X5 [E53] (1999-2006)
The E53 X5 was manufactured between 1999 and 2006. It was developed shortly after BMW Group's acquisition of British off-road vehicle manufacturer Land Rover. The first generation X5 shares many components with the Range Rover (L322) model.
The first generation of BMW X5 vehicle was fitted with one of four audio systems.
Standard
This setup is fairly straightforward with speakers running directly off of the factory radio. Most of these vehicles use a quadlock connector behind the radio, however there are some with the older style round pin plug. The easiest way to confirm which is to remove the factory radio and physically check.
Navigation (no amplifier)
All navigation radios are in fact just simple screens with a tuner module located under the boot floor, next to the battery, and a navigation module behind the rear left quarter panel. To replace the factory navigation screen cables need to run from the aftermarket headunit to the rear of the vehicle where the stock BM54 radio is mounted.
Navigation with Power Amplifier
Some factory navigation radios output audio via a traditional power amplifier, located in the same rear left quarter panel as the navigation module. The power amplifier can be identified as it uses only 1 connector plug. This is turned on by a standard 12V+ ignition signal and is relatively simple to integrate with an aftermarket radio.
Navigation with DSP Amplifier
The premium factory radio in this model was a navigation unit with separate DSP amplifier. This will be installed in the same rear left quarter panel as the other systems and can be identified by the 3 plugs connected to it and the LEAR part number ending 030. These amplifiers use a signal from the vehicles i-Bus data network. We have solutions for this, depending on what you are planning on fitting.