argento's alpine white X5M

[JellyStyle]

Here is a sneak peak..(they will be in black, and adjustable as well), plus he is machining all the OEM connections too, which no one has ever done, plus setting up a vacuum control valve coming out of the crank case (which no one has done either)..

The mill is on the way, haha, he can fill you in on the events these past 3 weeks.ha.. Just 3D model for placement for my F02, then the X5M is next, although i am sure he will do it for his N63, which should line up for the S63 too and if you have engine temp concerns:

Have you run the N63intake 85c thermostat?
What about the 1.4 bar Deisel radiator cap? That lowers PSI 25% on your cooling which in turn lowers temperature too.
What about the oil valve from N63intake?

All 3 of those will drop your temps 15 degrees or more..

[argento]

I will stay tuned! Looks like a lot of fun

I’m running the 90C Tstat and it dropped my coolant temperature from 217-226F down to 195-205F. We hit upper 90’s all summer with 100% humidity so definitely helps.

[JellyStyle]

Originally Posted by argento

Activity Update ===>

3. Decided to remove the piano black vinyl on the interior aluminum trim. Leaving the CF vinyl wrap on center radio console trim for now.

I need to show you the CF dipped i had done for my F02 (although they can dip it to anything, its unbelievable quality), also for it for the E70. its like this but my guy is direct.. He's going to do my engine cover as well, and a few other special pieces to match (like steering wheel lower trim)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/185636023018

[JellyStyle]

Originally Posted by argento

I will stay tuned! Looks like a lot of fun

I’m running the 90C Tstat and it dropped my coolant temperature from 217-226F down to 195-205F. We hit upper 90’s all summer with 100% humidity so definitely helps.

consider the 1.4 bar radiator cap, i run them on both my F02 and E70.. the OEM is 2 bar.. so higher PSI

[argento]

I've been working (very slowly) on installing Sophisticated Redneck pressure gauge kit because my work on the catch cans hit a snag. Not all NPT fittings use the same standards. The ones I purchased do not easily thread into the filtered air duct components. Luckily I had purchased a separate set of filtered air ducts to create an assembly for install. I'm going to have to use a 3/8-18 NPT tap to clear it out to install the fitting, so parts on order.

The pressure gauge kit is pretty impressive, I'll go into detail in a DIY after install. I spent the weekend testing fuses as I want to cleanly connect all the wiring needed. I visited my dashcam DIY last weekend and realized it was far from succinct, lol...and in some cases not 100% accurate. I've since updated it to be a little clearer and corrected based on testing this past weekend.


SCOPE:===========>

Most, including myself in the past, prefer to just tap into existing OEM wires that are perceived or found to be constant or switched power. This was pretty easy on older bmw models. In my E36 retrofitting cruise, 18OBC, rear vent windows, euro alarm, etc. filled the car with quick splice snap connectors. I recently moved to fuse adapters because 1) I'm not adding so many new systems to the E70, 2) Fuse adapters are so clean...it makes any electrical install easily reversible, 3) It makes electrical troubleshooting much easier b/c you can pop off the fuse for the aftermarket system to entirely disconnect. True, it's a little more effort and my dealer claims he saw a code and tracked it down to my fuse adapters for the dashcam that were tied to parking brake and HUD, but reported they caused no real issues. Because of the latter, my testing attempted to target minor system fuses irrespective of fusebox location, IE: charging sockets, lighter, etc.

NOTE: There may be other solutions than what I present below.

GIVEN:===========>

12V CONSTANT aka: HOT, BATTERY, +12VDC, etc. - A connection that provides continuous power that is not cut off by the vehicle's sleep mode or arming of the alarm.

ACC aka: ACCESSORY, SWITCHED, etc. - A connection that provides power only when the vehicle is switched into ACC mode (pressing OFF/ON button) with or without engine ON. Vehicle does enter ACC mode when key is pressed into dash key socket providing media with power, however does not provide power to 12VDC Power Outlets.

GROUND - Preferably a connection to one of the vehicles existing ground distribution blocks or an existing screw in the chassis that is grounded. All ground wires are brown in the E70.

