[swingkat420]

Ok...so I decided not to go through the BT option and just do the CPT8000 way. So just bought a cradle and was gonna install it to my surprise found no wires underneath the armrest!!! Is there anyway that it was not pulled all the way and it's underneath the center console? I thought all of them should be just sitting there waiting for you to plug in? I haven't lifted off the whole console yet. I kinda peeked in between from where the rear air vents are and couldn't really see anything. Is it possible it was never there or wonder if the previous owner yanked it off...but can't think of a reason why.

 

[marcducati]

Ok...so I decided not to go through the BT option and just do the CPT8000 way. So just bought a cradle and was gonna install it to my surprise found no wires underneath the armrest!!! Is there anyway that it was not pulled all the way and it's underneath the center console? I thought all of them should be just sitting there waiting for you to plug in? I haven't lifted off the whole console yet. I kinda peeked in between from where the rear air vents are and couldn't really see anything. Is it possible it was never there or wonder if the previous owner yanked it off...but can't think of a reason why.

You sure you have the cabling for it in the first place. The cars are not pre cabled. Thats why it costs a fortune to get installed after because all wires have to be pulled. Even going from a cordless phone in the arm rest to a BT in the arm rest is not possble without having the cabling changed. The wiring is not the same.

 

[swingkat420]

so even though in the trunk it has that cap that says Pre-Wired for phone? You still need to buy the cables? That's kind of weird.

You sure you have the cabling for it in the first place. The cars are not pre cabled. Thats why it costs a fortune to get installed after because all wires have to be pulled. Even going from a cordless phone in the arm rest to a BT in the arm rest is not possble without having the cabling changed. The wiring is not the same.

 

[marcducati]

so even though in the trunk it has that cap that says Pre-Wired for phone? You still need to buy the cables? That's kind of weird.

Prewired for what phone. When I went to BMW to ask because I have the cordless phone that I wanted to swap for a BT, they told me that every different system has different wiring.

Go to see your dealer, ask him to type in your chassi number and he'll tell you exactly what you have and what you can do and what you need.

Good luck.

 

[chrisj]

It should all be there. You will need to take apart the center console - they tie things up in odd places sometimes to keep them from rattling. If you don't have voice recognition, you might find a similar problem searching for the microphone connector. Just dig around a little - it's there.

Also, on the other point made in a previous post, you don't have to recable to convert from the preexisting wiring (CPT-xxxx) to BT. There are conversion kits that do this that are plug and play. Check out bimmernav.com - I used it to convert my CPT8000 setup and it took less than an hour. The dealer will tell you this isn't possible - BMW doesn't make a conversion kit - but others have put it all together for us.

 

[marcducati]

It should all be there. You will need to take apart the center console - they tie things up in odd places sometimes to keep them from rattling. If you don't have voice recognition, you might find a similar problem searching for the microphone connector. Just dig around a little - it's there.

Also, on the other point made in a previous post, you don't have to recable to convert from the preexisting wiring (CPT-xxxx) to BT. There are conversion kits that do this that are plug and play. Check out bimmernav.com - I used it to convert my CPT8000 setup and it took less than an hour. The dealer will tell you this isn't possible - BMW doesn't make a conversion kit - but others have put it all together for us.

The info I got only came from BMW. I decided not to change so I didn't dig deeper.

 

[chrisj]

The info I got only came from BMW. I decided not to change so I didn't dig deeper.

BMW loves to tell us what we can't do If we believed 'em, we would all still have those old phones!

 

[swingkat420]

I'll snoop around some more...hopefully it's there. Any tips on removing the center console (aluminum or wood, which ever you may have) I know there's two screws under the shift boot, any other screws or do I need to just yank it out?

I do have SES and I've checked and the mic is already there, another funny thing I found was the previous owner tapped in, I'm assuming an ACC wire for some power...it's a longer cord, so I don't know if they used it for radar detector? or something else.

thanks
\

It should all be there. You will need to take apart the center console - they tie things up in odd places sometimes to keep them from rattling. If you don't have voice recognition, you might find a similar problem searching for the microphone connector. Just dig around a little - it's there.

Also, on the other point made in a previous post, you don't have to recable to convert from the preexisting wiring (CPT-xxxx) to BT. There are conversion kits that do this that are plug and play. Check out bimmernav.com - I used it to convert my CPT8000 setup and it took less than an hour. The dealer will tell you this isn't possible - BMW doesn't make a conversion kit - but others have put it all together for us.

 

[chrisj]

I'll snoop around some more...hopefully it's there. Any tips on removing the center console (aluminum or wood, which ever you may have) I know there's two screws under the shift boot, any other screws or do I need to just yank it out?

I do have SES and I've checked and the mic is already there, another funny thing I found was the previous owner tapped in, I'm assuming an ACC wire for some power...it's a longer cord, so I don't know if they used it for radar detector? or something else.

thanks
\

Have you removed the cover that sits behind the armrest?
You can look at bmwtips.com. Click Tips and Tricks on the left. Scroll down to Interior - you will find armrest and console info removal there. Choose #14 - Ultimate Guide to the Armrest. Should be just what you need:cheers:

 

[verhagke]

I've done this a couple of times. (first on my 540iT and just last week on my '00 M5)

As indicated, the wiring is under the center console. What you need to do is to pull out the little compartment with the rolling door. Roll the door back, and then pull the compartment straight out. Once it's out, you will see a plastic heating duct which goes to the backseats. The wiring is directly under this duct. You'll need to pull this to the side a bit to get a better look. There is a wire tie which ties back the plugs and wiring. You'll need to clip this get to the wire. Once you clip the wire tie, you will be able to pull the wiring harness for the phone and antenna and push them through the hole in the center console under where the phone mounts. (Whatever you do, make sure you don't clip any of the wires. Most of the wiring goes to the airbag control module also installed in the center console.)

 

[swingkat420]

found it...so it's just two wires/connectors? A coax for antenna and one for the phone?

thanks!!

I've done this a couple of times. (first on my 540iT and just last week on my '00 M5)

As indicated, the wiring is under the center console. What you need to do is to pull out the little compartment with the rolling door. Roll the door back, and then pull the compartment straight out. Once it's out, you will see a plastic heating duct which goes to the backseats. The wiring is directly under this duct. You'll need to pull this to the side a bit to get a better look. There is a wire tie which ties back the plugs and wiring. You'll need to clip this get to the wire. Once you clip the wire tie, you will be able to pull the wiring harness for the phone and antenna and push them through the hole in the center console under where the phone mounts. (Whatever you do, make sure you don't clip any of the wires. Most of the wiring goes to the airbag control module also installed in the center console.)