CD Ch-Ch-Changers

[Donn York <dyork@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Carl Geenen wrote:
<snip> Anyway, what the salesman couldn't get from me in the negotiations the
finance person tried to get from me in the form of equipment and
accessories, most notably the alarm and CD changer.  I passed on both
thinking I really don't need the alarm and I could probably get a CD changer
from somewhere else much cheaper than the $895 installed price I was quoted
at the dealer (they started at $1100, then backed off to $995, and the final
price I heard was the $895).  I called around to a couple of the car audio
places and was told there are no adapters available yet for the BMW CD
changer.

So my question is this:  Does anyone know where I can buy the CD changer
plus bracket kit for my 1999 323ia for cheaper than the price quoted by BMW
Concord?  I would prefer to find a place here in the San Francisco bay area
that would install it for me because I'm not so mechanically inclined and if
I screw it up I'd only have myself to blame ;>{)  A mail order place would
be OK, too, in which case I'd take it somewhere to have it installed.

Carl:

Congrats on the new car.  I hope you love it!  I went thru a similar
routine with dealer prices when I bought my '97 328i.  The dealers wanted
about $900 including two hours installation time for a factory CD changer.
I don't know if the '99s use the same Alpine changer as the '96-'98s, but
you can buy a new BMW/Alpine changer for my car mail order for $445 plus
$85 for the bracket/cover. I bought a used one (I think the seller found me
from the Digest, I'm not sure) for $250 including the bracket.  Anyway,
installation involves finding the two hidden wires in the side of your
trunk behind the carpet-type siding.  It is pretty well buried.  You plug
the two wires into slots in the back of the CD changer.  Then you slip the
mounting bracket, which is screwed to the CD player, into two bolts already
located on the side of the trunk.  Finally you thread one (supplied) bolt
thru the bracket and into a hole towards the top of the trunk. Now comes
the tricky part.  You turn on the radio and after about ten seconds of
computer checks, the radio starts playing your CDs like the changer was
installed at the factory by someone named Ludwig.  It is UNBELIEVABLY EASY
and literally takes five minutes once you find the buried wires.  All-in
time, a half hour and (here's the best part) you can't possibly screw
anything up.

Then your wife thinks you are a genius and you feel pretty good about
saving money and doing it yourself too.  She no longer has to choose
between a hundred Grateful Dead Hour tapes on long trips and you can listen
to those Dick's Picks CDs in the car!  It's even given me the hope that I
might be able to follow instructions for installing the BMW keyless entry
system one day for fun.

The only negative thing about doing this yourself is it makes you wonder
how a dealer in good conscience could charge you two hours labor for this.

Good luck,
Donn

'97 328i - specially "tuned"

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