[Bash*]

Car: 2008 E93 330D with CCC idrive.

So i've worked on many different cars installing speakers, wires etc and even managed to install 2 pairs of 12 gauge wires into each door molex connector in this E93 but I can't for the life of me add the harness extension and move the head unit back into its position.

Spending 4-6 hours in total, I've tried:

• Removing the cage and pushing all the wires to the left but then I struggle to connect the harness to the headunit.
• Pushing all wires to the right.
• Point the harness up and behind the heater control unit.

The only other option is to cut the side of the cage which I don't really want.

Any tips on how I can get this bloody thing to sit?

My Focal KRX3s are just in my bedroom gathering dust

[Bash*]

Anyone?

[bacardi198]

Using a Dremel (rotary tool) to cut the frame is the easiest way to handle the quadlock extension; I tried for a while to fight with it trying to stuff it in on the left side, but just cutting off the little support bar at the top was the easy fix.

In the end, I'm glad I did...otherwise it'd be a constant struggle to make it work any time you have to pull the radio again.

[taibanl]

Feed as much cable as you can out of the cavity, then just manipulate to where the open spaces are. Once you get it in the first time it gets easier.

[Bash*]

I think I'm gonna have one more attempt trying to get it in without cutting the frame/cage and after that I'll be bringing out the Dremel

[Bash*]

Just for future reference for people searching, I've attached an image of how much I cut. After doing this, The unit just went in as normal.

I did file down the sharp edges once this photo was taken.

[bacardi198]

Originally Posted by Bash*

Just for future reference for people searching, I've attached an image of how much I cut. After doing this, The unit just went in as normal.

I did file down the sharp edges once this photo was taken.

Yep, that's the little support arm I mentioned cutting, worked perfect for me as well, the pic should help people in the future!

[SteveEvans]

I side-stepped that issue and made my own harness. For passing the four balanced pair signals from CIC to amp I used S-FTP CAT7 patch cable which has individual foil sheaths around each pair, and an overall braided screen. It's like four high quality microphone leads in one. Better construction than CAT5 or CAT6. I crimped a brown ground lead to the braid (I think it's aluminium and so wouldn't solder), heat shrunk an inch or so on each screened pair, and then terminated the wires using TE Connectivity/AMP 968075-2 (AKA BMW 61138364835). 968678-2 (61138373293) would have been more suitable for the thinner cable, but I used what had to hand for replacing the sub wiring under the seats and also soldered the crimps, just to be sure. Note that these are not standard quad block terminals; BMW use a rather higher quality option!

Below you can see the cable connected before I cut off the old leads' connectors.



At the amplifier end I terminated in the same way, but didn't ground the screen, thus.



Speaker cabling doesn't need to go anywhere near the CIC, so this had no space problems at all. Absolutely no hiss, hum or any such issue.

Steve