I just installed my IceLink in my '05 M3 convertible. It was very easy and took me under an hour, mainly because I was taking my time and taking pics. I put the IceLink adapter and IceLink under the shallow tray on the left side of the trunk, then routed the IceLink cable through a hole I drilled in the upright storage box. I then simply put the iPod into a silicone rubber sleeve to protect it and connected it up.

NOW A WORD OF CAUTION. I DID THIS W/O DISCONNECTING MY BATTERY BUT I'M VERY EXPERIENCED AND SOMEWHAT OF A RISK-TAKER (OR LAZY). I (AS WELL AS DENSION USA (WITH WHOM I HAVE NO AFFILIATION)) STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BEFORE DOING ANY WORK ON THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. EVEN THEN, BE SURE TO REMOVE ALL WATCHES AND JEWELRY FROM YOUR HANDS AND WRISTS (WHICH IS A GOOD IDEA WHENEVER YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR CAR. IF YOU'LL BE LEANING OVER THE FENDERS, TAKE OFF YOUR BELT SO YOUR BUCKLE DOESN'T SCRATCH THE PAINT, OR USE FENDER APRONS).

Here is the location with the upright storage box removed. You can take it out by gently prying the tabs inwards.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a931e7f1a00000026109Ias2bJy24

Remove the shallow tray by carefully prying the two plastic rivets. The rivets can be accessed by removing the center section of the trunk floor, as you would if you wanted to get out your M Mobility kit. The factory CD changer cables should be wrapped in foam along the edge of the grey trunk liner where it meets the trunk floor. Unwrap and free the cables.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a93147f1000000026109Ias2bJy24

Here is where the IceLink adapter and IceLink go. I mounted the adaptor (the big silver box) with velcro so it can be removed or moved around if need be. The wiring seems to work best with the big RCA jacks pointed towards the trunk wall but the main thing is to clear the shallow tray when you put it back. Route the IceLink (the dark grey rectangular shaped thing) in the channel leading towards the front of the car. Then route the IceLink cable that attaches to the iPod underneath the trunk liner. Reach through the big hole where you had removed the storage box, and grab the IceLink cable.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a93127f1600000026109Ias2bJy24

Drill a 1/2 inch hole in the storage box so the cable can come through. I put the hole near the top so that if I put small things into the box, they wouldn't fall through and rattle around under the trunk floor. I didn't have any grommets but will probably put one in later for a more finished look and to protect the cable, but the plastic of the box is pretty soft so I'm not too worried.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a9148fe7d00000026109Ias2bJy24

Here is a close-up of the adaptor wiring. Be sure to connect the car's small connector (on the right) before the big connector, or the car won't recognize the IceLink. This is probably only important if you are lazy like me (or want to take risks with your electrical system) and didn't disconnect the battery. If you disconnected the battery, it shouldn't matter which cable is connected first.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a915efe6b00000036109Ias2bJy24

Almost done! Connect the iPod. I put mine into a silicone rubber sleeve to protect it. You can see this is an iPod Mini, but obviously this will work with any size iPod.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a910d7f0800000026109Ias2bJy24

Reinstall the shallow tray, replace the center section trunk floor, and you're done in the trunk. Turn on the car (you don't have to start the engine), turn on the radio. Press the mode button and wait a few moments while the car recognizes what it thinks is your CD Changer, but it's really your iPod. Pressing the selection switches on your steering wheel will advance the iPod to the next song, but you can't switch between playlists so just put all your songs on one playlist or switch playlists before you start out or when you get gas.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5dc38b3127cce900a912efe1b00000026109Ias2bJy24

NOW ON MY OLD CAR, IF YOU LEAVE THE IPOD ON AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION, THERE OF COURSE WILL BE NO SOUND COMING OUT OF STEREO, BUT THE IPOD WOULD CONTINUE TO RUN AND DRAIN YOUR BATTERY. ON MY NEW CAR ('05 M3 CAB), THE IPOD TURNS OFF WITH THE IGNITION EVEN IF THE STEREO IS LEFT ON. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU CHECK THE OPERATION OF YOUR UNIT TO SEE IF IT TURNS ITSELF OFF OR NOT WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE IGNITION. YOU MAY HAVE TO TURN THE STEREO OFF OR SWITCH THE MODE TO RADIO BEFORE YOU SHUT OFF YOUR CAR IF IT DOESN'T SHUT OFF WHEN TURNING OFF THE IGNITION.

