Removing the OE phone mount

[Tornado]

Here's what I learnt while doing this job:

The plugs under the console:



Plug 1: 12V Cigarette lighter: remove by squeezing side clips and gently easing it out.

Plug 2: White with magenta guard. From memory, you lift the guard with screw driver, then push under guard to lift white lever:


Plug 3: This grey plug is clipped to the drive tunnel with a plastic arrowhead that goes in easy and doesn’t like to be pulled out. A large flat-blade screw driver could be used to lift it off the tunnel by sliding it under and turning the blade to lift it from the centre.



Plug 4: From memory, this has either clips on the side or a handle that pivots and, as it rotates, it ejects or inserts the plug..



Plug 5: Lift the magenta guard with a small screwdriver:


Then push inside with the small screwdriver to lift the clip that holds it together:




Hope this helps other people who don't want to have to resort to experimentation.
Cheers All!

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

Will the car throw any codes if I don’t plug that green circuit board back in after removing the phone mount?
Perhaps a strongly worded letter on the dash?

 

[AnubisZed]

Will the car throw any codes if I don’t plug that green circuit board back in after removing the phone mount?
Perhaps a strongly worded letter on the dash?

No fault codes or anything else that I'm aware of

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

What's the antenna plugged in and attached to the trim piece behind the armrest? Is that a key antenna to notice that the key in isn the car, or is it related to the phone mount in any way?
I had trouble disconnecting it, and nearly broke the connector. I decided to just leave it connected, and detach it from the trim piece covering the 10mm nuts.

 

[B21]

What's the antenna plugged in and attached to the trim piece behind the armrest? Is that a key antenna to notice that the key in isn the car, or is it related to the phone mount in any way?
I had trouble disconnecting it, and nearly broke the connector. I decided to just leave it connected, and detach it from the trim piece covering the 10mm nuts.

Sounds like one of the comfort access aerials

 

[AnubisZed]

What's the antenna plugged in and attached to the trim piece behind the armrest? Is that a key antenna to notice that the key in isn the car, or is it related to the phone mount in any way?
I had trouble disconnecting it, and nearly broke the connector. I decided to just leave it connected, and detach it from the trim piece covering the 10mm nuts.

Do you mean this one?....

If so, then it's the Bluetooth antenna.

Or this one...

That's the Comfort Access antenna

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

Sounds like one of the comfort access aerials

Glad I stopped tugging on it.

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

Do you mean this one?....


Or this one...
View attachment 282756
That's the Comfort Access antenna

It was this one. I was pulling on the connector and eventually the plasitc pulled back, but the pins looked like they were still attached. I promptly pushed the plasic sleeve back on and put it away like nothing happened.

Had I ruined the connector on the wire, what would my recourse have been? Can I follow that small wire back to a loom and replace a small section, or would it be more involved?

 

[AnubisZed]

...

Had I ruined the connector on the wire, what would my recourse have been? Can I follow that small wire back to a loom and replace a small section, or would it be more involved?

I've not removed one before myself, but if I'd damaged it then would be either a re-pinning of the wire or new plug. Both of which can normally be done in situ as it wouldn't take any significant amount of wire to strip back.

 

[Tornado]

Will the car throw any codes if I don’t plug that green circuit board back in after removing the phone mount?
Perhaps a strongly worded letter on the dash?

Hey!
Um I just realised removing this may be a bad move!
After installing CarPlay and, while I was at it, removing the phone mount…
I loved CarPlay but noticed the sound was a bit low on bottom end (deficient in bass). It thought it must be the CarPlay box having a poor frequency response (like a poor equalizer) but then I realised the two bass drivers behind the seats were not putting out anything at all!

I thought about it and could t work out why the insertion of CarPlay box would disrupt only the bass drivers …

I learnt:
*the bass drivers have a seperate amp.
*there is a fuse F08
*there is a 12V signal called Remote On that disables the bass amp if the signal is not present.
*there is a high speed fibre ring network called MOST for media.

By removing the phone mount, according to ChatGPT, you are breaking the loop and the bass amp is no longer getting the data it needs to play audio!!
Apparently the black and magenta plug is a two fiber plug with transmit and receive. I can’t confirm this as I have no photos of the cable end, but I suspect Chat GPT is right:

If we remove the phone mount the loop is broken and we need to rejoin it with a loopback (connector that joins transmit to receive)

Chat GPT could be wrong, but can anyone shed light on this or the loopback connector required ?