FOOTWELL MODULE - Avoid any fuses tied to this module, as we all know it's fragile. Digging through schematics I noted the following fuses: F23, F33, F34, F96

SLEEP MODE - If the vehicle is armed (or not) and left alone for 30m+, then it goes into sleep mode which is disengaged when the alarm is disarmed or the doors handles are pulled. At that time, the vehicle shuts down and disconnects power to some fuses that are not CONSTANT power. You can hear a click noise when this occurs. These SLEEP-SWITCH fuses can be used as switched power to a degree, however they are usually switched ON when the vehicle is disarmed or the door handle is pulled. They switch off after 30m of inactivity. I used one of these as the 'switched' connection in my dashcam DIY successfully.

JUNCTION A4010 - Passenger Under Dash Fusebox. Located under passenger side left air vent. This covers fuses 1-44. Constant power can be found here (F10). Sleep-Switch Power can be found here (F6, F17, F18). ACC power not yet found here.

JUNCTION A42 - Luggage Area Fusebox. Located behind right removable panel. This covers fuses 91-150. Constant power can be found here. ACC power found here (F111).


CONCLUSIONS TO DATE:===========>

NOTE: I plan to route all my aftermarket equipment wiring (constant, switch, ground) to the passenger side fusebox so that there is effectively one location to disconnect any equipment. I also plan to route Switch power and Ground from the rear fusebox to the passenger side fusebox for distribution to any equipment.

CONSTANT POWER - While you can always get constant power from the battery in the luggage compartment, an alternative is Fuse F10 (5A) under the passenger side dash which appears to fit the bill. I tested and it remains powered at 12V+ after the vehicle enters Sleep Mode. I use this as constant power for my dashcam with success. A dashcam requires constant power especially if it has a Night Mode feature, intended to record when vehicle is parked overnight.

ACC POWER - According to the fuse diagrams for my vehicle, F97, F111, F113, F115, and F118 are for 12VDC Power Outlets like lighter, armrest and rear console charging, glovebox charging, luggage charging socket. I physically tested these locations and they are only powered ON or OFF when the ON/OFF button is pressed making them ideal for switched connection applications. I confirmed these results by measuring voltage at F111 under the various modes. However, all these fuses are in the luggage compartment fusebox. It turns out routing cable from the luggage compartment fusebox, under the lower foot trim to the passenger side fusebox is fairly painless and all you have to remove is: Rear fusebox cover (friction fit), right side rear seat bolster (clip fit), passenger side lower dash panel (3 screws). The remaining wire can be tucked beneath foot level trim.

GROUND - In my dashcam DIY I identify a screw behind the passenger side air vent that is ground to the chassis. However, if your running cable from the luggage compartment to the passenger side lower dash, you may consider running a ground cable as well. To the left of the luggage fusebox is an easily accessible OEM ground distribution block. Connecting to that point with a ring connector is easy, then route to the front passenger side fusebox with switch wiring.

SLEEP-SWITCH POWER - If you choose not to route Switched power to the front passenger fusebox, nor route your equipment wire to the luggage fusebox, you can try using one of the (what I call) sleep-switch fuses in the front passenger fusebox. I've succesfully used F6 and F18 for this application with the switch wiring for my dashcam. However, note that power is switched ON when the vehicle is disarmed or when the door handle is pulled and power is switched OFF after 30m when the vehicle enters Sleep Mode. I plan to stop using F6 or F18 in lieu of the ACC switched power I plan to route to the passenger fusebox, FWIW.


REFERENCE PIX: ===========>

Reference: https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/n...mbols.1278630/

2013 X5M Fuse Diagram:


Passenger Side Dash Fusebox shown w fuse adapters in F10, F6:


Luggage Compartment Fusebox:

[BLX5ME70]

Thanks for sharing mate. Cool car

[argento]

Originally Posted by BLX5ME70

Thanks for sharing mate. Cool car

Thanks for posting!

I finally got off my lazy chair...should have a writeup soon on an oil pressure gauge installation using Sophisticated Redneck kit. I ran the interior wiring and comparator circuit a couple weeks back. Yesterdsay I installed the gauge oil pressure sender and ran wiring from the oil filter housing to driver side under brake booster. Putting everything back together this afternoon. This weekend I'll finish install by running wire to gauge pod location and program gauge.

