Trying to run cables behind glove box, tonight... any tips?

[mimarcos]

I found a couple articles and, from bits and pieces of guides, I think I have a fair understanding of how I'm supposed to remove the glovebox (2006 Z4MR). I also popped off the fan vents (gift cards and screwdrivers never let me down), and radio when I installed the ashtray aux input. I'm looking to run a cable from the fusebox to behind the radio (and eventually down through the center trim, but I think I have enough TIS's printed out that will help with this part of the gig). I've done this before in an '04 X3 and my current '08 328xi, but space seems slightly more... limited in this particular BM.

Anyone have any words of advice before I embark on this tonight? Anyone do anything similar, running cables around the glovebox, behind the radio, and down through the center underneath the trim? If you do, and have any words of wisdom, I'd love to hear them before 8PM EST tonight when I kick this pig.

Thanks!

[mimarcos]

Well, about 90% of the way done, and I pretty much abandoned any plans to run cables through that center trim section. The clearance was so tight, and I didn't have enough information on how to pop it off entirely.

I went from fusebox to the little section underneath the radio, then had four cables going out to different sections of the car. To the back, I ran them inside the trim, just by pushing the wires into that section. All in all, not my favorite solution, since I'm not securing them to anything, but I really don't see them coming loose with the pressure the center section exerts against the carpet.

Anyhow. I'll post pictures when I'm finished in case any of you are interested in seeing what I did.

I did learn a lot from this project. I think it's the real reason I like projects like this - some extra level of intimacy. I get to bond with my car. Until I do something where she's exposed to me, I don't feel like she's really mine

[mimarcos]

A little late, but I guess better than never.

First picture is with the center console completely removed. There were some good TIS's for installing the CD changer that helped with this, even though it was completely superfluous.

Second is with the majority of the parts needed for the install removed - vents and head unit, ashtray and related controls, panel above pedals, and the glovebox exposed. The panel beneath the climate controls was also removed. Lights were wired and tested before wrapping it up.

Third is how they look in the footwells when on. I honestly can't get over how much I love how it looks. I had blue lights inside a former X3 and they looked a little foolish in a car like that, but these look fantastic with that car. Richard Hammond said the car is "dripping with menace" and I think this adds just a little bit more.

Fourth is behind the seats - I got two bars back there as well.

Fifth is looking through the bottom of the steering wheel to my feet.

Sixth is the switch used, in the removable panel underneath the climate controls. Virtually completely hidden.

The install took pretty long, mostly because I was popping panels incredibly gingerly, but also because I had to change clothes twice since the humidity in my garage is off the charts and I couldn't bear sweating all over the car.

The control unit (tiny little box) is mounted behind the radio and climate controls, powered from an add-a-circuit from Autozone (popped into slot 2 or 3, whichever circuit is powered on key position 2). It is also switched, using a 1/2" switch on the panel underneath the climate controls.

I initially thought that I could run power to the control unit, which I wanted to mount by the BMW Assist buttons. From there, I'd run two lightbars to each side, through an absurdly convenient seam in the carpets, mounting one on the front of the seat and one on the back. It looked like that wasn't happening. When I popped off the handbrake boot, I saw just how little space was in there to actually run cables. I quickly abandoned that plan.

I decided to keep the control unit behind the radio, and instead ran two lights to the front (underneath the glovebox and above the pedals) and two to the back (mounted on the carpets behind the seat). Running the cables to either side on the front was a snap. Getting it to the back was equally easy, just ran the cables underneath the center trim, down the little carpet seam, and to the little area beneath the seat.

Lights are all mounted with 3M double sided sticky tape foamy stuff (can't remember the exact name), and have been sticking well (although, I found with two bits of tape, they didn't hold, with a full 9 inches of tape they held like champs.

It was a fun project. I got to learn a lot of the inside of my car, and I learned, very quickly, that working on an '04 X3 or an '08 328xi is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING like working on an '06 M Roadster. Sure, a lot of the parts go in and come out as you'd expect from previous experience with BMWs, but the totally cramped workspace, along with the unexpected obstacles like "the roof must be raised 2" to remove the center console piece" kept the whole experience feeling new.

Let me know what you think. I notice there's a little "one face throwing up on another face" emoticon that I'm sure someone will use here. Here's to hoping I also get a little dancing roundel. Or, heavens blessed, a "respekt" guy.

[ZeD4Mr]

A bit too much red for my taste; however, your commitment to get this done is "respekt"... I'm curious what will it look like with the top down and lights on at night...

[mimarcos]

I'll get you a picture of it at night with the top down, maybe tonight.

The control module has a couple of settings, among them are full on and 2/3 on (actually the picture with the light bars on the floor is the 2/3 on setting). I tend to not do things in half-measures, so naturally I opted for the full on. I have yet to see what the 2/3 brightness looks like, but I'm sure at some point I'll get curious and see what it looks like.