[gIzzE]

Sorry if this has come a bit late, but it may help others!

For anyone else doing the Dension install it is far easier to simply take the most connector apart in the back of the head unit and connect the most cables there, and then crimp the 12v and ground to the same connector.

You can then tuck the unit down behind the trim in the passenger footwell.

This takes around 20 minutes including running the cable to the centre console and the aux/service switch to the glove box.



My local Autologic dealer charges 30 mins for coding the Dension, used to code for CD changer, they have now added a button that says 'Dension' so the garages who don't know anything about it can't go wrong.
30 mins at my garage is £32, so around $45.
The car does not have to be updated to take the CD changer either, BMW will try and tell you they need to update the whole car, this a BS, it is just BMW AG using it as an excuse to update it and charge you for something you don't need or even want.

[tshpark]

Hey, Jim & anyone else

Based on your experience and knowledge, the "code" does not need if I have a CDC on my car?

It will works if I just connects the cable from CDC with GW500 without any coding by a dealer?

Thanks

Originally Posted by Mrbroons

Quick post for anyone thinking of getting a Dension 500 system in their car.

This may be common knowledge to some but it has taken me months to get sorted so I thought I would post my experience up here. Please feel free to post this anywhere you can as it is a very common problem.

I purchased a Dension 500 kit last year, including the BTA 1500 module and laterly a WiDrive wireless interface. My car is a 2005 320d SE without a CDC (Boot CD Changer) but apparently with CD Prep of the MOST cable in the boot.

I had the unit professionally installed and the installer chose to install the unit in the passenger footwell I was then told to take the car to my BMW dealer to "code" the car to get it working. The instructions from Dension at this point are a bit woolly regarding what you should do and how to get it working.

To cut a long story short BMW refused to code the car without kit being installed in the car, this will more than likely be your experience. Please fit a CD Changer then we will code the car - if I wanted a CD Changer I would have it but I've got a Dension kit! Still BMW stick to their rules and I can't blame them for that, it's not really in their interest to get this kit working.

After this whole saga I went back the installer who happens to know the Dension people quite well. I was told to speak with a company called Auto Logic - http://www.autologic-diagnostics.com/products/bmw.htm - these chaps create the software and hardware that allows independent garages and home enthusiasts with lots of cash diagnose problems with their BMW's.

Apparently (this is hilarious!) they have a button on their BMW diagnostic tool called "Dension" and they just hit this (it has some options for what you have fitted) and it codes the car. Well taking my car to my local Auto Logic equipped garage (Big up to Stewart at M3 Power at Bathgate in Scotland http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/wes...motor-co/55758 who took my £700 investment in Dension kit and made it all work! Can't recommend him enough and he's a top guy aswell.

I now have my iPhone plugged in and I can listen to my music, I also have the capability to put a USB hard drive in my glove box - my iPhone even supports A2DP so it can stream my music over Bluetooth into the car too. I have full bluetooth capability now integrated into the car also.

I am now a happy chap and I wanted to pass on this knowledge to all those who are slaving away trying to get it working.

The following (I believe) was coded for me - CDC Support, MP3 Playback, Telematics and iPod.

By speaking to these chaps you don't need a CD Changer installed or anything else, just turn up with a Dension installation completed (MOST connected and power to the unit) and then the install should work. It should be noted that I made sure my car was on the latest BMW software before I attempted the installation to avoid any problems.

I'm happy to comment on my installation to anyone who needs a hand.

Jim.

[Najt]

Hello,
I have bought e92 325D with idrive and business radio but I didnt expected it has no CD changer! OMG!

This Dension 500 is absolutely what i need. but I really affraid of the installation. I am completly newbie in this. I dont know if i have any cables prewired for cd changer. I dont know how to connect to MOST etc.

Can somebody provide me really nice step by step DIY?
Please help me. I cant drive my e92 without good music/ipod songs.

M.

[Najt]

finaly. I have connected dension 500s bt to my e92
everything works like charm jupi

[Westylakey]

Hi, I have just fitted the Dension 500S BT, but am awaiting the gateway enabler to get it working.
I have followed the installation guide and it pretty much says to connect straight to the CDC prep cable which I have done. Do I need to do anything else with the optical cables?

I have it connected to the battery with a fused wire & connected the earth, But I have seen comments about a connector behind the glove box.

So do I need to alter anything else to get it work?

Cheers

[gIzzE]

Fibre cable is fine.

Are you 100% sure it will go to sleep attached direct to the battery though? Or let the car go to sleep?

[Westylakey]

It states to install it to a constant 12v power not switched. So cant see what difference connecting it direct to the battery would make. It's coming off the same connection as the fattest red cable on top of the battery.

I've installed it in the boot because I only need the a2dp bluetooth part to work.

[gIzzE]

That's fine then.

It was around 10 years ago since I installed one.

I guess it needs constant to remember all your settings.

[NickRay]

Anyone looking to sell their 500 or 500S?

[ctuna]

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1499808

You can get on of these for between 125 and 150 not as nice
but performs the same functions.

[NickRay]

Originally Posted by ctuna

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1499808

You can get on of these for between 125 and 150 not as nice
but performs the same functions.

Yeah I've looked at the clones as well, I really want audio through Lightning cable though. And the bluetooth profile used on those Chinese MOST units is not very high res.

[ctuna]

I have one of those cheap ones. The usb and sd sounds the same
as the CD the bluetooth streaming is not quite as good but not bad.
I always use the USB and Sd as a source. From what I understand
the lighting cable still uses the AUX for audio which is a known fidelity
bottleneck.(at least thorough the OEM aux)
The only downside of the cheap Box is the interface. You have to use
the on off button the pro radio to change sources.

[NickRay]

Originally Posted by ctuna

I have one of those cheap ones. The usb and sd sounds the same
as the CD the bluetooth streaming is not quite as good but not bad.
I always use the USB and Sd as a source. From what I understand
the lighting cable still uses the AUX for audio which is a known fidelity
bottleneck.(at least thorough the OEM aux)
The only downside of the cheap Box is the interface. You have to use
the on off button the pro radio to change sources.

There is nothing wrong with line level AUX, it's just that the e90 performs like 3 conversions on the signal. Hence the poor quality. The Dension box accepts Lightning audio source, which would be digital. So that digital signal would be translated to MOST (fiber optic, still digital), and then converted to analog at the head unit.

If there were one of these boxes that had a built in AAC Bluetooth codec, that would be ideal. But I don't think that exists right now.

As far as I'm aware, the clone boxes do not allow Lightning (iPhone USB) audio streaming, only MP3? Correct? I don't think many people do that anymore in the age of Spotify... If anyone has an opinion of the AUX input, LMK. I was thinking of using that if it's got a decent ADC behind it, and maybe pairing with an AAC Bluetooth receiver from Monoprice.

[ctuna]

Perhaps I am confusing cables with the BMW cable that used to
come with the Ipod option.
Ac coding to some people there is a component , capacitor I think that
kind of ruins the fidelity built into the
BMW aux line for noise suppresion that screws up the frequency response.
I actually saw a thread on this in the last year or so, don't know if I can find it now.

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showt...&highlight=air

The above link had a lot of discussions about sound quality using various approaches.

It's quite long an some of the better conclusions are towards the middle and end.