[argento]

I ended up knocking this out yesterday, here’s a quick pic of gauge installed. Luckily everything worked at first startup. I am really impressed with the kit and this guage. More to come…

[XRatedM]

Originally Posted by argento

I ended up knocking this out yesterday, here’s a quick pic of gauge installed. Luckily everything worked at first startup. I am really impressed with the kit and this guage. More to come…

Looks very nice - clean OEM install!!

[argento]

OVERVIEW: I believe these OEM CF Splitters are NLA from BMW and installation kits were included with purchase of splitter only. However, used ones are still out there, so keep looking. My first attempt to install this w/o an installation kit and using double sided tape resulted in ¼” gaps between the bumper and the splitter at each corner. I believe the installation is still possible with double side tape, but I’m posting an alternative. First sincere thanks to 0-60Motorsports who, after my first attempt, sent me photos of how his shop installed the splitter. Then the dealer finally came through with a request I had made a month earlier for OEM instructions. Using this info, I put together an installation kit. Installing the splitter with the bumper removed and using the Dupont Betalink adhesive allowed me to mount the splitter flush against the bumper.

COMPONENTS:
I've included the OEM instructions at the end of this post. The OEM installation kit is normally included with purchase of the OEM CF Splitter. If you’ve bought one used like I did, then use the following table to put together a custom kit. Your vehicle likely has the nuts, but to avoid removing them for splitter install and then reinstalling them on the vehicle, order a few:


**Missing one fastener...it's on order...




INSTALLATION:
Overview: Remove and clean bumper mounting surface, clean splitter mounting surfaces, apply double sided tape, apply betalink adhesive to splitter, and then mount splitter to bumper and fasten. Wipe up excess adhesive and allow seal to dry 6 hours prior to reinstallation of bumper. Avoid car washes or rain storms within 48 hours of installation.

-To install the splitter with no gaps between splitter and M front bumper it is recommended that the bumper be removed. Disconnect negative battery cable to avoid an error being recorded due to disconnecting PDC harness. Rough disassembly: there are six 8mm hex head screws under the bumper. There are five large flange hex head screws above the bumper at the kidney grills/intake. There is one 8mm hex head screw behind each reflector. There are two bolts in each wheel well. There are three, body colored, locking plastic tabs on each side of the bumper beneath the headlights. Pull lower bumper away from wheel wells to more easily see locking tab locations. CAUTION: Do not break locking tabs by pulling directly out with force. Use old smooth-faced credit cards, or equivalent, and slide them in fully to press the locking tabs down. Before completely removing the bumper, unplug the PDC main connector and then the side camera connectors if applicable.

-Fully clean the splitter mounting surface on the M front bumper to ensure Betalink adhesive properly seals.

-Completely clean the splitter mounting surface and remove any old double-sided tape. This can be tedious, however using Goo-Gone on the debris and allowing it to soak overnight will make residue removal much easier. The Beta link kit comes with a helpful serrated tool that can be used to scrape and remove residue on splitter mounting surface.

-Apply ½” wide 3M double sided tape as shown in the OEM instructions 01 29 2 230 287. Peel back red protective tape prior to applying Betalink adhesive.



-Have mounting fasteners and applicable tools ready to use prior to applying Betalink adhesive.

-Mark the path of the Betalink adhesive with a pencil, following the path displayed in the OEM instructions.

-Orient the bumper so that bottom faces upward and the splitter can be easily set on the bumper.

-Apply the Betalink using the provided nozzle from the kit. It reaches tackiness fairly quickly after application.

-Mount the splitter onto the bumper and apply fasteners loosely. Then ensure the splitter is mounted flush against front of the bumper while simultaneously hand tightening the fasteners beginning with the A position fastener. Quickly remove any excess Betalink that leaks out.

-Flip the bumper so that it sits on the splitter.

-Allow the seal to dry approximately 6 hours before reinstallation of the bumper.

-Avoid contact with water for 48 hours after installation

OEM CF SPLITTER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
X5 e70_OEM Splitter Instructions.PDF

-END.

[JellyStyle]

Sophisticated Redneck - for our splitter haha, this is great write up argento

[argento]

Sophisticated Redneck - for our splitter haha, this is great write up argento

Shout out to 0-60Motorsports , his pics really helped me understand what to do.

[boneca]

Looks great

I always liked my cf splitter, such a nice touch.

