E30 Anti-theft Radio Code

[aaronhoy]

I drive a 1988 325i Convertable. The cassette tape player part of the radio is dead, so I until now I have just tapped the speaker out lines and I have a switch to run them to the radio or to a discman I have velcroed to the dash. This worked ok except I wanted to integrate the cd player into the radio so that I can just switch the radio to tape mode and it will accept input from the cd player. This way the volume control knob and balance fader and whatnot will work the same for everything. So I took the tape deck part out of the radio, but now it doesn't accept the code. I type the code in the first time and it beeps and all that to say it got the code, but it stays saying "CODE" on the screen. Worse yet, you are supposed to have like 3 tries to enter the code or something, but with the tape deck out, once it beeps the first time that's it. I tried to make an equivalent circuit for the board that was part of the tape deck to trick the radio into thinking it was still there but this didn't help. any suggestions on how to fix this? i wouldn't have a problem with just bypassing the code entirely, but the radio is complicated and I would need a schematic, which I cannot find.
any info would be very helpful

thanks,
Aaron

[witeshark]

I had this issue too! I tried the code over and over for 3 weeks and then it worked! Too bad the radio is ruined in other ways any how. Just plain old! ghead

[marlin hauser]

had same problem unplug batterie for a min. plug in and enter code

[silversled]

I have an 88 325iC as well....probably the same factory sound system I would bet. It sucks, the crummy tweeters in the smoking panels that don't even work (the smoking wings, like the 2002's had)...very poor sound, if you care that much I would pull the whole thing and start over. Plus with the convertable top the rear speakers are rendered even more useless. My wife and I have discussed this very issue several times and always come to the conclusion that it's just not worth it. However, best of luck whichever way you go....

[romeomike]

Originally Posted by aaronhoy

I drive a 1988 325i Convertable.... So I took the tape deck part out of the radio, but now it doesn't accept the code. I type the code in the first time and it beeps and all that to say it got the code, but it stays saying "CODE" on the screen. Worse yet, you are supposed to have like 3 tries to enter the code or something, but with the tape deck out, once it beeps the first time that's it. I tried to make an equivalent circuit for the board that was part of the tape deck to trick the radio into thinking it was still there but this didn't help. any suggestions on how to fix this?

thanks,
Aaron

http://shark.armchair.mb.ca/~dave/BMW/e30/e30co_88.pdf is the ETM. It will have a basic radio schematic. I don't remember who first posted the attached graphic (it sure wasn't me), but see if it will help. You may be to locate a radio manual from the OEM (Alpine, Pioneer, etc) at their website.

It sounds like you have the correct code. If the correct code doesn't work, there's a chance pulling the tape deck from the unit messed up the internal circuitry of the radio.

For those who lost or don't know the code (common problem), locate the serial/model number of the unit and post it here. They might find someone who can do a lookup. Otherwise they can take the number and their registration to a BMW dealer, and the service department can look up the code.

When the Alpine CDM-7833 unit in my son's 90 convertible crapped out, I bought a Blaupunkt unit (SD disk, with an aux jack for a diskman, iPod, etc). I didn't have a factory fader control to deal with. I used Molex pins and connectors plus the Alpine/Blaupunkt schematics to successfully wire the unit.