CM5908 Code Help

[Howaboutdat]

I recently bought a CM5908 head unit from someone parting out their 1991 318i. They sold it to me without the code, saying that they lost the owner's manual (for some reason, they don't have the code). I have not tried contacting a dealer for the code yet. I'm just wondering if anyone can help before I try the dealer.

The number on the radio is F00673399D

[82eye]

bmw will not supply the code on anything so old. you'd need the vin of the original car it came from anyway.

you'd have to open it up and read the solder connections properly for the code or resolder the connections to a known code. there used to be some info on it at rts auto and a few tutorials floating around the internet but i'm sure the links are long gone now.

you bought a brick for the most part.

edit: link to solder to a known code - https://www.rtsauto.com/bmw-radio-cm...-code-jumpers/

Mod edit: Link on archive.org if the first one breaks in the future

https://web.archive.org/web/20260418110914/https://www.rtsauto.com/bmw-radio-cm5908-alpine-radio-code-jumpers/

[Howaboutdat]

I managed to get the radio open and found the code jumpers, but they are all seemingly bridged already, so I would need to desolder all of them except TDC-5?

[82eye]

I managed to get the radio open and found the code jumpers, but they are all seemingly bridged already, so I would need to desolder all of them except TDC-5?

correct.
either interpret and de-code what those solder jumpers relate to, or de-solder and re-solder to one you actually know. those are the choices.
at one point there was a chart someone had published with the de-code but it vanished about 20 yrs ago, these cars are old now.

edit: also the pc board is known to be brittle and hard to work on with the age now. you need a decent electronics solder iron and a careful hand.

[Howaboutdat]

I have managed to obtain the code. While the board was open, I decided to take a picture of the connections and send it to the people at RapidRadioCodes.co.uk. They had a system set up for some of the hardcoded models where you send them a picture of the code jumpers and the radio's serial number. They eventually got back to me with a code that worked: 44442.

I'd like to thank 82eye and the people at RapidRadioCodes for their help unlocking this radio.

[82eye]

I have managed to obtain the code. While the board was open, I decided to take a picture of the connections and send it to the people at RapidRadioCodes.co.uk. They had a system set up for some of the hardcoded models where you send them a picture of the code jumpers and the radio's serial number. They eventually got back to me with a code that worked: 44442.

I'd like to thank 82eye and the people at RapidRadioCodes for their help unlocking this radio.

sweet, that's a good resource to know for the future.