Which replacement Professional radio?

[gizmo2501]

Hi all,

First post on here. I just got my 2009 Z4 two weeks ago, and quite excited about it! It's my first "proper car", after having various random small cars since I started driving, and I really love it!

I have had a few things fixed in the last couple of days, but one thing ongoing is the radio head unit. It cannot be turned on manually, but will randomly turn on when you are driving, then at some point will go off again. So I am not really able to play with it, see what functions it has, what works, what doesn't, etc.

When I was having other work done on the car, they ran diagonstics and said it was the unit itself, so a replacement will work, or I could get it repaired. Unfortunately, their guy who usually repairs radios just isn't responding, but a replacement looks like it will be a fair bit cheaper anyway.

So I am looking at replacing it, and wondered if you had any advice on which unit I should be getting.

My unit is the Professional version, with the numbers 6512 9170329-01, 132640 10 on the back (pcitures attached).

Having a quick look on EBay, I don't see any with the exact same numbers or labelling. Some say Made in Hungary by Alpine, some say they are from Czech Republic (like mine), some have Bluetooth stamped on the back (mine does not). But visually they all look the same from the front. But all the numbers on the back are different (other than starting with 6512 9), and some have the same 132640 10 as mine.

Do I need to put in the exact same one as mine? Can I put a bluetooth one in? Will that even matter (I do have a handsfree blueooth --> AUX thing, but steering wheel and oem is always nice)? Can the bluetooth versions stream music and calls? Will it even work to add an upgraded version if I did not have that version to begin? Also, will I need to do any coding or is a swap a plug and paly affair?

I definitely want to put in an OEM unit, and I was thinking I might do that Android sat nav upgrade at some point, if that might affect the radio choice going forwards.

For reference, there is no iDrive in my car, and there is an AUX connection in the arm rest area. There also appears to be a possibly aftermarket microphone up near the rear view mirror, and there are buttons on the steering wheel for a phone, voice control, volume, input change. I have no idea if they work, as the radio rarely comes on.

Apologies if this is all basic stuff. My car didn't come with any manuals, and so I am slowly learning through reading around and finding manuals online.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

[Mr Tidy]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

We'd love to see a photo of all of your car too!

I'm too old to be up to speed on modern gadgetry but when I bought my E90 3 Series a few years ago the previous owner had retro-fitted an OE BMW Professional head unit with DAB and Bluetooth, so if you can find the right unit I would have thought you could do the same - but you might need to add an aerial for DAB.

[B21]

Welcome, to upgrade it will mean almost certainly adding a ‘combox’ of some sort in the rear boot bulkhead plus coding using BMW factory tools or Bimmergeeks Protool.

What model is your E89?

[mcbutler]

Download the BMW drivers guide app to get your manual

[mcbutler]

Hi all,

First post on here. I just got my 2009 Z4 two weeks ago, and quite excited about it! It's my first "proper car", after having various random small cars since I started driving, and I really love it!

I have had a few things fixed in the last couple of days, but one thing ongoing is the radio head unit. It cannot be turned on manually, but will randomly turn on when you are driving, then at some point will go off again. So I am not really able to play with it, see what functions it has, what works, what doesn't, etc.

When I was having other work done on the car, they ran diagonstics and said it was the unit itself, so a replacement will work, or I could get it repaired. Unfortunately, their guy who usually repairs radios just isn't responding, but a replacement looks like it will be a fair bit cheaper anyway.

So I am looking at replacing it, and wondered if you had any advice on which unit I should be getting.

My unit is the Professional version, with the numbers 6512 9170329-01, 132640 10 on the back (pcitures attached).

Having a quick look on EBay, I don't see any with the exact same numbers or labelling. Some say Made in Hungary by Alpine, some say they are from Czech Republic (like mine), some have Bluetooth stamped on the back (mine does not). But visually they all look the same from the front. But all the numbers on the back are different (other than starting with 6512 9), and some have the same 132640 10 as mine.

Do I need to put in the exact same one as mine? Can I put a bluetooth one in? Will that even matter (I do have a handsfree blueooth --> AUX thing, but steering wheel and oem is always nice)? Can the bluetooth versions stream music and calls? Will it even work to add an upgraded version if I did not have that version to begin? Also, will I need to do any coding or is a swap a plug and paly affair?

I definitely want to put in an OEM unit, and I was thinking I might do that Android sat nav upgrade at some point, if that might affect the radio choice going forwards.

