Thread: Integrating carPC with BMW E38 wide OEM nav LCD+TV module

Hi Guys,

Its really great to be here, actually for long time i was searching for a group working on same thing, but what i got is just past posted forum messages, its like talking to dead bodies, no reply, anyway, lets hope for the best and continue sharing our stuff.

Here I introduce myself and my Car, I am Computer Professional, (can help on computer related topics). and i have 735iL, 2001, Thats an E38, with WideScreen, MK3 Navigation Computer, and GCC Specs, Anyways till now was a general Intro.

Come to my Setup, from last six months all this started, so where i stand i dont realy know, but still project is undergoing, learnt a lot of stuff, will be able to help and seek help. Everything started with a standard Laptop, thats Dell or any brand, preferably with Video Out, instead of VGA, i have XPS 1200, as my test machine, and Dell C400 costs under 200$ as production machine. Thanks to Rolf Resller's Ibus adaptor, works straight forward, so no tention there, For video i already had Camera Cable harness which made it a breeze to install PC video in, remains How to SWITCH video to PC. Rolf's adaptor comes with NTSC Switch Relay, thats the forth cable that goes to 17th PIN of Video Modules White Connector,

(By the way, i have very good resources regarding those stuff like BMW Technical Information System (TIS), BMW Wiring Diagram System (WDS), BMW ETK thats electronics Part Catalgue.) Incase anybody needs any assistance in this regard.

So Lets Continue with out setup, so Software i choosed the CarX, beleive me or not thats the only software that deserve to be there in your CarPC, Man we have everything a normal CarPC Project will look for, so common, we dont need that navigation, we dont need and amplifier, we dont even care about touch screen, i love the way my BM is, so the things remains is DVD/MP3. simple solutions i have Ipod 30 Gigs, that resolve that too, DVD, i have DVD player in the BOOT so no need to bother on that, BUT just for fun the project started to get Wirless/Emails/Ibus Connectivity, Backup Camera to name a few.

So for my setup Video part is done, switching is being handled very smoothly, i control the whole PC from the Front buttons, Steering wheel buttons, and Rotarty KNob, Beleive me, Thats working,

You will be thinking then where i am stuck, Audio MAN, in my car i dont have DSP, and I am using Tape Emulation for switching between BMW/CarPC Screen, now stuck on fining the tape cables, someone told me its behing the monitor in center console, i dont want to risk that much, so waiting for someone to come up with a nicer solution.

This was basic general intro, let me know in case you need details on any part, and lets start communicating. I promise to be regular and active user, so lets hope the same from all of you too.

Hello AsifSaif and welcome aboard!
Now, for you tape cables problem, the solution seems very simple. Since you do not have DSP in your car, you most probably have a premium sound system, with a separate radio and amplifier in the boot and a tape in the front. Right? So, why don't you just check the amplifier pinouts on your WDS and see which cables are for tape input. Afterwards, it is just a simple matter of tapping in those wires with ones of yourself.

I really appriciate the QUICK response COOLSHARK, the problem is, what i beleive is very unique situation, i dont have DSP, so what i have, its 10 Speaker System, which are connected to Amplifier in the Trunk, there is no RADIO, beleive me i took out every single thing from the trunk, i looked online, in WDS, even, they said there has to be radio unit, even the pictures, and stuff they show, but i have nothing like them, may be Caz my car is 735iL, unlike the americans they have 740iL, so thats where i am stuck, in the apmlifier i traced back the cables, there are two connectors on that things lets say we call it amplifier, one is 26PIN, blue connector, and on 10 PIN Connector, I will post the pinout for you for that connector, see if you can help out. One thing whats are the possiblities of having the Radio, i mean location possiblities, if its not in the trunck?

The pinouts for the 26 pin connector are:
PIN - CONNECTION
1- LH front woofer +
2- LH front woofer -
3- Not used
4- RH front mid-range -
5- LH front mid-range +
6- Not used
7- Not used
8- Not used
9- RH front mid-range +
10-LH front mid-range -
11-Right rear mid-range speaker/tweeter +
12-RH front tweeter +
13-RH front woofer +
14-LH front tweeter +
15 LH front tweeter -
16-Left rear mid-range speaker/tweeter -
17-Not used
18-Not used
19-Left rear mid-range speaker/tweeter +
20-Not used
21-Not used
22-Not used
23-Not used
24-Right rear mid-range speaker/tweeter -
25-RH front tweeter -
26 RH front woofer

I checked this is what i have . . .

Here is what WDS Says about the Wiring,

Here are more detailed Amplifier Two PLUGS PinOUT

A18 Amplifier
Plug connector overview
Number X-pin, colour Description
X605 12-pin, black Plug connector A Amplifier (Hifi)
X606 26-pin, black Plug connector B Amplifier (Hifi)

Pin assignments at plug connector X605
Pin Type Description / Signal type Connection /Measuring notes
1 E Terminal 30 Fuse F69
2 E Radio ON/antenna signal Radio
3 M Amplifier ground Stereo/Hifi ground
4 Not used
5 A Positive activation, rear right woofer Right rear speaker
6 A Negative activation, rear right woofer Right rear speaker
7 A Positive activation, front left woofer Left front speaker
8 A Negative activation, front left woofer Left front speaker
9 A Positive activation, front right woofer Right front speaker
10 A Negative activation, front right woofer Right front speaker
11 A Positive activation, rear left woofer Left rear speaker
12 A Negative activation, rear left woofer Left rear speaker

Pin assignments at plug connector X606
Pin Type Description / Signal type Connection /Measuring notes
1 E Negative activation, rear right loudspeaker Radio
2 E Positive activation, rear right loudspeaker Radio
3 E Positive activation, rear left loudspeaker Radio
4 E Negative activation, rear left loudspeaker Radio
5 Not used
6 Not used
7 Not used
8 A Positive activation, front right medium-range speaker Right front speaker
9 A Negative activation, front right medium-range speaker Right front speaker
10 A Positive activation, rear left medium-range speaker/tweeter Left rear speaker
11 A Negative activation, rear left medium-range speaker/tweeter Left rear speaker
12 A Positive activation, rear right medium-range speaker/tweeter Right rear speaker
13 A Negative activation, rear right medium-range speaker/tweeter Right rear speaker
14 E Negative activation, front right loudspeaker Radio
15 E Positive activation, front right loudspeaker Radio
16 E Positive activation, front left loudspeaker Radio
17 E Negative activation, front left loudspeaker Radio
18 Not used
19 Not used
20 Not used
21 A Positive activation, front left tweeter Left front speaker
22 A Negative activation, front left tweeter Left front speaker
23 A Positive activation, front right tweeter Right front speaker
24 A Negative activation, front right tweeter Right front speaker
25 A Positive activation, front left mid-range speaker Left front speaker
26 A Negative activation, front left mid-range speaker Left front speaker

Hi, CoolShark, whats update on your project on designing the Application for the CAR, Me too i am intrested in something same. Can we discuss that, I will start with IbussComm, and build something simlier to CarX, bcaz i love that, only thing is there are no more update comming up on that, so thats the only reason to work out some way and make it SourceForge.Net so everybody can work out.

Mmmm... I must say that your setup is still unclear to me. Can you please describe it a little more?
You say that you have an amplifier but no radio. This is a little odd. How about your head-unit? Is it a wide-screen or a small screen? Is it tape-based or CD-based?
More important, what are the options that you get on the display? Is radio available?

You also said that you have a DVD player. Where is it located? How is it connected and how do you control it?

Hi, Here we go, I will try to explain in more detail how things work in my car.

I have a wide screen, with following options, Computer / Aux / Telephone / TV/ Code / Set/ Navigation.

Navigation i have is MK3, i do have radio channels, not radio unit i dont know where it is, today i went to see one of my friends car, he had 520i, 2003 with almost same setup, and he has radio located in the trunk, but he dont have TV, i think thats normal.

And Behind the screen its Tape, not the CD, i thnk CD was only for Newer 3 Series, Caz 7 series was changed in 2002, where as Five got Change in 2004, where as 3 series was same till 2005, so i am not sure about that. Anyway.

Dvd Player i installed it after buying the car, its not BMW, its simple Car DVD/DivX/MP3, player, hooked into Video Module, and played via going to TV and then AV channels, that do the Job. i needed Video in Motion for that, so i bought a cable that keep the screen available while i am driving, not secure haan, but thats not for me as everybody says. Its for passengers.

IPod, I removed the CD-Changer installed the Ipod adaptor that i bought from bavarianauto.com its straigt forward, remove CD Chanegr and utilize both cables for IPOD Adaptor, I can control that from Steering Wheel Buttons, and On Board CD Buttons, like , 1 - 6, Track Fwd/Rwd Like that, somehow it was good. Voice quality is superb, Display current track on your selected location like in Console / on WideScreen Display.

Then i sae CarX, and the whole thing started, I removed everything and brought a Laptop into Play, so now Laptop Uses the Video Module to insert the Video, instead of TV/AV Cables, for those i have to have Video-In-Motion Cable in place, and my Rotary Knob in front dont work, Bcaz if you move that TV thinks you want to do something and show TV Menu, instead of operating CarX Menu. So what i DiD, is removed everthing, started from scratch like this,


Laptop - - > Video Module (RearCamera Cable)
Laptop - - > Ibus Adaptor (Rolf Resller) - - > Video Module (for Switching Display to RearCamera Feed.)
Laptop - - > Audio (this part was supposed to be going to Radio Unit, BUT Thats not there.)

With this setup everything works like a breeze, All On-Board Buttons, you got on Screen MP3 Player, You can Watch DvD, Videos Stroed on your Laptop, and what not and what not. More important than anything, Radar Warning, IBUS Status, Computer Status, Battery Remaining and stuff like that.

So this is where i stand.

Regarding software customization, i have started to do something like car CarX, i know all alone i cant make something like that but lets give it a try, why i want to do that, so that we can get some more options, in that software, like other frontend software have, i want to make i link between CarX, RoadRunner, so incase we want more we get more, What do you say, in normal cases it will stay like CarX, but if needs be we Switch over to RoadRunner, Any Way we will See.

Thanks for your interest.