17-pin connector is for the amp, not CD (more) (archive)

Dave - there's lots of information on the web about the 17-pin connector on the rear of the head unit - see http://www.eskimo.com/~dalus/bmw/e36/stereo/ for example. This in for the e36, but I suspect it's that same as on your e34. However, note that this 17-pin conmnector is not for connecting the CD, but rather for conections between the head unit and the amp. I believe there's a different conector on the rear of the head unit for the data cable to the CD. There's precious little info around on the wiring between the head unit and the CD changer, I suspect because of the proprietary nature of the I-Bus data system that was used. It makes constructing an after-market hookup pretty chalenging. However, there are adapters available to convert the I-bus to various other manufacturer's CD changers - perhaps you can back engineer one of these adapters to see how the I-Bus system works. Good luck.

Hey all-

I realize this is a long shot but does anyone know the pinouts for the connector to any of the Alpine CD-changers? I have decided to replace mine with an MP3 player and was hoping to avoid having to reverse engineer the odd 17-pin connector.

Thanks for any help--
Dave

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