HU install to E46 Convertible
Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:46 am
This is my first post on this forum so please be gentle with your comments.
I purchased a Pumpkin HU with dashcam, rear camera, OBD2 and DVB radio.
This is the unit:
Pumpkin OCTA Core 2GB 32GB Android Radio Stereo for BMW E46 Support Harmon Kardon 1024*600 Single Din Car DVD Player Support GPS/Mirror Link/DAB+/Bluetooth/SWC/3G WIFI/Subwoofer/AV Output/Cam-In/OBD
by Pumpkin
Processor type UltraOcta-T8
Android version 6.0.1
MCU version 5.3.19-11-00-453101-170502- Universal
System version V9.1.1_20170904.191626_KED3-5
DVD version 2.13.15-860mc-160106
The install did not go at all smoothly.
Before doing anything, disconnect the earth wire from the battery and insulate it. I just used an old towel draped over the battery.
Remove the trim, start at the passenger’s side and gently levering up from the bottom with a flat tool gently work the trim away and pull. It is secured by 3 or 4 pins about 1 inch long. Then do the same for the trim on the driver’s side.
Remove the screws that hold in the radio head unit and disconnect the cables, put it to one side. Undo the screws now revealed for the air vent.
Now you have access to the bottom of the centre air vent, this is the hard part. Have a stiff whisky, or whatever your tipple is. Then...you need to firmly grip the bottom of the air vent, and pull very hard, it will make some horrible noises as though plastic is breaking, but keep going and it will tip up from the bottom and come out.
Relocate the climate control panel to the bottom of the escutcheon, this is described many times on the bimmer forum, it is easy.
Remove the boot from the automatic shift, or gear lever if manual, just pull upwards to lift.
Undo the two screws revealed.
Lift the whole panel out the one that’s complete with the window controls and slide toward the rear.
Remove the 2 screws and the whole escutcheon will come out ready for the climate control relocation.
our dash should now look like this, you are ready to install the head unit.
Before doing anything else, remove the 2 screws shown by the red tape on top of the unit, these secure the DVD player optical sled during transit.
Ascertain whether you have the 17 or 40 pin connector you removed from the rear of the old head unit.
Connect the 2 white connectors to the rear of the new head unit, one is the multi-connector with about 10 RCA sockets, the other with the 2 USB flying leads. Connect the black power connector with the 17/40 pin and canbus unit to the rear power socket. Find the antenna adaptor in the kit and plug that into the head unit. Screw the 2 antennas in, GPS and Wi-Fi.
Before installing and testing the unit I made up an extra earth wire to connect the chassis of the car to the head unit.
With my particular installation Pumpkin instructed me to short the red and pink wires on the rear of the unit.
At this point because I was installing the rear-view camera, I decided to take a short-cut. As an experienced audio-video engineer, I know that screened cable is best, but for the sake of stuffing around for the best part of a day running a bit of audio cable through the length of the car, I decided to re-use wires already in place for the cd changer I will no longer be needing.
I removed the outer locating plug inserter thingy (the bit that slides down to make the power plug fit snugly to the old head unit). I then separated the cd changer plug.
There are 3 wires I picked the white/red and white/blue and spliced into them.
Then I removed the cd changer from the boot 5 x 8mm bolts and set it to one side.
I then connected a meter to the white/red and white/blue cables on the cd changer plug. The head unit end I simply shorted the two wires with a piece of wire as in the picture. With a nice beep from my meter I knew I had the correct wires, and used an old yellow plug video cable I spliced into the cd changer wires on both ends.
The other issues I had were that the supplied cable with the USB dashcam that Pumpkin supplied were about a metre too short to route the cables nicely so I had to use a (good quality) USB extension cable to make it fit. I fitted the dashcam to the rear mirror along with the included microphone.
Now offer the unit up to the car, dress the cables for the GPS and Wi-Fi first, ensure they are hidden under the dash but above any metal parts.
Connect the battery earth cable now.
Now is the moment of truth.
Plug in the power cable 17/40 pin. You should get the Pumpkin logo after a couple of seconds followed by the android boot screens. After about 20 seconds you should be in the main menu.
Radio image
Dashcam image
Satellite testing programme.
If eveything works, now is the time to properly dress the cables, use cable ties for neatness but first disconnect the battery again, just in case.
That’s it for the main install, next see the pictures for the reversing camera installation.
You are ready to tackle the boot lid part.
The Pumpkin number-plate rear camera I used doesn’t fit the BMW number plate location very well, I had to improvise a couple of large plates to act as washers as the screw locations are where there is a very large empty space. I then had to remove the rear light cluste 4 screws to insert the camera cables. I also had to cut a small “v” shape out of the plastic to accommodate the cable which I poked through the light cluster to inside the boot lid.
It was quite difficult to run the cables through the small concertina rubber grommet, but with a piece of stiff gardenwire I was able to get them through to the boot.
It doesn’t look like an aftermarket add-on, I’m pleased with how it has worked out.
I purchased a Pumpkin HU with dashcam, rear camera, OBD2 and DVB radio.
This is the unit:
Pumpkin OCTA Core 2GB 32GB Android Radio Stereo for BMW E46 Support Harmon Kardon 1024*600 Single Din Car DVD Player Support GPS/Mirror Link/DAB+/Bluetooth/SWC/3G WIFI/Subwoofer/AV Output/Cam-In/OBD
by Pumpkin
Processor type UltraOcta-T8
Android version 6.0.1
MCU version 5.3.19-11-00-453101-170502- Universal
System version V9.1.1_20170904.191626_KED3-5
DVD version 2.13.15-860mc-160106
The install did not go at all smoothly.