I wouldn’t worry about that fastener, with betalink it will over last the car

[0-60Motorsports]

Originally Posted by argento

OVERVIEW: I believe these OEM CF Splitters are NLA from BMW and installation kits were included with purchase of splitter only. However, used ones are still out there, so keep looking. My first attempt to install this w/o an installation kit and using double sided tape resulted in ¼” gaps between the bumper and the splitter at each corner. I believe the installation is still possible with double side tape, but I’m posting an alternative. First sincere thanks to 0-60Motorsports who, after my first attempt, sent me photos of how his shop installed the splitter. Then the dealer finally came through with a request I had made a month earlier for OEM instructions. Using this info, I put together an installation kit. Installing the splitter with the bumper removed and using the Dupont Betalink adhesive allowed me to mount the splitter flush against the bumper.

COMPONENTS:
I've included the OEM instructions at the end of this post. The OEM installation kit is normally included with purchase of the OEM CF Splitter. If you’ve bought one used like I did, then use the following table to put together a custom kit. Your vehicle likely has the nuts, but to avoid removing them for splitter install and then reinstalling them on the vehicle, order a few:
Attachment 3177226

**Missing one fastener...it's on order...
Attachment 3177227

Attachment 3177228

INSTALLATION:
Overview: Remove and clean bumper mounting surface, clean splitter mounting surfaces, apply double sided tape, apply betalink adhesive to splitter, and then mount splitter to bumper and fasten. Wipe up excess adhesive and allow seal to dry 6 hours prior to reinstallation of bumper. Avoid car washes or rain storms within 48 hours of installation.

-To install the splitter with no gaps between splitter and M front bumper it is recommended that the bumper be removed. Disconnect negative battery cable to avoid an error being recorded due to disconnecting PDC harness. Rough disassembly: there are six 8mm hex head screws under the bumper. There are five large flange hex head screws above the bumper at the kidney grills/intake. There is one 8mm hex head screw behind each reflector. There are two bolts in each wheel well. There are three, body colored, locking plastic tabs on each side of the bumper beneath the headlights. Pull lower bumper away from wheel wells to more easily see locking tab locations. CAUTION: Do not break locking tabs by pulling directly out with force. Use old smooth-faced credit cards, or equivalent, and slide them in fully to press the locking tabs down. Before completely removing the bumper, unplug the PDC main connector and then the side camera connectors if applicable.

-Fully clean the splitter mounting surface on the M front bumper to ensure Betalink adhesive properly seals.

-Completely clean the splitter mounting surface and remove any old double-sided tape. This can be tedious, however using Goo-Gone on the debris and allowing it to soak overnight will make residue removal much easier. The Beta link kit comes with a helpful serrated tool that can be used to scrape and remove residue on splitter mounting surface.

-Apply ½” wide 3M double sided tape as shown in the OEM instructions 01 29 2 230 287. Peel back red protective tape prior to applying Betalink adhesive.

Attachment 3177229

-Have mounting fasteners and applicable tools ready to use prior to applying Betalink adhesive.

-Mark the path of the Betalink adhesive with a pencil, following the path displayed in the OEM instructions.

-Orient the bumper so that bottom faces upward and the splitter can be easily set on the bumper.

-Apply the Betalink using the provided nozzle from the kit. It reaches tackiness fairly quickly after application.

-Mount the splitter onto the bumper and apply fasteners loosely. Then ensure the splitter is mounted flush against front of the bumper while simultaneously hand tightening the fasteners beginning with the A position fastener. Quickly remove any excess Betalink that leaks out.

-Flip the bumper so that it sits on the splitter.

-Allow the seal to dry approximately 6 hours before reinstallation of the bumper.

-Avoid contact with water for 48 hours after installation

OEM CF SPLITTER INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Attachment 3177233

-END.

Attachment 3177231

Attachment 3177232

Attachment 3177230

My Pleasure brother. Looks and sits so much better now. Awesome write up as always.

[argento]

Originally Posted by boneca

Looks great

I always liked my cf splitter, such a nice touch.

I wouldn’t worry about that fastener, with betalink it will over last the car

boneca, no surprise your G05 is looking incredible. Loved the car pix from your trip to the BMW museum. Also, I really liked the blue detail you did on the splitter and diffusers...I was thinking of adding same to mine just to see how it comes out.

