BMW E36 Blog

Today, I went to replace my car’s horn because the one with the high tone has stopped working recently and my car’s horn has become really annoying and very embarrassing :p . So, I decided to get a new one and while I was looking for some other models (Not OEM, I couldn’t find new OEM horns), I found a car with an ugly backup system. I’m sure you all recall my previous posts BMW E36 Parking Distance Control (Parking Sensors), Parking System With Camera For Your BMW about backup systems. This new system looks ok, but the ugly thing about it is that the owner (or the one who installed it), doesn’t appreciate the BMW E36 AT ALL. I really hate to see BMW E36 cars with such humiliating mods that clearly show that the car’s owner simply has no taste of what he’s driving. Take a look at this picture of the rear camera:

I took photos for the digital screen which works as a mirror in the front. Take a look:

The system works great, don’t get me wrong and it even has a hands-free system as well, but what I’m saying is that a BMW E36 shouldn’t get drilled like that… don’t you think?

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

I’m sure the title of this post has dragged your attention and it should because it did the same to me. I’ve discovered that the BMW E36 had an OEM option to get a navigation system with it. It seems the navigation system was a rare option and very expensive at the production time which explains how rare it is. I think it may also have been not very common and that’s why not too many cars have that option installed.

Take a look at this picture:

It’s amazing to find out that a BMW 1993 or maybe older could have this integrated navigation system.

Before anyone asks, I’m not sure if this navigation system is text or image based as I didn’t see it running. All I got to prove the existence of such an option is the above picture and this realoem link. I think it would be very cool if that option could be installed in our cars. Don’t you think?

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

I wrote couple days ago an article about BMW E36 Parking Distance Control (Parking Sensors) and I was very excited to discover that some BMW E36 cars came with a parking distance control system. If you didn’t read my previous post yet, please do before proceeding with this. I’ve decided to dig into this subject more and may be find a DIY about how to install such a system in a BMW if that car didn’t originally have one. So, I was looking for more information about this parking distance control system (PDC for short) and I found that it costs a lot of money. I also found some information about other solutions that I thought are more valuable and I guess more modern for BMW cars.

The modern parking systems are actually equipped with camera(s) to help you park your car and see everything that is behind you. These systems are usually very expensive and hard to install, but I found two systems that I thought you’d like to know about.

The first system is equipped with two cameras which are supposed to work as  left and right mirrors while parking. Take a look at this photo:

This system is provided with two TFT LCD monitors and you can control brightness, color, and contrast. What I didn’t understand about this system is why they provided 2 monitors with different sizes? Why the two monitors are not of the same size?

Anyway, I kept looking for more information and I found another system which provides you with a monitor and a digital distance display that is integrated into your rear-view mirror. I think this is much cooler as I hate to make huge changes to the car’s interior. So, I think this system can be used inside your BMW and look OEM a the same time.

Take a look at these photos:

This system issues a warning sound when getting too close as well. I think this is much cooler than the previous one.

What I still need to figure out about these systems is how they can be installed inside a BMW E36. I think the most obvious thing is to connect the power of this system with your reverse light. This way, the system will turn on automatically when you use the reverse gear. But I still need to know how hard is it going to be to make holes inside your rear bumper and whether they’re going to look good or not.

Please feel free to let me know what you think? Do you know of any better solutions?

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.

The guys at BMW have never stopped amazing me. I used to have a BMW E30 before and every now and then, I was discovering some facts that made me say Wow! The BMW E36 is no difference. I’m feeling that every now and then, I discover something that makes me say wow too!. Today, I’ve discovered that the BMW E36 cars have come with an optional Parking Distance Control (Parking Sensors). It’s a rare option but what’s important is that it exists. Take a look at these photos which show how this toy is supposed to look on your BMW E36:

I think this option has came to life in 1995. Imagine that you’re parking your car and being able to know exactly when to stop. Before anyone asks, I’m very very good at parking, but I think that this option is really cool and makes you enjoy your car even more!

You can see the full diagram for such a system here in case you’d like to install one. I’m not sure whether it’s available but I think you can find it if you tried.

The one thing that I want you to notice is how creative BMW guys were in 1995. I’m not saying that they’re always that ones who invent new options and features, but they’re definitely one of the most important leaders in the car market. They just put the standards.

BMW E36 Blog: The ultimate E36 information source.