Need help ASAP. 318i factory HU and CD changer

[thekid]

I've had the headunit for a while and it has worked fine. Today my mechanic (bmw factory trained) installed the cd changer (something he's done a million times). We put a cd in and went to check and make sure it works. The changer shuffled through the 6cd sleve when we put it in, so it looked good. I went and turned the car on and hit band. It went from fm to am then back to am and didn't go to cd at all. I tried hitting every button on the head unit. I pulled out the headunit and checked to make sure that the bus link was completely on ect ect. Made sure that the connection for the cd changer was there. Made sure everything was plugged into the back of the changer. Everything seemed ok. But apparently not! Any one have any idea on what's wrong?

[007ben]

sure its the right changer for the HU?

There were a few HU's and i don't belive they were all compatable with the same changers...

are you sure your connection is solid clear back to the changer? no breaks or anything in the control/signal cord? is this a new changer or old one? what about the HU?

If the dealer did it they should be able to make it work. take it back and make em fix it.

[thekid]

No dealer didn't do it. My mechanic and I did it. But he has worked at BMW dealerships before and done a lot of these installations. The changer is a Pioneer CDX-FM36 I believe (I just went out and looked, but didn't take a pen or anything to write it down... smart I know.) I bought the HU from El Presidente from this site and it has worked with everything else. The changer, my mechanic installed on some one elses car. The guy moved to malayasia and sold off his car but first sold back some of the parts to my mechanic. So it worked when he took it off of the original guys car. Is that a model that is incompatable?

[007ben]

what kind of deck is it. you can find out by hitting program (i think ) and then the - on the deck and it should say something like Alpine 3 or 1 or 2. . or something else if it is a poineer HU.

if the changer is pioneer and HU is alpine you may need handshake device or diffrent changer or HU depending on how you want to do it.

[thekid]

The HU said P102 or it could have been PI02. So i guess that would mean Pioneer 2? So that should work with the pioneer cd changer?

[007ben]

Ya its a Pioneer. So it should work.

And your sure you hvae good connectivity between the changer and the HU?

And your sure the changer is a pioneer? I just looked at my old changer and couldn't really find any thing other than BMW on it but i am 99% sure its an alpine.

[eloff19]

correct me if i'm wrong but the alpine ones were wider while the pioneer's were skinny and deep (good description i know - what can i say?) and i believe pioneer has their logo on it the discs overlapping or what not


haha i'm full of good information tonight.

[thekid]

it says pioneer on the flap thing that opens to let the sleeve thing in. The headunit i'm just guessing that that is what it meant.

[007ben]

Then check wires be sure there are no breaks in it. this could be tricky as the ends are in 2 seperate places. a mulit meter would be a good thing to have.

[thekid]

Thanks I'll give that a shoot tommorow and hopefully find something out.

[thekid]

Well know I know what is wrong. We called a friend of his that still works for BMW. As it turns out you can't take a 96 or newer chnager and put it on a 95 or older headunit even though it is prewired. They made some changes to the connection, and this changer was from a 96 325i. So theres the problem. Thanks guys for your help.

[007ben]

well now you know. and knowing is half the battlel..