[boneca]

Originally Posted by argento

boneca, no surprise your G05 is looking incredible. Loved the car pix from your trip to the BMW museum. Also, I really liked the blue detail you did on the splitter and diffusers...I was thinking of adding same to mine just to see how it comes out.

I appreciate it brother

[argento]

Just ran across this pic…dirty, pre-splitter, and lighting from above looked good on my tiny iphone screen. Just ok blown up...

[argento]

I like all OEM as much as the next but ~$400 for a door pull is ridiculous. I can recommend the item below as I just installed it and it fits perfectly. The material is very nice to the touch, smooth, and dry. Will see how it wears…

$19

Jaronx for BMW X5 X6 Door Pull Handle, Inner Door Trim Grab Cover Passenger Side Right Front/Right Rear Door Armrest Bracket (Fits:BMW X5 2008-2013 and BMW X6 2008-2014) (Leather Cover NOT Inculded) https://a.co/d/dmmZHTY

[argento]

Finally finished this DIY. As you may or may not recall, I started a while back and ordered qty.5 custom crossovers b/c I planned to only use them in the doors and center dash. Those took about 7mos to arrive. But the d-pillars stood out, in a bad way, so then I ordered two more crossovers. They took 10mos to arrive. Now I have everything installed and spent some time writing this DIY. I'm only posting a couple excerpts and leaving the bulk of the DIY in the attached PDF.

Lastly, I’m very happy with the upgrade in sound quality. However, realistically, this was as a pricey retrofit at just under $3,500 all told. You can undoubtedly purchase an equal or better sounding, extremely sophisticated, aftermarket system for less than this amount. As with most aftermarket systems you’ll need to find space and mounting solutions for your amps, DSP, etc., plus routing of thicker gauge wiring to all locations. There are still options available to upgrade your sound dramatically using some of the findings in this DIY without a complete retrofit (see Section “Other Considerations in lieu of Complete B&W Upgrade”). This project is a powerful and easily reversable upgrade that is seamlessly OEM in quality and aesthetics.



SUMMARY
This DIY describes upgrading the fifteen (15) speaker BMW Individual Audio (S752A) to sixteen (16) BMW Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) Audio (S6F1A) speakers. The S752A has component (midrange/tweeter) speakers in the doors and d-pillars which are upgraded to B&W component (midrange/tweeter) sets. The center dash is upgraded from a single S752A coaxial speaker to a B&W component set. Both under-seat subwoofers are upgraded to high wattage capacity B&W subwoofers. The BMW OEM Infotainment (CIC) system and 825-watt S752A amplifier remain to power the upgraded B&W speakers.

This DIY specifically uses B&W speaker components from BMW G-Series X-series vehicles which are plug and play into the E70/E71 S752A audio system (others audio systems may also apply). As a further upgrade, all component set speaker locations use custom bandpass crossovers that are frequency-matched to the B&W midrange and tweeter speakers. Crossovers are professionally fabricated with a small footprint and high-end electronic components meant to significantly improve crossover quality and longevity. As described in this DIY, the crossover hookup leads are crimped with OEM connectors to allow 1) plug and play connection from the crossovers to the OEM speakers and 2) facilitate easy reversibility of the B&W upgrade back to the S752A audio option.

This is not an audiophile upgrade, but an OEM audio enhancement utilizing the effective DSP and Individual amp already integrated into the vehicle. After installation, and equalizer tuning, the result is tangible audio clarity and significantly improved bass response.


===========>
FULL DIY IN PDF:
Installation_BMW S6F1A BW replacing BMW S752A Individual_9July2023.pdf
===========>


AUDIO SETTINGS, CONFIGURATIONS, & CONCLUSIONS
The custom crossovers in this DIY are designed assuming default settings (equalizer flat) in the OEM Tone menu with surround sound unchecked. Obviously, adjustments and tuning can help achieve individual sound preferences. See the REFERENCES section below “S677 HiFi System Professional DSP Equalizer Settings (Frequency Tested)” on how to tune the equalizer settings in an E70/E71.