ALSO, THE IPOD WILL CONTINUE TO CHARGE EVEN IF YOUR CAR IS OFF. WHILE IT IS A VERY SMALL DRAIN, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO UNPLUG YOUR IPOD IF YOU ARE PARKING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO UNDULY DRAIN THE BATTERY(LIKE IF YOU PARK YOUR CAR AT THE AIRPORT WHEN GOING ON A TRIP; I USUALLY TAKE MY IPOD WITH ME ANYWAY) .

I have the older IceLink and carried it over from my previous car. I think the newer IceLinks can display song information on the display screen on your dash but don't know that for sure. Even without that display, this is still a lot better (and cheaper unless you count the cost of the iPod) than putting in the factory CD Changer and even with the iPod Mini, you get a ton more songs. Also, I made mine a trunk mount because I didn't want to run cables to the front of the car or get a mounting cradle for the interior cabin, as I didn't want to be tempted to fiddle with the iPod while driving, and didn't want people to be able to see that I had an iPod installed (my car is a convertible, remember?).

Enjoy! :beer:

Disconnecting the battery is done for more than one reason. When you hook it back up the car "reboots" and recognizes the ICE-link.

Took my car to a shop to have it installed. They couldn't get it to work despite claiming to follow the directions to the letter. I confronted them after talking to Denison. They were correct in guessing that the battery hadn't been disconnected.

If your unit works, great. If it doesn't, and you haven't disconnected the battery,....do it.


Personally, I think Denison should explain that the importance of disconnecting the battery is more than just playing safe.

Personally, I think Denison should explain that the importance of disconnecting the battery is more than just playing safe. Actually, they do explain that. I just know from prior experience that if you connect the plugs in the right order with the battery still connected, the car will still recognize it. It works the same way when you install a factory CD changer. If you plug in the little connector first, then the bigger power connector, the car will recognize the changer. Do it the other way around and it won't. Or, as you point out, just disconnect the battery and "reboot" the car.

Actually, they do explain that. I just know from prior experience that if you connect the plugs in the right order with the battery still connected, the car will still recognize it. It works the same way when you install a factory CD changer. If you plug in the little connector first, then the bigger power connector, the car will recognize the changer. Do it the other way around and it won't. Or, as you point out, just disconnect the battery and "reboot" the car.

It will most of the time, but most problems can be traced to a faulty reinitialization when the battery is not disconnected. This can result in all sorts of odd activity in which the ice>Link is quick to blame since it was just added to the system.

We state to disconnect the battery as the first step in the directions, however many people dismiss this step as a safety issue.

A revelation (to me, anyway). I had been running an iPod Mini in my car since this installation. The system sounded OK, but it seemed to lack what I can only describe as "musicality." There were highs and lows, but the range wasn't all that great, the mids lacked definition, and the bass just didn't sound very clean. I just figured that these were the limitations of the HK audio system that regularly gets bashed on this board.

Well, I wanted to make some playlist and content changes so swapped in my "regular" 20G iPod to listen to while my Mini sat at home. Much to my surprise, the system sounded 100% better! There was more range, and the mids and bass were cleaner. It suddenly had a smoother sound and was more "musical." I can only attribute this to what I assume must be differences in the circuitry between the regular iPod and the Mini. I thought it must just be my imagination but my wife without prompting asked me if I had done anything to the stereo since it sounded better! I was previously thinking about swapping out the speakers figuring it was my system, but now I'm thinking maybe I won't; the difference is that noticeable.

Now maybe it's just manufacturing variation or perhaps my Mini is "sick" and I just don't know it, or maybe Apple figures that most people can't tell the difference when listening through ear buds or that if there are differences, people will accept them for the smaller Mini package. And no, I checked both iPods and they were both set the same way; EQ off, etc. However, anyone currently running an iPod Mini as their car's sound source owes it to themselves to check out the regular iPod (borrow one from a friend), to see if it improves the sound like it did on my car. :dance:

UPDATE: I had forgotten about this thread and wanted to update the info on the iPod Mini (which has since been discontinued, of course). It turned out my particular Mini was sick. I tried other people's Minis in my car and they all sounded fine. I traded mine in for a new one and everything's been fine since.

Excellent write up. does this mean that with ice, i have to give up my 6 disc cd changer?

Excellent write up. does this mean that with ice, i have to give up my 6 disc cd changer?

Correct. Most times you still have Business CD in your head unit to play CDs still.

