So.... a few months back the Radio on my E34 stopped working. Would not work on any band etc. When it first occurred periodically, it would come back on for a few seconds and then stop again. I do not think it is a loose connection, I checked everything I could get to, and the intermittent behavior would sometimes happen while stationary in the Garage, no movement from the vehicle to influence wiring. All the lights are on and read correctly. The "PROG & -" reads "Alpine3". The Cassette player integral to the head unit does not work as well. Will not let me load the cassette however unsure if that is related because I do not remember ever using the cassette deck. Nevertheless, that being said has anyone had a similar experience and determined the diagnosis? I have attempted to request some troubleshooting information or guidance from a number of Radio resellers to no avail. Thanks in advance.
Odd, I have nothing to offer since you say you have already checked the wiring.
There is a fuse on the back but then again it would not light up if that was blown.
Mine failed a while ago, took the 5 digit code, failed again. It is 17 years old, don't waste time on it. I just gave up and picked up a nice Alpine CD/MP3 unit
is it a BMW headunit or after market? if BMW, please also include if its the business model, base model etc. there are literally thousands of stereos you could have in there
Wouldn't it be really neat if they came up with a tape deck that looked exactly like the original stock radio on the portions visible in the cabin, but also contained hidden ports that would allow you to play mp3 tracks ? Maybe in modern radio mode, some of the traditional buttons would have a second function equivalent to a modern radio's graphic equaliser.
im having problems with the radio too ... mine is a Bavaria C radio ...
the problem is that sometimes when i turn on the car and the radio , i can hear a static noise in the radio .. and most frequencies dont wont ... and when i try to put the tap in .. it just ejects it back .... but then again , sometimes i do turn on the car .. and turn on the radio .. and no static noise .. and the tap works just fine .... i dont know the cause of this problem ...
My radio also doesn't work, the previous owner said the cassette deck didn't work but out of curiosity I wanted to see so I put a cassette in and it won't play, won't eject, and won't go back to radio mode.
Mats ... please tell me whats the best OEM radio that i can get ? i dont need it to play CDs .. and i dont have a CD changer ....
coz im about to buy a used one ... the guy has all kinds of BMW radios ... he doesnt know which is better ... he sells them all for the same price .. whether its with RDS ... or without ... old .. or new ....
is the Bavaria C reverse RDS any good ?
or would a Business RDS be better ?
or should i go with the older Bavaria C II without RDS ?
im afaraid that the newer ones would have pixel problems after a while ... while the older ones that dont have those dot pixel wont go bad ...
any advice regarding the radios would be great ... thanks
Mats ... please tell me whats the best OEM radio that i can get ? i dont need it to play CDs .. and i dont have a CD changer ....
coz im about to buy a used one ... the guy has all kinds of BMW radios ... he doesnt know which is better ... he sells them all for the same price .. whether its with RDS ... or without ... old .. or new ....
is the Bavaria C reverse RDS any good ?
or would a Business RDS be better ?
or should i go with the older Bavaria C II without RDS ?
im afaraid that the newer ones would have pixel problems after a while ... while the older ones that dont have those dot pixel wont go bad ...
any advice regarding the radios would be great ... thanks
I realize this is old thread but if anyone is wondering, get the CD43 radio that came in E36 models from 96-99 IIRC. It has better FM section, better amplifier, and better frequency response on both FM and CD. Even if you don't play CDs, this is best OEM radio that will plug right into your harness. It also has the ability to be upgraded to play MP3 files with an external device like Dice Mediabridge or GROM Audio adapter. You can't do that with any of the E34 radios. Down side of using this radio is it does not communicate with same data bus as used in the E34. It will plug right in but may put confusing messages on LCD display in the gauge cluster. The easy fix is to cut the data bus wire in back of the radio. The radio will still work fine.
The "A" pillar is the post for the windshield. The "B" pillar is the post between the driver and passenger door. The "C" pillar is the post for the back glass.
There is a place in Texas, Dr. Dons doctordons.com (believe that is the address) that can repair BMW radios and add an aux circuit to connect other devices such as iPods and iPhones. I may have mine sent there for the conversion and cleanup.. About $225 for both.
How about the connections on the amp? Clean, tight and dry? Fuse good on that too?
Could just be a bad amp in general.
My 88 e32 would cut out, condensation would drip right on the amp plug and caused severe oxidation. I cleaned it up and it did work, but I swapped it out for a used one anyway.
I am tempted to say with your hands but that would be mean spirited.
On the left and right sides of the faceplate, there are small tabs that fold back out of the way and reveal screw heads that are used to tighten the radio clamping mechanism. There is a special BMW screwdriver because the heads are not exactly allen heads but I am pretty sure you can turn them with an allen head wrench. What size I can't say because I bought the BMW tool. You loosen these screws and the head unit just pulls right out. Easier to do than it was to write this.
Looking at your low post count, I assume you are new to these cars and this forum. A general rule in forums is that you should search for answers to simple questions like this before asking. You may find that someone has already taken the time to write a good DIY post about your question. Expecting an experienced forum member to write it all again can be construed as rude. On some other car forums, you would have gotten some very rude responses to this question. A better approach is to search first and then ask questions if it does not make sense or you don't find the answer you are looking for.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
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