A quick (subjective) recap on sound quality, digital, and analog signals. Digital music (CD, music files, streamed, downloaded, etc.) must go through a digital to analog converter (DAC) to be played by the amplifier and subsequent speakers. To simplify, I can generally state that streamed or downloaded music played wirelessly (IE: Bluetooth) produces lower sound quality. This is based on streaming/downloading files having an approximate bitrate of 256bps, whereas CDs and music file bitrates approach 1000bps. In the OEM audio system, there are two ways to get digital music to the OEM amplifier. One is through the CIC (OEM headunit) and its internal OEM DAC, where digital AM/FM, CD/DVD, SAT, External Device (Bluetooth), or stored music is converted to analog and sent to the amplifier. The other method is through the OEM AUX-IN, which requires the connecting device to have an internal DAC and output an analog signal to the AUX-IN which is then sent to the amplifier. DAC quality varies significantly and can have a profound effect on the signal delivered to the amplifier and sound output by the speakers.

In my vehicle I have a popular Android Monitor setup which effectively results in two manually selectable modes: 1) OEM mode and 2) Android mode. OEM mode is the typical audio heard when playing sound through one of the OEM audio sources: AM/FM (digital), CD/DVD, Satellite Radio, External Device (Bluetooth), or Stored Music. The sound is adjustable using the OEM Tone menu. The OEM and Android modes are independent of each other, however, use the same vehicle speakers. Audio played through OEM mode cannot be heard through Android Mode and vice versa. There is one exception: you can be in OEM mode playing audio, touch the Android screen (switching to Android Mode) and continue to hear OEM mode audio. This can continue until you press the Apps menu or some other menu or App that switches the source to the Android monitor.

In the Android Mode I use an Android 10 Snapdragon Qualcom 10.25” monitor installed in place of the OEM monitor. You have a choice whether to use the Android’s internal DAC or to add a custom USB DAC. Using the internal DAC only requires an aux cable from the monitor to the center console and OEM AUX-IN. Going the route of a USB DAC requires the sourcing of a DAC that plays well with the system and an appropriate player app. You’ll need a USB extension to get the DAC to the center console and an aux cable that goes from the USB DAC to the OEM AUX-IN. It won’t be difficult to find a USB DAC with better technology and audio sound than the Internal monitor DAC. I tested at least 7 different DACs and the best solution was the AudioQuest Dragonfly Red or Cobalt. The drawback of a USB DAC is that it is mainly used to play audio files through a player app with disregard to most other Android monitor features requiring sound output. You cannot have both Internal and USB DAC connected at the same time b/c there’s only one OEM AUX-IN. I did route both aux cables to the center console and investigated methods to use an AQ aux splitter and a source switch app but have yet to be practically successful. You can manually swap the connections at the center console, but it’s not too practical.

My final configuration is to play audio files using an audiophile player app, UAPP, which outputs the audio signal through an AudioQuest Jitterbug (USB noise filter), then to an AudioQuest (AQ) Dragonfly Cobalt USB DAC, and then plugged into the OEM AUX-IN with an AQ Big Sur aux cable. The AQ DAC has equipment level settings (gain, format, bass boost, surround, correction, loudness) as does the UAPP app which utilizes a 10-band equalizer and numerous additional sound adjustments. The UAPP player app can also control the DAC gain.

OEM MODE SETTINGS – In this mode, sound is adjustable using the OEM Tone menu where you can control Treble, Bass, Fader, Balance, Surround, and 7-Band equalizer (100, 200, 500, 1k, 2k, 5k, 10k HZ). Digital audio is received by the OEM CIC, converted to analog by the internal OEM DAC, and sent to the OEM amplifier. There is also an AUX-IN level setting on the OEM side, however it does not affect the OEM mode sound quality. This setting feature is only for external devices (IE: phones, players, android monitor, etc.) with their own internal DAC which when connected to the OEM AUX-IN bypass the CIC OEM DAC. In general, the lower this value can be set, but remain audibly functional, the better the sound quality. A lower setting can be achieved if the source device DAC is of high quality. Important: Any settings made in the OEM Tone menu are cumulative to any other connected devices sound settings. For instance, connecting your device via Bluetooth and using a device app to play music through the OEM audio system will result in the music being modified by your device app equalizer/sound settings, then being adjusted again by the OEM Tone settings before being played through the vehicle speakers.