Update. I upgraded to an IceLink Plus yesterday so I could use the older IceLink unit in my other car. The only difference in the installation is that instead of the big silver box, they just give you a long cable now, which has female 3 pin and 6 pin connectors on it. The male 3 pin and 6 pin connectors in the car plug directly into the cable. You can then stuff the cable into that small area where the silver box sits in the above pictures, or run it under the grey trunk liner into the passenger compartment and have your iPod in the passenger compartment. Be sure to disconnect the battery or plug in the 3 pin connector before plugging in the 6 pin connector, or the car's bus won't recognize your new toy. Enjoy! :dance:

After following your DYI for the icelink. I decided that I wanted the ipod in the cab for easy access, but I wanted it to be a little stealth. I need my cup holders so the eurotray was not an option. So I put it in the rear passenger ashtray holder.

Here is what I did.

1. Removed rear seat bench and rounted icelink cable under carpet.
2. Removed ashtray and ashtray holder (part with sliding door).
3. Drilled a small hole in the sliding door tray to fit icelink cable through.
4. Routed icelink cable through carpet (small hole required and used a coat hanger to do the routing) under console.
5. Connected incelink module and cable under console.
6. Connected icelink.

It fits pretty well in there, extra wire and all. If I need to pull the ipod out there is plenty of wire to do so. When it is stored you can't even tell it is there. Better yet, noone would ever see the holes I drilled unless they took the whole center console out.

:beer:

After following your DYI for the icelink. I decided that I wanted the ipod in the cab for easy access, but I wanted it to be a little stealth. I need my cup holders so the eurotray was not an option. So I put it in the rear passenger ashtray holder.

Here is what I did.

1. Removed rear seat bench and rounted icelink cable under carpet.
2. Removed ashtray and ashtray holder (part with sliding door).
3. Drilled a small hole in the sliding door tray to fit icelink cable through.
4. Routed icelink cable through carpet (small hole required and used a coat hanger to do the routing) under console.
5. Connected incelink module and cable under console.
6. Connected icelink.

It fits pretty well in there, extra wire and all. If I need to pull the ipod out there is plenty of wire to do so. When it is stored you can't even tell it is there. Better yet, noone would ever see the holes I drilled unless they took the whole center console out.

:beer:


Do you have any pictures of how this looks, also what year and model M3 do you have? I have an 03 cab that I wanted to also route my ipod in the cabin of the car as well and keep as stealth as possible. Would love to see pictures to show the detail of how it looks. Thanks

Do you have any pictures of how this looks, also what year and model M3 do you have? I have an 03 cab that I wanted to also route my ipod in the cabin of the car as well and keep as stealth as possible. Would love to see pictures to show the detail of how it looks. Thanks

I'll take some tonight. I have an 03 cab as well. Look at my sig for details on my car. Let me know when you are ready to install and I'll help you out the best I can.

I'll take some tonight. I have an 03 cab as well. Look at my sig for details on my car. Let me know when you are ready to install and I'll help you out the best I can.

I also have instructions in PDF format, complete with pictures. PM me your email address if you would like a copy sent to you.

i want pix of these installed please.

i want pix of these installed please.

Your request is somewhat vague. Are you looking for installation photos or finished product?

Both, I'm gettin the new 60GB Ipod this week and am undecided on which adapter I want to put in. I think I want the icelink but from all the "issues" I'm reading about on these forums I'm not sure which way to go. I basically want something I can plug into the center armrest on my 2002 m3 coupe with business cd. My car is prewired for cd changer but does not have the changer installed. I want to be able to control everything from the steering wheel but want the ipod in the armrest for easy in and out of the car. Would like to see someone who has done this.

Tom G.

Can you send me the detailed install instx. please. I see some of these installs with a "big silver box" and my icelink: plus kit that I got from bestbuy for 200 bux doesnt have that box? would like the pdf and photos of installs please!

Tom G.

Can you send me the detailed install instx. please. I see some of these installs with a "big silver box" and my icelink: plus kit that I got from bestbuy for 200 bux doesnt have that box? would like the pdf and photos of installs please!

The "big silver box" is now integrated into the ice>Link module - it is no longer used seperately. Email me at tom@europeanautosource and I can reply with instructions.

Great post! I have a 05 Vert. The three and six pin connectors are under the tray versus up in the left corner as I have seen in other posts?

I just installed my IceLink in my '05 M3 convertible. ...snip...
Enjoy! :beer:

I have a the competition package so I don't have steering wheel buttons for the radio. My BMW dealer told me that their IPOD interface will work but that I won't be able to change tracks or volume from the radio. I'll have to lean into the glovebox to adjust. :nixweiss:

I haven't really looked into aftermarket solutions yet but I'm wondering how the IceLink works. Can you control the IPOD from the regular radio buttons? I'm not expecting full IPOD functionality from the radio, just mainly on/off, volume, and skip tracks.