Before doing anything, disconnect the earth wire from the battery and insulate it. I just used an old towel draped over the battery.
- REMOVE_NEG_LEAD_AND_ISOLATE.jpg (104.6 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Remove the trim, start at the passenger’s side and gently levering up from the bottom with a flat tool gently work the trim away and pull. It is secured by 3 or 4 pins about 1 inch long. Then do the same for the trim on the driver’s side.
- trim_removed.jpg (167.16 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Remove the screws that hold in the radio head unit and disconnect the cables, put it to one side. Undo the screws now revealed for the air vent.
Now you have access to the bottom of the centre air vent, this is the hard part. Have a stiff whisky, or whatever your tipple is. Then...you need to firmly grip the bottom of the air vent, and pull very hard, it will make some horrible noises as though plastic is breaking, but keep going and it will tip up from the bottom and come out.
- srews_to_remove1.jpg (143.65 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Relocate the climate control panel to the bottom of the escutcheon, this is described many times on the bimmer forum, it is easy.
- srews_to_remove3.jpg (222.07 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Remove the boot from the automatic shift, or gear lever if manual, just pull upwards to lift.
Undo the two screws revealed.
- srews_to_remove4.jpg (211.23 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Lift the whole panel out the one that’s complete with the window controls and slide toward the rear.
Remove the 2 screws and the whole escutcheon will come out ready for the climate control relocation.
our dash should now look like this, you are ready to install the head unit.
- vents_removed_with_difficulty_pull_hard_from_bottom.jpg (217.75 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Before doing anything else, remove the 2 screws shown by the red tape on top of the unit, these secure the DVD player optical sled during transit.
- dvd_safety_screws_removal.jpg (128.86 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Ascertain whether you have the 17 or 40 pin connector you removed from the rear of the old head unit.
- resized_radio_plug.jpg (266.46 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Connect the 2 white connectors to the rear of the new head unit, one is the multi-connector with about 10 RCA sockets, the other with the 2 USB flying leads. Connect the black power connector with the 17/40 pin and canbus unit to the rear power socket. Find the antenna adaptor in the kit and plug that into the head unit. Screw the 2 antennas in, GPS and Wi-Fi.
Before installing and testing the unit I made up an extra earth wire to connect the chassis of the car to the head unit.
With my particular installation Pumpkin instructed me to short the red and pink wires on the rear of the unit.
- canbus_plug_temp_short.jpg (261.69 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
At this point because I was installing the rear-view camera, I decided to take a short-cut. As an experienced audio-video engineer, I know that screened cable is best, but for the sake of stuffing around for the best part of a day running a bit of audio cable through the length of the car, I decided to re-use wires already in place for the cd changer I will no longer be needing.
I removed the outer locating plug inserter thingy (the bit that slides down to make the power plug fit snugly to the old head unit). I then separated the cd changer plug.
- CD_changer _plug_head_end.jpg (103.17 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
There are 3 wires I picked the white/red and white/blue and spliced into them.
- CD_changer_plug_loom.jpg (140.89 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Then I removed the cd changer from the boot 5 x 8mm bolts and set it to one side.
I then connected a meter to the white/red and white/blue cables on the cd changer plug. The head unit end I simply shorted the two wires with a piece of wire as in the picture. With a nice beep from my meter I knew I had the correct wires, and used an old yellow plug video cable I spliced into the cd changer wires on both ends.
- CD_changer_plug_spliced_audio_rca_female.jpg (172.51 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
The other issues I had were that the supplied cable with the USB dashcam that Pumpkin supplied were about a metre too short to route the cables nicely so I had to use a (good quality) USB extension cable to make it fit. I fitted the dashcam to the rear mirror along with the included microphone.
Now offer the unit up to the car, dress the cables for the GPS and Wi-Fi first, ensure they are hidden under the dash but above any metal parts.
Connect the battery earth cable now.
Now is the moment of truth.
Plug in the power cable 17/40 pin. You should get the Pumpkin logo after a couple of seconds followed by the android boot screens. After about 20 seconds you should be in the main menu.
Radio image
- testing_pumpkin_radio2.jpg (147.44 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Dashcam image
- testing_pumpkin_dashcam3.jpg (112.25 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
Satellite testing programme.
- testing_pumpkin_gps_satellite.jpg (158.24 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
If eveything works, now is the time to properly dress the cables, use cable ties for neatness but first disconnect the battery again, just in case.
That’s it for the main install, next see the pictures for the reversing camera installation.
You are ready to tackle the boot lid part.
The Pumpkin number-plate rear camera I used doesn’t fit the BMW number plate location very well, I had to improvise a couple of large plates to act as washers as the screw locations are where there is a very large empty space. I then had to remove the rear light cluste 4 screws to insert the camera cables. I also had to cut a small “v” shape out of the plastic to accommodate the cable which I poked through the light cluster to inside the boot lid.
- back-up_cam2.jpg (196.13 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
- boot_wiring1.jpg (130.67 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
- boot_wiring5.jpg (130.07 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
It was quite difficult to run the cables through the small concertina rubber grommet, but with a piece of stiff gardenwire I was able to get them through to the boot.
- boot_wiring7.jpg (214.38 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
It doesn’t look like an aftermarket add-on, I’m pleased with how it has worked out.
- car_rear1.jpg (323.49 KiB) Viewed 3203 times
- car_rear2.jpg (369.31 KiB) Viewed 3203 times