ANDROID MODE SETTINGS – This mode utilizes the OEM AUX-IN to send audio signal from the Android monitor to the OEM amplifier. The Android 10 monitor’s internal DAC is much better than its predecessors and there are minimal tone settings available to adjust using the monitor’s default music player. The Draonfly Cobalt DAC selected has internal settings disabled and the UAPP 10-band equalizer is used without additional app adjustment features (parametric EQ, morphit, bit-perfect, crossfeed, balance). The DAC gain can be set in the UAPP app and is set at 100%. The OEM AUX-IN setting, in the OEM mode side, is set to 5-clicks (of 22). Lastly, sound in this mode is affected by any OEM Mode setting adjustments, unless they are disabled or if the OEM 7-band EQ is set to flat.

CONCLUSIONS – I have not technically completed my settings as I need to continue my research on tuning my system given the copious number of adjustments available. But the sound is already tangibly better. Tuning is made more complex given two modes of sound each controlled by different sounding and quality DACs. I’ve determined by comparing the OEM vs Android modes audio sound prior to this B&W speaker upgrade, resulted in the Android mode eclipsing the OEM mode in sound quality and clarity. I attribute the OEM mode’s muddy sound to 1) lack of tuning and 2) the S752A audio system capacitors age and change the crossover frequency for the worse. Once these old S752A capacitors/filters were replaced by the upgrades in this DIY, the OEM mode sound improved significantly. However, it’s still very clear that the AQ DAC is higher quality than the OEM CIC DAC.

I found a new respect for the OEM AUX-IN’s ability to reproduce great sound. If you’re hearing crackling or static via the AUX-IN then your connection is dirty (microfibers can have this effect) and/or the aux cable is faulty or low quality and/or the AUX module is failing. Another massive impact on sound was the addition of the B&W subwoofers. These alone can significantly improve the bass response in your E70/E71.

One setback on the Android mode side, as mentioned above, is that the USB DAC only works with apps sophisticated enough to recognize that a USB DAC is connected. As a result, not every app or feature in the Android monitor has sound when the USB DAC is connected. As a result, I cannot fully take advantage of all the Android monitor capabilities easily. I hope future Android monitor versions may have already resolved this setback.

Next up...tuning this system with an AudioControl SA-4100i Acoustic Analyzer...

[argento]

Finished the bulk of this DIY a couple months ago, but I sent the gauge back to Autometer to swap the smoke lens with a clear lens. Sophisticated Redneck oil pressure gauge kit is the BESST option for this install, sincere thanks to him for his support and knowledge. It really is an impressively well thoughtout kit. I believe he is redesigning the guage pod to be more robust and hopefully have a guage locking feature. I'll be first in line to order one and would love to post pix of it when he has availability to make them for us. I'm really happy with this addition and if someday it needs to be removed, the DIY is completely reversible.

I wrote up another long DIY, but as I've been doing lately I'm only going to post some of the info here and you can read the attached PDF if interested.

DIY PDF: Installation_S63 Pressure Gauge_11Aug2023-FINAL.pdf

OVERVIEW
Specifically on the BMW N62/S63 engines, the BMW OEM low oil pressure warning light in the instrument cluster doesn’t trigger until an oil pressure of 7psi. The OEM system has approximately a 5 second lag in sensing to avoid reacting to extreme pressure values during cold startup. If a low engine oil pressure warning appears at 7 psi during normal operation, then the engine could already be significantly compromised. The OEM oil pressure warning system is monitored by a switch at the oil filter housing assembly. If the oil pressure reaches 7psi or the switch is disconnected, then the system triggers a low oil warning light on your instrument cluster.

This DIY involves installing an aftermarket oil pressure gauge with an oil pressure kit developed by Sophisticated Redneck (xbimmers forums). Once installed, real-time engine oil pressure monitoring will be available via the gauge mounted on the dash near the a-pillar. A voltage comparator is included in the kit, and it works in conjunction with the OEM low oil pressure warning system to 1) prevent a warning light at the instrument cluster due to the OEM connector being removed, 2) allows setting of the oil pressure value that triggers the OEM instrument cluster warning, 3) allows calibration of the oil pressure trigger setting to match each vehicle’s engine operation, and 4) overrides the OEM 7psi low oil pressure setting with the higher, calibrated, value to provide the driver more warning. Installation also requires removing the OEM oil pressure switch, disconnecting the OEM connector, and installing an aftermarket oil pressure sender. Depending on the capabilities of the aftermarket oil pressure gauge selected, additional oil pressure monitoring features (low, high, peak, etc.) may be available.



