130i head unit repair/upgrade
Discussion
I looked into this when I was the custodian of your car.
In the current configuration it’s single DIN, so pretty much any single DIN aftermarket stereo unit will fit using a facia unit. The downside is that they don’t look particularly ‘integrated’. On the plus side there are loads of units that support DAB and CarPlay out of the box, although you’d need to add an antenna for the DAB.
The usual aftermarket suspects like Pioneer or Alpine will also have the relevant wiring adapters to ensure that the parking sensors and steering wheel controls work. You may lose the trip computer and service interval stuff on the head unit, but as it’s currently the single din unit (rather than iDrive) that info is pretty limited anyway and still available in the display between the speedo and rev counter.
As the previous poster suggested there are also Android units that are designed for the E90/80 platform. When I looked at these the benefit was that they look more integrated. However, all the ones that I could find were double DIN, so you would have to move the Aircon controls and the switches for heated seats etc (there is a special aftermarket bezel for this). Not 100% but you may have to install the LCI lower console to facilitate double din as well.
As well as looking more integrated, I believe they also include the correct interfaces to plug in directly, retaining the PDC and Steering wheel controls.
Example https://www.eonon.com/mobile/Eonon-BMW-E90-E91-E92...
Third option is Avin USA or the white label versions directly from china. These have HD widescreen displays like the pro nav on the new 1 and 3 series.
In reality these are actually separate touch screens that mimic the latest BMW interface and then interface with the existing stereo. They have CarPlay modules as well as OBD2 connectivity which allows for details like water and oil temps, rpm etc. You can even add things like an iDrive controller, front and rear parking cams, dash cams etc
Downside to these units is that replace the storage tray in LCI vehicles and in pre-LCI ones you need to cut the dashboard.
Example https://avinusa.com/10-25-multimedia-navigation-sy...
The other big thing to consider is that your 130i has the Logic 7 Stereo Option. This means that the head unit doesn’t have (or at least doesn’t use) an internal amplifier. Instead it connects to an amplifier mounted in the boot via a MOST Fibre Optic Interface. Regardless of which of the above options you choose you will need an adapter than can convert a standard RCA output (usually red and white plugs) from the head unit and covert it to a fibre optic signal.
This also introduces the potential possibility that it’s the amp that’s faulty rather than the head unit, although it would be a big coincidence that both the amp and head unit are failing.
A few people make these now priced from £100-150. When I looked into it they could only provide a balance function but not a front to back fade function.
After looking into all these options I decided that using an iPhone and iPad Mini via the Aux input was a better option. Most radio stations have their own app you can stream from and Spotify covers the rest. Google maps then interrupts when it feels the need to read out directions.
All of that said I can’t say the sound dropped out on me very often, if it’s more frequent then that needs addressing anyway.
In the current configuration it’s single DIN, so pretty much any single DIN aftermarket stereo unit will fit using a facia unit. The downside is that they don’t look particularly ‘integrated’. On the plus side there are loads of units that support DAB and CarPlay out of the box, although you’d need to add an antenna for the DAB.
The usual aftermarket suspects like Pioneer or Alpine will also have the relevant wiring adapters to ensure that the parking sensors and steering wheel controls work. You may lose the trip computer and service interval stuff on the head unit, but as it’s currently the single din unit (rather than iDrive) that info is pretty limited anyway and still available in the display between the speedo and rev counter.
As the previous poster suggested there are also Android units that are designed for the E90/80 platform. When I looked at these the benefit was that they look more integrated. However, all the ones that I could find were double DIN, so you would have to move the Aircon controls and the switches for heated seats etc (there is a special aftermarket bezel for this). Not 100% but you may have to install the LCI lower console to facilitate double din as well.
As well as looking more integrated, I believe they also include the correct interfaces to plug in directly, retaining the PDC and Steering wheel controls.
Example https://www.eonon.com/mobile/Eonon-BMW-E90-E91-E92...
Third option is Avin USA or the white label versions directly from china. These have HD widescreen displays like the pro nav on the new 1 and 3 series.
In reality these are actually separate touch screens that mimic the latest BMW interface and then interface with the existing stereo. They have CarPlay modules as well as OBD2 connectivity which allows for details like water and oil temps, rpm etc. You can even add things like an iDrive controller, front and rear parking cams, dash cams etc
Downside to these units is that replace the storage tray in LCI vehicles and in pre-LCI ones you need to cut the dashboard.
Example https://avinusa.com/10-25-multimedia-navigation-sy...
The other big thing to consider is that your 130i has the Logic 7 Stereo Option. This means that the head unit doesn’t have (or at least doesn’t use) an internal amplifier. Instead it connects to an amplifier mounted in the boot via a MOST Fibre Optic Interface. Regardless of which of the above options you choose you will need an adapter than can convert a standard RCA output (usually red and white plugs) from the head unit and covert it to a fibre optic signal.
This also introduces the potential possibility that it’s the amp that’s faulty rather than the head unit, although it would be a big coincidence that both the amp and head unit are failing.
A few people make these now priced from £100-150. When I looked into it they could only provide a balance function but not a front to back fade function.
After looking into all these options I decided that using an iPhone and iPad Mini via the Aux input was a better option. Most radio stations have their own app you can stream from and Spotify covers the rest. Google maps then interrupts when it feels the need to read out directions.
All of that said I can’t say the sound dropped out on me very often, if it’s more frequent then that needs addressing anyway.
Edited by survivalist on Tuesday 8th October 22:07
Edited by survivalist on Tuesday 8th October 22:08
Gassing Station | In-Car Electronics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff