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Grom E85 Bluetooth Installation – DSP equipped cars

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Mojito
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Grom E85 Bluetooth Installation – DSP equipped cars

Post by Mojito » Fri Aug 06, 2021 10:58 am

I’ve found lots of references to the installation of Grom Bluetooth modules in the E85, but few specifics to the actual harness runs/location of components. Having just done it, thought I’d add a few pointers which just might help someone. It’s a great unit and works brilliantly. Even shows album and track info of bluetoothed music on radio display, which I hadn’t expected.

My car is an E85 3.0i SE. S662 Radio BMW Business CD, S672 CD Changer, S677 HIFi System Professional DSP. No Bluetooth, no Aux.

I want to keep my car looking as original as possible, but also wish to Bluetooth music off my phone and whilst I was at it thought I might as well have Bluetooth for calls. The Grom BT3 provides this functionality, but because I have DSP Carver Amp, I also had to buy their DSP conversion kit. I also ordered their USB & Aux cable. Cost of Grom parts £209.

• Because I have DSP Amp, I needed to purchase Grom BT3 version which connects to CD changer leads in boot, NOT directly to back of head unit in dashboard. This is because the DSP Converter is powered from the switched supply plugged into the amp (which is located behind the car battery), needs to connect to the short coaxial plug lead that was previously connected to the back of the CD changer AND to the GROM BT3 harness. It would be a nightmare trying to feed the GROM harness from the back of the head unit to the boot. Sounds complicated, but isn’t when you have the harness/components in front of you. I had to lengthen the power supply leads to the DSP Converter to achieve this.

• I mounted the DSP Converter with double sided sticky pad to the back of CD Changer and ran it’s power feed cables together with the Grom harness round the edge of boot under the carpet to ‘battery/amplifier box’ at rear of boot together with existing cables taking this route. Plenty of room to the side of battery box to mount BT3 unit and excess cable harness. See photos


• My CD changer is jammed, despite trying the Youtube ’hammer it with a gun butt solution’ :o :lol: I considered removing it to mount the Grom modules/excess cable in this void, but having downloaded BMW’s instructions for this I decided it just wasn’t worth taking all that interior trim out. There is plenty of room to mount the modules elsewhere as mentioned above. The good news is that you can quite easily feed a ‘pull through’ (yellow cord in my photos) straight under the back of the changer in the boot through to underneath the front of the changer and thus into the back of the centre console in front of the little central ‘oddment tray’. Also easy from there to run ‘pull through’ down centre console or even tuck up under edge of console to front of car as others have done. This is the route the microphone cable needs to take to reach the instrument binnacle where I mounted the supplied microphone. Note: I needed to purchase a 2 mtr microphone extension lead – readily available Amazon/Ebay. See photos

• Having run the ‘pull through’ through from the boot it dawned on me that I could now mount USB and Aux sockets in the car. I purchased a combined VW USB/AUX from Amazon (see photo) and fitted this neatly in the ‘oddment tray’. Simple to cut hole with a dremmel. Plugs straight into Grom supplied Aux/USB add on harness. This allows me to charge my phone if I need to, which can conveniently sit in a net pocket mounted on carpet behind passenger seat. I can also plug in an old ipod shuffle into aux socket.

• Whilst I had found lots of references to installing Grom in E85, there was only one reference to which cable is switched feed on Amp cabling. Alas pin/cable colour didn’t match my loom :? Testing with a meter revealed it to be the red cable, pin 5 on plug to amp. If you need to check, remember that radio needs to be on to test as a separate signal lead is used to turn supply on/off and works by detecting if radio is on.


• The Grom harness is wrapped in ghastly plastic insulating tape. Really not necessary, but I carefully removed it and rewrapped with proper automotive self adhesive, fireproof fabric tape to give an OEM look – not that you can see it :lol:

So there it is – sounds complicated, but truly not a difficult installation and it's very neat. It connects automatically to my phone as soon as ignition turned on and I can switch between four different music sources - phone, ipod shuffle, radio or single CD player on head unit. I can also receive and make calls :D :thumbsup:

Thinking about changing steering wheel to a MFSW but you don’t need it to make this setup work.
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E85 3.0i SE Sterling Grey, 2004
E89 20i SDrive M Sport - Mineral Grey - Sold

Weston Matt
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Location: Cotswolds

Grom E85 Bluetooth Installation – DSP equipped cars

Post by Weston Matt » Sun Aug 08, 2021 9:06 am

Very good guide. I was considering the install Inkey did as it’s cheaper but I do like the look of this

Mojito
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Grom E85 Bluetooth Installation – DSP equipped cars

Post by Mojito » Sun Aug 08, 2021 2:33 pm

Thanks Weston Matt.
I also read Inkey$ excellent install, but as I have the DSP amp, Grom seemed to be the easist way to go as their DSP Converter readily available.
The DSP converter nearly doubles the cost of a GROM setup :( At least easy to find the changer cables in my car :)
E85 3.0i SE Sterling Grey, 2004
E89 20i SDrive M Sport - Mineral Grey - Sold

mantona
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Grom E85 Bluetooth Installation – DSP equipped cars

Post by mantona » Wed Dec 01, 2021 6:37 pm

I am not sure how old these earlier posts are but wondered if anyone could help please? I have a 2008 Z4MR with Navigation System Professional (S609) Hi Fi speaker system (S676) preparation BMW 6 CD changer Si-bus (S692) and no DSP and no bluetooth. What do I need to be able to play Spotify etc from my iphone through the speakers? I've seen reference to GROM-IPD4 - would that work? What cabling would I need?

Sorry if I'm very late to the party... :|

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