TECHNICAL OPERATIONAL SUMMARY
This DIY utilizes Sophisticated Redneck oil pressure gauge kit in addition to an aftermarket oil pressure gauge of your choice. It includes a single gauge pod (with options up to 3 pods), voltage comparator circuit, and sufficient wiring lengths. The gauge is installed on the dash near the driver side A-pillar for real-time monitoring. The OEM oil pressure switch is replaced with an aftermarket oil pressure sender and adapter which is nominally included with aftermarket gauge purchase. The voltage comparator is installed and then calibrated with a low oil pressure trigger value (default is 25psi) and monitors oil pressure via data from the aftermarket oil pressure sender. The comparator circuit communicates with the OEM warning system to only trigger (instrument cluster warning light) when the comparator circuit low oil pressure setting is reached. This effectively overrides the OEM 7psi low oil pressure trigger setting for a higher value setting that displays sooner with the intent of mitigating risk associated with engine damage due to low oil pressure.

Using the vehicle fuse identified in this DIY for SWITCH power, the gauge is operational when the engine button is pressed ON and engine running, and powered off when engine button is pressed OFF. At ignition start the Autometer gauge needle maxes out and returns to 0. If the engine button is pressed ON without engine running, the Autometer gauge will read low/zero oil pressure and blink red.

The gauge selected (Autometer Spek Pro) for this DIY has additional programmable features for low, peak, and high oil pressure values. If, with engine running, the system measures a lower oil pressure value than set in the gauge, the gauge will blink red warning that low oil pressure setting has been reached. If, with engine running, the comparator circuit reads a value lower than set, the OEM instrument cluster will display. I set the autometer gauge low pressure value slightly above the comparator circuit low pressure value so the driver is first warned by the gauge and gauge lighting. At peak pressure set value, the gauge displays blue. At high pressure set value, the gauge displays green. The gauge features are adjustable per manufacturer’s instructions.

The gauge backlight dims when the headlights are turned on and brightness is adjusted with OEM dimmer dial. Backlight colors include blue, green, red, orange, white, yellow, and purple. Interestingly, the backlight is always on when powered and the white color is not true white but appears so in the images. Regarding lenses, I originally selected a smoked lens Spek Pro gauge to avoid a perceived ultra-bright and distracting dial against the dark color of the dash as you look ahead. While this was successful in not being distracting in the obvious sense, it was distracting in that the backlight colors for orange and white were significantly off aesthetically and gauge brightness was affected as you’d expect. According to Autometer, the Spek gauges use a tri-color LED which may have issues reproducing a true orange color. Compounding the issue is the smoked lens. I contacted Autometer and they graciously allowed me to send in my gauge and swap out the smoke lens for a clear lens at no cost. The orange backlight is a bit better but does not exactly match OEM and is lighter in color.

Lastly, if the gauge is disconnected or the switch power fuse adapter at the fusebox removed, then the OEM oil pressure warning light and alarm in the dashboard will activate. This continues until the gauge is reconnected or the installation reversed: 1) disconnect gauge and remove gauge pod, 2) remove fuse adapter at fusebox and install original fuse, 3) replace aftermarket sender with OEM pressure switch, 4) remove T-tap at OEM Switch Connector wiring, 5) Reinstall OEM connector into OEM pressure switch, and 6) remove gauge wiring and comparator circuit.

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Haven’t posted in a while, super busy and summer was too hot to do anything. Here’s a quick morning sun image.

A forum member asked me to build them a custom shift knob with ceramic trim, so was able to finish that project. Thanks to that request, I may have a path forward to help others interested in same…lots of variations.

Also, since tuning the B&W speakers with an RTA I’ve been tweaking the system. I’ve only been listening to the oem side with streaming from my phone. Super happy with the sound. A lot of this activity I was posting on the ‘best audio upgrade…’ thread.

In the near future I need to do the front F85 rotors which are just sitting on the bench and I need to take time to go have the akra muffler installed…been siting on that for a year and half!

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i spent the past 1.5 hours catching up on this threads 15 pages. awesome write ups and accomplishments on your x5m. thanks for all your posts and contributions.