Big thanks and hoping someone knows the right loopback connector, all the ones I found on google look like they wouldn’t fit!

I miss my bass!

 

[B21]

Hey!
Um I just realised removing this may be a bad move!
After installing CarPlay and, while I was at it, removing the phone mount…
I loved CarPlay but noticed the sound was a bit low on bottom end (deficient in bass). It thought it must be the CarPlay box having a poor frequency response (like a poor equalizer) but then I realised the two bass drivers behind the seats were not putting out anything at all!

I thought about it and could t work out why the insertion of CarPlay box would disrupt only the bass drivers …

I learnt:
*the bass drivers have a seperate amp.
*there is a fuse F08
*there is a 12V signal called Remote On that disables the bass amp if the signal is not present.
*there is a high speed fibre ring network called MOST for media.

By removing the phone mount, according to ChatGPT, you are breaking the loop and the bass amp is no longer getting the data it needs to play audio!!
Apparently the black and magenta plug is a two fiber plug with transmit and receive. I can’t confirm this as I have no photos of the cable end, but I suspect Chat GPT is right:

If we remove the phone mount the loop is broken and we need to rejoin it with a loopback (connector that joins transmit to receive)

Chat GPT could be wrong, but can anyone shed light on this or the loopback connector required ?

Big thanks and hoping someone knows the right loopback connector, all the ones I found on google look like they wouldn’t fit!

I miss my bass!

I’m not sure what version of the audio system you had…but…no E89 had a seperate bass amp as standard…either the base system used on the onboard amp in the head unit or the 676 677 systems had an off board amp but that powered many channels not just the woofers..

The MOST network doesn’t connect to the 676 off board amp but does the 677


Either you have a messed up system or you have misunderstood the 676/677 architecture!

 

[AnubisZed]

Right let's put this to bed once and for all....
IF you remove the phone mount, disconnecting the cables at their proper places (not doing "Wreck-it-Ralph" on it like some have! Where you stand a damn good chance of blowing a fuse!), which is the black antenna plug, purple Combox plug (if fitted) and the black multi-pin power plug, then you wont short anything out. This is NOT connected to the MOST fibre optic network at all, so disconnecting it will have no affect on the audio system.
For anyone who is having issues with any other system, apart from the phone system, then you have either not plugged something in (or conversely unplugged something) or you've blown a fuse. If that's not the case then get your fault codes checked.

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

Right let's put this to bed once and for all....
IF you remove the phone mount, disconnecting the cables at their proper places (not doing "Wreck-it-Ralph" on it like some have! Where you stand a damn good chance of blowing a fuse!), which is the black antenna plug, purple Combox plug (if fitted) and the black multi-pin power plug, then you wont short anything out. This is NOT connected to the MOST fibre optic network at all, so disconnecting it will have no affect on the audio system.
For anyone who is having issues with any other system, apart from the phone system, then you have either not plugged something in (or conversely unplugged something) or you've blown a fuse. If that's not the case then get your fault codes checked.

I didn't disconnet any of the wiring from other wiring. In other words, I pulled everything off the green circuit board, coiled up the wiring, and stuffed it into the recess before putting the console back together. Should I go back in there any disconnect anything that I can, or will it all be good as is? I did no cutting.

 

[AnubisZed]

I didn't disconnet any of the wiring from other wiring. In other words, I pulled everything off the green circuit board, coiled up the wiring, and stuffed it into the recess before putting the console back together. Should I go back in there any disconnect anything that I can, or will it all be good as is? I did no cutting.

The point of putting this thread on in the first place was to show the correct way to do it. If it's not done properly then you'd be leaving a live circuit board that can come into contact with a ground point and you'll blow fuses.
The choice is always yours, but personally I'd disconnect them the correct way.

 

[Palmetto Fellow]

The point of putting this thread on in the first place was to show the correct way to do it. If it's not done properly then you'd be leaving a live circuit board that can come into contact with a ground point and you'll blow fuses.
The choice is always yours, but personally I'd disconnect them the correct way.

I may not have described what I did correctly, my apologies. Let me try again.

The green circuit board is gone. Every connection to the board was disconnected at the board (not cut). What I didn't do are the steps outlined above by Tornado where he disconnects cables from other cables like the magenta plug disconnect and white MOLEX looking plug disconnect (called "white with magenta guard" by Tornado). Though, I don't recall seeing the large white plug, I think I had a blue plug that looked a lot like the black/magenta one he showed which Tornado doesn't have pics of. I will need to more dilligent in taking pictures along the way. I seem to remember 4 connections in the green board, but now I wonder, was it just 3?

