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Thread: Radio sound dead

  1. #11
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    May 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by 632 Regal View Post
    Mine is different:


    The part under the cooling fins is not accessible, clipped in with heavy duty pop together clips. I did use a stainless brush on the solder areas I could access and it tries to come on and fizzles out. Can repeat this sometimes so I will try to reheat the solder contacts under the capacitors and see what happens.
    FWIW

    This 540 I bought came with the stock Amp removed. Looked like the PO tried to use an aftermarket Amp but I just wired the harness back onto itself bypassing the amp and the head-unit is the only power source

    one issue that may arise from this is engine whine.

    I sometimes get it using the GROM USB but not with the radio or a CD.

    You ought to be able to connect the speaker wires if you don't mind splicing so you can at least use the head unit..
    1995 540i Manual build 1/95

  2. #12
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    No, it's the amp. A bad solder joint somewhere but fret not! Driving the wife and kid today and the radio was making staticy sounds, I mentioned that she is trying today lol. Wham! On it goes and worked for over an hour. No clue if it will work again but I am willing to say it might work for another year or so.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  3. #13
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    just get a cd 43 they look stock!
    Gone but not forgotten

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Paul in NZ View Post
    just get a cd 43 they look stock!
    So does stock.

    I got about 6 seconds of play out of her today, most satisfying. Ordered a whole bunch of soldering equipment and supplies, looks like I'm opening an electronic repair facility. The amp board looks like it was submerged in saltwater for a decade so I will reflow the (million) solder points and hope I actually hit the problem one. If they even get a 93 or above e34 in the local pull-a-part I will just grab an amp. Until then I have a determination to fault that I intend on making this thing live again.

    Cut out one time last year for about 15 minutes and then came back on for over a year so I do have faith in it. If I had a decent camera I would take pictures to show the board but as everything is around here I am limited in technology.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  5. #15
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    Dec 2004
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    Good on ya moit! Make that ol' bugger sing!

    Here are some pics of the two I have; I did swap the Loewe like you have out for the older one I had here, but it sounds identical.

    First two pics are of the later Loewe amp, the last two the old one. Both of these work- and neither have the corrosion you described. I've found that the sound volume is low probably because the FM front end of the radio is low or its simply not very powerful. Probably better with CD. Maybe I should hook that up to see.

    I can send you my old amp (for free) if it helps- shipping from Australia for 2-3lbs won't exactly be cheap though.

    Note, the older amp fitted to M50/M60 '10 speaker Hi-Fi sound' option models are mounted on a heavier bracket. The newer one they put a hole in the middle just to save mass (see the first pic). Nice. Still, if it were Japanese, it'd be 1/10th the weight of the light one.. probably just tin straps.

    For everyone other than Jeff, this is the insides of the Loewe amp/what he is working on. Note these two models we're discussing are both booster amps, and that they lack the high power crossover first used in the previous e32/e34 (M20/M30/M70 powered) cars. The old ones were far better as you can remove the crap bit (namely the power amp) as one module. The ones we're discussing in this thread got rid of the high power crossovers. It would be good to know if it is still possible to wire in the 4 outputs of an aftermarket power amp with these. By today's standards these amps just sound crap no matter what you drive them with.

    Apart from BMW cheaping out on the first this new design, they obviously didn't feel they'd cheaped out enough. Looks like they gave the 'still expensive' Nokia ones to Loewe and said 'make a cheaper one', (Toyota style).

    I looked at retrofitting the oldest style amp (the one with the high level crossovers), however the plugs are different so it's not exactly easy to do. Maybe there is a possible mod for these new ones, so we can (somehow) use them in a similar way, ie add external amps and still use the crossovers by simply splicing into the speaker connector or the main board. Better late than never, after all...

    2 pics of the later Loewe version like Jeff's in pieces:
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    Next two pic are the inside of the older Nokia model, I think this was used in most production 1993-94. It is blacker, squarer, meaner... but sounds just as bad
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    Attached Images Attached Images  
    Last edited by genphreak; 03-13-2017 at 11:13 PM.

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    08/88 535i e34 M30+miller MAF, 'stiens, tints & teeth!

  6. #16
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    May 2006
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    NH
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    I have a four channel Audison 30 watt (I think) amp I bought around 2001

    looks like this

    https://3284430f493d1f5bbf3c-7fcb801...9a749c3ca7.jpg


    Do you think such a thing could be worth rigging to the CD43?


    Quote Originally Posted by 632 Regal View Post
    So does stock.

    I got about 6 seconds of play out of her today, most satisfying. Ordered a whole bunch of soldering equipment and supplies, looks like I'm opening an electronic repair facility. The amp board looks like it was submerged in saltwater for a decade so I will reflow the (million) solder points and hope I actually hit the problem one. If they even get a 93 or above e34 in the local pull-a-part I will just grab an amp. Until then I have a determination to fault that I intend on making this thing live again.

    Cut out one time last year for about 15 minutes and then came back on for over a year so I do have faith in it. If I had a decent camera I would take pictures to show the board but as everything is around here I am limited in technology.
    1995 540i Manual build 1/95

  7. #17
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    Feb 2017
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    Had the same problem and that's because the amp got fried.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by rbrickman View Post
    Had the same problem and that's because the amp got fried.
    It is so hit and miss I get excited when I get sound. Kinda like a go-cart with a radio. Got all my solder stuff but a couple hundred reflows makes me want to clean gutters or powerwash porches and decks or the siding or look for an oil leak etc... you know.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  9. #19
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    In mine I just realised the right side tweeter is not working.

    Will swap the amp back to the late version and see if its the right amp HF channel, or if I need to test the tweeter or wiring.

    Join the Aussie
    540i LE yahoo forum

    08/88 535i e34 M30+miller MAF, 'stiens, tints & teeth!

  10. #20
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    So I can use the older amp, is it plug and play?
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

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