Re: Pioneer CDX-M30 changer OEM compatible?

[Phil Marx <BMW@xxxxxxx>]

Doug Wagley asked:
>I have an 1987 325ic. Sometime around late 1990/early
>1991 I had a new factory BWM "Anti-Theft" radio installed,
>along with the BWM/Alpine 6 disc CD changer. This is the
>radio with the mode button to the lower right, next to the
>slider type finger control for bass/treble, and the six
>pre-set buttons on a single line just above.
>
>The Alpine CD changer gave out last year and I was told
>that the Pioneer CDX-M30 CD changer was compatible with
>the BMW OEM radio.
>
>The place where I mail ordered the Pioneer CDX-M30 changer
>tells me that this combo should be a direct plug in, and
>indeed the Pioneer cable does match the connector in the
>BMW OEM radio. However, a local installer tells me that
>I need a "changer to factory radio adapter" cable.


There is nothing that I've heard of that will make a Pioneer CD (even the
Factory unit) work with the radio you have, commonly referred to as the
"infrared slot" radio, an Alpine.  This was the only radio from BMW with
such incompatibility.  The easiest thing for you to do is to find a used
Pioneer radio version with the same connectors used in similar vintage BMWs
and then the CDX-M30 will plug right in, using the CDX-M30's suppied cord,
to the back of the Pioneer head unit.  Or have your Alpine CD repaired, as
they are quite hard to find.  The CDX-M30 will work with some later style
BMW radios as long as they are not late enough to have been "blocked" by
BMW at manufacture.  These applications will require an adapter just for
wiring connection at the CD end of the vehicle's data cable.

If you hook up what you've got, be prepared to replace the fuse at the back
of your radio which will surely blow in an attempt to protect your radio
from damage due to the incompatibility.  Hopefully, that's all the damage
you'll do.

- -Phil

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