I think you've made it clear that getting rid of the circuit board is what's important, not necessarily shortening the leads as Tornado's procedures detail. I am just being cautious as I'd rather not have to chase down blown fuses, and wanted to be sure that I didn't set myself up for that by leaving those extra lenths of wire attached.

Do you consider it risky leaving the cables longer than needed in my situation? No green board, just every connection intact up to the point of the green board.

 

[Tornado]

I’m not sure what version of the audio system you had…but…no E89 had a seperate bass amp as standard…either the base system used on the onboard amp in the head unit or the 676 677 systems had an off board amp but that powered many channels not just the woofers..

The MOST network doesn’t connect to the 676 off board amp but does the 677


Either you have a messed up system or you have misunderstood the 676/677 architecture!

Interesting, Chat GPT was probably hallucinating...
I just disconnected all the plugs shown above and I didn't see anything wrong with doing that at the time. But I'm sure the Woofers aren't working and I saw on this Simple Car Guy video that he has an extra amp.

Well I am a bit stumped. The ZTUZAUTO box I installed sits between the head unit and the original connection. The base doesn't work from the Carplay box, but it also no longer works from the original head unit on MP3 or Radio. And the carplay box uses the same Aux in the center console that I used to use.

PS what is the 676/677 architecture and what don't I understand? Thanks

 

[B21]

Interesting, Chat GPT was probably hallucinating...
I just disconnected all the plugs shown above and I didn't see anything wrong with doing that at the time. But I'm sure the Woofers aren't working and I saw on this Simple Car Guy video that he has an extra amp.

Well I am a bit stumped. The ZTUZAUTO box I installed sits between the head unit and the original connection. The base doesn't work from the Carplay box, but it also no longer works from the original head unit on MP3 or Radio. And the carplay box uses the same Aux in the center console that I used to use.

PS what is the 676/677 architecture and what don't I understand? Thanks

All explained here..in full..

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

 

[Chippie]

Interesting, Chat GPT was probably hallucinating...
I just disconnected all the plugs shown above and I didn't see anything wrong with doing that at the time. But I'm sure the Woofers aren't working and I saw on this Simple Car Guy video that he has an extra amp.

Well I am a bit stumped. The ZTUZAUTO box I installed sits between the head unit and the original connection. The base doesn't work from the Carplay box, but it also no longer works from the original head unit on MP3 or Radio. And the carplay box uses the same Aux in the center console that I used to use.

PS what is the 676/677 architecture and what don't I understand? Thanks

Just a thought but if all the audio passes through your aftermarket unit, is it possible that there are equalizer settings for the bass that you have got turned down or could there be a fault with the unit, have you tried disconnecting it and seeing if the bass returns from the head unit?

 

[AnubisZed]

I may not have described what I did correctly, my apologies. Let me try again.

The green circuit board is gone. Every connection to the board was disconnected at the board (not cut). What I didn't do are the steps outlined above by Tornado where he disconnects cables from other cables like the magenta plug disconnect and white MOLEX looking plug disconnect (called "white with magenta guard" by Tornado). Though, I don't recall seeing the large white plug, I think I had a blue plug that looked a lot like the black/magenta one he showed which Tornado doesn't have pics of. I will need to more dilligent in taking pictures along the way. I seem to remember 4 connections in the green board, but now I wonder, was it just 3?

I think you've made it clear that getting rid of the circuit board is what's important, not necessarily shortening the leads as Tornado's procedures detail. I am just being cautious as I'd rather not have to chase down blown fuses, and wanted to be sure that I didn't set myself up for that by leaving those extra lenths of wire attached.

Do you consider it risky leaving the cables longer than needed in my situation? No green board, just every connection intact up to the point of the green board.

No, the point of the How-to was to show the correct way to remove it. If you are disconnecting the plugs from the pcb then you’ve opened up the the phone bracket, which didn't need to be done. And, presumably, this is because you need to loosen/remove the centre console, and didn't want to/couldn't be bothered. In doing it this way you run the risk of damaging something, and I've seen that on here and other sites before, which is why I did it.
At the end of the day the owner can do it however they want, but this thread was for doing it correctly, not the lazy/bodge way.

 

[AnubisZed]

As for audio issues, this is the How-to section, post up in the Problem section, otherwise it just confuses the thread.