bmw business cd player "disabled" fix

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   I have been trying to install an original BMW Business CD player into my 316ti. It was replacing a cheap non-bmw player. The first I did was remove the wire harness adapter connecting the old unit and buying an adapter harness that would fit the BMW unit. 
When I connected it I got the text "disabled" on the screen. I could not find any solution on the net.

so.. thinking about it, why was the wire harness I was connecting to not directly compatible with the new radio. I mean a BMW radio should fit into a BMW without adapters. 

Anyways I started to try to pull what I thought was the original harness, out of the dash and sure enough I found another adapter harness connection. When I took this apart and connected the this to the radio directly the problem disappeared.

Apparently the adapter wire harness' do not pass the "iBus" signal which is needed to enable the radio.

Maybe obvious for all but, as I could not find a solution on the net I thought I would share this here.

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Allan3600 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Forum Member Joined: 28 Apr 2021 Location: Denmark Status: Offline Points: 11	Post Options Post Reply Quote Allan3600 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: bmw business cd player "disabled" fix Posted: 29 Apr 2021 at 12:55pm
	I have been trying to install an original BMW Business CD player into my 316ti. It was replacing a cheap non-bmw player. The first I did was remove the wire harness adapter connecting the old unit and buying an adapter harness that would fit the BMW unit. When I connected it I got the text "disabled" on the screen. I could not find any solution on the net. so.. thinking about it, why was the wire harness I was connecting to not directly compatible with the new radio. I mean a BMW radio should fit into a BMW without adapters. Anyways I started to try to pull what I thought was the original harness, out of the dash and sure enough I found another adapter harness connection. When I took this apart and connected the this to the radio directly the problem disappeared. Apparently the adapter wire harness' do not pass the "iBus" signal which is needed to enable the radio. Maybe obvious for all but, as I could not find a solution on the net I thought I would share this here.

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NickDE Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Region Chair North East Chairman Joined: 14 Mar 2015 Location: Newcastle Status: Offline Points: 1139	Post Options Post Reply Quote NickDE Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 Apr 2021 at 8:42pm
	Thanks. It is amazing how much spaghetti you can pull out of a car sometimes. On one of mine I started pulling on a wire and found a hidden tracker at the other end.
	Darkness gone, Tronic gone, Solo gone, DBA gone, go Darknes2, go Frozen, go Black Pearl, go Echo. RIP The Vibrator