For those who own a BMW 3 series F30/F31/F35 or BMW 4 series F32/F33/F36 and want to upgrade the factory small 6.5 inch/8.8″ screen with a larger Android screen, an aftermarket 10.25″ Android head unit is your first option. It allows for a big step forward in your display and navigation & multimedia system no matter if your car comes with factory navigation or not.
Shop here: BMW F30 Android head unit
How to install BMW F30 Android screen head unit?
Well, before the DIY, you should at least know some electrical acknowledges. If you have installed a similar head unit before that would be great. Please remember doing the work slowly and carefully, don’t force anything and don’t rush.
If you have any questions while installing, just feel free to contact DVDGPSNAV for help, you can take some clear photos to show and explain all your doubts or questions. If you are really don’t know how to start and have never installed an aftermarket head unit before, just ask a professional car stereo shop to install it for you. The installer should be responsible, because he may not install such a unit before and he may have a question while installing, a responsible installer is willing to ask for a help from the supplier of your Android head unit.
So let’s get started.
- Factory dashboard with 6.5″ small screen head unit from 2012 BMW 320i with working aux.
This is the factory 6.5″ small display which will be upgraded with a new 10.25″ larger android screen - Firstly use a trim tool to pry the corner of the trim and gently pull out the air vent, remove the 2 plugs behind and set the vent aside.
- Remove the 2 screws(left and right side) to free the CD and climate control panel, then pull out the cover panel.
- Remove the top 2 screws to free the factory screen, and gently pull out the screen, remove the LVDS plug behind.
- Remove 2 screws of the CD player, so that you can pull out the CD player.
You need to unplug the harness behind the CD, so you have got 2 plugs, one female wiring harness and one male plug behind the CD, connect the female harness with the new male plug, connect the male plug behind the CD with the new female plug.
- VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:
If there are green and black fiber optic cables from your factory wiring harness, you will need to move them to our new plug at the same position, if not, there will be no sound or the unit will not work properly. Gently lift the indicated tab, and slide out the connector for the black and green optical cable, then install the optical cables in the same position in the male plug of the provided adapter cable.
- Now you can connect the 2 screen cables with white plugs, 2 plugs from the back of the screen, 2 plugs from the main unit: LVDS, TO-TFT, if you check the connectors carefully, you will find which cable should connect which connector, that’s easy to find it out.
- Connect factory LVDS plug with the main unit named CAR-LVDS. Connect the provided black small plug with CAN connector, and connect other plugs with different colors to the related connectors from the unit.Important note: Please check the connectors carefully, then you will see every plug is different, make sure you don’t connect wrong, and don’t use force to push the plug into the connector, if the plug matched, you should be able to push it into the connector easily.
- If you want to connect an aftermarket rear view camera, firstly the camera should be powered with your car reverse light, secondly, there are one green cable with RCA connector to connect the video input from the camera, and there’s a loose REVERSE wire which should also connect the red trigger line from the camera.
Note: If you have connected the camera correctly, but still no signal or the display is not stable, that’s because the voltage from your car reverse light is not stable, you can connect a relay to solve this, if you need more info about the relay, you can contact us we can send you some pictures. - Double check all connections, install the new screen at top, reinstall the head unit and A/C controls and other things, since you have already done how to remove these parts, you should also know how to reinstall it back to its position.
- After all was done, it’s time to test, turn on the car and watch the screen to boot up, and test function.
- If there’s no sound from Android menu(music or video playing), firstly please check if you have activated factory aux mode, switch to aux mode, and see if aux can be selected, if it’s dark grey and can not be selected, please check if you unplugged the iPod. After factory aux mode has already been activated, if still no sound, that’s because your aux wires don’t go through factory CD or factory Aux wires from the plug behind the factory CD don’t match our aux wires from our plug, so you can connect factory 3 aux wires(red,white and black color) with our new aux wires directly to get sound, or you can use our special aux-adapter cable to connect your 3.5 mm aux port directly:
Instructions after installation
With this new 10.25″ BMW F30 Android screen, you are able to see original menus and new menus, the original menu is controlled the same as before, new menu are touch screen operation.
How to switch between original menu and new menu?
Original menu to new menu: long press the “MENU” button for about 3 seconds.
New menu to original menu: Just press CD, RADIO or MENU.
If you want to hear the music sound from new unit, you need to turn to original AUX mode firstly.
How to turn original menu to AUX mode?
In original menus: select CD/Multimedia > External devices > AUX front > AUX active > Volume.
Note: The AUX volume may not so loud as the radio or CD’s volume, so you can turn the AUX volume from low to highest.
Here’s a video showing you how to activate aux mode:
All in all this isn’t a hard project but just a little detailed if you haven’t done this kind of work before. You can send this installation DIY guide to your installer before installing. While installing if you or your installer still have any questions, you can take some photos for us to check, DVDGPSNAV will do the best to help.
