Help please w/ concealed display

[Doubles]

Hey guys new here, was asked to join for help from a member on e46.

I got a modified ashtray panel where the concealed display gets tucked in with a cut on panel that fits over it. There is a switch on that panel that allows me to power on both the concealed display and main unit. So basically I can just leave the main unit on always. I have the main unit hung right below the rear view mirror. I tried to hardwire it up this past saturday.

Basically I ran a line to the main unit, snaked it from the headliner down the A pillar, through the glove box and into the concealed display. Ran another telephone line from concealed display to the hardwire kit provided by v1. The hardwire power plug is tucked in right beneath the shifter. I must mention that the modified ashtray has a switch with 2 lines to power it. I hooked up the red line to one of these that are on the ash tray panel switch. The ground wire was attached to a metal bracket on the shifter plate. The final line from ash tray panel switch (the other black wire I mentioned) was tapped into the brown/green wire for the cigarette lighter.


I tried everything when powering it on and everything works. But I had 2 problems that I needed to ask.

1. I get no power when my headlight switch is at off. However if I have it on auto, the entire unit turns on. What other options do i have to tap into for power?

2. I get flickering on the concealed display, I'm no whiz on wiring, but I'm thinking I have a bad ground and need to relocate that wire to a better ground on the chasis.


Thank you in advance for the help guys. I couldn't get any help from my regular car forum.

05 m3 if that helps....forgot to mention vehicle.

[focalcivic]

Hey guys new here, was asked to join for help from a member on e46.

I got a modified ashtray panel where the concealed display gets tucked in with a cut on panel that fits over it. There is a switch on that panel that allows me to power on both the concealed display and main unit. So basically I can just leave the main unit on always. I have the main unit hung right below the rear view mirror. I tried to hardwire it up this past saturday.

Basically I ran a line to the main unit, snaked it from the headliner down the A pillar, through the glove box and into the concealed display. Ran another telephone line from concealed display to the hardwire kit provided by v1. The hardwire power plug is tucked in right beneath the shifter. I must mention that the modified ashtray has a switch with 2 lines to power it. I hooked up the red line to one of these that are on the ash tray panel switch. The ground wire was attached to a metal bracket on the shifter plate. The final line from ash tray panel switch (the other black wire I mentioned) was tapped into the brown/green wire for the cigarette lighter.


I tried everything when powering it on and everything works. But I had 2 problems that I needed to ask.

1. I get no power when my headlight switch is at off. However if I have it on auto, the entire unit turns on. What other options do i have to tap into for power?

2. I get flickering on the concealed display, I'm no whiz on wiring, but I'm thinking I have a bad ground and need to relocate that wire to a better ground on the chasis.


Thank you in advance for the help guys. I couldn't get any help from my regular car forum.

05 m3 if that helps....forgot to mention vehicle.

I am wondering what you tapped power to? do you have a volt meter? if so test the circuit by poking into the metal lead of the wire and with the key on and the key off to see if it is constant source. I would use a switched source that turns on with the key on.

Also, check the ground, you need to go to metal only, not metal to plastic etc.

Can you take a few pics?

[Doubles]

Yeah, I think I will relocate the ground to like the glove box screw, I was told that that works out well. I'm going to see if it still flickers.

I don't have a volt meter, but I'm thinking if my headlight switch is on the off position, it dosen't supply any power to that line I tapped into (brown/green wire of the cigarette lighter). But if it's on auto its still sending power so therefore I get display readings. But like you said I think I need to find a different power source, I don't want to have to leave the switch on auto for headlights....just want it to turn when the car is on.

I won't be able to take pics until prob Sunday...but I'm trying to find a answer before then haha. =(

[SquiddOhio]

A 12 volt (only) tester is pretty cheap and will save you lots of time. At least rig up a 12v light to do the same thing.
You should then use this to find a source of 12v power that is switched on and off with the key, such as a lighter plug or interior lights. Use that for the power, and be sure your ground is tight to metal, as observed above; grounds are easy to find (the color code on many cars is ground wire=brown).
It sounds to me like all your problems are due to the fact that the power to the V1 is running through the headlight system.

[gig103]

I have an E90, so this may not be helpful. But in my ashtray is an ambient light, and that may be the wires you tapped into. That would explain why they are going on/off with the headlight switch.

[BlackCat]

I actually just wired my '02 M3. I'm not sure what the brown green wire is, but does it go to the light in the ashtray? As for the flickering if your ground is good, it could also be your choice of power. If you want to tap a line in the center console area you can tap into the purple wire with the white line, it has power that is on and off with the key.

For my install I used an ATC fuse tap from Advanced auto parts and plugged into fuse 26 (I believe this is correct, trying to remember without going out to the garage) my Bentley manual says it is the cigarette lighter/garage door opener fuse. For the ground I used a screw above the glove box that holds on the styrofoam block behind the dash under the airbag (you have to really twist yourself under the dash to see it and take your glove box out) I then ran the wires from the switch back to the V1 power line between the fuse tap and the V1 in-line fuse.

Hopefully that helps some.