The Module
The best question about this mod is the same as so many others: Why? Well, it's kinda cool talking to your car. Most helpful if you have the navigation system or the CPT 8000 phone. With voice recognition you can store memos, recall phone numbers, ask questions of the navigation, and other things I'm sure I've forgotten.
The mountings and bracket assembly are pretty intuitive. I checked my progress with instructions from bmwtips.com.
Find the Blue Plug
This is a good picture of the blue plug you're looking for. As far as I know, if your E39 was produced after January 2000, you'll have this plug. It's hidden and taped up behind the grey panel — you have to search for it. Rip the harness out of its tape or carefully cut the plastic tie wraps, and it'll have plenty of length to reach its intended home.
Remount the CD Player
Remount the CD player in its original location. I won't lie — I struggled here. But I finally got it. Then the fun part begins.
Navigation & VR Active
After the beep from holding down the button, if you say "Navigation" the dash confirms and brings up the nav system. When you hold down the speaker button on the stereo, this is how the dash tells you it's ready to listen. It's a small thing that makes the car feel significantly more sophisticated.
Lighted M5 Shifter — Burlwood
One of those mods you do if you notice little things. I never even knew the shifter was lit in an M5 until I saw some pictures of one — immediately hooked. Louie at Pacific BMW worked his tail off to find me one in burlwood to match my interior. Unless you like the aluminum look, specify burlwood.
I tapped a wire leading to the power on the ashtray light. Had to cut off the stock connection and strip the insulation. Getting to the power is pretty easy. One small issue: the shifter illuminates red and the dash is more orange in comparison. Solution in a future update.
