Mystery Grill

[Vornwend]

Bit of a random question: Stuck in a traffic jam the other day I noticed a small grill alongside the right side of the interior light panel (see picture). It looks like a speaker grill but its so small it wouldn't be much use - is it some kind of alarm speaker?:idunno: Can't find any reference to it in the instruction manual

 

[dhobbs]

Anything to do with the alarm?
Are there any sensors behind the grills?

 

[brillomaster]

interior motion sensor i thought.

 

[Vornwend]

Anything to do with the alarm?
Are there any sensors behind the grills?

Didn't really want to mess with it as its not causing a problem but it is intriguing

interior motion sensor i thought.

Yes perhaps??

 

[BumpyZ4]

It's for a microphone. If you have the phone option installed.

 

[Vornwend]

It's for a microphone. If you have the phone option installed.

Solved! although I don't think mine has that option

 

[mmm-five]

It's for a microphone. If you have the phone option installed.

Is it? Mine is on top of the steering column cover (example photo, can't find a photo of that position in mine ).



My Z4MC doesn't have that bit on the lights...

 

[dhobbs]

OEM microphone is as mmm-five says on top of the steering column.

 

[Wyldie85]

Is it anything other than ventilation? Having looked online there’s nothing that clips into it..

 

[mmm-five]

Part number refers to e46 ‘verts and e85 roadsters only, so maybe that’s why my coupe doesn’t have it.

Still don’t know why there’d be a difference, or what it’s for.

 

[scarlet-jester]

Another great reason to steer clear of coupes ...

 

[Jl-c]

Or, the e46 and e85 were just trial models which they finally got right when they built the e86

 

[Mau]

They originally intended the mic to go behind that grill.

However, it turned out that resulted in too much driving / wind noise for the roadsters.

That is why they relocated the mic to the spot on top of the steering column, which - apart from indicator noises - is much quieter. They did so without adjusting the ceiling lights however, thus leaving a “mystery grill”.

If you watch videos for installing after market mics, you will notice some of these still refer to that grill as the place for your aftermarket mic to go behind (as, despite the poorer sound quality, you then can install such aftermarket mic without sourcing a replacement steering column cover, or cutting into the existing one).

 

[Vornwend]

They originally intended the mic to go behind that grill.

However, it turned out that resulted in too much driving / wind noise for the roadsters.

That is why they relocated the mic to the spot on top of the steering column, which - apart from indicator noises - is much quieter. They did so without adjusting the ceiling lights however, thus leaving a “mystery grill”.

If you watch videos for installing after market mics, you will notice some of these still refer to that grill as the place for your aftermarket mic to go behind (as, despite the poorer sound quality, you then can install such aftermarket mic without sourcing a replacement steering column cover, or cutting into the existing one).

One to tuck away in the Z4 trivia box! Thanks for the answer :happyclap:

 

[Mr Tidy]

It's been on the steering column on all of my E86s.

But rather than being an E85/E86 difference, at a guess it seems just as likely to be a facelift/pre-facelift difference.

 

[BumpyZ4]

It's been on the steering column on all of my E86s.

But rather than being an E85/E86 difference, at a guess it seems just as likely to be a facelift/pre-facelift difference.

Preparations for the cellular
phone*
Hands-free system
In vehicles that are wired for a telephone*,
the cover of the hands-free microphone is
located in the headliner close to the interior
lamps.


For further information on the cellular
phone, refer to the Owner's Manual for the
telephone