Hi,
I have a 2013 f30 luxury with cic, does it work on my car? Non have i to do some coding?
You don’t need to do any coding while installing our new unit.
In order to confirm if our unit fits your car, please send a dashboard picture for us to check further, and please confirm if your car has aux function.
Hi,
I have a 2015 328, no navi. I’d like to add this to have navi; will this add navigation?
Yes, our unit has navigation function built-in, besides, we will install igo maps for your country for free, and maps update is also free from us.
I have a BMW 328i Xdrive model 2016, is possible to install Apple Car Play and at the same time Android and How Can I change between them?
Hi, you can replace your factory screen with our new android screen unit, so it supports apple carplay.
Hi I have installed one of these systems. When i am on the android side and watching youtube it works fine then sometimes the FM radio will start playing instead. I would then have to go back to iDrive and change it back to AUX. Any Idea?
Hi, i have not heard of this from our customers before, you can contact the supplier of your unit why this happens.
Hello, I have a 2014 328i Xdrive without nav – after swapping the Android screen, will my XM radio still work under the original menu?
Yes, our unit supports all your factory functions working including your XM radio.
I have a bmw f22 from 2014. Does this work in my car? I have an iphone
For BMW F22, it’s another similar model to fit, you can find it on our site. Our unit works with iphone for bluetooth phone and bluetooth streaming music, and it supports mirror-link with both iphone and android phone.
Hello, is this Android only? Can you use an iPhone for carplay?
Hi, though it’s with Android system, you can also use an iPhone for carplay.
Hey, i have a 2014 BMW 328I Xdrive, my head unit recently went out. Is this compatible with my vehicle? And does this have a head unit included?
This unit just replaces the factory screen and keeps all factory functions working the same as before including cd and radio system. It fits your 2014 BMW 328xi.
hello, bmw 328 2012 i live in switzerland, it goes for my car
Yes, this unit fits your BMW 328i 2012 year as well.
What’s the password to factory reset it…?
Please contact us via email to get the password for factory settings.
Hello, I recently purchased a 2017 BMW 330i xDrive Gran Turismo, (2017 – F34), without Navigation. First, will this fit my vehicle, all is still stock, second, can you install the Navigation upon purchase?
Thank you!
Hello, it fits your vehicle, keeps all factory functions working, we will install igo or sygic maps for your country before shipping to you.
Hi I have a bmw 118d Msport 2014 f20, I have a recurring issue where my head unit keeps turning itself off and on after roughly 30 seconds. A BMW specialist has said I need a new head unit, would it be acceptable to purchase one of these instead of a new factory built one.
Firstly you should find out what’s the exact issue from your factory head unit, is it just from the screen? or the radio/cd system? Please note our Android head unit just replaces the factory screen, keep using the factory radio and CD system.
Hello i have a 2012 bmw f30 320d, whith 6.5′ screen and whitout navigation. Can i install the system?
Yes, this Android BMW f30 system fits and works for your 2012 BMW f30 320d, so you can install it.
Greetings.
Im about to buy used BMW 318d Touring, its F31 from 2012. I understand I can change existing display of any kind i have built in my car with this one but,
If I buy a car that doesnt have factory built in display, any kind at all, can I buy this product and mount it on my dashboard?
Im concerned about wiring and wires missing from dashbord where display is to be mounted, on top of the radio and ac buttons.
Is it possible to connect/wire your device “from scratch”?
Hi, our unit can only fits BMW F31 with factory screen, if your car does not have factory screen, the dashboard is different so it will not fit.
Hi , I got a BMW 2015 model F30 320d, I want to upgrade it to an Android system
Is this model compatible with my car
Hi, yes, this BMW F30 head unit is compatible with your 2015 BMW F30 320d. For any other inquiries or questions you may have, please contact us on our website by clicking the link in this post so that we can reply you quickly.
HI
i have basic 6,5 screen, no NAV but i have harman kardon audio set and rear and mirror original cameras and top view park (both options with the simple rear camera view when reverse in on).
With this audio system will i loos harman kardon quality and top view retro camera funzions?
Thanks
This 10.25″ Android screen upgrade for BMW F30 keeps factory functions working, just a replacement of factory small screen, and not change factory functions, so they can still work after installation of this BMW F30 Android screen.
I have 2012 f30 bmw.
Need backup camera with this unit. How much does that add.
I sent you an email, please check it.
hi i have bmw 420d grand coupe 2015 and i bought display android 10.25 would you able to send me all setup for this please
Did you buy the unit from us? If yes, please send me your order number or email address for me to check your order details.
hello .
i own a BMW 6 series
640i gran cope 2015
and i want to upgrade the factory screen head unit with a larger touch screen GPS navigation system 10.25″ .
is it possible to do it …???
and how much it will coast shipping to KUWAIT ..???
please .
This unit does not support BMW 6 series.