DIY - Double Din Install w/Navigation and Steering Wheel Controls

Installing a head unit where you have to modify the AC vents is not too complicated, but it is tedious. I searched high and low on every forum for help with this. It took me three days to gather enough info and ballz to perform this install. I decided to document the install to help others perform this install.

Estimated Time: 8 Hours

Difficulty: Medium

Here's a list of items you will need to install:
12" x 12" X 1/8" ABS Plastic sheet (Get from stereo shop or partsexpress,com)
Straight Edge
Utility Knife
Dynamat Xtreme or Gutter Repair Tape (Dynamat from stereo shop or etronics.com. Gutter repair tape from home depot.)
3/4 MDF pieces (less than 12" x 12") (Hardware store)
HVAC Carrier (Temperature relocation) (Get from dealership or Circle BMW)
Double Din Bezel (Get from mybimmer.net or forum member ******)
Antenna adapter (Get from stereo shop or etronics.com)
Wiring Harness (Optional)
PAC SWI-X or PAC SWI-ALP (Optional) (Get from stereo shop or etronics.com)
Dremel
Tin Snips
1” Screws
(4) 10/32 1”x 1 1/2” fine thread machine screw (hardware store)
(4) Fender washer
Hot glue gun
Kenwood DDX-6019 (Optional) (Ebay or Hookedontronics.com)
Kenwood KNA-510 (Optional) (Ebay or Hookedontronics.com)

Disassemble Dash – Section time 30 minutes
Remove Trim Piece above glove box (Pulls straight out, no screws)
Remove Trim Piece above Radio (Pulls straight out, no screws)
Remove (2) screws and take radio out (Disconnect harnesses)
Pull AC controls out (Pulls straight out, no screws) (Disconnect harnesses)
Remove (2) screws holding center vent and take out (Pull hard up and out)
Remove cable from center vent
Remove (2) screws at bottom of radio housing and take out.
Open door of sunglass holder and pull door straight out to remove the holder
Remove (2) screws at top of carrier behind the sunglass holder
Remove shift knob
Remove SMG dome or shifter boot
Remove (2) screws from bottom or shift trim
Remove (2) screws at bottom of carrier and take out (Disconnect harnesses)
Remove cigarette lighter from carrier and set aside (To be transferred to new carrier)
Remove glove box by removing (4) screws and pulling straight out (Optional)

Modify Vent – Section time 2 Hours
Remove metal tabs on front of vent cover by prying off with a screw driver.
Remove temperature probe off vent cover (Pulls straight out)
Pull vent cover off and move to bench
Cut vent cover using the supplied picture with guide lines (Use tin snips) (See pic)



Replace cut cover back on vent
Using tin snips, cut top of vent to the back wall
Use dremel to cut along back wall of vent (See pic above)
Remove damper control bar
Cut damper on right to clear the modification being made to cover (see pic above) (optional)
Make sure HVAC is set on foot to have access to damper
Be sure to set orientation of left damper before sealing duct.
Cut pieces of ABS plastic to be used in sealing duct. (My long pieces were roughly 7” x 2" and 7" x 3" see pic)



Make custom vent piece similar to one shown in pic (Use hot glue to temporarily hold piece and use epoxy (or other glue) to seal.)
Test custom vent piece and mark bottom contour of vent using sharpie to be cut
Cut bottom of custom vent piece
Test damper movement by connecting HVAC controls
Using soldering iron or heated screw driver tip, spot weld vent piece to duct on car. You can also use hot glue (on hottest temp)
Seal it with Dynamat or gutter repair tape. Heat up the Dynamat or tape to increase adhesion.



Modify Radio Housing – Section time 2 hours
Using Dremel, cut middle section of radio assembly out
Cut rest of the assembly (See pics)



Cut ¾ MDF pieces in the sizes of 4” x 4” (right side) and 5” x 2 1/8” (left)
Cut a 1” x 1” notch in bottom corner of 4” x 4” piece (See pic labeled "Right Side of Radio Assembly")
Cut ABS plastic to same shape as wood pieces and glue to wood. ABS plastic side will touch radio. These will be your braces.
Using hot glue, attach the right side braces to housing at top and front (See pic above)
Slide the left side brace in the housing and secure with hot glue.
Insert your radio in the housing with braces attached.
Attach trim bezel to get radio aligned. Be sure to give clearance for motorized face.
Now that the radio is centered, mark your screw hole locations in braces. I used the two top holes. To properly position these holes, I located a screw hole not covered up to measure the distance/location holes.
Remove the braces from the radio and drill your two holes in each brace.
Attach braces to housing and test fit radio to ensure holes line up.
Remove the braces and make the holes into slots in order to position radio up and down for final installation.
Attach braces with hot glue for the final time
Drill pilot holes in housing and bracing and attach using 1” screws
For left side, attach screws to top.
For right side, attach screws to top and front (see pic)



Attach radio to braces using the 10/32 machine screws and fender washers. Make sure screws only go into radio housing 3/8 or less. I positioned the radio to the bottom of housing leaving about 1/4 on top. This centered my radio in the bezel.
Test fit trim bezel and radio in car. I test fitted with wires attached to radio to make sure I had ample room before I concluded it was done.

GPS installation – Section Time 30 minutes
Open hood.
Remove ECU cover using torx screw driver (See pic)

Twist the plastic knobs holding panel below hood vent.
Lift up panel and remove filter.
Clean area so GPS antenna can be attached using double sided tape.
Mount GPS antenna and route wire out of cavity. Make sure antenna has clear sight through vent.
Replace filter and reattach by turning plastic knobs.
Mount GPS antenna



Remove 3 screws and plastic rivet from underneath driver side dash above the pedals.
Pull straight down to remove clips attached near steering column.
Disconnect all harnesses attached to panel.
With cover removed, fish clothes hanger, fish tool, or claw tool, up through hole in pic below.



This will protrude through into ECU box underneath hood
Attach end of GPS antenna and pull back into inside of car.
Using Velcro, attach Navigation unit to panel. (See pic)



Attach GPS antenna and leave slack in ECU box.
Replace cover on ECU box.
Close hood.

Radio installation and accessories – Section Time 1 hour
Install head unit wiring harness using harness adapter or splicing into OEM wires.
Attach Navigation unit power wires and/or any other wires needing Ground, Constant, or switched power.
If VSS and reverse wire needed, See thread: http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ght=speed+wire.
Be sure to give power to antenna wire.
Attach radio antenna adapter.
Attach navigation BUS cable and/or any other items needing bus cable.
Test radio and all accessories.
Mount radio housing to dash using the (4) screws

Reassemble Dash – Section time 30 minutes
Reinstall center vent with (2) screws (don’t forget to attach cable)
Install trim bezel using the (2) radio screws
Install dash trim over radio and glove box.
Attach HVAC controls and cigarette lighter to new carrier and install using (4) screws
Install shifter trim using (2) screws
Install shifter boot or SMG dome.

PAC-SWIX installation – Section time 30 minutes
See thread
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ighlight=swi-x for PAC SWI-x install instructions
I modified my install by using the power source of the sunroof and only routing the yellow wire down the pillar. I stuffed the PAC SWI-X box on the left side of sunroof compartment. See pic



Completed install

Dude ur freakin hardcore!!

Mod!!! Make this a sticky!!

Excellant Job..

HVAC Carrier (Temperature relocation) (Get from dealership or Circle BMW)

anyone have the part number for this piece? i've searched the forum, asked members, called the dealership, and am still unable to find it..

thats sick bro how much did that run u

51 16 7 001 408 for carrier with single row of buttons
51 16 8 230 902 for carrier with individual buttons

Head unit with navigation $1200 shipped

Sticky for sure, mad props to you for posting!

mrdecibel, you are the f'ing man! Thanks for the great post, this should definitely be a sticky~

can't thank you enough mrdecibel! mods, make this a sticky now!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the part numbers decibel

Dude, collectively you probably saved everyone looking to do this many thousands of dollars. Way to go!!!

nicely done. will definately be using this in the future. mod, make it a sticky? please?

Sweet!! Needed this!!

Very nice DIY!

Great job and nice documentation.

I always forget to take pics until the end so I usually miss the in progress pics.

oooh

Got my vote for sticky. Great documentation. If I ever get a double din this will help alot.

What year did you do that on? amazing job

2K3.5

Originally Posted by taffy006

What year did you do that on? amazing job

On your PAC-SWI install, what color wires did you use for the sunroof install because I'm going to go that route? Does the black wire from the SWI suppose to connect to the ground (brown wire only) and where does the red SWI wire connect to? There seems to be a lot of red wires in the sunroof area but I can't seem to find the right one since they all aren't solid red.