I have a the competition package so I don't have steering wheel buttons for the radio. My BMW dealer told me that their IPOD interface will work but that I won't be able to change tracks or volume from the radio. I'll have to lean into the glovebox to adjust. :nixweiss:

I haven't really looked into aftermarket solutions yet but I'm wondering how the IceLink works. Can you control the IPOD from the regular radio buttons? I'm not expecting full IPOD functionality from the radio, just mainly on/off, volume, and skip tracks.

You get all that - and more, along with Artist/Track Titles on the NAV Screen

http://img331.imageshack.us/img331/4113/cimg10464cn.jpg

Tom,

I have the Nav screen on my 03 M3 Vert, but I dont seem to see those features on the screen. (ie: Music search, random generator, track sample, fast forward/reverse) Are these because of a different version? My Nav buttons look a lilttle different then the one in the pricture above. My mode button is above the 1-6 buttons and the info button has that little picture on the right of the Mode button?

Also, I was wondering about the sirius radio, and what I would need to add that to my system. I recall you showing a couple pictures on being to integrate it in line with teh ice>Link PLus. Do you have more information about this as well?

Thanks,
--Jamil

Tom,

I have the Nav screen on my 03 M3 Vert, but I dont seem to see those features on the screen. (ie: Music search, random generator, track sample, fast forward/reverse) Are these because of a different version? My Nav buttons look a lilttle different then the one in the pricture above. My mode button is above the 1-6 buttons and the info button has that little picture on the right of the Mode button?

Also, I was wondering about the sirius radio, and what I would need to add that to my system. I recall you showing a couple pictures on being to integrate it in line with teh ice>Link PLus. Do you have more information about this as well?

Thanks,
--Jamil

Those are standard BMW features and can be found by pressing the SELECT button on the NAV unit.

As for Sirius, we have a NAV Specific kit as well as everything needed (including hidden antenna) to integrate Sirius and the ice>Link to your M3. Feel free to contact me directly if needed. :thumbsup:

just a question... can you install the icelink WITHOUT having a cd changer... I just have an HK business unit in my 04 vert.... will it work/ are there going to be functionality losses?

just a question... can you install the icelink WITHOUT having a cd changer... I just have an HK business unit in my 04 vert.... will it work/ are there going to be functionality losses?

The CD Changer is not needed, as a matter of fact - it's disconnected to integrate the ice>Link Plus.

You get all that - and more, along with Artist/Track Titles on the NAV Screen

http://img331.imageshack.us/img331/4113/cimg10464cn.jpg

Ahh! It gets more frustrating everyday. I don't have the NAV either. :banghead: I just have the HK package. No NAV, no steering wheel buttons. Strictly an in-dash CD player - pre wired for the CD changer. I'm assuming that's where the IceLink would plug in. The mysterious part for me would be how to control it.

Ahh! It gets more frustrating everyday. I don't have the NAV either. :banghead: I just have the HK package. No NAV, no steering wheel buttons. Strictly an in-dash CD player - pre wired for the CD changer. I'm assuming that's where the IceLink would plug in. The mysterious part for me would be how to control it.

Don't worry - SCAN and RND are Business CD options as well! All control is via the steering wheel or radio controls.

i just installed my icelink plus and it didnt work the first time but i didnt disconnect my battery because i dont have a code to put into my radio but it worked the second time. The only problem is that the business cd does not display song titles, just track numbers, is this due to not disconnecting the battery or am i doing something wrong?

i just installed my icelink plus and it didnt work the first time but i didnt disconnect my battery because i dont have a code to put into my radio but it worked the second time. The only problem is that the business cd does not display song titles, just track numbers, is this due to not disconnecting the battery or am i doing something wrong?

No radio codes on the e46 models, that is only on the e36. As far as activating text - here are the procedures:

========================================
ID3 Text Activation Procedures
========================================

1) Select CD #6 on the Radio/NAV screen
2) Scroll to "Setup" and select setup menu
3) Scroll to "Text Selector" and follow the instructions on your radio/navigation screen
4) Text is now activated!

If you can't get it activated, email me at tom@europeanautosource.com and let me know if you have Business CD or NAV and we'll get you going.

i have business CD .. so no setup menu i think

i have business CD .. so no setup menu i think

Email me directly and I'll get you set up. :thumbsup:

Very cool. Thx. You saved me from wasting money on the cd changer. I think this will be a much better setup.

I'll take some tonight. I have an 03 cab as well. Look at my sig for details on my car. Let me know when you are ready to install and I'll help you out the best I can.

I just stole your idea, my nano is in there. Thanks Scott! :wave: