cd player advice

[danz]

does anyone know if any special parts are needed to install a cd player in a 1995 ti.or do you just need a wiring harness?

[1996 328ti]

If you want to stick with a factory changer you may be SOL. I believe the CD changer mount for 95-96 is No Longer Available.

In 97 BMW changed the head unit to use what's called an I-Bus.

I believe people have ordered adapters from crutchfield but I don't know for which years the adapter will work.

[sildergu]

I recently replaced the stock BMW head unit in my '95 sport with a JVC CD player. Should have done so years ago, much better sound. Took about half an hour, nothing to it, it all goes in from the front. Have a wiring diagram handy and splice the stock wires to your new unit. You may need an adapter for the radio antenna, depending on what your new unit uses. What's in the car IS NOT the North American thing that looks like a giant phono plug. Good Luck.

[Ralliart]

I just picked up a wiring harness. I will be putting in my Pioneer deck soon. I'll keep ya posted.

[Ralliart]

The installation is all done. I must say that this is quite possibly the best upgrade you could make for a 95 ti. The stock 4 speaker system sounds, well to put it lightly, bad. After installing just a headunit the whole system came alive. It's still not a great stereo system, but it is far better than what it was.

The installation was actually very simple. It required two parts other than the head unit. A wiring harness (VW, Audi, European style, got mine from Best Buy) and a antena adapter (also from Best Buy). Installation was very straightforward, just hook everything up and it works. Sounds great. Problem solved.

The only hang up I had when installing it was removing the harness from the factory stereo. the clip holding the harness to the stereo was kinda mangled and busted from the previous owner. From the looks of what it was supposed to do the clip just slides up and is designed to seperate the two. Sounds easy right? Well, it takes some herculean strength to get it apart. My guess is that the previous owner broke it while trying to do this. Other than that, things are a breeze. So, what are you waiting for? Go put in that stereo, sometimes I get bored listening to the tunes coming from the exhaust....

[StevenTN318]

I hope you enjoy your CD player, I put one in my ti and also added a pair of Cerwin Vega 6x9's. it required some cutting to the hatch panel, but it was well worth the time and investment. So, if you want more sound, and don't mind cutting some holes, that's what I recommed.

[Ralliart]

I was actually thinkin about doin that. I have some Pioneer 6x9's leftover from my last car. Where did you do the cutting and mounting? How did it turn out?

[danz]

thanks for the info.guys now i can make the change to a new system

[RobertOBCC]

Yes I have noticed the the Rear Stock Speakers are a bit Tinny.

Would your upgrade apply to a 2002 316Ti?

Will just the Rear Speaker Upgrade make the system sound better?

I have a BMW Business System, with Stock 6Disc Changer. The Front Seperates sound pretty decent for now, so I won't change those. But the Bass end in the Rear is really lacking.

[StevenTN318]

Ralliart- On your panel that keeps people from looking in your trunk you have two little dips. Those places are perfect to install some 6x9s. You have to be careful though, the measurements need to be really close to exact. Just a question for you, do your Pioneers have a really thuddy bass sound? I have a friend who bought some and they sound really thuddy and not like real bass.

[Ralliart]

Thanks for the advice. I think I will try it this week. When I had the pioneers in my old car they sounded great. This is when they were only being driven by the regular pioneer deck, no amp. To me it sounded like a nice tight bass. Close to a 10 inch sub.

Your friend might have some of the lower end Pioneers, I have the TS-A6979 which are about $180 for the two.

[DougZ]

I have some info to add the this as well. I have the 98 318ti Active with the 10 speaker system. I had everything stock except for adding on a 12 disc Pioneer CD changer to the stock prewired set up from BMW with the use of an adapter from Peripheral Adapters. ( The adapter is now for sale if anyone is interested). Last night I installed a Pioneer CD head unit, the DEH P4400. I had to use the european antenna adpater and a wire harness adpater to plug into the stock system as well. While I was installing everyting, I hooked up some Monster Cables for an ADS amp that is getting added next. The amp will power 6 MB Quart speakers. They are a pair of 5 1/4" for the kick panels, pair of 1" tweeters for the doors, and a pair of 4" mids for the rear stock locations that I have modified to fit and mount them.They will all be crossed over with MB Quart units too. When I get some more money for the system, I will add a SAS Bazooka tube powered itself with the RCA's coming from a Monster "Y" adapter off of the rear channel Monster cables. It sounds real nice now with just the head unit change. It should sound great when I put in the amps and speakers. Just my $0.02.

[Dan Burger]

DougZ- So 4" for the rear, huh? Where did you get them? Crutchfield has 4Ts - same thing?

Cheers,
Dan

------------------
Dan B.
'95 Club Sport

[DougZ]

Dan B: I went with four inch mids for the back for a couple of reasons. They are MB Quart speakers, so they don't have standard frames that go around them. The speaker itself comes as a round unit, and is just about the exact size of the stock speaker, just slightly larger. BMW did do something right in that they "directionalized" the back speakers. That is, they are pointed in the direction of the listener. This makes for much better sound quality in the car. I wanted to keep that feature. I have heard of people putting 5 1/4" speakers in their place, but they are flat against the grill. And there is way more modification than I wanted to do. I kinda also wanted to keep the system looking as stock as possible.
Lastly, I am putting them in because I got them with crossovers for next to nothing from a buddy of mine who used to install stereos. He also gave me the ADS amp that is going to run the whole system.