For reference, there is no iDrive in my car, and there is an AUX connection in the arm rest area. There also appears to be a possibly aftermarket microphone up near the rear view mirror, and there are buttons on the steering wheel for a phone, voice control, volume, input change. I have no idea if they work, as the radio rarely comes on.

Apologies if this is all basic stuff. My car didn't come with any manuals, and so I am slowly learning through reading around and finding manuals online.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Did you buy the car from a dealer? if so do you have a warranty that will get your head unit sorted out for you?

[wanderer]

From past experience on my E90 which had a BMW Professional Radio without Bluetooth, i purchased a BMW Professional Radio WITH Bluetooth and got a microphone to run to the mic point in the overhead light cluster. No coding was required. It just worked, including the steering controls.

You could get a Bluetooth enabled version and try it. The problem with the E89 is the location of the mic point (it's on the upper steering wheel cowl) and your car won't have one. So you could look at mounting it elsewhere on the dash etc. but it's debatable how good the sound will be.

On the E90, i subsequently put in an Android head unit that came with it's own mic that i ran up the trim on the A-pillar and it just sticks out a bit at head height. It works just fine.

I'm going to put that Bluetooth enabled BMW Radio into my Z4 and use the BMW long length mic in a similar fashion with a light foam wind suppression jacket

[wanderer]

Does the entire unit switch off (i.e. music / radio stops playing)??
Or does the sound / music keep playing but the display goes blank?

If the former, then it's possibly a bad connection or indeed something wrong with the unit itself.

If the latter, then there is well known problem with the displays on these head units failing. It will typically work when the car is turned on, then go off later when heated. It has to do with faulty connection to the LCD display that becomes undone under heat.
It costs quite a bit to get fixed. You are better off geting a bluetooth one off ebay but make sure that it does not suffer from the display problem.

[AnubisZed]

Welcome gizmo2501

Well you've come to the right place
Great advice above, as always,
I assume with you mentioning the numbers you've managed to remove the headunit, so that's a good start. Replacing the unit with a standard used one will be straightforward. Even replacing it with a bluetooth one is also straightforward, but as mentioned above you'll probably need some coding.
If you're technically minded and know your way around computers then I can give you all the info you need to do the whole job yourself, if not then I could sort this for you.
Upgrading my headunit was the first retrofit I did on my Z4

[AnubisZed]

Oh and I just happen to know a member on here that has a 2013 headunit with Bluetooth, USB and DAB that will be for sale very soon

[SwissTone]

Oh and I just happen to know a member on here that has a 2013 headunit with Bluetooth, USB and DAB that will be for sale very soon

If me then indeed

Very good condition too.

All going well it will be made available from 5th June

[wanderer]

Hi all,

First post on here. I just got my 2009 Z4 two weeks ago, and quite excited about it! It's my first "proper car", after having various random small cars since I started driving, and I really love it!

I have had a few things fixed in the last couple of days, but one thing ongoing is the radio head unit. It cannot be turned on manually, but will randomly turn on when you are driving, then at some point will go off again. So I am not really able to play with it, see what functions it has, what works, what doesn't, etc.

When I was having other work done on the car, they ran diagonstics and said it was the unit itself, so a replacement will work, or I could get it repaired. Unfortunately, their guy who usually repairs radios just isn't responding, but a replacement looks like it will be a fair bit cheaper anyway.

So I am looking at replacing it, and wondered if you had any advice on which unit I should be getting.

My unit is the Professional version, with the numbers 6512 9170329-01, 132640 10 on the back (pcitures attached).

Having a quick look on EBay, I don't see any with the exact same numbers or labelling. Some say Made in Hungary by Alpine, some say they are from Czech Republic (like mine), some have Bluetooth stamped on the back (mine does not). But visually they all look the same from the front. But all the numbers on the back are different (other than starting with 6512 9), and some have the same 132640 10 as mine.

Do I need to put in the exact same one as mine? Can I put a bluetooth one in? Will that even matter (I do have a handsfree blueooth --> AUX thing, but steering wheel and oem is always nice)? Can the bluetooth versions stream music and calls? Will it even work to add an upgraded version if I did not have that version to begin? Also, will I need to do any coding or is a swap a plug and paly affair?

I definitely want to put in an OEM unit, and I was thinking I might do that Android sat nav upgrade at some point, if that might affect the radio choice going forwards.

