in some other forum)?
4) Since I will be using my own cables, do I have to do any wire cutting?

Thks

Ps: sorry for the bad english

[Dante]

Hello zzz3,

welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry I 'm not able to answer your questions, but i can provide this:



If you have the basic stereo system(not hifi speaker or logic 7) you have two 160mm subs under your seats. The housings of your subs are equal to the bigger 218mm subs of the other systems (just fitted with an adaptor ring). So you might be able to retrofit some descent (but flat) 8" aftermarket subs into the housings.

So much for the info I can provide to you.

Have fun with your nice car!

[zzz3]

Thanks Dante, I will keep the standard subs for now, the main problem seems to be connection to the radio harness/Can Bus issues.
It would be nice to have some more info on this subject.
Anyone?

[zzz3]

Well after a little research i've found some answers.
Now the questions…
1) Do I need a CAN BUS adapter ?
A) Yes, if i want keep steering wheel control.
2) Will functions of steering wheel control be disable?
A) See previous answer
3) Is it true that PDC can/will stop working?
Not sure about this one... can anyone help?
4) Is true that is not possible to upgrade the car software if the OEM radio is not installed ( I’ve read this in some other forum)?
Tierfreund can shed some light in this subject, you have the only e90 i've seen with a Aftermaker unit...
5) Since I will be using my own cables, do I have to do any wire cutting?
Yes if i want keep de OEM Speakers

If find the answer for 3 and 4 i will do it...

[Dante]

Thank you for sharing, nice write up.

[Tierfreund]

As for
3). I´m not sure either. I know that if you have the Business Radio, taking it out will not disable the PDC. And if you have Logic 7 it will. I really don´t know about the Professional Radio / standard speaker combination. Either is possible-

4). Yes. The dealer cannot upgrade your car´s software if the Professional Radio is not present. There is a retrofit procedure for swaping the Business Radio with the BMW Indianapolis Nav/Radio that takes the Radio out of the Bus, but as far as I know that will not work if the car is coded for the Professional Radio. Wether there is any way to work around the Problem, I do not know.

For me the easiest solution is to just put the factory radio back in when you want the car to be reprogrammed. You don´t have to reconnect the speakers. Just the big Power/signal plug will do.

To avoid a lot of those problems it would have been easier to order the car with the Business radio instead of the Professional, but I understand it´s too late since you allready have the car.

In any case, good luck with the install. The Alpine equipment is great (Running an Alpine PXA-H600 DSP in my E90 myself).

[zzz3]

Thanks Tierfreund!
Does your car have PDC?
If yes, does sound cames from your front speakers?

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by zzz3

Thanks Tierfreund!
Does your car have PDC?
If yes, does sound cames from your front speakers?

No PDC. I´m old enough to have learnt to park visually

Actually I´m old enough to have learnt how to drive a car without synchromesh, but that´s a completely different story

[zzz3]

Originally Posted by Tierfreund

No PDC. I´m old enough to have learnt to park visually

I'am old enough for that too...

Actually I´m old enough to have learnt how to drive a car without synchromesh, but that´s a completely different story

...but not that old!

Back to Business...
Do you know anybody that had Business Radio+PDC and replaced the headunit?
Would like to know if the PDC still uses the front speakers.

Tia

[Tierfreund]

Originally Posted by zzz3

I'am old enough for that too...

...but not that old!

Back to Business...
Do you know anybody that had Business Radio+PDC and replaced the headunit?
Would like to know if the PDC still uses the front speakers.

Tia

Sorry, I don´t know that. But here´s what I´ve read in the BMW TIS regarding the sounds and warning chimes. I´m paraphrasing becuase I don´t remeber the exact wording but basically it stated:

In the E90 all components that trigger warning or information sound such as: The light control panel (light on), the instrument cluster (Oil pressure, ice warning etc.), the control unit footwell(there really is such a thing) (blinker sound), and the PDC unit are all capable of producing the necessary sounds themselves and do so in the simple audio configuration (business radio, stock sound system). On higher level audio configuration, these units, instead of producing the sound themselves trigger the hifi system to do so through (if I remeber correctly) the Can-Bus. They do so because the hifi-systems can play the warning sounds with higher audio quality and play them through the speakers.

What I don´t remeber is at what equipment level the warning sounds are transfered from the control units to the hifi.system. Wether it happens as soon as you spec the professional radio, the hifi-system or only with Logic7.

What is clear though is if you have only the Business radio and no hifi-system, the PDC control unit will produce its audio output itself and play it not through the stereo speaker but through it´s own speaker (probably just a piezo element) or the speaker in the instrument cluster.

I can also tell you that in my car that came only with the business radio and the stock speaker setup non of the warning chimes (light, oil, ice etc., but I don´t have PDC) were ever played through the stereo speakers. They all come from the instrument cluster or the control units. I´ve ripped out the stock speakers, replaced the speaker wiring and the aftermarket system draws no more than 12Volts from the car, but is not attached to any bus, and yet I still have the annoying low fuel, damn it´s cold, you need washer fluid etc. (audible) warnings.

So my guess is, if it´s only the Business radio, you don´t loose the PDC audio if you rip the radio and speakers out. Anyway, it´s easy to check: Just pull the radio out and try your PDC.

[Greek_Boy]

a little bit : could someone tell me if the performance of the stereo setup is reasonable? or should someone go in any case at least to hifi?

[piperclub]

Sorry to bud in, but Tierfreund would you be able to tell us which pins are the CAN bus H/L on the headunit hardness?

[efunroom]

Originally Posted by Tierfreund

Sorry, I don´t know that. But here´s what I´ve read in the BMW TIS regarding the sounds and warning chimes. I´m paraphrasing becuase I don´t remeber the exact wording but basically it stated:

In the E90 all components that trigger warning or information sound such as: The light control panel (light on), the instrument cluster (Oil pressure, ice warning etc.), the control unit footwell(there really is such a thing) (blinker sound), and the PDC unit are all capable of producing the necessary sounds themselves and do so in the simple audio configuration (business radio, stock sound system). On higher level audio configuration, these units, instead of producing the sound themselves trigger the hifi system to do so through (if I remeber correctly) the Can-Bus. They do so because the hifi-systems can play the warning sounds with higher audio quality and play them through the speakers.

I have the professional radio. There is another speaker under the dashboard of driver side for warning alarm. But the sound of PDC comes from the speaks of audio system. So w/o the radio, only PDC will be lost.