Change Headunit but Keep old changer
 

Change Headunit but Keep old Changer

Hi All,

I recently bought a TI sport edition with stock headunit and changer. I really want to change the headunit but keep the changer as it is excellent. Have any of you got advice on headunits that would work with the current changer? or any signal converters that will interface the two together?

I believe that both units are Blaupunkt....I think, but there are no manufacturers marks on it only BMW signs everywhere.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Ben

what year?

Hi, Its a 1998 S Reg and I've found out the headunit is a Philips, so I assume also the changer is as well.

Any advice would be most helpful.

Cheers,

Ben

anything past 95 should work OEM wise, aftermarket I'm not sure.

Seems the bus technology was changed from M bus to I bus?

Just so it doesn't seem like we're ignoring you--we're not.

It's just that US models got Alpine head units, and proprietary Alpine changers. Or Pioneer, depending on your model year.


As far as I understand, BMW gets their head units specially done, so that they can only take OE changers. This should make using an aftermarket head unit difficult as well.

to play it safe, get a stereo with a matching cd changer and have it professionally installed.

I have a 98 active and my car was prewired for a cd changer when bought in 01. I wanted to use the the stock headunit to control it so i had to buy an Alpine cd changer and an adapter plug for the cd changer. That adapter plugs into the factory plug and the other end connects to the cd changer.

Know i'm just assuming here but you could probally still hook this up to the back of the new headunit if it as the same unit. If i bought an alpine head unit it will work on the changer too. Yours should be an alpine if it came stock,bmw just tags the crap out of it with there logo and charges you $300 more than if you went and bought it at a local store..