For reference, there is no iDrive in my car, and there is an AUX connection in the arm rest area. There also appears to be a possibly aftermarket microphone up near the rear view mirror, and there are buttons on the steering wheel for a phone, voice control, volume, input change. I have no idea if they work, as the radio rarely comes on.

Apologies if this is all basic stuff. My car didn't come with any manuals, and so I am slowly learning through reading around and finding manuals online.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

OK Gizmo. Here's an update.

As background, i have a 2006 320D that had a BMW Professional Radio CD that did not have Bluetooth.
I researched it and got all confused with talk of ULF's, MULF's, MILF's, coding and whatnot.

Eventually i just bought a Bluetooth enabled BMW Professional Radio CD with Bluetooth as evidenced by the Bluetooth sticker on the top. Installed it plus mic and it just worked.
Subsequently, i replaced it with an Android head unit and kept it as spare or for when i sold the car.

Fast forward and now i have a 2010 Z4 with BMW Professional Radio CD but without Bluetooth.

So today i removed the unit and replaced it it with the Bluetooth enabled one. I connected a 2-wire cable from pins 17 & 22 on the connector to the microphone and guess what!! It worked for calls.
Pin 17 was connected to the white wire. Pin 22 was connected to the black or bare wire.
The mic worked in this config but not with the wires swapped around.
No coding required.

You will need:
1) A steering wheel upper shroud with a mic.

Mic Shroud Top.jpg (172.04 KiB) Viewed 389 times

Mic Shroud Bottom.jpg (175.14 KiB) Viewed 389 times

2) 2-wire microphone cable

3) Connect the mic wire to the quadlock connector. Will need quadlock/fakra female pins.

Quadlock_Connector.jpg (167.52 KiB) Viewed 389 times

White wire connects to pin 17 (marked in blue above) from the opposite side.
Black wire connects to pin 17 (marked in red above) from the opposite side.

To the left of Pin 17 in the picture is a blue plastic clip. Pull that out with the tip of a knife or a thin screwdriver. Then insert the wires in and re-insert the clip to lock the wires in.

Associate your phone to the radio's bluetooth.
Test.
Job done!

... Well almost. You still have to replace the shroud with the microphone. This requires removal of the steering wheel.
I will do that when i install the Cruise Control this weekend... if i can get the lower shroud with cutout for the Cruise Control stalk.

[AnubisZed]

Wanderer, well done, but the reason for coding is to code it to the cars specifics, ie; if your car had PDC and the vehicle the replacement came from didn't have PDC then you wouldn't hear the gongs etc. There are others as well but that depends on the headunit.

[wanderer]

Wanderer, well done, but the reason for coding is to code it to the cars specifics, ie; if your car had PDC and the vehicle the replacement came from didn't have PDC then you wouldn't hear the gongs etc. There are others as well but that depends on the headunit.

Aha, good point.
I never thought of that. Probably because it all just worked previously and the previous car it came off had PDC.
Your comment prompted me to go out and check (and take the dog out for a walk).

Rear PDC works just fine. Tested against my neighbours van as he was parked behind me in the opposite spot.

Urgent beeps at 2mtrs, whiteline at around 19cms.

Will check out front PDC tomorrow.
Need to find out what else is affected or can and cannot be coded.

It's all a learning experience

[PointedMarlin]

Oh and I just happen to know a member on here that has a 2013 headunit with Bluetooth, USB and DAB that will be for sale very soon

If me then indeed

Very good condition too.

All going well it will be made available from 5th June

Just noticed this post & I’m pretty sure someone on this thread will know …

I’ve got a 2011 with Idrive CD Bluetooth but not DAB

Could I just swap mine out for this one?

Although I’ve heard that DAB can be a bit rubbish on the Z4 & that is what has stopped me exploring this in the past

[AnubisZed]

Just noticed this post & I’m pretty sure someone on this thread will know …

I’ve got a 2011 with Idrive CD Bluetooth but not DAB

Could I just swap mine out for this one?

Although I’ve heard that DAB can be a bit rubbish on the Z4 & that is what has stopped me exploring this in the past

Yes its perfectly possible to do that, you'd need to run the antennas as well and a bit of coding, but yes a straightforward retrofit

Reception is down to the area you are really and where you'd be driving. You're possibly looking in the region if £500+ for the headunit and then there's the antennas, possibly cheaper (well its a lot cheaper) to install a mmi box and have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto then you could have TuneIn Radio app to listen to a lot more stations, only limited then by your phone signal.