multi function steering

Lainey

hows it goin,

hope someone here can help me.. have a 06 316 bmw and was thinking of changing but with the drop in prices decided to hang on to her.. love my car anyway so suits me but was just wondering if i could possibly get a multi function steering wheel fitted or would this be just madly expensive.. would love the ipod connection too but obv depending on how much its gonna cost..

any ideas???? thanks

Anan1

I'd imagine the MFSW would be crazy money. The ipod adapter can be fitted by BMW, but I think it's about €600. There is an aux in inside the centre armrest which allows you to play your ipod through the car's stereo - given that you don't have a MFSW it's probably not worth paying big money to push buttons on the stereo rather than on the ipod itself.

NBar

Is the car and E46 or E90. If its an E46 then there is a kit etc and not to expensive if you can get the steering buttons froma breakers and then all you need is a loom which is not to expensive. If its for the E90 not to sure but call into your local stealers and ask

E92

E46s are pre-wired for amongst other things cruise control, multifunction steering wheel(well of course the MFSW includes cruise control buttons) and a trip computer.

The OP says she has an 06 so it must be an E90. Unfortunately I don't know if BMW bothered to pre-wire these for a multifunction steering wheel.

Lainey

eh i don't know what e46 or e90 means (no girl jokes now ) i may check that out.. will have look in the armrest now..

Anan1

The E90 is the current shape 3 series, the E46 was the one before that. As the E90 was introduced in 2005, it's very probable that yours is an E90.

Lainey

ye just checked de net said 2006- is e90.. thanks for the advice

frag4

hi, should cost around 125e for the parts and take about 10 mins here a link that tell u the part numbers, they are for a 1 series but the same as a 3.
http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=3893

Anan1

Lainey wrote: »

ye just checked de net said 2006- is e90.. thanks for the advice

You may want to check the actual car, rather than the net - it is possible (although unlikely) that yours is a late-registered E46. Is it the same shape as a brand-new one?

Lainey

Anan1 wrote: »

You may want to check the actual car, rather than the net - it is possible (although unlikely) that yours is a late-registered E46. Is it the same shape as a brand-new one?

ye will do that then.. maybe i'll get lucky

thanks

bazz26

You mean a MFSW is not standard on the 3 Series? :eek:

Anan1

bazz26 wrote: »

You mean a MFSW is not standard on the 3 Series? :eek:

Be thankful for a radio and electric windows.

listermint

bazz26 wrote: »

You mean a MFSW is not standard on the 3 Series? :eek:

Even if it was, the buggers would take it off standard in this country

Stealdo

OP - consider one of these...

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR248302

If the centre armrest of your car is wired with an Aux In for the stereo and has a 12V (cigarette lighter style) power supply you will be able to fit it yourself, just need to hide the wires.

zzzzzzzz

Stealdo wrote: »

OP - consider one of these...

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR248302

If the centre armrest of your car is wired with an Aux In for the stereo and has a 12V (cigarette lighter style) power supply you will be able to fit it yourself, just need to hide the wires.

That thing looks deadly.

Do you know of anyone in Dublin that would install that?

I'm looking to get some sort of ipod dock put into an audi a3 - the audi one is a bit sh1t - it acts like a cd changer so you can't actually see what tracks your listening to.

This would let me have a display but i'd really want a very neat & tidy install.

zzzzzzzz

could that be powered off anything other than a cigarette lighter?

edit: to answer my own question : yes

Stealdo

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

That thing looks deadly.

Do you know of anyone in Dublin that would install that?

I'm looking to get some sort of ipod dock put into an audi a3 - the audi one is a bit sh1t - it acts like a cd changer so you can't actually see what tracks your listening to.

This would let me have a display but i'd really want a very neat & tidy install.

I fit it myself because all the right things were easily available and I was able to do a decent job on hiding the wires (wouldn't call it very neat and tidy). I'd imagine any mobile phone kit fitter would do it for you because it's basically the same thing. Don't know any in the Dublin area but check you're local paper and there's bound to be a few failing that pop into your local carphonewarehouse and ask who they use.

There's only two negative thing I would say about this kit firstly the dot-matrix style screen has the first gen ipod look to it, purely cosmetic. The second is that the control wheel doesn't act completely like a click-wheel and allow you to scroll through lists as such, you move it left or right through a few degrees to move one at a time, or 90 degrees to jump through an adjustable % like 5% or 10% of the list. This means it can sometimes be a pain finding the artist you want if the list is hundreds long, but 95% of the time I'd just be listening to playlists anyway so it's not an issue. Undoubtedly worth every penny of £30.

Eoin

Stealdo wrote: »

OP - consider one of these...

http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR248302

If the centre armrest of your car is wired with an Aux In for the stereo and has a 12V (cigarette lighter style) power supply you will be able to fit it yourself, just need to hide the wires.

I bought one, but haven't fitted yet. Still in two minds about it, as it's a pretty cluttered looking solution.

zzzzzzzz

Stealdo wrote: »

I fit it myself because all the right things were easily available and I was able to do a decent job on hiding the wires (wouldn't call it very neat and tidy). I'd imagine any mobile phone kit fitter would do it for you because it's basically the same thing. Don't know any in the Dublin area but check you're local paper and there's bound to be a few failing that pop into your local carphonewarehouse and ask who they use.

There's only two negative thing I would say about this kit firstly the dot-matrix style screen has the first gen ipod look to it, purely cosmetic. The second is that the control wheel doesn't act completely like a click-wheel and allow you to scroll through lists as such, you move it left or right through a few degrees to move one at a time, or 90 degrees to jump through an adjustable % like 5% or 10% of the list. This means it can sometimes be a pain finding the artist you want if the list is hundreds long, but 95% of the time I'd just be listening to playlists anyway so it's not an issue. Undoubtedly worth every penny of £30.

30 lids is really good alright - there's a newer model out which features a colour screen and... there doesn't seem to be any other improvements, maybe you can tell if there is anything else but i can't see anything. $300 though.. :eek: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/harman-kardon-drive-play-2-mobile-media-manager

zzzzzzzz

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

30 lids is really good alright - there's a newer model out which features a colour screen and... there doesn't seem to be any other improvements, maybe you can tell if there is anything else but i can't see anything. $300 though.. :eek: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/harman-kardon-drive-play-2-mobile-media-manager

Although I'm sort of in two minds about this and just replacing the stereo... I'd have concerns about sound quality if I got a new stereo - are these concerns unfounded if I buy a decent make/model?

Eoin

Stealdo wrote: »

I fit it myself because all the right things were easily available and I was able to do a decent job on hiding the wires (wouldn't call it very neat and tidy).

Any chance of some pictures of your install?

Also what connection to your stereo did you use (FM / Aux In etc)?

Can't believe it's selling for £30 - that's a bargain.

Stealdo

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

30 lids is really good alright - there's a newer model out which features a colour screen and... there doesn't seem to be any other improvements, maybe you can tell if there is anything else but i can't see anything. $300 though.. :eek: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/harman-kardon-drive-play-2-mobile-media-manager

Besides the much nicer screen, the wireless controller is a good addition because it cuts down on a wire, and that one was actually the most visible of the wires in mine after install because it has to run from the centre consol to the glove box where I have the central unit. Probably not worth an extra €150+ but depends on how hung up you are on the neatness of the install. I'd say having it professionally installed would solve that problem and would cost about €70 - €100.

aidan.offbeat wrote: »

Although I'm sort of in two minds about this and just replacing the stereo... I'd have concerns about sound quality if I got a new stereo - are these concerns unfounded if I buy a decent make/model?

The main thing I would say is to get something with an aux-in line with a 3.5mm socket. Otherwise the only option is professional installation with the wired FM modulator.

eoin_s wrote: »

Any chance of some pictures of your install?

Also what connection to your stereo did you use (FM / Aux In etc)?

Can't believe it's selling for £30 - that's a bargain.

Obvioiusly don't have pics to hand, but can take a couple next time I'm out - I used the aux in which is in the glove box, put the central unit in there too. Unfortunately I don't have a power socket in the glove box so ran a wire from there to the centre console which has the power socket, just tucked into into the splits between the plastics. There's another wire running from the glove box to the screen, which goes out to gap between the passenger door and then tucked into the gap between the dash and the windscreen and then emerges on the driver side. I put the screen to the right of the instrument panel. Those wires are pretty much hidden, the only one that shows is the one going to the control buttons because it has to cross the centre console. Just get it nice and tight and it's not too obtrusive. I put the ipod itself in the glovebox also, so nothings visible there. If this was something that bothered me at all I'd definitely go for pro installation to hide all the wiring. In order to keep the wires nice and tight I have the excess wire in the glove box too, which does take up a bit of space, but it's particularly deep and so not an issue.