Hey guys, this is my first post here. Just picked up a 2000 M5 last week, I'll have more on her in another thread. Just wanted to share this quick DIY with anyone installing a GROM system in the trunk of their E39. When my kit arrived I noticed how short the lead from the mic to the GROM box was, I would have need 2 extensions and to tear a bunch of interior panels out of the car. Definitely not what I wanted to do. So I figured this method out. Also, as a note, I tore my trunk apart, you can do this just opening the cover the CD changer you'll be taking out for the installation.
You'll need roughly $10 worth of stuff from Radio Shack and AutoZone, as well as maybe 30 minutes of your time. If that. This has worked for me for an hour now. I'm not responsible for you messing up your car, nor do I know if this will mess anything up over time. I just now that it works now.
Supplies:
1/8" Mini Mono Plug from Radio Shack -> Radioshack 1/8 Mini Mono Phone Plug : Phone Plugs | RadioShack.com
A pack of T Splice connectors from AutoZone (16-18 guage, I think)
2'-3' of two colors of wire
First find the wires coming from the mic into the trunk. It's 3 wires, a brown w/ white stripe, a white, and a shielded ground. They're on a white 3 pin connector. Despite the pictures, you only have to pull down the CD changer cover. I didn't know this when I started, so I pulled the whole trunk apart.
And a better picture of the connector with the wires you're looking for. You can unplug this to work on it, but ultimately it gets plugged back in since the OEM mic is powered. The brown wire with the white stripe is your negative (-) and the white wire is the positive (+)
A picture if the patch cable I put together. My wires are blue and green because that's what I had laying around. The blue is the negative and the green is the positive. when you make up the mono plug end, the longer of the two prongs is the negative.
Splice the T taps in, and hook everything up, and you're good to go. Just remeber brown w/ white stripe is negative (-) white is positive (+)
Hope this helps everyone. I'll try and update this to let everyone know how it's holding up in a week. My M5 isn't my daily but since I just bought it, I'll probably be driving it a lot.
You'll need roughly $10 worth of stuff from Radio Shack and AutoZone, as well as maybe 30 minutes of your time. If that. This has worked for me for an hour now. I'm not responsible for you messing up your car, nor do I know if this will mess anything up over time. I just now that it works now.
Supplies:
1/8" Mini Mono Plug from Radio Shack -> Radioshack 1/8 Mini Mono Phone Plug : Phone Plugs | RadioShack.com
A pack of T Splice connectors from AutoZone (16-18 guage, I think)
2'-3' of two colors of wire
First find the wires coming from the mic into the trunk. It's 3 wires, a brown w/ white stripe, a white, and a shielded ground. They're on a white 3 pin connector. Despite the pictures, you only have to pull down the CD changer cover. I didn't know this when I started, so I pulled the whole trunk apart.
And a better picture of the connector with the wires you're looking for. You can unplug this to work on it, but ultimately it gets plugged back in since the OEM mic is powered. The brown wire with the white stripe is your negative (-) and the white wire is the positive (+)
A picture if the patch cable I put together. My wires are blue and green because that's what I had laying around. The blue is the negative and the green is the positive. when you make up the mono plug end, the longer of the two prongs is the negative.
Splice the T taps in, and hook everything up, and you're good to go. Just remeber brown w/ white stripe is negative (-) white is positive (+)
Hope this helps everyone. I'll try and update this to let everyone know how it's holding up in a week. My M5 isn't my daily but since I just bought it, I'll probably be driving it a lot.