Help, please!?

[jules]

Greetings! Just drove back a new-to-me 99 528i from Dallas to SF Bay Area over the holiday weekend. Car is now at local dealer getting the check-up. Couple of questions. It has a BMW Business radio, with the dreaded DSP; pre-wired for CD changer. Would like to put in a non-FM (wired) CD/MP3 changer. With what I have, what can I use?? Have checked out several audio and BMW sites trying to determine fitment and get lots of conflicting information.

Re tires. Car has ContiTouring; needs 4 replacements. 16" wheels. Had a 528i before (98) sport with low profile tires. Can the wheels be changed out for 17"? Which tires for that scenario? If I don't/can't change out the wheels, which tires would work well (225/55 16?). "Spirited" driver; handling more important than the noise level (face it, there is not that much noise inside this car!)...highway commute to SF every day and the occasional fast runs to Tahoe and down the coast. Have read many negative reviews about the Contis, (loud; tramlining, etc.); looking at Potenza RE950s. I'd like them to last at least 10K miles?? Any thoughts, comments, suggestions??

BTW, the drive was a blast...parts of historic 66. In spite of the long, flat, open and dull stretches of road (okay, it was called "Texas") driving 9+ hours a day at 85+ mph (lots of radar out over the weekend), the car was amazingly comfortable for 600 mile or so days.

Any feedback appreciated! Thanks...

[Slvr e39]

and congratulations on your new car! Just to let you know I LOVE MY 5 series. And yours is even one year newer.

Would like to put in a non-FM (wired) CD/MP3 changer. With what I have, what can I use?? Have checked out several audio and BMW sites trying to determine fitment and get lots of conflicting information.

Ok, check out bavauto.com, this is a description of one thing that would fit into your car

A great alternative to the genuine BMW CD changer. This unit plugs directly into the factory wiring harness and utilizes the factory BMW radio to control the various functions. Although universal mounting brackets are included, we recommend purchasing the factory bracket kit and modifying it as necessary for an easier installation.

there are also a few other ones and if you take that route it would actually be possible to do it on your own.

about rims and tires go on your car. Check out tirerack.com, they claim you can actually fit 20" rims on your car which I think is rediculous. So check that out, they do both tires and rims.

[jules]

thanks for the info! I'll check out the sources you mentioned. -- jules

[007ben]

blitzsafe makes adapters that can be used to hook after market changers to a factory system with and with out dsp. There are several website with kits that include the changes, and adaptors to do it.