Phone Kit?

Head units and speakers, MP3 and CD changers, GPS and SatNav, plus PDAs, mobile phones, Bluetooth, TalkAbouts...
Post Reply
User avatar
XVar
Joined: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 17:58
Posts: 475

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Derby

Phone Kit?

Post by XVar »

In my quest to find a permanent live to tap off (which I have done - cigarette lighter has nice chunky wires) I discovered this box while rooting around in the drivers access panel:

Image

It has a load of connectors on it for hands free stuff, which makes sense since one of the first things I did when I bought the car was remove the phone jack that I kept smacking my knee off :evil: However, it seems that the box is required for the speakers to work, even though it only has one connector plugged into it (labeled OUTPUT CONNECTOR). What does it actually do? There's also what looks like an in line fuse or switch on one of the wires (pictured below), what does this control?

Image
Image
Image

Thanks

-Ben
Last edited by XVar on Sun 16 Feb, 2020 13:06, edited 1 time in total.
Image
1997 2.8 Z3 | Gallery Thread
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
Posts: 790

  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Post by siwilson »

That box allows the phone car kit (silver box) to send the audio through the car's speakers. It sits in line with the speakers and when a call is made a relay inside switches the speakers to the phone. when the call ends the relay releases and the radio is connected again. If you are not using the car kit then you can remove it. all you need to do is remove all its wiring as well.

I can see the original BMW radio connector just poking out from the access panel. Plugged into that I can see a BMW to ISO adapter. The wiring then goes into the phone kit and then will be going back to the radio. if you have a BMW head unit there will be an ISO to BMW adapter and if the head unit is aftermarket the wiring will probably go directly into the head unit.

If you have a BMW head unit plug that BMW connector directly into it. If you have aftermarket then use that first BMW to ISO adapter.
Post Reply