[Garbo]

Morning folks,
As it's getting darker these days I've noticed the standard headlights on my '05 530i are pretty poor, I upgraded my old E46 M3 to aftermarket HID's and they worked great, passed 2 NCT's, were properly focussed threw a lot of light onto the road ahead.

Has anyone on here upgraded their OEM bulbs to either HID's or just upgraded the bulbs to better ones (Osram night breakers for example)? If so what did you change to and are you happy with them?

Also, I can't take the doom and gloom on the radio any more, I need to get the lack of external audio input sorted out. There seems to be 2 options, a Dension gateway 500 (best solution but very expensive) or a retrofit AUX input upgrade.

I've had Dension kits in my E46's for 10 years and they are great, not sure I can justify €400+ for more or less the same functionality I got out of of my €100 Icelink plus.

Has anyone managed to retro-fit an Aux-in? I have a 6 disk changer, this seems to be a pre-requisite, do I need to go to a main dealer and have the software upgraded? Has anyone done this before? Any idea how much this costs?

Last question Given the lack of obvious suitable mounting places around the cockpit, has anyone any suggestions as to where is the best place to mount an iPhone? I had a brodit mount and console adaptor in the last car it worked great, haven't seen anything yet for the E60 that stands out as a neat solution.

Thanks in advance, apologies for the multiple questions.

Feck it one more question! Has anyone tried the heater timer on the E60, within the climate settings there is a Timer 1 & Timer 2 setting, am i right in thinking you can have the car pre heated before you get in to it? what are the risks of running down the battrey using this, it doesn't give a heater off option so i guess it shuts itself off after a set amount of time, has anyone used this? Does it work?


Gar

 

[DaveP]

Hi Gar,

Not sure about the bulbs but I've the same problem with no aux in/dension on a 05. From reading on various sites if you have a CD changer and your dash CD drive can play MP3 CDs the dension is just plug and play. I think the aux in needs the software updated as well as the kit installed.

I was going to get the dension but my CD player doesnt do MP3s, a software update is supposed to sort this. However Athlone BMW seemed unsure and wanted the car for upto a day(at their hourly rate!)?? I eventually got all the cars softwate updated in Barry motors in Galway for €130 but still no MP3

I believe one of the sponors (beemerchris) can do ECU updates so may be worth checking with him.

I'm also curious about the auto heat timers, but afraid to come out to a warm car with a flat battery

 

[JM1]

Have you not got a aux input behinf the center arm rest where the
air vents are for the rear passangers?

When you say "I upgraded my old E46 M3 to aftermarket HID's and they worked great" was it the full lights you upgraded?
I wanted to fit a hid kit to my e50 520d but I dont have projector headlamop
so I dont want the scattered and blinding ither road users but there is a member on here who fitted them to his e60 and said hr focused the 100%.

 

[sd_dracula]

give these guys a call http://www.bmw-driver.net/forum/showthread.php?t=17143 for dension they do decent price for fitting + software update which you will need for sure i say.
or get the parts yourself and give chris (beemerchris on these forums) a call and ask him how much

 

[Colm_D]

I'll be keeping an eye on this one Did a bit of searching and it seems for my car, the dension 500 is the one however at €400+ like said is rather expensive, and doesn't support text display on my radio.

http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-dension-gw51mo2-gateway-500_p-24066.htm

 

[Garbo]

Ok I braved the Timer 1 & timer 2 settings this morning and was greeted by a toasty warm car this morning that started right away, When I hopped in the climate control was on as normal heating away, it sets the car to the last temp settings so don't forget to turn up the temp dials before getting out the night before if you want it nice and toasty.

No frozen windshield for me any more. (I'll keep the jump leads handy just in case).

The timer 2 function is there if you feel like really spoiling yourself and having the car toasty when you get in to go home from work.

@DaveP, my 6 disk changer plays CD-R's (but only in proper CDA formats like a real CD not MP3's) and the front slot in doesn't recognise CD-r's at all. Is this the same setup as you? Did you get the Aux in kit installed or not?

@Beemerchris, are you located in Dublin by any chance? Do you/have you retro fitted the 3.5mm AUX in kits to an E60? I would be very interested in getting it done if you do it.

Thanks,
Gar

 

[sd_dracula]

I'll be keeping an eye on this one Did a bit of searching and it seems for my car, the dension 500 is the one however at €400+ like said is rather expensive, and doesn't support text display on my radio.

http://www.caraudiocentre.co.uk/product_m-dension-gw51mo2-gateway-500_p-24066.htm

you could go for a parrot mki9000 and the parrot unika if you want full steering controls. and you get whole deal, bluetooth phone, bluetooth music, usb, aux in. think they go for around £100 each. only thing is they dont integrate with idrive but since you wont get text display with dension its the same thing.

 

[daveol]

I have the Parrot MKi9200 in my E39 if you want an opinion of........

Would depend on whether you were getting it based more on the bluetooth for phone or for the linking up Ipod/music capabilities.

 

[DaveP]

@DaveP, my 6 disk changer plays CD-R's (but only in proper CDA formats like a real CD not MP3's) and the front slot in doesn't recognise CD-r's at all. Is this the same setup as you? Did you get the Aux in kit installed or not?

My front slot plays CD-R's but not MP3 'data' CD's. You need this to get the text display from the ipod thru dension to idrive. From all I've read a software update should fix this but need to find someone who knows the procedure for sure so have held off getting any hardware. If i was getting one I'd think I'd save up and get the Dension so I could just leave the ipod in the glovebox.
The Aux-in kit may be more straightforward if you just need to 'tell' the computer it now has an extra input.

Good news on the heater

 

[Rich]

I bought HIDs from these guys in Germany for an E60 and E Class Merc, and they are fantastic. They totaled about 75 quid a piece, a bargain considering the CANBUS Ballasts, but the quality was second to none, Ballasts were really small and OEM looking unlike most, and the wiring was good quality. You could get a cheaper non canbus set for about 40-45 quid but its hit and miss as regards the warning lights on the iDrive. I also use them in reflector lights in the E60 with no probs aligning them and theres no issue with scatter or anything like that. My only regret is picking the 5000k over the 4300, their a tiny bit on the bluey side for me but hey, you can practically see through womens clothes with em their so bright over poverty halogens.

http://shop.ebay.ie/audago/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

 

[Rich]

PS, Im not expert when it comes to the E60s audio guts, but I liked the look of this when i came across it. it seems to do everything id need and its pretty cheap, but i haven't seen any reviews of how well it works out. Hell i might just buy it anyway and give meself a crimbo prezzie,
http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.php?productid=57&cat=17&page=1

 

[Garbo]

~That Xcarlink kit looks like it might do the trick, I would be concerned with its compatability with the iPhone though, no mention of it in the ad, fine for regular iPods though.

I've fitted a few regular Xcarlinks for friends and family in the past they aren't as well put together as the Dension kits and in my wifes Golf we had to disconnect the battery every few weeks as the Xcarlink used to lock up, I don't know if that is a common issue or not.

I'm angling towards the regualr Aux in, or upgrading my parrot kit to the 9200i, I have a basic parrot HF kit already and it works really well, having to pay to have the software upgraded and shelling out €400 for the gateway 500 is a bit rich for me at the moment.

Rich if you do happen to take a punt with the Xcarlink would you keep me/this thread updated with how you get on with it?

Thanks,

gar

 

[sd_dracula]

I bought HIDs from these guys in Germany for an E60 and E Class Merc, and they are fantastic. They totaled about 75 quid a piece, a bargain considering the CANBUS Ballasts, but the quality was second to none, Ballasts were really small and OEM looking unlike most, and the wiring was good quality. You could get a cheaper non canbus set for about 40-45 quid but its hit and miss as regards the warning lights on the iDrive. I also use them in reflector lights in the E60 with no probs aligning them and theres no issue with scatter or anything like that. My only regret is picking the 5000k over the 4300, their a tiny bit on the bluey side for me but hey, you can practically see through womens clothes with em their so bright over poverty halogens.

http://shop.ebay.ie/audago/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

dont mean to hijack but did you upgrade all 4 H7 bulbs with the HID ones or just one on each light?

 

[Rich]

i only upgraded just the regular headlights at first, I got a kit for the high beams too but haven't installed it yet. I was half tempted to stick them in my other car instead since i'll hardly ever use the high beams.

 

[tjjp]

Don't do it without full research. Do a further websearch for HDI's in pre-LCI non-xenon headlights. Many reports of internal headlight burns in E60's due to high heat from xenon placed in halogen spec headlights.

 

[Rich]

Ive been running it (see sig pic) in regular lights for quite a while now with no problems. There really is very little heat involved.

Ive seen the problem you mention on "HID/Xenon look" bulbs, which are basically just halogens and are usually 80-100w rated so they can melt plastics that are in close proximity to the bulb aswell as harness plugs.

 

[Colm_D]

Digging this one back up; any-one got one of these fitted? http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=NA31&mospid=47750&btnr=65_1721&hg=65&fg=95&hl=44
or any opinions on it?

 

[Colm_D]

That was a question, not a statement

 

[Rich]

Its one of those bot things that creates a profile and spams a forum.