[Vidati]

Hi guys,

Just purchased my first BMW and a first car above the year 2000

Its a 320i 2006 with 40,000km on the clock, the car is in great shape and condition however i have this phone dock mounted on my dashboard, it looks like this model of the car came with its own phone device because i cannot identify the connection ( to me it looks like a very old Nokia connector).

Should mention as well that i'm from New Zealand so the steering is on the right (the car was imported from Japan) and this is important i believe as the cable from the dock connects to the dashboard on the left of the car. to access the location i need to open the door and remove the small panel that sits between the dashboard and the passenger door. if you need pictures i can provide).

I opened the panel with some force and had a look into the cavity, it seems like the cable goes really deep and i'm not sure where to go from here.

Any suggestions regarding what i need to open in order to disconnect the cable and get rid of the phone dock?

Cheers guys.

[Ali-E90]

I'm guessing some pics of what you're describing in your car would be helpful.

[Vidati]

Added photos

[Needbmwpartzz]

I would just snip the wire(making sure no wires short) then put electric tape over and tuck away!
Not getting to the root of problem but good enough unless it's wired to drain battery.
My 2 Cents.

[Digitalize]

100% aftermarket.

[Wolf 335]

Definitely seems wired into the fuse box. Drop the glove box and check.

[Vidati]

Thanks guys!

after popping the fuse compartment i could see the cable however it was going even deeper then that, so i ended up just shoving all of the cable with the dock through the side panel and its out of sight (out of mind).

thanks for helping out, this is my first serious car and i'm not a car guy so the tip with the fuse location was brilliant.

Thanks again!

[Wolf 335]

Originally Posted by Vidati

Thanks guys!

after popping the fuse compartment i could see the cable however it was going even deeper then that, so i ended up just shoving all of the cable with the dock through the side panel and its out of sight (out of mind).

thanks for helping out, this is my first serious car and i'm not a car guy so the tip with the fuse location was brilliant.

Thanks again!

I wonder if this is connected to the phone module in the trunk. Maybe it gave the user capability to use phone feature on the steering wheel.

I don't think the connector you are showing plugs into the phone but rather into another phone cradle.

Check the trunk area where the phone module is. it is likely that the cable is running along the sides of the footwell in passenger area and into the trunk.

[stopper]

If there's one thing I've learned over the years owning numerous pre-owned cars, it's that for every "custom" modification that in some way involved the car's electrical system before you, there's a laughably high chance it was either:

a. Never installed/integrated correctly to begin with.
b. Only half-ass removed before being sold to you.

And c. Will invariably manifest itself through some other seemingly unrelated electrical issue when you least expect it, leaving you chasing down wires, fuses, splices, and electrical tape like a detective with a multimeter.

My advice? If you're never going to use it, spend a hour or two figuring out where that wire goes and remove it cleanly. Otherwise yes, make sure no contacts are exposed and tuck it away. Do not cut it.