Hello. I'm trying to get an aux audio input installed in my 2006 525i. I've owned the vehicle less than 6 months and am still learning a lot about it. I have what appears to be the base/stock audio system.

I purchased the retrofit kit (65-12-0-153-502) and took it to my trusted, independent mechanic (BMW is their specialty). They had no problem attaching the the kit and getting "Aux" to appear in the iDrive menu, but said they were unable to program the system -- as if something was missing. The mechanic put in a call to his contacts at our local mega-dealership and they advised obtaining an additional kit (iPod interface: 65-11-0-439-425) and installing it first, then adding the aux kit to that.

Not knowing squat about how all this works, I'm hesitant to pursue this course of action, because I'm not using an iPod. Does anyone know anything about this? Does my model year (or VIN) need this additional component to facilitate an aux input installation? Anyone else gone through this? I don't mind purchasing and installing the component if it's truly required and will get the job done.

Thanks for the help.

 

If Aux shows up in your iDrive then check the cables. If you do have stock audio on the back of the unit is a plug with some leads that goes to the amp. You have to unplug that in order to plug in the aux connector. this is not the appropriate way to do it. You should take the pins out of the aux plug and put them in the existing plug and plug it back in.
Or it could also be that they didn't encode the entire vehicle after changing the vehicle order to include aux.

 

I had a 2006 525i and I installed both the AUX and Ipod interfaces a few years ago. As I recall, the AUX interface required coding to work properly. However, the iPod adapter essentially emulates a CD changer. So if you already have a CD changer, you can just replace it with the iPod interface with no additional coding. If you dont have a changer, you will need coding.

I would highly recommend going with the iPod interface instead of the AUX. You will be able to control the iPod through iDrive (including steering wheel buttons) and the sound quality is great. Get yourself a cheap iPod and just leave it in the glove box.

The functionality of the first generation iPod interfaces was relatively limited, but it worked great with playlists.

 

By the way, I just remembered another issue with the AUX cable. There was some problem with the design of the cable that dramatically affected bass response. Some people recommended removing some capacitors that were built-in to the cable, but there was some controversy over it.

The ipod interface didn't have that problem.

https://5series.net/forums/e60-discu...sponse-113413/

Please note that the iPod interface and the AUX interface are completely unrelated. You can install either one, or both. If you already have a CD changer, the IPOD interface is an easy DIY since no coding is required.

 

That capacitor issue is long resolved. OP read my post above to get sorted out.