Stroker396

Ok so here is a conundrum I was able to get a CIC unit from a 2010 and put it in my 08 535i (and programmed). Suddenly the music sounds like ass, No bass. Ok the Amplifier is not turning on. A little research and the hifi system I had was likely the hybrid system with an analog amplifier. The CIC system does not use an Amp like this thereefore it does not turn it on.

So I am thinking that I need to find the signal wire for the amp and rewire it possibly to the same as the red switched power (maybe?) However, looking at the wiring schematic of the old system, Two green wires come out of the Amp and go to the MOST bus connector and from there only one green wire goes to the head unit. Would that be the one? (all the wires are green from the MOST and go to the other accessories, CD changers, Microphone etc...)

Couple of other issues.
The GPS does not work. (it is grayed out in the menu I cannot even access it)
Separately (pre swap issue) I recently swapped out my ULF and now the bluetooth is on and asks me to connect a phone (before it was locked off even if I tried to change it in the programming) But even though the phone says connected it really is not and does not store in the head unit

I am going to be adding an Android head unit eventually, Would that fix anything? I am assuming because it would have to be CIC compatible unit that it would not fix the amplifier issue, It may allow me to connect the phone to it with bluetooth, and it may have its own GPS. I plan to use it for the JB4 app to monitor engine parameters, since the car is so poorly equipped with gauges.

kd7iwp

Are you sure the CIC is coded correctly? When you say the GPS is greyed out, do you mean just the navigation is greyed out? If so, that means it hasn't been fully coded for your vehicle (the navigation is much more involved to code than setting it up for your VO). Navigation was greyed out for me until I installed the certificates and all that stuff, fortunately my CIC was already at the .c1a software level so that I could use the script on a USB stick in the glovebox USB port to enable navigation.

It's surprising to me to hear that there would be an audio system on a facelift E60 that the CIC doesn't work with. I know when I did my CIC retrofit (I have an '09 with Individual Audio) I had no audio when I first plugged it in until I modified its VO to match my car as the car it came from had a different system that didn't use MOST and my car uses MOST.

Also, I used to have an Avin Android unit installed but have since switched to an MMI box and in my opinion it is much better (I use CarPlay 99% of the time). Mr12Volt also makes some MMI boxes now that use MOST instead of aux-in for better sound, but it sounds like they have bass issues, unrelated to what you're referring to.

Stroker396

The build date of the car is 01/08 . So I think I found at least one issue. It may be related to the coding I still need to check. So The car that the CIC came out of would have had the Stereo system which runs all the speakers from the head unit and does not have an external amplifier. My car came with the HiFi Stereo which runs 6 speakers from the head unit and then the Subs and (3 speakers I do not have for the Top HiFi Stereo) rear doors and center dash.

So my old CCC System has 3 wires that run to the Amp (highlighted) and the CIC does not. I am going to assume the CIC used the Logic 7 Amp which looks like it uses the 2 green wires from the MOST Bus connector to operate. It looks like, on the CCC unit, the Black with Red and Black with White from connector X13812 might be the power for the amp. and while they both have the White with Violet, on the CCC unit it also goes to the antenna tuner but then also splits off and goes to the Amp (trigger wires most likely) The CIC unit does not split off.

As far as the Nav being grayed out I ran the codes and it is giving me the code for the GPS antenna, However I pulled the head unit out and it is plugged in to the correct spot so....