BMW Navigation Buyer’s Guide

1. Buy Smart—It is easy to make mistakes
Two common threads on our forum are either from someone asking if a navigation computer they have found on eBay or elsewhere is right for their vehicle upgrade or from someone who is seeking validation of a navigation computer they have already purchased. Many people have posted their success stories of various navigation upgrades and retrofits, so the process is very well understood for the E38/E39/E53 families of BMW. Variations in original equipment and the many types of BMW factory installed and accessory navigation systems makes it complicated but not impossible to identify and purchase the right pieces. There are a significant number of misidentified or misunderstood navigation computers for sale out there that can leave buyers stranded and or screwed. This document is an attempt to identify the different BMW navigation computers available and to help you to identify the one that is right for your project.

2. Types of navigation systems There are three major types of navigation systems that BMW has offered as original equipment options and accessory retrofits over the past several years. These include:
2.1. SA608 Navigation System with On Board Computer / SA609 Navigation System with TV receiver module. There have been 8 generations of navigation computers employed in this factory installed system that we are aware of so far, MKI, MKII, MKIII, MKIV, NAVI01, NAVI02, NAVI03, and the latest CCC System.
2.1.1. MKI: This is the original BMW factory installed navigation option that was first introduced in the 1994 E38 (7 series) and 1995 E39 (5 series) model years. This Nav system used a CD-ROM drive based nav computer, an external magnetic gyro (compass), a GPS antenna and receiver module (Trimble) and a TV receiver module in conjunction with the On Board Monitor module up front. This same system layout, with newer generation nav computers and simplified modules is still being used in all US-Specification and some European-specification vehicles. (See Diagram 1 at the end of this document for the layout used in MKI systems)
2.1.2. MKII: A new computer was introduced for the 1998 model year featuring a simplified system layout, (see Diagram 2 at the end of this document), eliminating the separate magnetic gyro which was now included inside the GPS receiver (Trimble) module. The MKII computer was also faster than its MKI predecessor solving route requests faster and offered a female voice instead of the male voice used in the MKI computer. The MKII was also installed as an option in the E46, X5, and Z8 cars. The Z8 model was designed especially for vertical installation as were the later MKIII and MKIV units for this car.
2.1.3. MKIII: These systems were first seen in the E39 in August 2000 production and E38s for the 2001 model year. The MKIII system simplified the layout a bit further (see Diagram 3 at the end of this document), moving the GPS receiver (Trimble) inside the nav computer housing; now GPS antenna is plugged directly into the MKIII computer itself. Software upgrades included more choices of native languages, and a split-screen option for the graphics to take advantage of the wide screen On Board Monitor launched in mid production of the 2001 model year. A faster CPU of course was also another key advancement.

Download